The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-04-05
GEN, BUTLER'S DEPARTMENT.
Inside View of Matters ~ For
tress Monroe. bII [KF
RAIDS 4NQGHEIR RESUfTS.
Immense Strategy of Gen
Butler. TsS
Condition Of Norfolk :.
RAIDlNG. q


One of the remarkable features of Gen.
Buffers administration of affairs in Vir
sinia and North Carolina is his disposition
to project raids into the country around
what he terms his domain proper. Every
week or so we hear of some maneuyernof
predatory character from this place, For
tress Monroe or Yorktown. Gen. Butler
has three raiding generals for that sort of
military operations, and, as he plans and
they execute, of course all the glery Of the
undertakings belongs to the commander of
the department. Gen Wild, Gen. Wistar,
and Gen. Graham are the officers employed
in the various brilliant operations beyond
our lines and | think they are entitled to
some notice. The results of the raids and
not the personnel Of the above mentioned
commanders, is tho matter which Ipropose
to consider.
BURST OF STRATEGY.
Sometime since Gen. Butler ordered a
raid to be made through the "Dismal
Swamp" To South Mills The nstensible
object of that movement was 10 chase up a
party of guerrilas the real design, judging
by results, was to bring In lot OF worth
less negroes to their owners,
worthless to our government, and good for
nothing in every aspect. Gen. Wild, who
was intrusted with the movement, failed to
find any guerrllas, but he did find the ne
: sroes, and agreeably 10 instructions, he
brought in lot of them to be maintained
at TIE expense of the government had
they been left to themselves, the Hcontra-
bands would have inflicted infinitely more
injury upon the southern confederacy than
the removing til. IN did. The change was
merely an alteration of the statue OF so
many consumers, and our taxpayers will
get the benefit of that burst OF strategy OF
Gen Buffers in our Increased expenses
Gen Wild did more. Under Gen. Butler's
orders he permitted his negro troops to
cOmmi it unnecessary ravages all along the
route and on his own responsibility order
ed man tn be hung on mere suspicion of
his being a guerrilla That act of wanton
barbarity has been folio we'd by the death
If three or four Union soldiers by way Of
rGtaliation Gen. Wila's rad did not
amount to much for the gOvernment-in
:act the balance is decidedly against US
and the general has quietly subsidized into
the plant instrument of his master, to
manipulate tho business Of this city to the
benefit of Buffers PARTISAN iavorites.
GENERAL GRAHAM. ',s
Quite lately General Graham has been
acquiring some reputation as raider. lie
las been up the James river three times.
Once be succeeded in destroying some prop
erty at a landing on the south side OF the
river, including wharf, which might have
been OF much greater value to our own gov
ernment at some future time than it was at
the period of its destruction to the cOnfed-
crates. The general disturbed signal sta
ton, took twelve prisoners, and returned,
covering General Butler all over with glory.
General Grahams next essay was upon
Smithtield, where he lost one hundred men,
4 fine steamboat, and something in the way
of stores. General Butler did not like the
glory of that NOV ment, although heplan
ned it. and is entitled to all oft. General
Graham has just finished another expedi-
ton, this time into Mathews and Glouces-
ter counties on York river. All that has
been said about this last affair, beyond Old
Point, is that the "object OF the expedition
was successfully accomplished, am sor-
ry that the correspondents of the New
York press have not been more explicit,
and stated more clearly what was accom-
Dhshed in those counties. | fear that the
pens OF these "historians of the war have
been controlled by General Butler and
through them it is not likely to be known
that the counties uf Gloucester and Math-
ews have been raided and SO ravaged; until.
from being among the richest localities in
Virginia, they are now the poorest and most
dCsolate. There was really no earthly need
of raid into those counties, and General
Graham acc omplished just what might be
expecte1-nothing.
IMPORTANT RESULT.
He inflicted no damage at all upon the
enemy; but be brought in some three hun
dred negroes, old, decrepit, lame, blind
men, women and children-a thousand times
better off and happier where they we're
not an able bodied negro among the lot, and
hardly enough in the way of stores to feed
the captives month. And this is the last
great military movement of this depart
ment. 1t has merely served to advertise the
commanding general, aud that is all he re-
Quires. 1g .Aa is
NORFOLK UNDER GENERAL BUTLER.
Norfolk has not improved under General
Buffers "reign." term it "reign," because
it better expresses the true meaning of his
administration. His rule has become en-
phat;cally '.reign of terror" The pslmy
days of the inquisition seem almost revived
in the want of confidence existing among the
people. The city is filled with spies Of the
e.