, 1864-04-29
The LOO Day Troops Of the
West,
A LETTER FROM SEC
RETARY CHASE.
Important Cabinet Rumor.
TIE WAR IN VIRGINIA--C0N-
FLICTING hEP0RTS.
From Banks Department,
NEW TOLLS ON THE WEL-
LAND CANAL,


WASHINGTON, April q.
TUE FED RIVER DISASTER,
No official reports OF the recent battles On Red
River hAve been received from Gen. Banks In i'd
dition TO those pub1.ehed IN the New Orleaus Era,
Official letters from persons upon whose tcsti-
nonY reliance Is placed in high quarters, give
eTcn more rnfaTorable account Of the condition of
things than have heretofore been published, and
comment severely upon the lack OF prudence Of
the genera1thip displayed BY Generals Banks and
Stone, who sent to him for chief Of stat At his
urgent request. One letter says: Banks with his
hne amy Of q, 600 etrons was totally defeated and
routed By 12,ooo rebels under Dick Taylor. 1t was
done in this manner. Banks sent bnt 6ooo
cavalry In advance with Ill their wagons, 90,
lust behind them. His force OF cavalry
was fuppo1ted BY about 2,G00 infantry, while the
great mass Of the army far In the rear. coming
up In anything but good ORDER The result may be
easily imagined. The whole rebel army charged
on the cavalry, stampeded them, threw them back
On the Infantry ana the whole reserve turned round
and ran, actually ran! It was complete rout
The rebels captured 1,s00 prisoner, Is guns, 100
w::ous. a large eupp)y Of provisions &C., besides
driving cur army back fifteen miles to Pleasant
Hill. The enemy attacked Banks On the second
day 1T Pleasant Fill, and were detested, but or
army has ret1cated to Grand Ecore, and the rebels
are Just outside Of the town. Our army Is now in
4 t.a,e Of Generalization. All tho troops are in
the town. and arr afraid to 20 ont of it. Of1rers
md men blnme each other. and unite IN .avfno II
1s most miserable and criminal piece of general
ship.
Brig. General a. J. Smith must be exempt alto
ecther from conde,nnauoa. HIS men fought like
tigers.
Admiral Porter, whose dispatcher come down to
the 18th inst. gives quite ~ unsatisfactory his
tory of the campaign as the above, His lotI1,a A.
dyM on the 10th tnst.-the anpotnted d.v-at
dGcr navnn. hva miles FINN sn,incde15 .,cn,
vhieh place supplies brought bv trsn.norts
were to be hauled to the army. Tbs on1y appcar.
.nce of thu enemy durfnp the 1nrnce urss m +ho
4thfnst.. when man rode ont tn The hank mn. AZ.
1,herntejy shot Lfeut- contborp rnrnmandcr ~ tha
chi1tcothe. good officer. An on board the tr,ns.
ports were in the best Of Spirits Firing was heard
and the report yyas current that onr army WA in
to.iou. At Shreveport at The annointetl time Int
Immediately On arrival at Loccy.s Baron. Admiral
Porter received message from Banks
announcing his defeat and retreat, OF course
the fotilla had to follow euit. "What could ve
do bat come bark,v writes al officer attached to
one of the runboats. The water 7yoe fst1fnp. we
had tx,euty-aye transports to nrotect which tbe
rcr,e1 ormv mfrbt d-ftror. hesdr. tnnict;ne n+h.-
,n3n,1rs nnon M. We came h.e1. and 1t,-r,1iv
foncht our xay throurh. The rebel arnv attacL,d
ra a. axerv mint and xa h,re fought ths,, r.,
the Inst th,re da7s steadily. Yesterd,y At - N
n1o1t t<rentr-ave 1nr1ca nhovc hcrc f,or C..er
attacked the runboats and transports with sboo
-,e, and +hree n.cce. oY ar4,f1crr W. theo o,enrd
on thcn IN n second A cross arc ,nd .itbonsh ,he
banks wero yc,J hi.h We gained a brillIs1t Vic.
toT In hair m honr tbci, o1t,;1s,v ,cs s,,encsa
.o.3 ';h r;.cas sa,sna ana ~ sec,h,s - hs,r ,e".
they we're completely routed, over 200 or 800 killed
100 weso killed outright, 200 or 400 wounded.
Mrsteta knansacks. 6c., 1.nc al, .ronnd ,b- f1.1d
rra..aasa =, -, ~, 49, ~. A''A'
aIu tnelt o"n "oan1eo Aneu nncA.eo 1o9.
Green md nnmbsr Of oiaee.s M Tha next next p1see s
At which tbey attacked US was blnG; bur We
river it was one continual f.ht, but we brought
..rerything to Grand Eco7e safely and with COM
narntirely small loss.
TIE wAn n sorEn cAnol1HL
tho reproaches heapeo upon in consequence Of the
succcas nf Ychcl rama hes{das tb.t erixrd fo, tho
seeet ~ .ont-s-4nrs ~ aa,sh -; ,.os a,.a. .u
m s -. ,,.a - 1nlsn san iton etaas mp
10 tae appo1ntea 'l@e: one 5eal ago the saEy Ds'
els were building the ram which has recent17
muue sueu 1a'S ana ;, ssea ~, sne .ans nnt Of an
munication Was referred to Gen. Foster, then
commander of N, c.. who responded that II the
psrv rxnulf taxa rre nj fa res4etA he NronTd tsLa
-. -. c...s-., -. -
ca1e u ns push. subsequently 9en. roster IN
one OF his raids went within 10 miles Of
place where the ram Nns building, but didn't turn
ee;5a 10 1eetror n fntn1v +he h1nrt.d,no scn,5.
as1oe ~ ue1to, ~. LaNt{ tne oloeAaahg equaa~
ron- at wilmington. has been necessarily greatly
reduced BY dtspatching gunboats for the defense Of
Ncvberu ard Beaufort.
Wtsu1NGroS. April es-The spectal to the Post
eave. Geperai BEtler expresses the onfnfou tfat
the rebel tFpops have left North Carolina FOR Vir
rinia,
The Military Committee Of the House has not
ret made renort On the bin to raise tha nav of
coiored troopa. The Senate added this measure me to
tie Army Appropriation Bill as an amendment,
tee, Which viii speedily report upon It.
It il runorcd here that Postmaetcf-O General
Biajr vii follow m bis removal OF III, Watson, 4
RADICAL Republican clerk in ,s department bg 9th
er rcmnyafs: that be intends 10 make 1Fnr upon
nj. Cha.e'e niends who hare Postoalcc apooini-
nrnfe
Mr. Chase ia fp Phf8de1phia and docs not intend
tn 20 to New Torx
Several members Of the New York Board OF Bro.
KRIS have aJrieed hero to protest agaiust the pro-
noeed lax on nfncE traneact{ons
vii probably pass temporary tarif in accordance
. ga Ses, nt;aa aa" e1enpAne sooos !" pono "o" III
TT nsta r,,ru,.,ao -, f,,u,,o-.a In. vsr,-+.
nT H. naria5jnp an1 halbors on tx
Western lakes aud rivers.
ThA 1nSefffraffnu THmYnitt4c RAYbl