The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-08-15
FROM THE TRANSMISSIS SSIPPI -
sPECULATiONH ABOUT CHANTS

ALaulh 6vreW, asIsu 1oiy I'm, kiSoe uiucl
| interesting information relative TO the condi
ton Of things beyond the Missiseippi. Th,
people OF that section, it ssems, are running .
four State power Csnfsdersey on their "ow,
hook" aud hope TO be able to continue in wei
doiag, Notwithstanding the iatsrrGpsiou o
communication across .he river. The sta:e
n,snts contained in the Iettsr crush ont th,
failacious EOtiOa that the backbone Of the re
bsIiicn IL broken when ths Confsdesacs is Li
aected. TasIs 10 n genus Of creatures phici
| are no. destroyed, but multiplied, by bsfag ca
10 twain. The letter says:
Although Vicksburg has falian, and comma
! nica.ion between this stctiOn and the Stasei
east Of the Mississippi ia difficult, and al trans
mission of materials Of war IL out Of the
QuestiOn for the future. we are not as those
without hope. Gen. L X. Smith possesses ths
entire confidence OF the people aud army. i
ia most fortunate for the country that 60 able
and proper a man should be In command here
at such Iuucture. lie has taken steps tC
lsarn tue whole resources of the country
mineral, agricultural, and manufacturing
Lead mines are being worked in 3 safe iuts
tior district, foundTies established, the nitre
bureau iS Ia active operation-in short, all is
beI1B done that a Wise forecast could suyxes,
Ia an exigency such as Ia upon us, and which
unfortunately, haa been neglected until no "
lie bias called the Governors Of the four States
OF bis department to meet him with The sevs.
raj Judges Of Supreme Courts in conference
on the 18th psoxi,no, wien it ia hoped all that
the cGsnged sircumBauces require will be
done to defend and redeem our country
Tie crops are made, and ara Iiofs bountitai
than were ever before known. Ample for
three years has bean msda. ~, you vii. ob
sefve that we don't think it is going to bs
much OF u shower after all
Military operations in L3Eiaiaua recsnttS
have ieen most important. Off ,ial pforma-
ton OF the capture oi large numbers Of email
arms has oean received here, which is the most
Important tEine that could have occurred 10 us
Tie hattie OF iaaua was unfortunate, re.
snitiIg IL heavy loss to US Ihs attempt to
take that FoiGt, when another would have bse en
equally as good, ID thou int 10 have been
Giunder. However this may have been, the
movement orisinated in the necessity felt for
the relief OF Vicksburs. The place, ss the
event shows, cDu'd hot have been held anI
we have, therefore, only 10 regret ths loss of
men incurred. Gen. Price maintained his an
cisnt fen0wD, aud all our troop, behaved well!
Bfigadier. q sneia!s Parsons aud Fas.n won
new laurais and Gen uolmea has the credit
for much gsiiantry on the field. The loss will
be repaired HI speedily Il, possible, and all
things put IN rSadiuess for further operations.
THIS news from Missouri is that the peo-
pie remain true ~ the Southern Gauge, only
awaiting an opportunity TO fisa againet tbs
Invaders Gov. Keyno:ds, of that S:ate, is
here, doing whatever ID ia his power to far
ther the iutsT Tests Of the C0niedsra.s cause il
aud out Of the Siata. Everything referring
t. Missoutiane, or affecting their Interests re-
ceives his attention All claims for service
are being audi ed and lIqu!datel as rapidly ss
possible, and the machinery of tie State Gov
eTEment prepared fur al eeonon.icai aud ias.
administration.
Another letter from the sans place has
come interesting spet ulations about Grant II
army. 1t says:
Lat us SUI pose tina. Grants forcss, all told,
including the reMfoToements he may have ;e-
ceived from the time he landed ut Grand Guif
to his return to Vicksburx after the fail of
los. in battle killed, wounded. and prsonegs
thirty i've thousand men, fifteen thousand
more are in hospitais, sick or convaIe cent,
aud thirty thousand furl0uEhed, including
s,raggiers aud dessrters. This would show
al actual deficit Of thirty i've thousand, aud
an aggregate deficit OF eighty thousan6 Esn
Row ia bis aimy--ieaving remaining forty
thousand laen low Oh duty properly belong.
ing 10 Grant army. Or these probably net
more than fifteen Thousand vii. constitute tho
permanent garrison at Vicksbnrg, TO be re-
duced to ten thousand or less, when the g,Ow.
ing strength Of the defsnces of that p.ae. will
warran, tns reduction. What, :ben. becomes
of the remaining twenty ti Te Thousand msu
isft af,er the garrison has been supplied /.
IL more than probable they have gone, witt.
Hraut at their head, to reinforce Meade 10
Virgipia, TO accomplish the destruo:iop, ii
possible, OF that nlaGnitieen. army Of General
l,ee whose destruction the Yankees go fondiy
think wou d accomplish the sutjugation Of the
South.
They ais not prepared jaat now TO
attack Mobile, although, Of coarse, il ia
in their programme; but they look first
to the resait in Virginia, aud TO tha
capture Of Charleston, when the moni-
tors now laundering at battery Wagner
will salute the Gulf city from tue ocsan. ana
the army now gone to the assistance of Meade
will attaekit il iu the rear. Tais seems, FROM
the stand point we occupy here. and from tho
limited data Ia our possession, to be q rcason-
able, ii not ID logical, deduction. But tho iiaid
ia open for speculation, AMI tiEle alone ca.i de-.
,srmine the sceuracy of oar conclusions. The
premises ars frequently 80 false IN war tia.
The conclusion Is oiteh necessarily wide OF the
marx. We might take another visw OF tic
case and say that Grant had not given furloughs
generally 10 his men. the sumUTad promises
Of his that he would do go wheu Vicks-
burg fell into his hauis t. tina Contrary
notwi.h i.hstapdiug; that ke is recruiting the
health and strength OF his army every day by
the arrivals Of e0nyalescsIts and tie return
Of those absent On far.oagh, and tha. 80 Ul0
men actually last, and Is C01 ia hospitals, rlak-
/. total of so OOU men, viii c4vsr tho breach
made iu his Amy, leaving 1aoOO msn to bs
hurled, " hen he sees AL opportunity, against
Mobile, or against whose mAIU1vrSs AHA ma
chiua.ieBs this army and the country will have
~ provide. Perhaps this is the better view 81
iha case, bat l incline 10 tho other. In any
event v 9 shouli keep our lamps trimmed snd
barnins. Now, above all other times, the JET
fsgsonian motto should ever be before our
eyes" Eternal vigilance is the price Of libsf-
y.'
A le!,er tfom Brandon, tois Missirsippi) dat
Cd the Oh inst, says:
A new leader has leaped into the srsua ia
West Lsuis!sna Mat r. Johaston, ths ycaug
est brother CT the family of witch Col John
ston, Ut the 21 kentucky, 10 Tie eldest, IL at
work. The father dying, and his brothers
being all ia the war, youps Mat remained a:
hoEe ~ manage AL inneaee estate. When
the Yankees came aud took possession Of some
hae plantations, with the hands, and est.a-
lished the apprenticeship system, yonpg
Johustoa pretended patience and sabnissou.
lie cultivated the confidence OF the prisa.ss
and the frisndship Of the .ofiseFs. When the
proper time came he burned their tspots ard
houses, his own houses aud thoss Of his fam
iiy, and ran OF the apprentices, together vita
Ave huudred mules and Lorses
A second iLcarsion calmiaatsd two wseks
ago Dent was captured, chembsrsd with q
likely skryant ef the family. TIE unhappy
brotks in iaw Of Graut overheard conversa
L. e. kk