Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-09-24
The War History Of the Year--Mr. Stewards
Despatch to Onr Ministers Abroad.

Mr.. SEWARD, on the 18th ultimo, addressed
diplomatic circular to our ministers in Eu
rope, reciting the successes of our armie:
during the present year, and concluding a:
follows:
Jefferson Davis, the leader of the sedition
has since proclaimed a levy OF ali the able
bodied men within his military lines. This
if carried into effect, will exhaust the whole
material of which soldiers can be made The
Insurgents estimate the total number of con
scripts thus to be gained at from 10000 to
95,O 900. Our armies now confront the insur-
gents at all points with superior numbers 4
draft for 100000 more is IN progress to re-
place those whose terms of service have ex-
pired, and to fill up the wasted ranks of our
veteran regiments, and the people, Just so
fast as the evidence Of the necessity for that
measure is received and digested, submit
with cheerfulness to the ascertalned demands.
Our armies everywhere are well equipped.
abundantly fed, and supplied with all the
means of transportation. The soldiers of two
years service bear themselves as veterans.
and show greater steadness in every conflict
The men, accustomed to the camp, and har-
dened by exercise and experience, make
marches which would have been impossible
in the beginning of the contest The nation
is becoming familiar with arms, and easily
takes on the habits of war Large voluntary
enlistments continually augment our military
force. All supplies are abundantly and
cheaply purchased within our lines The
country shows no signs of exhaustion of
money, material or men. A requisition for
six thousand two hundred remount horses was
filled and the animals despatched from Wash
IL i Loo, I
at par by our own citizens, at the average
rate of $1,000, 900 daily. Gold sells in our
market at one hundred and twenty-three to
one hundred and twenty-eight, while in the
insurrectionary regions it commands twelve
hundred per cent. premium.
every insurgent port is either blockaded,
besieged, or occupied by the national forces.
The field of the projected Confederacy is di-
vided by the Mississippi. All the fortifca-
tons on its banks are in our hands, and it's
flood is patrolled by the national feet.
missouri, Kentucky, Delaware, Maryland,
all slave states-support the federal gov
eminent. Missouri has already in convention
ordained the gradual abolition of slavery. to
take effect at the expiration of seven years.
Four-ttths Of Tennessee, two-thirds of Vir-
glnia, the coasts and sounds of North Carroll
IA, half of Mississippi and half of Louisiana,
with all their large cities, part of Alabama,
and the whole sea-coast of Georgia and South
Carolina, and no inconsiderable part of the
coast of Florida, are held by the United
States. The insurgents, with the slaves whom
they yet hold in defiance of the Presidents
proclamation, are now crowded into the CEN
tral and southern portions of Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Ala
bama, while the pioneer slave holding insur-
gents beyond the Mississippi are cut off from
the main force. On the other hand, although
1t is less than six months since the laws or
customs of the United States would allow a
man OF African descent to bear arms in de-
fence of his country, there are now in the
field twenty-five thousand regularly enlisted,
armed and equipped soldiers of that class
while fifty regiments of two thousand each
are in process of organization, and sixty-two
thousand eight hundred persons of the same
class are employed as teamsters, laborers, and
camp followers. These facts show that, as
the instruction continues, the unfortunate
servile population, which was at the begin
ming an element of its strength, is being
transferred to the support of the Union.
"1ou will use the facts presented in this
paper IN such way as may be most effective
to convince those who seek renewal of COM
merclal prosperity through the restoration of
peace In America, that the quickest and short
est way to gam that desirable end, is to with
draw support and favor from the insurgents,
and to leave the adjustment of our domestic
controversies exclusively with the people of
the United States
81 am, sir, your obedient servant,
civilian H. SEWARD"