The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-09-03
@$$$$$$I MAJOR-GENERAL WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMAN


their foraging parties are out every lay. Yescr-
day, seven men who were out on one one OF these
expeditions, were captured by the 9TH virginia
Cavalry, and sent up to the city.
Eleven caissons, instead Of three, as heretofore
rcperted were captured in the engagement Of
Thursday, and have been sent 10 70 Hn.
We have already stated that the track OF the
road was destroyed 10 a distance Of nearly two
miles beyond Reams'. The sills have been
burned, and the rails heated aud bent. It is
also stated that in many places the embaukmeuts
along the road have been levelled, and the cuts
filed up, so as 10 make the work Of destruction
as complete as possible.
Hancock's headquarters, during the battle of
Reams', were in q barn-loft, some two or three
hundred yards in the rear of his fOrtifcatOns and
in full view Of the battle ground. He was heard
10 boast that the Rebels would be totally unable
to drive his men from their position; and when
he saw the ragged Confeds leaping the breast
works, he was so surprised that nc did not stop
TO consider the safety of his command, but fed
prCcipitately to secure himself from capture.
LETTER PROM GENERAL LEE.
From ne Richmond Examiner, 3lsi uM
We publish below a letter addressed by Gene.
raj Lee to General Hampton. cOmplimenting tn
cavalry for their gallant and valuable service
against the enemy on the Charles City and Darby
town roads on the 10th, 10th, and 18th instant
The complimentary letter was written, II will be
observed, previous TO the battle of last Thursday
upon which occasion again the cavalry con-
trbued so conspicuously to the success of Gene
raj HilPs attack upon the enemy at Reams'
station.
"HEADouAUrrRs Amy NoRruERS vmGtSt,. Augustl9.
Major General Wade HAMPTON, Commanding Cavalry
GcEcra - desire to express the grntcaton derived from
the conduct the cavalry during is late operations nor
" The success Of W. II. F Lees Division on the 18th
Instant signal results that attended the combined
day and the skifa execution Of your orders the 18th
by General Butler with his division, reflect great credit
upon the several commands enraged.
Please express to the officers and men my thanks for
by he cavalry in the fan OF Brlsadier General Cham1li's
will be felt throughout the army in which, by his courage,
energy and skin, he had won for himself an honorable
'Yery respectfully your obedleni servant,
III. TIRRSAN BmEs, Major and Assistaut Adj. Gen.
on! FOR A woRD FROM CHICAGO.
From ne Reamond Eramiper, August3 81.
Nothing which can possibly occur at Chicago
| is so momentOus to US as the events which are
taking place on the Weldon railroad, around
| Atlanta, and near Harper's Ferry. Even sup
posing that the Yankee Peace Democrats in that
| Convention should carry all before them, au
nominate candidates on IA distinct basis Of peace
| and separation (which is by no means SUPPOSE
be), yet all that would signify nothing, save in
| so far as the action should be affirmed by those
| ratification meetings which are TO take place on
| the Weldon road, near Atlanta, and on or about
| the Potomac.
| II Atlanta were to fall, or Petersburg, or If
| Sheridan should drive Early back to Lynchburg
-or if any one of these events should befll then
| all the peace principles and peace Presidents
| Of Chicago would be at the election next Noyem-
| Der where last years snow is, and last nights
| mOOuSllne. war, Tor NNOtner ITcSluen-
| tal term, would sweep away every ves-
| tige Of opposition. But, on the other hand, if
| Grants and Shermans armies should have
| no more success within the next three months
| than for the three last and if Sheridan's
| army of the "Middle Department" should
| still be pretending TO look for Early and taking
care not to find him, or else, at the first sight of
| him, running straight away-as Tor the last few
weeks-in this case 1t will not mptter to in the
| least If the Chicago Democrats break up in utter
| confusion, and the Fremont party collapse, aud
the Davis Wade party wither up, and Lincoln
and Seward reign supreme ;-nothing would
| Rvail-the scale of peace would preponderate, and
that of war would Kick the beam.
In other words, the issues of peace and war are
| not in the hands of politicians and statesmen; no.
not in the slightest degree they are in the hands
of soldiers 1t Is useless to vote war If your last
armies are destroyed; useless to vote peace If
your armies are marching on flushed with victory,
to splendid conquest. Further, those Yankees
who are war men to-day will be peace men in
three months, if their grand campaign turn out
an utter failure and those who are for peace TO-
day with few eXceptions) will foam for war
and yell for blood within the same three months,
if they reason to believe that the Contederacy
is reeling 10 its fall.
| 1t NAV, therefore, be affirmed most categori-
| Cally, and received as an axiom, that the doings
of the Chicago, or of the Baltimore, or OF the
| Cleveland Convention, or of all them put to-
gether, are of no consequence in the world.
The election in November will not be governed
| by the action of those politicians In August.
but by the military situation in November
and the election in November itself signifies
Just as little as the Conventions because the
issue of war or peace must be governed, not by
the wishes, policy, or protestatons OF the party
in power but by the situation of the invading
armies at the close of this campaign; and by the
possibility or impoSsibility OF procuring fresh
army to undertake invasion next year. Which !;
the same thing as TO say thatth Yankee nationwil
fight us upon this argument just so long as II
shall De able TO fight us, and no longer. Whether
under Lincoln or Mcclellan, in a constitutional
war, or an unconstitutional, the whole qusTe
between us, and every part of It, and the time Of
, ending il, and the terms of settling t-all abide
+ the inevitable wager of battle.
Therefore, while the whole Of the enemy's
country is hanging to-day upon the utterances OF
| the telegraph wires-eager to know, not so much
| whether there is to be peace or war, as who ART
TO have the profits and spOs of peace or war, fol
four years TO come-the people OF the Contede'
8 rate States may await those revelations, not with
: calmness only, but with utter Indifference. i
matters not TO us what men are 70 rule and TO rol
in that country the next four yelrs; and as 4
their being for peace or for war that depends no
! upon them, but upon US we shall cause them Z
be for either the other precisely In proper
tion as we shall drive back their armies, or b.
driven by them,
t Yet it is not strange that there is so much
>, curiosity here about the action Of those ConYen
: tions. II Is impossible TO avoid looking TO then
Q for something that may serve as a kind of sign
n showing what our enemies themselves Tor ont
party of them) think of their oh hmce of conquer
K ing us. TO this extent their proceedings maj
q serve as sign, at least for tho day which i
/, passing over our heads hardly for tomorrow
}, still less for next Noyember least Of all for mex
@ year.
If the Peace Democrats prevail at Chicago,
l., will prove that the Democratic party general,
e thinks war played out, and believes il will haY
better chance of coming into place on a peac
than on a war platform; yet even that peac
platform could not stand up az inst the captur
'g of Atlanta and Petersburg would be swept ou
IS of sight In a moment by the cap'ure ofRichmond
r So, II the War Democrats prevail, and all th
is parties conteuding for power advocate war unit
V the suppression of the Rebellion" yet tbs
could not stand against the defeat of Sherna
st and the re- e-appearance Of Grants beaten remnan
re infecta, at Washington.
Even as signs, then, or weather-vanes TO sho
how the wind blows at any given moment, thOs
~, indications are fallaciousi especially in a seaso
W ~ Of change and tempest like the present. A.
~ cordingy while We await the next news comm
~ from the North, IL is well 10 fix 1t in our mine
a. a. that, whatever that news may be this first of Sci
mlu m tember it and all its significance will be out
W. date on the first of October, out of the memOr
y, Vi of man on the first of November, and by Ne
~ Years day viii be with the days before the iloo
Is T0-DAY'S WASHINGTON NEWS