Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-12-16
MESSAGE OF. JEFF. DAVIS.

f. +: MESSAGE OF JEFF. DAVIS.
II y u. hii stl--+-it..i.l1a 80 iitls tur
Confessions OF DiSaster TO the Rebel
Arms-ForeiRn Relations Unsatis-
faetoFy ta Dayls-7The, 81 Exchange 14e q
4 slPEtsoneFssi tfsrisl y fsais d sol sad
The message of JEFF. Davis to the rebel
CougreSstis published in the RtChmond
papers. II is any ythipg bat q cheerful doe.
umsht. his summary of the miIitary;sit-
uation is especially mournful. We give
some extracts ,'. 81 .-a, - ca s No. .s'i is
"tsrKye reyerses befel our arms soon af-
tef your departure from r Richnnond; EAfly
lin July our strongholds at Nicksbhtg aud
Port Hudson, together with their entire
garrisons, capitulated to the combined
land and naval forces of the enemy. The
important interior position of jackson
next fell into their temporary possession.
Our unsuccessful assault on the post ht
| Helena was followed, att later period, BY
the invasion of Arkansas and the retreat
of our armyfrom Little Rock gayssto the
enemy the control of the important valley
ip,which It 70 situated l'irts .,yo5. -
*# y "The able commander; who
conducted the campaigngiulV Virginia deter
4 mined TO meet the threatened advance on
Riehmond-for which, the. enemy had made
tIonR and costly. preparattons-by forcing
their armies to Cross the Potomac apd
fight in defence of their own capital and
/ homes. Transferring the battlefield to
their own soil, he succeeded in compeIl-
ing theirsrapid retreat from Virginia, ahd
in the hard fought battle OF Gettysburg IN
flicted such severity of punishment as dts
abled them from an early renewal s9t the
campaign as originally preiscted,s; gntqr-
EtuhateIy the commanicatiohs on which our
general relied for receiving his supplies lof
munitions were interrupted by yIextrRordt,
nary foods, which 50 sweHed, the Potomac
as 10 render impassable the fcrds BY which
his advance had beep made, and he was
thus forced to a withdrawal, which Waa
Iconductsd with deliberatiop, after sec4rs
| ing large trains of, captured supplies, aud
with constant but unaceepted tender Of
battle, On more than one occasion the
enemy has since made demonstration Of a
purpose to advance, Invariably followedlby
q precipitate retreat 70 lintrenched lines Ion
the approach OF our forces. afs
"The effective check thus opposed 70
the advance Of the invaders at all points
was such as 70 afford hope Of their early
lexpnlsioh from porhons otEthe teratery
Ipreyiouslyi occupied by them, when the
Country Was painfully surprised BY the in.
tellIpence that the officer in command Of
| Ilhmberland Gap had SURRENDERED that
| important and easily defensible pass with
out firing shot, upon the SUMMONS Of q
| lforce still believed TO have been iuaae-s
onate 10 It's reduction, aud when reintoIce:
lments we're within supporting distance and
had been ordered TO Ibis aid, II The entire
including the commando being
/ still held as prisoners by the enemyIN lam
unable TO suggest any explanation OF this
ldisaster, which laid open Eastern FsppesTi
\ and. Southwestern YifginiA 70 hostile
Ioperations. and broke the line of commu-
tntcation Between the seat of government
/ and Middle Tennessee. This easy success
FORTH enemy was followed by, an advance
1 of General 5Rosecraps into Georgia, and
4 our army evacuated Chattanooga Pnd
ayaileG itself of. the opportunity thus at7
| forfiei of winning on the feld of Chick
manga one Of the most brilliant aud Ide.
! cisiye victories Of the war This signal
kdeleat of. GEN Rosecrans was followed by
his retreat into Chattanooga, Rhete his
Fimnerilled position had the immediate et.
/ feet of relieving the pressure of the lnYas
sion at other points, forcing The eoneentEa-
4 tiOu. for his relief, of large bodies oftroqps
withdrawn from the armies ID the Mt7sts-
Esipni3V Valley add Cfa IN Northetn -Nitginia
The combined forces thus accumulated
lagainst us in Tennessee go greatly put
3n1m6ered our army as toAeneouE4ee the
leueray tgiattacks 6 Alter q long iapd severe
battle, in which great carnage was tnh htcted
4 ON him. some of our troops tnexpttehbly
Iahandoned positions ofgreat strength, lanH
Inv a,lisorderly retreat compe lied The COM
4 lEmander 20 withdraw the forces slsew heEe
u snocessfui. and finally 70 retire with bis
lEhniafa+ndv to a position some twenty pl