New-York daily tribune., 1863-12-31
From % occasiona. Correspondent

WAsnSCTON. Dec. -, ,ro3
The War Department in Richmond | AN
informed is attempting 10 solve two most difficult
pob.eml i has ~ provide for the wants Of The Con
e. .l'e armies, which tie Winter schson has found
de-l'e Of shoes and blanket. and TO carry these art
ocs 20 distant places difficult Of access and IL has ia
contend against The moral depression prcyalen;
'c soidefs which leads them to run away from tie
ranks and 10 seek comfor. IN tie bosom - their im
lies. The frst difficulty has been met in measure by
the spontaneous g of material Tor shoes n carpets agd
Old clothes; bat tie second las lot ~ received
solution
Descgi.ons are more to-day tlan tley have
ever been during any period Of the war and although
they are attributed by the Rebel leaders 20 desfe
Of the soldier his home end not 10 any intention
o; permanently abandoning tie army. siIii bs D.
parturc leaves deep gap in Tie ranks and goes fii
toward domoIslizing those WHO remain. TIE War Dc
pa-men &. aroused 20 The pernioous Influence ~ srcl
an example and is striving by al means g. ooc ieI.c
Ia eject aud hopes 20 have found remedy ior to ESD
In the appointment OF Joe Johnston whose popularity
is great among the so.disrs - tho chief command
the Army Of the West.
The plan for tie coming Spring campaign is now th'
object Of carell Il study. The opinion u tie Rebel Gen
erals is consulted, and active correspondence u
eoine on between them and Mr.. Welden. Ofcourse n,
d. csi,e line Of policy be hi upon until the cours'
10 h. pursued by the Union armies s iay known ant
uIders TODD in I.ichmond
am however informed that for tie present The Reb
els do not intend to relinqush their hold upon Ienne
and their designs upon Kentucky 70 give mp The
position which Longs.roei now occupies. That posi-
tion g. understand the gate through which the R"b
Government cOntempates great rud in the laite
state which they 70 be more dssfeced and re
beiliou, than over since Nr. Lincolns proclamation
amnesty KentucLy they believe 20 be volcano read,
r explosion soon as the feet Of the Confederate sol
diers shall tread over H. and this conviction keep,
Iongsreet IN the regions Of East Tennessee ,bIOggl
which he can by holding OF tho gaps, polnce upon
Ken,uoLv prorided he is not mpeded in hs design. b,
The c0mbned forces OF Gems Poster and Granger. W.,
aIc niter him.
Another reason given in qualification of this plan Is
the scarcity Of provisions in Virginia and Georgia snt
the difficulty Of subs.sing a0OCO sdditional men
and above those who already 70 BE- fed in those two
States. Lees ,army although reduced now to about
a. 900 men il not always puncuallv provided nor i
the army of Georgia although supplies arc more abald
ant at Ataanta than az Richmond The accumulation
Of people IN the latter cty and the wreched condition
of the railroads Ia Georgia than any dcfciene'
Of provisions account for this Bat 10 whatever cause
scarcity may be attributed il i evident that the with
drawa OF 90 900 men from any Of tho two great Coated
crate armies Il great relief 10 the pGarteIna-iel
Depf frtmcnt and 20 the soldiers themselves who ha'"
since Longseeto departure. received nrger snd better
Tations
The Rebels deny that Ayeriiis raid has IN any way
Injured the prcscn, or prospective projects of thcii
General Averill they say. did not come within 2J
miles OF Long streets rear. consequently he could have
no direct or indirect contact with his line In the
second place Longstrect docs not get any Of his pro
visions from the East but receives them entirely from
East and West Tennessee. and If he the railroad at
all from which he is now distant about 20 miles II is
not to receive but to send produce TO Richmond Long
street could not then suffer from the depredatons
miited by AverilI. His army is now aselfsubsisirg.
selfcquippng sefsupporting body. without any Other
relations with Lee or the Central Government than
those incumbent upon military combinations and a
respective exchange Of news and ORDERS
Gen. Grum having advanced as far up rs Cleveland,
the occupation OF hat oi,y by his troops has deter
mined retrograde movement on the pnrt OF Hardee,
who is now concentrating Lis forces at Dalton point
at which he can receive his supplies directly without
the trouble of carrying them by wagons through the
rugged and billy regious situated between the latter
city and Ringgold Cleveland being nearly in the rear
Of Rnggod, the Conledcrates could not remain longer
in that place without running the risk Of being canght
between two fires and defeated, II not captured This
reason. and tho facility Of getting supplies explains
why Hardce has fallen back Dalton and established
his headquarters in that city.
As told you before Gen. Johnston Ind declined to
take command Of the Army Of Georgia for this reason:
that having been appointed Commissioner In the in
vestgaton Of the causes which led 10 the disastrous de
feat " ChoaDo0ga and ttirg convinced that ths Je