The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-10-06
Aithmonh Dispattt.
TUESDAY MORNING .......,.. OCTOBER t, 1865
SITUATION At CHATTANOOGA
from orr own CORRESPONDENCE

any such intention. The long lines OF in
f.ntry, cavalry, and artillery reported by 'ht
signal corps some days ago fo DC ciossin.
ihe Tennessee to The north side, are now br
Ieyod 10 have been forces seat ont for The
purpose Of cScoTtug provision and forage
trains to Stevenson and McaIinayiile, whence
The Fedeyal army obtain their supplies
IiIc;r wagon trains have been sent acrUlS tht
river and parked only for greater safety. A
i,-w trisadcs Of Infantry have .t'-n heenir
ferred to the north hank With q view to
guarding Butler. ford, four miles be
low the north end Of the mountain
and Keleyss ford, some Bine mile:
further down. The river at the town is in
the form Of .he letter 'S,n in The norher,
curve Of which, but on the south side Of ths
river, the Federal army is encamped. 4
heavy battery las been planted on tn.
tongue OF land Oh the north side, and on tia;
part OF the curve which sweeps around to thi
south. This position gives 1hen on enflad
ing and oblique fire upon al attacking col
unn moving against their front, which j:
also defended by three lines of re.stworhs
running from one curve of ,ll.s i!rer to tiit
other. These lines form a sel:7r circle IL
front aud are the com mrIeIncnt tn the bend o.
the river in the rear
Within lie circle thus f,tmed by The rive,
in the rear and She lines Of entrenl ,lulents il
front, there are ? number of Hills Or eIeya
tiono which arc crowned by iorinidab!e earth
works and batteries. Some of these dcicnc15
we're erected by Gen. Bragg, hut they have
bcer greatly strengthened and multiplied Dy
Gen. Ro8ecrals since the battle. There is a
Starshaped fort Of large extent in front OF
the railway depot, and near the curve oi the
second lire OF breastWOrks. Eight hundred
or thousand yards TO the right OF tfiis, on
the line of the East Tennessee railroad, is
another work Of equal dimensions, but diff
fercnt in form. This seems to be aredan.-
Back Of these two works, on an eminence
near the river, and between them, is strong
redoubt. On the high hill behind the town
are other batteries admirably located. In
deed, the entire curve OF the Tennessee oc.
cupicd by the enemy is covered with a net
work of forts, breastwOrks, masked bate
res, and rihe-pits. Many of them can be
seen distinctly from Lookout Mountain,
whilst only portions of others can be detected
among the trees and behind the hills. When
viewed from our picket lines in front, as
saw them this morning, they look iormida-
bic enough.
Can this stronghold be taken by direct
assault? Were Vicksburg and Fort Wagner
thus taken9 Strong as the position is al
ready, ROsecrans shows no disposition to re-
lax his eiierts to render it really and abso-
lutely impregnable. Day and night his en-
ginecrs are at work. Possibly the place
could have been carried by storm, though
not without heavy loss, had We pressed for
ward from the victorious field Of ChicamaIl-
ga If any mistake has been committed it
was in not making the effort at that time
1t is too late now, fear. 1t may be only
two alternatives are left us-either to dig up
to the place as the enemy did at Vick5burg
and Fort Wagner, or To manpuvre him out
Of it, To do the former will require time
and labor; to do the latter will be difficult
and hazardous, as will be apparent to the
most casual observer OF the map OF Tennes-
see.
This is moi The only dsagrccable truth we
have to record. keiniOrcements have reac he'd
kosccrans since the battle, and others are
expected. Prisoners and citizens report the
arrival Of Burnside's column, and late Fede-
raj papers hint that other troops are OH the
way. The retention Of Chattanooga is con-
sidered as of the first importance, not only
us regards Tennessee, but as a point d'oppisi
in the future conduct Of the war; and il viii
be held if possible. The papers admit the
defeat of Roseerans, but ascribe it to the
large reinfOfceneuts which they say were
sent to Bragg.
1t is understood that the four bridges
burnt by the Confederate cavalry on the
Georgia State Railroad have been rebuilt
and that the cars are now running to Chlca
mau.a station. When will our people learn
that they injurc themselves only when thcy
destroy railway bridges? The bridges could
not be used by the enemy without cars, and
Of the latter they had none this side the
Tennessee, and could not get any in space
Of time which wonld not have been ample
TO replace the bridges.
E0sccraGs sent in this morning, under
flag OF truce, one hundied and ninetytwo
amhulances and several wagons with sup
plies for his wounded in our hospitals, who
nave been pa:ulei and will he returned to
him this evg.in,: aud tomorrow. The am
bulance train WAS met at point between
the Two picket iiacs, and there turned over
10 Confederate t.r.vcIs, who will 90 for the
wounded, bring them back 10 the same
point, and there deliver them to The Federal
authorities.
1t is believed that 10000 viii cover our
loss in killed, wounded, and missing, and thai
20, coo win cover the eDeiny'G, including 900
prisoners, ,ofwhom ), coo We're wcll men, taken
in battle. There eee,ls to be some doubt
about the Wagons reported AMONG the spoils
Of the victory, and the number of flags taken
is twenty, and not forty, as reported 10 lAe
by one of the highest officers III the army
Of the -, 900 stand Of email arms picked up
on the battlefield, Il portion OF them, OF
course, were dropped by our own killed and
wounded. Ii i6 Toporied that lew more
guns have been found in addition TO these
captured during the fight. The number is
now said to be folty-threc. The flags taken
have been sent on 10 Pichmoud by the brave
men who captured them aud such company
officers as greatly distinguished themselves.
1t is not probable that our killed viii exceed
1000; Of the remaining 9,0D, i. is not be-
lieyed that more than 1900, if SO many, Were
severely wounded, all the rest. receiving
slight wounds. SALLUsT.