, 1864-12-22
lFTom our Special Correspondent

ltton our special CofrcspondcrIj
=. 81. Louis, Dec. 18th, 1854.
The news from the southwest OF the threat
ening attitude1 q rebel force, supposed to be
about S 900 strong, under Gen. Gam, and Of
the recent peril Of an extensive Government
train, valued at one million dollars, is the
only event to relieve the dull monotony of
the military situation in this department
Gen. Gano's army consists chiefly Of Indians
from Arkansas and the Indian Territory, to
cover the retreat Of Price. They moved
uorthward as soon as the rebels were well as
surcd the pursuing force sent after Price had
set their faces northward. The dispatch Of q
long train Of Government wagons loaded With
supplies, with small escort, was an act of
absurd folly for which somebody should be
held responsible. Gano's forces were near
the corner formed By the boundary Of Mis-
souri,, Arkansas and Kansas, south Of Pine
vile, Mcdonald county, when last heard from
ten days ago. The Threatened train was cor
allied at Ncosho, about forty miles from
Gano's camp, waiting reinfoEcements. Yes
tcrday report WAS RECEIVED .da Springfield,
to the effect that Col. Moonlight had arrived
from Fort Scott with strong guard as IN
escort, and that the train had been started a
second time on its journey to Fort Gibson
Its arrival at the latter point is doubtless
earnestly waited for, as the troops at that
point are said to hare been on half rations
| fortnight ago.
Tho record Of guerilla itemsi Is getting rath-
er duli-as the rebels arc being so rapidly
killed OFT on the one hand, and SO rnpidly
running away from impending danger on tha
other, as to leave but. little to relate in the
city Of the creatures, however, yet remains
as an evidence Of their presence. They
stopped the Fulton stage in North Missouri
last week, about nooa-that Is five bush.
whackcrs brought the stage toa halt, but
one Of the inmates Of the stage, known
be off as company Of Federal cavalry were
close behind and momcntarily expected.
Upon this the five knights OF the bush put
spurs to their horses and run of. It is still
unsafe Tor single individuals to travel alone in
Boone, Howard, Randolph Charlton, Carroll,
Ray, Platte or Clay counties, for these COM
munitics are full Of rebels who have been out
and out gucrll1as, or have deserted from
Pricc's. army to suhsist on plunder. Our
] cayalry succeeded In restoring quiet to the
disturbed. portions Of Saline aud lafayette
couuties BY notifying certain rebels In and
around Wayerly that the next occasion Of
outragcs by bushwhackers would bring down
retribntion upon their heads. In the South
east the rebels hare everything their own
way, but as there is nothing to steal, they
are Of course comparatively quiet
Gen. Rosccsans' card printed in Cincinnati
fey days ago i bitter and sarcastic toward
Ills defameTs. The General speaks Of the ap-
| proyal given to his management Of the cam
paisn In Missouri By military men, mention
ing Gen. Canby and the Adjutant General Of
Gen. Grants staff. In the main 1t is probable
that the highest critical Judgment may ap-
| prove the plans Of Gen. Rosect1ns when it Is
considered how small were the forces at his
disposal, but It is the execution which is 50
justly complained Of a distinguished officer
who was conspicuous in the 1inal rout Of
Price, is known to have remarked while Price
WAS mano,neEing IN theyicinity Of Pilot Knob
or had taken steps to know, which way PRICES
steps we're directed. But the most
prominent item Of failure is :. the
order to cvacuate Pilot Knob, then held oy
| Gen. Ewing, while tho prolonged defense OF
that post proved the eafety Of Jefferson City
| allowed to take Pilot Knob without fight,
ard permitted to move directly to franklin
or Jefferson City, without the halt at Pilot
Knob, the State Capital must have fallen.
In other words, bad Gen. Rosecraus' plan been
carried out promptly, the rebels would have
| ter's campaign would have been required to
wrest from him. The execution OF Rosecrans'
| plans was :layed By his own singular hasita-
tion IN taking the field and allowing opera
tiuns to proceed without head, at time
| when teltgraphic communlcat tion with Jefier-
Eoh City was cut of. But this Is IN old, uu-
profitable and endless subject, and Gen.
| Rnsecrans' card alone hns revived many I'LL
pleasant things whlcn might not have Deem
| said had he remained silent.
| There WAS Immense Joy in this city yester-
| day upon the receipt of intelligence from
Washington TINT upwards Of twelve millions
| Of dollars had been forwarded to the Quarter
| masters and Comnissaries In this city, to pay
of the immense amount Of vouchers which
have been accu1nulnting in the hands Of bank
I crs and dealers for some time past, The fail
| ure Of the Government for many weeks past
! to pay out any money to holders Of vouchers
has been death pail to all business enter
prlscs and made money very tight Bankers
could not or would not loan money. on the
parties sent off their papers to- well known
correspondents in the East to raise money for
| their ordinary business expenses. No similar
monetary pressure has been felt here for scv-
eral years, and hence the joy over the receipt
| OF the intelligence mentioned from Washing
ton yesterday The lanks are already lash
| in anticipation.
The squfTmiDg among the officers Of the
Missouri Slate militia in thr pay OF Uncle
Sam, for THEIR otncMl heads, Is very funny.
i few years ago Cor. Gamble, through the
ex-Attolney General, obtained an order from
the President providing that the Governor Of
| Missouri should have power to discharge OIL
GERS Of the II. ), II. whenever proper in his
Judgment, without further recourse, This
order was used to Cypress Radicals who had
been appointed as officers. The case Of Col.
dier, isin point The Colonel soon learned,
from his experience with rebels to be an out
| and ont Abolltionist, which disp1eased Gov.
Gamble, and after while Penick's head came
of. Now the power is in different hands, and
| the NcFcrrane und Others. who belong to the
1 Fz%x1,nrt1nn1 81 ~ 1.nt -
tions in the II. S. NJ, may soon begin to in
| quirc for beard and lodging at their own
| expensc. Gov. Fletcher has no sympathy
for these creatures. They did all they could
TO defeat him, and now that be has chance,
he would b. rec1eant to the Radical officers
| Of the Militia who have been decapitated BY
Conservatives, not to throw them all over
board at once.
The printers strike has lasted five days
and each day the newspaper proprietors are
better of than the day before. Six printers
came from Chicago on Saturday for the Dam
md resolved, they said. to defy the Printers
| Union On Sunday two Of them were per-
suadcd to join the strikers, the rest stuck to
their bargain. Several others have arrived
| from Illinois and are now at work in the va
aous Offices. The printers have Issued
small sheet 10 represent their grievances to
the public, which has been chiefly distia-
guishcd for its obscenity and for its success
IN stealing the telcgraphIc dispatches belong
ing TO The Associated Press in spite Of the ct
forts Of the agent to prevent them. The
printers arc still boldly refusing to yield to
1he demands of the proprletors, white the
latter are equally resolutc in opposi-
tion. The latter declare their determi-
nation to never again employ man bclsng-
ing to the present Printers Union, even if
they have to pay the increased prices de-
manded for composition. The encourage
I ntnt received by the proprietors in filing
their offices with printers Is j promise Of sue
cess; but pressmen and feeders are still ur-
gently needed. It is likely that about sixty
! good printers can still find employment in
the several Offices Of this city.
The breaking up of the river yesterday vas
followed by an intense excitement among the
| steamboatmen to load up nnd start of for
Cairo at once: The Government officers are
ready to encourage this desire By loading
steamboat for Them at any time. The in
creased GOODNESS Of the past twenty -four hours
threatens another ice blockade.
THE "RE1IAHLE" REBEL DEsERrER.-" Mac
Aronc," an amusing war correspondent of
the New York Leader, thus draws the rebel
deserter:
4 little further on came to reliablc de-
serter, who lay on q sand heap, scratching
| himself. These deserters are very nice fel-
lows. As approached, he rose and saluted.
"Jes' canle FIN t'othcr side, Ginral, ;" says he
What do you want 2" says l..