Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-11-19

| November 13, 1904. m.
Your correspondents made reconuois-
ance toward ''the Gap,"-as General But
ler'a celebrated canal is now knoWn-and
the lack OF any army news or other items
militant or pacific and the rem9ysl ofthe
interdiCt which has been put upon the ppb-
| licatlon of statements in regard to this
work, renders It highly proper that he
should report "whereof he hath seem"
The preliminary survey for this impor-
tant work was made Sunday, August z,
and the work itself commenced on the lIth
Of the same. month. fJOESi d
The neck of land which forms the bend
in the James River at this point and through
which the canal is cut, is 165 yards across.
The excavation is of sufficient depth below
water mark to hoat the largest gunboats
necessary in the siege operations to be car
ried on higher up the river. Upward of
fifty thousand cubic yards of earth-most
of it dark blue clay, which is very difficult
to remove-haVe been alresdy. excAVated
by mammal process alone; while the'steam
dredge engaged in removing the deposits
from the bed of the canal, and wideningits
mouth, does a work equal to about so tuns
per day. This work, it must be retnem.
befed, has been done under the frequent
and during the earlier stages of Its pro-
gress-the almost incessant shelling of
Rebel batteries! From so to 500 men have
been employed on the work from time to
time. Present force about 200, all colored.
They appear perfectly happy digging
away in the mud, and, saving their "curi-
oswities, )" as they call the bits of iron py4
rites and clay slate which they pick up
during their work for "the fust white hos
sifer or gemman" that comes along.
The entire work will, it is expected, be
complete before December. Major Bald.
win is in charge of the military (excaVa-
tiuR) force and Major Michie in charge of
the Engineering force.
| A requisition has Just been made upon
these Headquarters for 100000 feet
of lumber, to o,be used in the construction
of the new Hospitals at Point of Rocks.
The, logs are already up. When finished,
they will have accommodation for 4 900
sick. Six thousand might be aceOmme-
dated without crowding.
The army is still basking in the glorious
sunlight of early Autumn. The weather
is as fine as heart can wish. Last night
there was smart shower, about5 o'clock,
which was succeeded by one of the finest
prismatic displays, in the shape of a rain.
bow, 1 ever. beheld. The whole camp
turned ont to greet it. ....-. ...--....,---.-
GENERAL oRDRRs--KO. 282.
WAR DEPARTMENT., WAsE1NGroS, Nov. IA.
Ordered by the President "-fiaea
/. That the resignation of George B.
Mcclellan as major. general in the United
States Army, dated November 9th, and re-
ceived by the Adjutant General on the
10th instant, be accepted as of the 9th of
November. .tfa EsJasf ros
q. That for personal gallantry, military |
skill and just confidence In the courage 4
aud patriotism of his troops displayed by
Philip a. Sheridan on the 10Th of October
at Cedar Run, whereby, under the blessing
of Providence, his routed army was reOr-
ganized, great national disaster aVerted
and,a brilliant victory achieved over the
rebels for the third time in pitched battle
within thirty days, Philip H. Sheridan is
major general in tho Unitsa
States Army, to rank as such from the 9Th
day Of November, 1864.
BY order of tue President Of the Upited
States. -a 5s.. u i...s..r48 4.-.f.
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