The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-12-15

Ssse1 20 toe ea0e committee.
~ Cna.r Iatd before tho HOuee 3nenn/
MCm tne freed3nt trAnenittinr 7 - ~
a.slon rom the oecretasy Of tic - susy
cose.lng ostlmates Of onu1e needle ~ rs
PSSl;c service amoag .tAe Indian this
w.M wwr.cn ~ ~ resslrsd % the Committee 9
On motion, % Hosse adjourned.
| nfWtw q Daaegs LAST clnPs,ss,
Dss1snans vs1A ~ 1sasnasuss = eh.sa.
aEe0a h ssDaaanbss, 90 nnatae With q
/ esefsas Upsa Daissa u Nsssu.Ass.
fsaeM ova owS eenanssoxpexT.l
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| lcaSclrpsD.I
| DAt1ox, Deeembes q, lsss.
1etessg y ~ eaq1elaA in His ausxpee,
W0oM ssoA& dat % bstlls Of ChteSS &
sos - deeislvs ~ could hsve been dsslsed. n,
nevesshsiess one Of tie most impossant aad hosly
eoatssted engagements Of the whole war. Il ~,
Important not merely In its Immediate resu,ts
which were Of great consequence, but In wh,t n
saved u from; for II the Confsdesssss had jost the
day, the enemy IN all probability would have vip
ssEed In Atlanta. AZ Il h., We have gaia.d siz
months IN which to prepare fos the great conilie,
In this quarter nsEe spring, when q struaRie viii
probably snsue along the line Of the Georgia sta,s
road which 10 without parallel on the Western
continent. Let ~ lose time, therefore, in pro-
pairing for the approaching struggle. Tine in which
to make oil needful preparation has been secured
~ BY Gen. Brasg and Ills brave army, and Il viii
BE- our own fault II we do not avail ourselves Of
the opportunity.
Monday, ,he als. Of sep,ember, tsh. day after tho
buryns ;he dead in ss.hsrins up se spoiis Of our
brilliant victory. and In recoun0itsnng the poel
ton OF the enemy. A council Of war was called
that night BY The General commanding, q which Il
was determined, as am credibly Informed, 10 put
the army In motion mp the Tennessee river the iol-
lowing day, with the intention Of crossing that
stream, turning the enelnys LEFT Aank, and pushing
on acrOss the mountains towards Nashville. Ac.
eordingiy on the next day the troops were moved
BY the right dank towards Oraysville, and Chick
anauea station in pursuance the resolution come
10 at the council Of war but that night the whole
programme was changed BY the Commander-in-
Chief, and the head Of the column turned back 70
Chattanooga.
Il has been said, and think correctly said. thar
4 the Confede.ates had made visorous pursuit on
Monday and Tuesday after the battle, before the
enemy had recovered from the stunning effects Of
bis disastrous defeat, they might have Teoecupled
Chastanooga, captured large part OF the Federal
mountains north OF the Tennessee, where they
would have been an easy prey to our cavalry; or,
failing 70 adopt that plan, II the army had been
rear Of the enemy, a. Il could easily have done,
that the same results would have followed, to-
gether with the enforced evacuation Of East Ten.
nessee by Burnside. II, therefore, Gems Polk and
HindiDan failed-t0 come to time in McLsmoYe's
Cove, and thus prevented the destruction Of the
Federal army, impartial Justice required Il to 90
stated that the Geneml commanding fell into an
though II was not necessarily, quite ~ fatal. Ii
may be that his transportation Was iusufh lent for
march into the heart Of Tennessee, aud that time
was necessary to prepare his commissariat for
important an undertaking yet, granting this to be
true, there was nothing to prevent an immediate
assault upon Chattanooga, which, II properly con-
Quoted, could hardly have failed TO be successfnl.
But Gen. Lee made q similar mistake at Frede-
ricksburg from want Of timely Information - to
the real condition OF the eneuy-a mistake which
the most sagacious commander 10 liable to commit-
aud which, therefore, we should not be too hasty
to criticlse either in Gen. Bragg or Gen. Lee.
Upon his arrival before Chattanooga, Gen. Bragg
proceeded 10 invest the place the south side Of
the Tennessee. He covered Lookout Mountaia
With his forces, and threw his pickets well down.
vailed forsome days tixt ROeecrans would attempt
to eyxcusfe the town by night, and, consequently,
were made In force on two success
and designs Of tile enemy. But the only result Of
these B,fdnigtt recOnnoiasances was tue discovery
that the enemy had n0 Intention of abandoning his
portion. and was MnIylng himself a. fast e. pos
were put in position along the foot Of Missionary
Ridge and on the north face Of Lookout, and Ore |
opened upon the snenys lines; but It was soon !;
that the diafaace was too great for our
sS. GEN in obed,euc.
orders from headquarters, proceeded to cross the |
Tennessee on the J0eh september Pt Cotton Port, |
= few siies above Chattanooga, with Q cavalry |
force Of abomt - sabres. II required several I
aays to make the entire circuit Of the Federal !
ary, the object Of the expedition being to cut the
=
stores, and thus comp,l him to retire |
rom Chattano0ea from want OF supplies The
IpoiIs Of the expedition may be summed up Ia |;
round numben at !, 800 priyoners captured, and
lbout 1000 wagons with their contents, aud im- |
neuss commissary and quaTtermaster stores, de-
,sroyed, together with . large number Of mules,
which were killed. Wheeler brought away con-
,upplies hls men could well carry on horseback.-;
H d own loss was heavy In msn and hosses, though
,othine like that Of the enemy. HeEeturned TO the
'outh slde Of the Tennessee not fur fiosn Hunts
lille, and thence proceeded to join the army 10
The dihicuity Of subslstlng the FEDERAL army in-
creased a. the fall m0nths advanced and the wet
reason set In. The bridges u Bridgeport and Run
oad, had been destroyed, and this fact, together
WITH our position In Lookout Valley, made Il me-
.eseaSy FOR RosecganS 70 rely upon his wagon
rains al0ae for the transportation OF HE supplies
rhe distance and the mountainous country over
which these supplies had % be hauled, and the
,eavy rains and swollen streams BY which bis
rains were delayed, redueed his suecsseor, Gen.
,i1er re-open the Tlsoa6 iiae, resSict hia troops
o quarter Sstous O. tues, o. yield the position and
ssire upon Nashvills. Il vas shls dilsmlna, fore
zen BY the Contetesaeeeonma thst probably
move across the liver upon the enemye rear.
Be this - g nay, On the night Of the 36sh of 10
obes, Thomas threw force over the Tennessee,
1t0a ~us ,..s,. ~ ~ -. ~. ~" c,..sss