New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-01-19


make the subjoined interesting extracts;
From The Richmond Wing, Jan. l.
A FEW FACTS.
The cry is for great armies. Everybody is to
be put in the ranks, except such as are deiaiieG.
Very good il BY doing we can end the war next
year and be done with IT, But let US look AT few facts
An army correspondent writing ron Longsireeis
Corps says there are 1900 barciotec men IN theI corps
alone From Johuston's date BrasgS army comes
pteous appeal blankets and clothing. Lees army
Is also in need of blankets aud Lot week ago paper
repted 10 be the Government organ IN this city, called
upon the ladies 60 devote their energies TO knling
socks for Lees soldiers. For some weeks past the
Young Mems Christian Association mas been furnishing
cotton yarn 20 b. knit into socks Tor these same soldiers
WOODEN warn was rot 10 he Ind Day by day the clothes
made for the soldiers exhibit less wool and more cotton
What Is the prospect fog clothing next year me
blockade Whining on Is low reidy enforced na'
rupiies from abroad cannot be counted upon An IN
tercepted letter from Nassau printed III inc hahkee
papers which came by The last nag OF truce states '
s'notlinc has entered Wilmin gton for mouth. We
must then depend the home markets Tor ciotLpg
materials " hat do we ind Any one who buyn beef
has discovered thar tie quarters ana sdoS are Tapiu
diminishing nsi4c ounscr cattle or. Dluf slalsllelea
rysry wear II is thought We VII have TO 1911 PACK
upor rnich COWS. As cattle diminish mutton must he
substituted and hence the both OF leather aud
wool NAV be expected to decrease every month mus
the prospect home does not encourage the hehet tn
we viii be able 10 cche armies larger Than those when
are now shiyeiing in nakedneSs.
An army must be fed as well as clothed. The facts
tust stated in regard the supply Of beef apply with
Even more force to the question vi subsistence than TO
that Of clothing Very little bacon l. let beef Is going,
and mutton viii hardly feed great armies even Il the
supply were double what il IT, II is said that Gen. Lee,
during his late visit this city, exclaimed that the cit
rens had no right 20 indulge themselves while the
soldiers were living on quarter Of pound OF meal
per day Tie hue and cry against the starvation OF
Yankee prisoners has scarcely subsidized and the excuse
that three OF largest hospitals we're forced 10 do
without meat for day VI two at time has not been
FORGOTTEN. East Tennessee on which We relied manly
Tor supplies has fallen into the hands Of the enemy The
ranor about iprcssmCn and the StOppage Of supplies
Oh their way to market still rings IN the ears Of the
i,oyernuent. The standing crops IN entire counties
have been impressed at one fell swoop, under The plea
that In other manner could sufficient supply for the
army be certainly secured. Under this system and be
cause of real scarcity well Hour o. low grade t.
selling this dsy in the Confederate Capital at $40 bar
rel 1t appears therefore that the prospect OF feeding
the army already in the field much less one twice or
thrice its size, il not encouraging.
Without labor there can be no production Oar labor
Is that of the African slave, who requires the super
vision Of white al 81 times and never more Than
when an unusual quantity Of work Is demanded OF him.
Women lads. se1Ggenariens cannot make the negro
do his duy fully and iathiuly man IN the prime ana
vgor OF life j. needed. Already the fears oil nsuIrec'
ton oecasoned by the absence OF the greater portion
Of the bearing white population. has produced
iepiency and indulgence among the farmers winch mas
enconrsged the natural lszRess Of the slave, and
suited in a rapid and yearly increasing diminuton OF
the crop. Take away all, or nearly al the vigorous
whites and leave the negro 10 the feeble control OF Wo
men children and old men, and the danger Is that
famine viii be suDeradded 10 Instruction
If the negroes stil remaining within oar lines were
made 10 work as hard the white hTelings I'd the
North and of Europe they could scarcely produce more
than enough 10 supply the wants Of the army II
stands al prices lot Iuinous 70 the cTedt ~ The ~
ernnent COnscfibe the entire white population within
the ages Of il auC % constitute reserve corps OF the
lads Between IS and e and Tie men between % aNd o.
abolish all details for tesmstcrs Ordcrles ambulance
drivers hospital assistants, and fill the vacancy created
with negroes and mula,toes (ample allowance beng
made for places that could be filed b. disabled sodiers
and it is easy conceive what the consequence viii be
upOn agricultural production.
The sum is not finished vet. Horses must be fed as
well as men, aud army without horses Is man with
Nulh QlffcultY
Gcient the purposes OF the existing army are
obtained Last Spring large impIessments OF horses
were made in this city and throughout Virginia. IL was
matter Of doubt whether the hack carriage. dray, cart
and indeed oil the horses in the city not indispensaby
necessary 10 the business OF the Government should not
be seized. The question Of horsefeed was serious III
deed With one hand the Confederate officials seized
she horses Of the citizens and with the other seized
forage OF all sorts from the people In the country TO feed
them with
Farmers ceased to send hay fodder Gate and corn 70
town To send Was 20 insure impressment during
the Winter Suart's cavalry had been scattered over
all the state 10 procure food and to recruit The ab
seDce Of HamptOns Legion and the worndown condi-
enemy 10 penetrate with impuniy within the deieses
of the capital And even low, when the hHiYess nave
been gathered but few weeks, the QuGrerInaster Of
the Army OF Northern Virginia can tell strange story
sf the distance Whch their forage has 10 traverse be-
fore reaches them. Yet it proposed TO double the
army and OF to increase the trains proportion
eely.
Sin another addition TO the sum must be made.
An army must have besides wagons and trains, mus
kets. cannon and ammunition. Fembertons enormous
losses Of the two isrIncr at Bakers creek ana VICES
burg added to Eraggs at Chattanooga and Lees
losses Of mukets at Gettysburg and IN the retreat,
must have. left bare sufciency Of both 70 supply
present needs ana to make good the annual wear
end tear. With regard 10 ammunition, we know
what Lee suffered at Gettysburg for want OF II.
WekDow further that whenever a battle begins.
ordnance officers cure 10 telegraph for more ara.
munition. We have never bad n supcrGbundance, and
since the port Of Charleston has been closed Whining
ton almost Theoretically sealed. and the inter beds OF
Tennessee have been Wrcsed from u.s. It IL not hkey
that win have more tlan iun supply Tor the
srmy on its present footing
1t may be sad that We Lave whole Winter before us
tn which TO make guns, cannon and powder I'D htAam
DO We had last Winter, with comparatively open ports
Through which TO draw supplies from abroad. YET Lee
fen short In Pennsylvania ard Richmond was bare
ta cartridges had 10 be taken from the boxes OF pOr
ton oil the city troops 10 I'll his with. Yet next
Spring we are 70 have twice perhaps thrice as many
men IN the field Lad last spring. with thrice az
many muskes thrice tie number of cannon and thrice
the need for ammurtionl
Thus in the last analysis find we have an army
poorly clad, scanty fed indfereutly eouipped badly
mounted with insufficient trains and with barely
enough ammunition 70 remedy the evil we are going
70 double ana IL possible quadrupe the number OF
and horses taking away every efficient master from the
agricultural districts and leave the lsborers ON whom
both men and horses depend for existence a prev to
paturs idlenes and with every Involvement TO revolt
adopted by feeble and arghted councils docs
not present an example.
Prom Ilc Richmond Wing JAMS
THE RAILROAD SYSTEM.
Next 10 the currency, the most important
question before Congress j. the efficiency Of the army
The public credit IL the very "snews OF war;" That
restored TO sound health. the weapons Of defense
our armies and the agricultural and mechanical
sources 10 supply tlem-becOme the great subject for
consideration We must bear in mind constantly that
tho war must be worked out well a. fought cut The
detailing Of the best from service 70 supern
PEND plantations would no doubt accomplish incalcula