Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-17
InteFcc pied Correspondence Of the Con-
GedCrRte Authorities,

InteFc pied COFrespOndsnce Of the Com
redCrRte Authorities.
The correspondence 10 yOluminous, and we
can only give the substance In our columns to-
day. II opUns with letter from Mr.. Benjamin
to Mr.. slidcll, in which he treats principally Of
tho Peninsula campaign and the subsequent
movements Of tho rebel army. There Is, of
course, good deal of brag.
Mr.. Benjamin says:
Events OF startling Importance haye> been
crowded SO rapidly into the short period which has
elapsed since my last dispatch, that any attempt
to give them In detail would swell this commune
cation into volume. | shall endeavOF to send
hIrniSh details. and eonane mVseIf To a statemsnt
OF the present condition Of affairs.
On the 18th July, the remnant Of McClelan's de-
ing, on James river, fortified in very strong posi-
ton, and protected byA formidable feet Of gun
boAts, Hfs defeat had been followed by an order
Of President Lincoln, investing Mai. Gen. Halleck
with the command-ih-chef Of all the armies OF the
United stAtes-headquaTte at Washington Mai.
Gen. Pope was assigned to the command Of the
Army of the Potomac, which was composed Of the
shattered remnants Of the armies Of Fremont, NIL.
roy and Banks after their tout by Gen. Jackson in
several armies OF Mcdowell, who occupied Freder-
icksbuFg; OF Burnside, who was recalled from North
CaroilHai and OF Hunter and stevens, who were
increased by troops Withdrawn from Norfolk and
Fortress Monroe, and replaced at those points by
raw leyies. This accumulated force amounted
probably to about ninety thousand effective men
and the old cry Of "On to Richmond" was renewed
with the usual accompaniment Of extraYagant
Boosting by the Northern journals.
Gen. Lee first dispatched Gen. Jackson with
corps d'armee Of about twenty-five thousand men
to check Pope's advance, and having satisfied him
self that a small force would be sufficient TO watch
Mcclellan, (whOse army was demoraliEed and dis
pirted by the result OF the battles Of the ChinKA-
kominy, and was being fast worn down by sick
ncss) proceeded with the main body of the army
as-rApikly as possible to join General Jncksonj
but ne movement was not accomplished as
deficiency in means of transportation. General
Lee had hoped with his united iorcos, which were
/ army Of that general before Mcclellan could come
to It's relief, II such movement were attempt
ed. The plan was on the eve Of successful ac-
eomplishment when sudden rainstOr so swelled
the Rapid Ann river that II was necessary to wait
some days before crossing It, and Pope, In the
mean time taking the alarm, retired rapidly be-
hind the RappahAnnock, thus bringing himself
within supporting distance OF Mcclellan, who had
been ordered round to join him in accordance with
| ces Of Mcclellan and Pope were, however, met by
Gen. Lee in series of successful battles on the
plains Of Manassas on the 2sth 2sth, and 3oth Au-
gust, and the total route Of the enemy WAS follow
ed by the withdrawal of their entire forces into the
! Notifications around WashngtOni by the disgrRce
of Pope, who has been baniBhed to an Insignificant
command in Minnesota and by the appointment Of
Mcclellan to the command Of the army collected
"foT the defence Of Washington" Gen. Lee, anus
/
on his lines at Arlington Heights, succeeded in
Withdrawing his entire army from their front and
entered Maryland by the foids at Edwards Ferry,
IN theighborhod Of Leesburg, with, without oppo-
sltQn, and established his headquarters at Fred
b IOk
Again making deceptive demonstrations of an
intention to march, at one time into Pennsylvania
and at another against Baltimore, Gen. Lee dis.
posed his army in such manner that, by rapid
movement, he envelOped the whole Federal force
Of over eleven thousand men stationed at HarpeTs
Ferry and forced Il into an unconditional sIrren-
der. The fruits Of this movement were over eleven
thousand prisoners, Including more than four hun
dred officers, twelve thousand stands Of arms,
. ninety pieces OF artillery, and an enormous guam
tity OF stores, principally munitions Of war, to-
gether with two hundred wagons, &c. Gen. Me-
ClellAn, becoming aware too late Of the danger,
moved frOm Washington in great haste with the
view to relieve the troops invested at HarpeT's
Ferry, and on the day before their surrender at,
tackled with his whole force OF eighty thousand
men Cen D. H. Hill, who, with rearguATd OF A.
teen thousand men, had been left TO resist his ad
vance, and who held his position with unconqueT-
able hTmnesB, but was finally compelled to give
way for short distance under the stTesE Of these
overwhelming odds, until Generals Lee and Long
street, arriving with reinfOrcements, Te-eGtab-
lished his lines, and repulsed the eneUy.