Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1863-04-11
Yours truly,



grandiloquent assurances Of brilliant vioto-
ries The War Department had gone the
length of authorizing telegrsphic dispatches
TO be sent all over the country, announcing
that Banks had got his army from Baton
Rouge, and was attacking Port Hudson in
the rear that the Yazoo Pass Expedition
had successfully passed through the Talla-
hatehie into the Yazoo, aud were bombardiDg
Haines Bluff, that the latter point had been
evacuated by the enemy that Vicksburg it.
sell was now untenable, and would be evac-
uated; that the Confederate army on the Rap
pahannock was retreating toward Richmond;
and that the Confederates we're actually
evacuating Richmond itself To day the Ad-
| rninistration ia forced 10 admit the falsity OF
Of these stories, and TO admit, too, that, in
stead Of gaining victories, our armies have
suffered defeats, aud are in great peril II is
now known that, 20 far as Banks IS concerned,
1 his army has not left the vicinity of Baton
Rougo that il Is completely demoralized
and utterly useless, and that il is now in full
retreat, with the loss of two whole regiments.
That, 10 regard to the Yazoo Pass expedi-
ton, so lar from reaching the Tazoo, it had
only got to the mouth of the Tallahatchie,
and was there defeated at Fort Pemberton,
with great loss, and IS now in full retreat
northward, having made q most disgracelul
fsilure--a failure, too, not attributed to the
officers and men, who fought like heroes, but
to the incapables who planned such Quixot-
ic enterprise without FIRST ascertaining wheth-
er or not Gen Johnston had taken measures
to defend the Yazoo against just such expe-
ditions In regard TO Port Hudson, it has
been found to be asecond Fort Darling, against
which all Dur guns have been powerless
- =. z Il. a
preached at all by land force. In fact, the
indications now are that the whole project of
opening the Mississippi will be failure.
The work of preventing the opening Of that
river was intrusted by the Confederate Gov
ernment, some months ago to General Joseph
+. Johnston, unquestohably one of the ablest
| Generals OF modern times. For months past
he has been perfectiug arrangements with this
end in view and the events which have Just
taken place demonstrate the vast extent and
the completeness of those arrangements. In
stead OF atfording us means of getting
troops in the rear of Vicksburg, the Yazoo
/. River will be found to be one of Gen. John
stons defensiTss lines Fort Pemberton,
where our troops we're defeated, is only one
and perhaps the weakest, Of the forts he has
erected 90 the left bank of the stream.
The fact that he left Yicksburg and Port
Hudson, and the whole Of the defences of the
Mississippi, in the hands of his subordinate
Generals and has gone with his staff to
Pnllahoma, in Tennessee, is an ominous cir.
eumstance, and argues no good for the Union
forces de would not have left Vicksburg
aud Port Hudson at this moment, when they
are actually under the 6ro of our troops, if
he was not confident of their ability to repel
any assault that may be made upon them -.
And another very ominous fact, which has
just come to the knowledge OF the War De.
partment, 70, that be had previously sent to
reinforce Bragg a good portion of the troops
which he had along. the Mississippi. All mill
tary men know that, after place has heen
fortified like Vicksburg, all troops in excess
of the number actually required to defend it,
are su encumbrance and an element Of weak.
ness. Acting on this principle Gen. John
ston has sent to Gen, Bragg all the troops
except those actually needed on the Missis.
sippi, and now be follows himself Thus he
fnds himself at Tulahoma, in command as
is understood here, Of 100000 troops, With
this great force, AS soon as the roads will per
init, Gen Johaston will commence active
operations against Gen. Rosecrans
1t is believed here that the presence OF
Gen. Longstreet at Danville, in Kentucky,
within seventy FIVE miles of Louisville, is a
part Gep. Johnstons plan for the spring cam.
| paign, and that all he does will be in accord
snee with Gen. Johnston's instructions. A
glance at the map will show that, with Gen.
Longstreets 10000 troops in that position,
f General Rosecrans is far from safe
Its rumored here, on very high authority
from the War Department, that the conscrip-
9 tion Act will not be enforced; indeed, that
ihere will be no need 10 enforce il if all the
deserters from the army are reclaimed, which
9 1t is expected, will be done These deserters
{ according TO the authority Of the New York
Tribune, amount to &c, 900 men. Itisstated
however, that the Provost Marshals under the
= conscription law will be appointed that the
= enrolment will be made, including negroe,
and clergymen and that all the machfner,
D Of the conscription will he put in operation
Then, ii any conscripts at all are called out
II Is said that The PresideAt 1oili order a dyaf
Of negroes to be made Frst Il will be re
l.. membered that the CONSUMPTION bin and othe
acts Of Congress empower the President {,
I act pretty much as he pleases in regard II
L., calling ont the men enrolled under the act
1t ia said that the President and Stanton arr
, disgusted with the apathy everywhere display
sr by the negroes in a war which ia being wage,
N for their benefit alone and that they are de
a ANihAHNu tutt NV uNkto0ci Us Nuty cun uuh
"a and won't 6ght, shall be made to fight Loo
out, therefore, for draft of about 5000 ne
groes early in May next.
a My intelligence from General Lees arm
y y on the Rappahannock, and from Richmond
J" is Of the most reliable nature, and it enable
me to contradict in the most positive manner
A. the absurd stories Of contemplated evacua
BY tion Of Richmond, and Of the retreat of th
r Confederate army from the line of the Rar
pahannock On the contrary, General lie
is confident Of being able to hold that lin