Daily national Republican., 1863-12-12


change colored soldiers and their white oflcers
upon any terms whatever" has occurred, "and
that no part of the correspondence will show
any. such refusal" OF the. rebel, law which
orders the surrender Of colored persons taken
in arms against the Confederacy 70 State au-
thoritcs where they are captured, and the pun
ishment oftheir oficers by DEATH, the Engifrer
says: IN t[..
GAS It is clearly not within the province Of
one natisn to undertake to prescribe the SOL
diers which another shall use In Its armies, we
hope that this law will be confined by additional
legislation, to such employment by the enemy
Of slaves or free negroes Of the several States
ofthe Confederacy."
This is a falling back from the position form
erly taken by the Richmond press, concerning
colored soldiers.
The Enquirer man even admits that attempts
to incte insurrection are among the customary
means Of warfare and the South would resort
to such means II necessary, and therefore they
ere no cause for retaliation.
Report OF Major General H.iieck, Gene-
ral-in-Chief OF the Army.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-THE report of Major
General Halleck gives a summary of the mill
tary operations during the past year. Refer
ring to Gen. Lees invasion of Maryland and
Pennsylvania, he says: "To Gen. Meade be-.
longs the honor of q well-earned victory In one
Of the greatest and best fought battles OF the
war. When the rebel army was about to move
on these States Gen. Dix sent all his available
force from Norfolk and Fortress Monroe up
YORK @ river for the purpose Of cutting of Gen.
Lees communications with Richmond, and Of
attacking the place, which was known to be at
that time defended by only handful Of mill
tia. The expedition failed to accomplish the
single object for which 1t had been fitted ont
The failure resulted, 1t was alleged. from the
inefflciency Of one Of the generals command
Ing"
the 7th Of April, he says at being unsuccess-
full, nothing apparently remained to be done by
the land forces. seige of Charleston and It's
defences by land had never been contemplated, =,
and therefore was no part Of the PLAN"
Referring to the events In connection with
Yicksburg, he says, "no more brilliant exploit
than that OF Gen. Grant can be found in mill
tensivcy published that Gen. Grant had posi-.
lively disobeyed the Instructions of his SUPERIOR
Gen. Halleck says that Gen. Grant never dis
obeyed an order or instruction, but always
carried out to the best Of his ability every
measure or suggestion made to him by the
Government; nor did he ever complain that
the Government did not furnish him all the
means and assistance In its power to facilitate
the execution Of any plan which he saw fit to
adopt. -r.
While Gen. Grant was operating before Vicks-
burg information, deemed reliable, was received
that large detachments were being drawn from
Bragg's army TO reinforce johnson In Mississip-
pi, and accordingly Gen. Rosecrans was re-.
qulred to advance from Murfreesboro' In order
tgs sat .tn..a ~.
bers, aud drive him back into Georgia, and thus
free loyal East Tennessee from the rebels, but
Gen. Rosecrans, In dispatch, counselled eau
tion and patience at headquarters. Gen. Hal
leck plainly told him that by five or six months
of inactivity of his army, 1t was not to be sup
posed that his patience was not pretty well ex-
hausted. Several communications passed on
this subject, and finally, on the 25th June, Gen.
Rosecrans commenced his movement.
General Halleck says that as three separate
armies were to operate In the same field, It
seemed necessary to have a single commander
In order to secure a more perfect cooperation
than had been obtained with the separate COM
mands of Burnside and Rosecrans. General
Grant, by his distinguished services and supe-
rior rank to all the others at that time In the
West, seemed entitled 70 this general command,
and therefore 1t was conferred upon him.
General Halleck concludes by saying;
ct Is seen from the foregoing summary of
Operations during the past year that we have
repelled every attempt Of the enemy to invade
the loyal States, and have reserved from his
domination Kentucky and Tennessee, q portion
of Alabama and Mississippi, and the greater
part of Arkansas and Louisiana, and restored
the free navigation of the Mississippi river.
Heretofore the enemy has enjoyed great advan-
tages over US In the character Of his theatre of
war. He has operated on short aud safe inte-
rior lines, while circumstances have compelled
| a. atu r.- -r
But the problem Is now changed. By the re-
opening of the Mississippi river, the territory
has been actually cut In two, and we can strike
the fragments by operating on safer aud more
advantageous lines.
although our victories since the beginning
of the war may not have equalled the expecta-
tion Of the more sanguine, we have every rea-
| steady progress OF our arms. In little more
than two years we have recaptured nearly every
important point held by the rebels on the sea-
coast, and we have recOnquered and now hold
military possession of more than 250, 900 square
miles of territory held at one time by the rebel
arms and claimed by them as q constituent
part of their Confedoracy. The extent of coun-
try thus recaptured and occupied by our armies
Is as large as France or Austria, or the entire
peninsula of Spain and Portugal, and twice as
large as Great Britain, Prussia or Italy!
considering what we have already accom-.
plished, the present condition of the enemy,
and the immense and still unimpaired military
resources of the loyal States, we may rcasona.
bly, hope, with the same measure of success as
heretofore, to bring this rebellion to a speedy
and final termnation.'
HONORs TO GENERAL HOOKER.
The following are the resolutions which were
passed in honor of Gen. Hooker by the Oregon
Legislature. we reprint them, because they
have now appended to them the reply of Gen
Hooker, which was forwarded 10 Oregon by
the last California mail
STATE OF CALIFoRSiA,(
SENATE CoS URREsT RESOLUTION, No. u. (
| RESOLVED, by the Senate, the Assembly con-
curing, that II becomes the State of Calfornia
| to recognize the fame reflected on her name by
the SPLENDID services of Gen. Joseph Hooker II
the national cause, and to convey to that heroic
soldier an expression OF her satisfaction with
his promotion to the command of the Army OF
the Potomac, and her confidence that he will
lead that army to victories through which peace
may return to the nation, and new glory giver
to her nag.
Resolved, That the Governor be requested
Immediately to transmit copy of these reso.
lutions to General Hooker.
Adopted March 23, 1868.
REPLY OF GENERAL HOOKER.
| WARRINGTON, d. c.,
| September 90, 1858. I
| To his Erceiiency, the Governor of California:
| GOVERNOR; have the honor to acknowledge