The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-04-23

II eS.S0 - - 1879 fhS@NbSs Il
In the rebel Congress on the 9Th, Thu
following message was received:
TO tie Senate aud H1ese Of Repre-
se,rtafiUss ef lie lo.ts dsvsss 8Isaes O
Amsriea: The great importance of ths
news just received from Tennessee in.
duces me 70 depart from the established
usaees, and to make to you this co,ninuni.
cation in advance Of Official reports. From
official telegraphic Dispatches, received
from official s0uscusI / am able to an.
nounos. to you, with ~antire confidence
that it has pleased Almighty God to crown
the Confe1eSste arms with ! glorious and
decisive victory over our invaders.
On the morning of the 9th, the con.
yerging columns Of eur army were com
bined by its Commander-in-C Chief, Gen
A. Sidney Johnston, in IN assault on the
Federal army, then encamped near Pitts.
burg, on the Tennessee river
After hard-fought battle Of ten hours,
the enemy was driven in disorder from
his position, aud pursued to the Tennessee
river, where, under the cover Of the gun
boats, he was At the last accounts, ea.
dcayoring to effect his retreat by aid ot
his transports. The details Of this great
battle arc yet too few and incomplete to
enable me to distinguish with mcrited
praise all of those who may have con-
spicuously earned the right to such dis
tinction, and prefer to delay our own
qualification in recommending them TO
your special notice, rather than incur the
risk Of woundiDg the feelings Of any by
failing to include them in the list.
When such victory has been won over
troops as numerous, veil disciplined.
armed and appointed, as these which have
just been 80 signally routed, we may we'll
conclude that one common spirit Of un-
Ainching bravery and devotion to our
country's cause must have animated every
breast. from that OF the Commanding
General 10 that Of the shumblest patriot
who served in the ranks. There ia
enough in the continued presence Of in
vaders on our soil to chasten our exulta-
ton over this brilliant success, and TO re.
mind US of the grave duty Of continued
exertion, until we shall extort from
proud and vain glorious enemy the re-
luctant acknowledgement Of our right to
self-guvernmept.
But An All-wise Creator has been pleas
ed, while vonchsafng TO US His counter
ance in battle, to afflict US with severe
dispensation, To which We must bow ia
humble submission. The last long, ling.
ering hope has disappeared, and it is but
too true that General Albert Sydney john
ston is no more. The tale Of his death
is simply narrated in a dispatch from Col.
William Preston, ia the following words:
"Gen. Johnston fell yesterday at half
past two o'clock, while leading a success
full charge, turning the enemy's right,
and gaining brilliant victory. A Mimic
ball cut the artery of his leg, but
he rode on until, from loss of blood, lie
fell exhausted, and died without pain, in
few moments. His body has been en-
trusted to me by Gen. Beauregard, to be-
taken to New Orleans, and remain until
directions are received from his family"
My long and close friendship with this
departed chieftain and patriot forbid me
to trust myself in giving vent to the feel
ings which this sad Intelligence has evoked.
Without doing injustice to the living, it
may safely be asserted that our loss Is ir-
reparsbls. Among the shining hosts OF
the great and good who now cluster
around the banner Of our country, there
exists no purcr spirit, no more heroic
soul, than that Of the illustrious man
whose death / join you in lamenting.
In his death be has illustrated the char
acter for which through life he was con-
spicuous--that Of singleness Of purpose
and devotion to duty-with his whole en-
ergics. Bent on obtaining the victory
which hedeemed essential to his coun-
try's cause, he rode on to the accomplish
ment Of his object, forgstfui of self, while
bis very life blood was fast ebbing away.
His last breath cheered his comrades on
to victory. The last sound he heard was
their shout Of victory. His last thought
was his country. and long and deeply will
his country mourn his loss.
III JEFFERSON DAVIS.
The message was laid on the table and
ordered to be printed.
e. Gen. Burnside has sent home DR..
j. II. Thompson, surgeon, for creating
a false alarm relative to the approach Of
the enemy in large body upon Newbern.
The General in his order very sensibly
says that the stern realities Of warfare
rob the soldier of quite sufficient Of his
rest and sleep without the aggnvations
of senseless rumors and imaginary dan
gers, and those who create or report them