Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-12-15

iSSfiheto strike ! blow that viii tell. But
10 show You how differently things are
viewed here, called on my corps and d.
vision commanders and generals Of cavalry
for auswefs inswritiug 20 the questions
eFirst-From your best Information. 90
you think the enemy materially weakened
in our fr0nt2 Second Do you think this
'armyscan advance At this time with Fea.
sonable prospect of fighting a great ana
successful battle 2 Third-Do you think
an Advance advisable at this timer To
the ;drst, eleven answered MOI six yes-to
the extentof ten thousand. Tothe second,
four yes, with doubts; thirteen no. 10
the third not one yesi seventeen. no.
GNot one thinks an advance advisable
until Vicksburg's fate is determined. ADJ
hitting these officers to have reasonable
share Of military sagacity, courage and pa
triotism, you perceive that there are grayer
and stronger reasons than probably appear
at Washington for the attitude OF this ar
my. aals
nI therefore counsel caution and patience
at headquarters. Better wait a little 70
get all we can ready to insure the best re-
suit. II, by SO doing, ives pertorce OF
Providence, observe great military max
im-not TO risk two great and decisive
battles at the same time-we might have
cause 10 be thankful for 1t. AT allieyents,
| You see that, to expect success, must
have such thorough grounds that when l
say Forward, my word will inspire con-
Eviction and confidence where both are now
wanting. should like to have your sug-
gestion. W. 8. RosRcRANs' Ma. Gen.
ITO Maj. Gen. H. w. HALLECK, General
| in Chief.Y
On the IL til of June General Halleek re-
piled sharply to this letter, to the effect
thatthe military maxim of not fighting
two great .battleslAt the same time did not
apply in this case; that another military
maxim declares that "couucils of war do
not fght,'' and that the authorities were
becoming impatient at Rosecrans' inaction.
To this letter Gen, Rosecraus made the
following rejOiuder:
aHIApouARTKRs DEPARTMENT OF THE CuMBEnLAEp,l
- MURRREEsBoRo, June 81, 1868.
"GESERAL-Iu your favor of the 18th
instant you say that you do not see how
the maxim Of not fighting two great battles
At the same time applies to the case of this
army and GRANTS Looking at the matter
practically, we and our opposing forces are
so widely separated Luht IoE| bragg 70 uh>
terially aid Johnston be must abandon our
front substantially, and then We can move
to our ultimate work with more rapidity
apd less waste of material on natural OBJ
stacles. If Grant is defeated both forces
will come here, aud then we ought to be
near our base. The same maxim that for
bids, as you take it, u single army fighting
two great battles at the same timely the
way, a very awkward thing to do-would
forbid this nations engaging all its forces
in the great-West at the3same time, so as
to leave it without single reserve to stem
the current of possible disaster. This 10, l
think, sustained by high military and po-
litical considerations. We ought to fight
here If we have strong prospect OF. win
ming a decisive battle over the opposing
force, and upon this ground | shall act. 4
shalt be careful not to risk our.last reserve
without strong grounds TO expect success.
t'W. s. RosEURAEs, Sj6F- General. 2
HMajor General H. W. Hatleek, General.
In Chief"
The report then sums up; the results of
the battle of Ohickamauga andlths victory
of General Graut. The concluding pas:
sages of the document relate TO the de,sils
OF army organization and the exchanges OF
prisoners. The following paragraph gives
intimation of a possible retaliation for the
outrages inflicted upon our soldiers held
as prisoners at Richmond:
s.The rebel prisoners held by the United
States have been uniformly treated with
consideration and kindness. They have
been furnished with all necessary clothing,
and supplied with the same quality and
amount of food as our own soldiers. While
our soldiers who, by the casualties of war
have been captured by them, have been
stripped of their blankets, clothing and
shoes eyenlin the winter season, and then
in damp and loathsome prisons,
and only halfted on damaged provisions,
OF. actually starved TO death while hun,
dreds have terminated their existence
loaded with irons in q filthy prison; not a
few, after semblanee OF trial by some
military tribunal, have been actually muir,
dered by their inhuman keepers. Insfine,
the treatment of our prisoners of war. by.
the rebel authorities has been even more
barbarous than that which Christian cap ;.
tiyes formerly suffered from the pirates of
Tripoli, Tunis and Algiers and the hor-.
rors OF the Belle Island and the Libby
Prison exceed even those OF the British
hnlks or the Black Hole of Calcutta, Aud
this atrocious conduct Is applanded by the
people and commended by the public press
of Richmond as means of reducing the
Yankee ranks, 1t has been. proposed to
retaliate upon the enemy by treating his
prisoners precisely as he treats ours
Such retaliation is fully justified by the
laws and usages of war, and the present
case seems to call for the exercise of this
extreme right. Nevertheless It is revolt
ing to our sense ofahumanity to be forced
to so cruel an alternative It is hoped self
interest, ffnot a sense Of justice, may ip 3
duce the rebels TO abandon course of
conduct which must ever remain adds
grace to them and their cause"