The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-03-14
A Washington correspondent. no,Ic,is No :,

a Washington correspondent, noticij abe fail
oFe of the expedition, attributes It to thre causes
First-The premature publication of the move
| meht and its objects In the Republican papers of
| view York and Philadelphia on Monday morning
| ihese papers reached the army on Tuesday morn
| Ing, aud were doubtless read In the rebel camp,
across the Rapidan before dark. The authorities J
| at Richmond could have been thus motif of m
| advent of this Yankee host In ample lime ,o he
prepared for It's coming. SecOnd-it was publicly
| known and cansassed In the army as early as FIJI
DAY morning, and there was not a seeesh woman
In or near Culpeper who did not understand II at
least eight hours before the Xped,ion start-
Third-The matter was fully canvasseds in circles
OF the troops, and the friends Of the Confrderaey
could have notised their conf.eres South, through
the usual channels, In time TO have the expedli0n
met al the outset with a superior force.
A LAMeNTAf1os OVER THE MISERABLE RAID - AND
THE LOSSES OF THs TANKgEs CENTRALLY,
The New York Heydld, Of the 10Th, has a iere
miad over the failure Of the Yankee plans II SAYS
From the period Of the removal Of Gen. McCIe,
ian-beglnnlng with Burnside's movement to Fax
mouth and the disastrous battle at Frederic
aud ending with the disaster 1t Olusee in Florida
and the recent miserable raid toward Riotmoud-
the war on this side the country has he-n conduct
ed by the President and cOterie Of military nd
visers at Washington city. Under this direction
disaster has followed disaster with such pite,s
persistency, we have had many and such terri
BILE failures that despite our gl0rions trIumphs In
the war. Under the President and his coterie of
advisers sheer imbecitty prevails over the ciearest
common sense, and any progress toward success
Is not only impossible, but is finally unhoped for.
burnside, under the especial encouragement and
guidance OF ths President, sustaInyd defeat that
strengthened the rebellion to gr-st an extent as
an accession Of one hundred thousand men would
have done. HOoker-RlsO under the especfal en-
cOuragement Of the President sustained n defeat
even worse than that of his predecessor. He had
ii IN his po"er to utterly annihilaie The favorite
army OF the rebellion, and could have pfomenaded
into the enemy's capital with one hundred thou
sand men; but he was beaten more shame:illIy
than any General had been beaten before IN the
history of modern warfare.
Gettysburg was won In spite of the Presidents
arrangements made 10 the contrary, and Lee was
permitted by another Of the Presidents Generals To
escape across the Potomac with the broken and
disprised remnant of an army that had expected 10
end tle war In our Northern cities. Meade is still
retained lii his position by the President, though
the escape Of Lee In July proved his utter nc0ml-
potency as Il commander. Pope, Burnside, Hooker,
aud Meade-tiiis Is the list of the Presidents GEN
erals. The FIRST three names represent a slaughter
OF sixty thousand men. Not one 1f these men
gained 4 point that brought US any nearer 10 the
end of the war Every one of them added al least
sil months TO the life of the rebellion aud the
history 0t their campaigns Is the history OF what
the President has done tor our cause since he to"h
c0s,maHd OF our armies In addition, Gilmore has
failed At Charleston, Seymour has failed In Florida,
Butler has failed on the Peninsula, and Fitzpatrick
has nearly brought our soldiers into contempt. AT
ter such record this, is il any wonder that the
country has finally lost all faith the Adminislra
tinns management of the war, aud has come 10 The
conclusion that the President and his advisers are
utterly, absolutely, and reclamabiy Incompetent
to conduct even the most inconsiderabe military
operation.
THg RECENT RAID IN cHEsAPkABE BAY.
A statement is published Of the recent raid In
Chesapeake bay Ii appears that our men caught
the captain of the loias visit ashore, and a
short time afterwards, when his vessel steamed up
to the wharf, took possession of her. The Titan,
which steamed up after her, shared the fate.
The statement of Capt. Webster says.
They sent crew on board the folas To burn her,
but consented 10 desist by Capt. Webster giving up
what money he had, and also bonding for 9l0 GUi.
They examined al, the closets, aud helped them
selves some fine articles nj clothing, win all the
money on board, about 81 100, leaving Capt. Web
sler only twenty cents. They then returned 10 iIle
Titan, taking three of the ioias coI0red with
Them.
In the meantime another party had set fire the
guard house aai COmmssarat property on the
wharf and tlre.e other property into the tide from
the wharf. They shot number Of fine cavalry
horses and took the men Off with them. as well as
the crew Of the Titan-perhaps about twenty pri.
In all and as they were casting off the lines
from the wharf, our cavalry came up TO the inshore
end OF the wharf and fired two vOlleys into the
Titan, but she shot ahead and was Off Size 10 a
fine iron propeller, very fast, and perhaps valued at
So, 900 to S40,c0j. The captain or leader of the
party was ns,a.d Ftzhngh, n yl.snian.s Three
others were very rough characters, two on them
from New York, and One-their sailor captain
from Baltimore. FitZhugh was gentlenianiy pet
son, and said he regretted to have 10 do such things
but these were war times and must be done They
had engineer and crew with them and nisto0k
the Ioas for The e. w. Thomas. They were much
disappointed in not getting her. They Iaroied
Capt Webster and his crew, except the three co
iored men taken away. They also paroled Mr.
Dunn, the telegraph operator. They took the
Ioias' register and papers, conpasses, and many
other articles.
Fitzhugh took fancy to the Iolas' Hag-neary
q new that was flying, and told Webster that
he would like to have II. He replied THAI he had
sailed under the old flag for more ihan thirty years,
and he begged F;txhugh not to take II. Fitzhugh
replied, laughng.y, mat he wanted 10 pre-
sent IL to his wife, and hauled II down and took
1t ~ with him They were anxious for clothing
and boots. They exchanged with all their ,rison-
ers very quickly coats, hats, boots, &c. Except
three or four "rOughs" among them, the Others be
haved as well as any could expect under the
circumstances, when the cavalry arrived.
The pursuit is thus described:
Tee Titan, In char &c of a rebel raiding party,
was discovered about four O'Clock on Saturday
afternoon by the Baltimore, slowly hugging the
shore In the Piankatank river bu. on reaching the
mouth OF the Piankatank she increased her sp ed
and travelled up the stream. One OF the Union
gunboats, the Tulip, was Immediately dispatched
after her. but she escaped, Us the Tulip, OH account
of the shallow water, was not able 10 follow her.
The Titan was taken TO Il place called freep0rt,
where she was bu ned by the rebels On Monday
morning, after her machinery was removed. The
goods were received at this place On Monday, and
sUme of the captorS were about 10 have an auction
sale ; but the gun1Oat making her appearance, the
goods were hastily removed iAland
THE GRAND RESULT OF THg SHERMAN IxpEDlTIoN.
A telegram from Cincinnati, dated the 9Th, gives
the following account of Sheman's disastrous
failure. 1t Is intended TO quiet the North under
this unexpected disaster
Gen. Grant, on his way East, In conversation
with distinguished Ohio officer, expressed him
self entirely satisfied with the situation of military
affairs. He spoke ia the highest terms OF General
Sherman's expedition, which had given the rebel
lion the severest blow since the capture of Vcks-
burg Gen. Sherman has destroyed forage and
provisions enough to subsist the rebel army from
three u months.
two millions of dollars worth of property. In other
places he destroyed immense stores. Thousands
of bushels of corn and large quantities Of wheat
were set on fire and consumed. He brought IN
large droves Of cattle, several thousand head Of
mule s. eight thousand negroes, and over tour hun-
dred prisoners, with hut trifiing loss In men and
materials our side Ia addition 10 this, by the
destruction of very Important railroad lines, Gen.
Sherman has released General McPhersoh > corps
from doing guard duty along the Mississippi. and
restored them to active service The steamer SUM-
mary, from Lower river, brings tnte ligence that
General Sherman and staff lest Vick>barg on the
18th ult. for below, designing to have an Interview
with General Banks or Admiral Porter, of both,
with reference TO his future movements.
The WAR IN LOUIsiASA AND TEXAS.
The Woflds New Orleans letter says IL was
ported that % o. o rebels were marching through
Western Louisiana Gen Banks had sent a large
cavalry and infantry force into the reehe county.
81 ,rsfa afnnn ali