The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-04-03
BY TELEGRAPH.
ToTHE
Portland Daily Press.
FROM WASHINGTON.
Arrangements for the Prompt Conveyance
Of Letters to the Army
Public Lands to be Sold.
CAPTURE OF A BLOCKADE RUNNER
Preliminary Report Of Gen. Mcclellan.

| rangements TO secure the prompt conveyance
of letters to and from soldiers in the army of
the Potomac and those in the neghborhood of
Washington. Particular instructions have
been given to postal agents on this subject.
An account OF the capture of schooner Jane
| Morley with contrabandists and contraband
goods, on the lower Potomac, it appears from
the Star, from which the story was copied, was
mere invention.
The public lands to be sold next summer
embrace in Washington Territory nearly
100000; in Kansas l45,0 900, and in Michigan
$4,000 acres.
Commander George NJ. Ransom has been
ordered to the command of the steamer Mer-
cedita, and Acting Master w. E. Taylor has
| been ordered to the same vessel.
Commander Armstrong, senior officer of the
blockade off Wilmington, reports that the
English schooner Mary Jane, of Nassau, clear
ed for Halifax, attempted to run the blockade
and enter the port of Wilmington on the FORE
noon of the oath of March, She was over
hauled by the U. s. gunboat Mount Vernon
| and captured. She carried the British flag
| Her cargo consists of salt and soap, besides
some bags of coffee and barrels of whiskey.
BY order of the War Department the pro-
ceedings of the court martial in the cases of
| Col. Frick aud Lieut.. Col. Armstrong, of the
10th Penn. volunteers, dismissed for refusing
to obey an order requiring them to make
reqlistion for dress coats, their regiment being
| supplied with blouses, have been set aside and
these officers returned to their command.
The Republican contains the preliminary re-
| port of Gen. Mcclellan, dated Oct. 18th last,
respecting the military operations under his
| charge since the evacuation of Harrison's
Landing, which that paper says was furnished
| by the government Owing to the absence of
| full reports of corps commanders, simple
| outline of the brilliant operations which re-
suited In the carrying of the two passes, could
not at that time, with justice to the troops and
| commanders, be communicated. In the course
| of his narrative he says: On the 18th he re-
ceived verbal message from Col Miles, in
forming him of the condition of affairs. The
messenger stated there was no apparent rea-
| son for the abandonment OF Maryland Heights,
| and though Col. Miles asked for assistance, he
| said he could hold out certainly two days.
| He directed the messenger to make his way
back, if possible, with the information that he
was rapidly approaching, and would undoubt-
| eddy relieve the place. He states that on the
It'll he was directed to assume command OF
the garrison at Harper's Ferry, but this order
| reached him AFTER all communication with the
garrison had been cut off ;xand, he added, be-
fore left Washington, and while it was yet
time, recommended to the proper authorities
that the garrison of Harper's Ferry should be
Withdrawn via Hagerstown. to aid in covering
| the Cumberland Valley, or the taking up of
the pontoon bridge aud obstructing the rail-
road bridge, it should fall back to the Mary
| land Heights, and there hold its own to the
| last. In this position it could have maintained
| itself for weeks. Ii was not deemed proper
TO adopt either OF these suggestions, and when
the subject was LEFT to my discretion it was
too late to do anything except to try to relieve
the garrison. directed artillery TO be fire.
| quently fired by our advanced guards. as a
signal to the garrison that relief was at hand
| This was done, and learn that our firing was
distinctly heard at Harper's Ferry, and that
| they were thus made aware that we were APP
preaching rapidly. 1t was confidently ex-
pected that this place could hold out until we
had carried the mountains and were in posi-
ton to make detachment for its relief, &c.
He concludes as follows: While il gives me
| pleasure to speak of the galIantry aad devo-
ton OF the officers and men generally display
| ed through this conflict | feel it necessary TO
| mention that some of the officers and men
skulked from their places until the battle was
over. Death on the spot must hereafter be
the fate of all such towards and the hands of
the military commanders must be strengthened
with all the power Of the Government to in
| fict it summarily. The easy and disgraceful
surrender of Harper's Ferry, deprived my
operations of results which would have form
| ed brilliant sequel to the substantial and
gratifying success already related. Had the
garrison held out "a hours longer. should in
all probability have captured that part of the
enemy's force in the attack on Maryland
Heights. While the whole garrison, some H.
| 600 strong, could have been drawn to reinforce
me on the day Of the decisive battle, certainly
on the morning of the 18th, | would thus have
the fine position TO have destroyed the rebel
army under the same circumstances, had
the beseiging force on the Virginia side
at Harper's Ferry not been withdrawn.
would have had $1,000 or 10000 less meu to
All a
ed or destroyed all opposed to me. As it was,
l had to engage an army fresh from a recent,
and TO them great, victory, and TO reap the
disadvantages of their being freshly and plen-
| tiiully supplied with ammunition and supplies.
The objects and results of this brief cam
paign may be summed up as follows: In the
month of September the safety of tie Nation
al Capitol was seriously endangered by the
| presence of a victorious enemy, who soon after
crossed into Maryland, and then directly
threatened Washington and Baltimore, while
they occupied the soil of loyal State and
threatened an invasion of Pennsylvania. The
army of the Union, inferior in numbers
wearied by long marches, deficient In various
supplies, worn out by numerous battles, the
last oil which had not been successful, first
covered by its movements the important cities
of Washington and Baltimore, then boldly at
tackled the victorious enemy in their chosen
position. and drove them back with all their
superiority of numbers into the State of Vir-
ginia, thus saving the loyal States from inva-
sion, and rudely dispeing the rebel dreams OF
carrying the war into our country, and SUBJ
sisting upon our resources. Thirteen guns
thirty-Dine colors, more than 1900 stand oil
small arms, and more than six thousand pris-
oners, were the trophies which attest the sue
cess of our arms.
Rendering thanks to Divine Providence for
its blessing upon our exertions, close this
brief report. l beg only to add the hope that
the army's efforts for the cause in which we
are engaged, will be deemed worthy to receive
the commentator OF the Government and the
country.
The Rebel Raid on Point Pleasant-Steam-
ers fred into by Observation-Disclosures Cap.
ture of Steamers.
PHILADELPHIA, April g
A special dispatch from Cincinnati dated
to-day, says, on Monday, March 25th, Jenkn.
rebels cavalry dashed into Point Pleasant, Va.
at the mouth of the Kanawha, gained posses
sion of the Court House, fired seven houses
plundered Others and burned several Thousand
bushels Of governments corn. A volunteer aie
arrived from Gallapolis, Ohio, and the rebel
were driven off with a loss of killed and /:
prisoners, who were refused parole and takei
to Gallapols.
The telegraphic communication is cut OF
along the kanawha from Charleston to Pon
Pleasant.
The government steamer Victor No. wa
fired into at Halls Landing, 40 miles abov,
Buffalo, on the Kanawha. One man was killed
rha hga "A a