The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1862-12-27
Gen. HalIeck's Report on War Matters.



WASHINGTON, Dec. 9.
Gen. Halleck has written to Secretary
Stanton an exceedingly long report of mill
itary operations since the Esd of July last,
when be took command. He says he visit
ed Mcclellan to see whether there was any
probability of success by that mode of ad-
vancing on Richmond, and if not, to form
some plan of uniting Pope's and McClel-
Lam s army on some other line.
On arriving at Harrison's Landing. Nc
Clellan told him he must have at least
fifty thousand additional troops. Halleck
estimated that twenty thousand was the ut
most numberthat could possibly be found
to send. Mcclellan took over night to con-
slider, and then told Halleck he would make
an attack on Richmond with the twenty
thousand reinforcements. With that under
standing, Halleck returned to Washington.
There he received dispatch from McCiel-
Ian, saying that he could not leave without
thirty five thousand. 1t being totally i'm
possible, then, to furnish this number,
Halleck ordered the withdrawal of the army
from the peninsula.
Gen. Halleck. states that about this time
he received news of heavy rebel force pre-
pairing to attack Gen Pope, and menacing
the capital. He thereupon sent urgent
messages to Gen. Mcclellan, but still the
evacuation of Harrison's Landing was not
commenced until eleven days after it was
ordered. In the emergency Gen. Coxe's
troops were ordered forward in great haste
from Western Virginia.
Gen. IIallrUk then reUitaS the history of
Gen. Pope's campaign, and brings OUT a
letter from Pope, in which that officer pro-
nounces Sigel wholly incapable.
He commends Pope's earlier disposition
for isolating Stonewal Jackson's forces as
well planned. The delays of some of Nc
Clellan's troops in marching to Pope's relief
were neither creditable nor ex6usable. He
saws no officialsreport of the campaign has
yet BEEN received from Gen. Rope, and con-
cludes the subject by saying that if McClel-
lan's troops had arrived little earlier, the
rebel army would have been easily defeated,
and perhaps destroyed.
Gen. Halleck next sketches Gen. Buell's
campaign and says that as there is commits
sion ordered to investigate, it would be OBJ
viously improper for him to express his
opinion now; says an investigation has been
ordered of Morgan's strange abandonment
of Cumberland Gap.
Grants and Rosencrans's operations are
sketched without comment.
Curtis's withdrawal to Missouri is termed
unfortunate, and is said to have prevented
the carrying out of intended movements in
Arkansas. He says it is quite possible that
Indian hostilities may be resumed again in
the spring, and preparations will be made
accordingly.
The forces in North and South Carolina
are too small to accomplish much.
Gen. Halleck calls attention to tie fact
that our victories have not been followed
up. and says that IN Maryland, Virginia.
Kentucky and Middle Tennessee, rebel
armies have exhibited much more mobility
and action than our own. Says this is
partly owing to our enormous baggage and
transportation, and says that our troops, and
especially in the east, have been little ac-
customed to march, at least such as is re-
quired by active operations.
Absentee and struggling deserters are
spoken of as.crying evils, and the military
laws on this and other subjects are said to
need revision.