The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-02-25
rTlE FLoRipA rxPnoITIoN.

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success of which has already been de-
scrioed in our dispatches. Our forces
occupied Jacksonville on the 7th inst,
and reached Baldwin, twenty miles
inland, on the 18th. At this place and
during the march, the following prop
crty was captured or destroyed, its val
ne being estimated at a million and a
half of dollars;
Two i2-pounder rifled guns; two g.
FOUNDER guns; one 3-lnch gun; two
other guns; Five caissons; a large
quantity Of ammunition; an immense
supply ofcamp and garrison equipage;
tour railroad car; one hundred and
thirteen bales of cotton; four army
wagons; one hundred and five horses
and mules; large stock of saddlery
tanning machinery; three thousand
and eighty-three barrels ofturpentlne;
six thousand bushels corn; three large
warehouses destroyed.
In the above list is not enumerated
the cattle slaughtered, nor the railroad
track destroyed, nor the officers bag
gage captured.
Over rs prisoners were also taken
and q very important circular was
found among the captured papers of
tho rebel chief commissary, Major
White. 1t contains very significant
confessions of the Confederate cause,
We make the following extracts:
'-oFYicI or rHE CHIEY CoMMIssARr,l
QuIEer, Fla, Nov 2, 1863. !
at has been a subject of anxious
cor sideration how could, without in
jury to our cause, expose TO the
people throughout the State the pres
ent pcrilous condition Of our army
To do this through the public press,
would point out our source Of danger
to our enemies. To see each one in
person, or even q sufficient number to
effect tho object contemplated, is i'm
possible; yet the necessity of general
and immediate action is imperative to
save our army, and with it our cause
from disaster
"The following extracts, from official
letters in my possession, do but par.
TALLY represent tho present condition
of the armies of Gems. Bragg and Beau
regard, and their gloomy prospect for
future supplies Major J. 4. Cumming
who supplies Gen. Bragg's army
writes:
ait is absolutely and vitality impor-
tant that all the cattle that can posi-
bly, be brought here shall be brought
as promptly as possible;' and again on
the 5th Of October, he says: i cannot
too strongly urge upon you the neces-
cessity, yes, the urgent necessity Of
sending forward cattle promptly. In
regard to bacon, the stock is about ex-
hausted thence beef is our only hope
And on the goth of October he wrote :
The army is to-day on half rations Of
beef, and fear within few days will
have nothing but bread to eat
"Major Guerin, Chief Commissary oi
South Carolina, wrote: we are almost
entirely dependent on Flsrida, and it
is of tho last Importance that tho men
here should be subsisted,' Again he
says: Our situation is full of danger,
from want of meat, and extraordinary
efforts are required to prevent disaster.
On the 9th OF October he says: we
have now 10000 men to subsist. The
supply of bacon on hand in the city is
10000 pounds, and the cattle furnish
ed by tho State is not one-tenth ofwhat
is required My anxieties and appre-
tensions, as you may suppose, are
greatly excited
"Major Millen, of Savannah, on Oc-
tobor 10Th, says: Il assure you, Ma.
jor, that the stock Of bacon and beef
for the armies OF the Confederate States
is now exhausted, and we must de-
fpend entirely upon what We gather
weekly, Starvation stares the army
in tho face-the handwriting is on tho
wall. On October rs he says: From
the best information | have, the re-
sources of food (meat) Of both the
Tennessee and Virginiar armies are
exhausted. This remark now applies
with equal force to South Carolina and
Georgia, and the army must hence
forth depend upon the energy Of the
purchasing Commissaries, through
their daily or weekly collections. |
have exhausted the beef cattle, and am
now obliged to kill stock cattle.
The circular then continues
"You know the resources of Tennes-
see are lost to us; the hog cholera and
other causes have cut short the pros
pect in Georgia and other States. 1t
is ascertained that the last years crop
Of bacon is about exhausted and it ia
certain that the crop Of this will be
much shorter than that of last year.
Now two largo armies look almost
solely to Florida to supply one article
of subsistence. The entire surplus Of
this years crop Of bacon throughout
the Corfederacy, even when husband
ed with the utmost economy, will bt
inadequate to the demands Of the Go
vernmcnt. This makes it the duty o
every man to coonomize as much
as possible, to sell not pound
to any one else whilst there is any dan
ger of our army suffering, and to pledge
ut schedule rates his entire surplus
bacon, beef, sugar and syrup--to th'
, Government, solemnly believe oul
cause is hopeless, unless our people cal
bo brought to this point.
H., uanuaakaA ,nAk b,