The daily clarion. [volume] (Meridian, Miss.) 1863-1866, 1864-08-01
Letter from Richmond.
From our Spesal Correspondent
D,o,rua.p J,l,, O0fh IL

From our Special Correspondent
RICHMOND, July Goth, 1864.
Considerable disappointment has been
felt and expressed at what has been
called the failure of the Washington ex-
pedition. The ground of complaint is
that Washington has not been taken, as
many fondly hoped and prophecied that 1t
would be. When it was stated that Gen.
Early had gone into the Valley, it was
added that, besides being instructed to
drive out Hunter and his crew, he had
another anda secret mission to fulfil.
The press. polite as usual, and under
special instructions to hetray no State
secrets and no army movements to the
enemy, were commercially silent on the
subject. The letter-writers, too, were
reticent, or, if they said anything, EN-
ployed language to conceal their
thoughts, the great object for which, ac-
cording to Voltaire, the parts ot speech
were invented. But the people in all
circles, private and public, exercising
their Constitutional liberty OF speech,
asked questions and answered them and
Especulated abont the matter without re-
6tsAint or anprehension Of the conss-.
qpeneea. Secret ntss50l ~ W ,,..s
which Grant had left wholly unpfotectcd'
except by a few raw militiamen, or one
hundred DAYS men? Nothing could be
easier, under the circumstances, than ior
EARLY and his twenty thousand men to
slip into the Federal city, let loose the
dogs of war, capture Lincoln and his Cab
met, ride the rail splitter on rail out OF
the city, blow up the Capitol and the
other public buildings, and if he did not
care to hold the place, abandon 1T, after
having left behind him sufficient eviden-
ces of The visit which he and his troops
had paid it? Their ambition fired at the
thought, and they were sure, although
the President and all the Departments
and the press we're as silent on the SUBJ
iecUof this secret mission as the grave,
that such were its objects. And a curl
Gus circumstance it would be if while
Grant was uttering his big brags about
taking Richmond, we should throw sop
to the Cerberus, and, while he was fast
asleep between the Appomatox and the
James, should quietly slip round and
capture Washington. Many said, the
operation, if successful, would end the
war at once, without requiring that
another additional blow should be struck !;
and perhaps it would have succeeded,
had the people been as prudent as their
leaders and the press were, and had not
ventilated the subject in all circles, till it
reached the ears OF the enemy, and Grant
anticipating us single day with some
movement Of his troops, prevented our
triumphant entry into Washington. ii
ANYBODY is TO blame for our disappoint-
Al, 10 thnV
therefore who conducted the expedition,
who behaved admirably, but the people
themselves, who could not restrain their
exultation and loquacity, in consequence
| of which Grant and his myrmidons were
apprized of our designs before they were
ripe for execution.
1t is said that, in other respects, the
expedition was very successful one
that we commended the enemy's challce
to his own lips, made him feel, to the
fullest extent, the bitterness OF war
spread wholesome CONSERVATION
| throughout the whole North, and brought
off immense spoils in horses, grain anc
other articles much needed by the Com
missary Department.
Rumors, predicatad on statements o
deserters from the Yankee army, have To-
ten DAYS been current in this community
that General Grant is dead. The story
is, that he was wounded in the arm by
shell that the limb was amputated, an'
that, though under the influence OF chic
roform, he died during the operation
that the flags of the United States vessel
in the neighborhood were displayed a
half mast in honor of the distinguishes
deceased. As these statements have no
been confirmed by any Northern anthor
ity Of a reliable character, they are re
garded by most persons as mere rumors
not entitled TO credit, and gotten up 10
sensational purposes, or to cover som
secret design.
The removal of General Johnston from
the command OF the Army OF Tennessee
and the appointment Of General HOO
TO his important post has occaslone1'
much surprise. Both these 6esersiI
were graduates of West Point, ana DS;l o.,
accomplished commanders, who nave as ~.
tinguished themselves on various otoa ~,
!. sions. Il is supposed that OF tne Nv, wv
Generals, General Hood Is chaIacee',he, 1,
by greater ardor Of temperament ~"'