Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-05-12
END OF THE FLORIDA CAMPAIGN.
Correspondence ofMe PHILADELPHIA Inquirer.

Correspondence of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
JACKSONVILLE, (FLoRIDA,) APRIL 30, 1864.
The Florida expedition virtually ended aud abandoned.
,The brilliant opening of the campaign in this peninsula of
the Union is nguary balanced by the frutess and bar
ren-resuts at t close We here with great antic
pations, return with large disappointment. There
circumstances foreshsdowing success there
many others prophetic of failure. The public have
read ragmentary and crude accounts Of the expedition
the Commander of the Department has issued his official
bulletin, but its history is yet to be written.
We brought into the State army entirely too small to
accomplish the object intended. We laid out campaign
suitable for army of twenty-five thousand Yet
eight thousand all that arrived, until the
defeat at Oiustee. 1t was supposed that corporas
guard could and conquer the State and yet the
Confderacy sent twenty thousand veteran troops for its
defence The expedition talked of for months, and
yet it hurried off at hurricane speed, and sadly def
oient in many Of the appointments of army. 1t
crippled before it left its base of operations; def
Gent in medical and sanitary supplies its ambulance tran
entirely inadequate for the sick say nothing the
wounded after second engagement. When it moved it
compelled to take its base along with it, its
force too small to be divided Transportation for
commssary aud forage stores and ammunition pre-
carious yet the invading army pushed into the Interior
subssting half starved beef cattle, dozen of which
would not make pot of soup
In stating that the expedition is abandoned do not
mean that forces wholly withdrawn from the
State Jacksonville held and force of white and black
troops about equally divided occupy the Notifications pro-
tectng the town But these forces will simply do garsOn
duty The depletion Of troops from the department OF the
South permits other course, and the Confederate
army 10 front 10 also largely reduced anticipate
OF ehargy and quiet for the present Florida had
no stragetc value or Importance and without surplus Of
troops it would be absurd TO attempt the offensive.
DeserteIs that in from the enemys camp yesterday
say that Major Gen. Psten Anderson still commands the
rebel army Florida and that his forces principally
at Baldwin, and that they enumerae about four thou
sand Gen. Coquetts brigade, Georgia troops left
for Virginia two weeks ago. while others have gone to
Charleston aud Savannah relieve troops that are also
ordered to report at Richmond
One of the leading objects of the expedition into this
that respect ID almost failure. Not than three
hundred found that capable Of bearing arms
The previous expeditions had gone az the terri
tory which explored, and the planters hearing Of
approach drove their slaves of to the western part Of
the State. In instances found few at home or
bid in the cypress swamps Generally they aged or
crippled and consequently Of little value The slave pop
uation is mainly in the southwest section Of the Stae
part which did not penetrate
The change OF commanders in this districts rapid that
have been almost unable to report them. After Gen
Seymour came Brig. Gen. John p. Hatch who assumed
command ten days since The staff also changed
and faces smile around headquarters Judging from
the rapid revolutions in this district regards command
shall probably be introduced a General and
bis staff before closing this letter Bney announced de-
termination TO hold Florida at all bsxard but as he only
garrisons Jacksonville think bis command il limited
Military necessity will demand the evacuation OF this city
before long The river communication is difficult par
tcuary the bar at the mouth OF the St. Cuans and
hyand by torpedoes will still further urge abandon
place of value Importance to the enemy The
loss OF two valuable steamers by rebel torpedos satisfies
that their internal machines well made and are Of
terrible destructive capacity.