Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-09-16
rs6m fbs NeH YORK Herald. ;

RoGd-1hG ObStTIIettoHS % the James RIV-
g, &C. 6. -. ,.....3,.,,-,- -,
We had visit yesterday from gentle-
man who states that be left the rebel cap
itsl on the 9th instant. having been acting
as 4 Rarcorresponden for one of the Rich-
mond papers, during the last three, years,
and is very well posted on the condition
and number of the rebel army, and also
the sentiment Of the Southern people, in
the vicinity of Richmond especially. His
statements therefore, possess an amount OF
interest at the present time. BE says that
Lees whole army in the lines about Rich
mond at present numbers from seventy
thousand 10 setentysfve thousand men of
all branches of the service. NM
The rebels have got every male capable
Of bearing arms, between the ages of six
teen and sixty, in the ranks; SO that the
forces around Richmond and Petersburg
is largely made up Of boys and old men.
The lines of Lees army, which includes
the seventy or seventy. five thousand men,
extend from Coal Harbor to the Appomat-
tor and the Weldon, Railroad. beyond the
point Of intersection by Grants troops.
The whole rebel force in the field now
amounts to one huodred and sixty tbous.
said men, certainly not over one hundred
aud seventy.kye thousand. This tnelncssl
boys, old men, guerillAs and all. saOftgti
nalfy Early took with him to the valley
from twenty thousand to twenty ave thou
sand men: hut of these about fifteen thou.
sand have retured 10 Richmond and par
ticipated in the battle with Hancock's corps
near, Ream's STATION. The forces Of the
enemy now in the valley cannot possibly
he over ten thousand Or fifteen thousand
men. Rwell Is said to be in command Of
what called the Department. Of Richmond,
and Longstreee has returned to his old
command in Lees army-the centre. The
loss of the Weldon Railroad was very
severe blow TO the enemy. 1t was the
chief line of supply to Richmond. The
lDanviIIe roadlAmonnts to nothing In COM
parison. Very few supplies can reach
Richmond over the DsnRilfe' road or the
Lynehburg road The rolling stock on the
IDanyille road amounts to nothing, and
there is nothing to be brought over the
Lynchburg road. In fact, Early's princi'
| pal mission TO the valley was to procure
supplies. % ...' -. . ., ,,.,,p-,
road by Grant an immediate reduction OF
rations took place in Lees army. Before
it, occupancy the rebel atmy>was re.
ceiyiug half Q pound of bacon and Q pound
and a quarter of meal per man daily. This
/ allowances was " once reduced to quar-
Ter of a pound of bacon and three quarters
of a pound of neal These are now the
rations of the rebel army under Lee around
Richmond and Petersburg. Early's men,
who have returned from the valley and
| fought in the battle OF Ream's station, now
form the extreme right Of the rebel army
They are posted on the Weldon Railroad
| 40 as to hold what they have Of 1t now
/ L. had Iry
up 10 The battles for the repossession ol
4 the Weldon Railroad that another. attack
by them ID improbable, unless they have
nothing whatever to eat in Richmond.
| The citizens OF Richmond are in very
twretched condition for subsistence.
dinner at the lSpottswood House costtwen'
/ ty dollars, and consists Of a few beams, .
llittle pork and few tomatoess1 The con
1 dition of the citizens generally may be im.
aoined from this circumstance and from the
| fact that some of the largest provision
dealers in Richmond refuse to sell anything
They alIege that they have only enough
for the support Of their own families. Th'
CITY is very quiet, and around its outskirt'
| it has q most melancholy aspect, and re
minds one of large, dull burying groupr
The suburbs are a perfect wilderness
i without any inhabitants, and little ot.th'
4 APPEARANCE OF IoEneEt uhybs n o1ao'OA h1s
i in Richmond costs from four to hve thous'
4 and dollars. This may appear Incredible.
but II issth value of hayiD Richmond
The horses of therebel army are ina mos
miserable condition. "There is nothing OF
them" They have plenty of. hard Worl
i and little forage. About the destEuction Q
4 the rebel feet in Mobile bay, the destFuo
ition Of Fort Powell and the capture Of Fora
kGRfnes and Morgan, the rebels had little u
say nor did they seem TO feel that the!
llihad sustained uuchJoss. Bot there was
general feeling Of dependency over the fal
Of Atlanta, add there were rumors of ''un
i defband work" apd .'treaehsry' going tn
Eounds,ar y 5 sil5 Ss.fi lL-.g=lG9 SIS III,
The price 'of -four in Richmond now
| $3.50 or 500 q barrel. ,Baeon is $l2
SIS q pound, and you canpot get theFF
d readiIyfor even these prices. fssgz
l. About the rebel iron clads and obstruc
Edons in the Jhmes tivet ohr infornan
lgiyes very important finfofmadoh. Frof
what he, 90 q citizen could learn, be Is 9
the, opinion that there areeno obstruction
in theriYeE as far up as DrnFy's Bluf, an
none above the ,bluR. There appears :
1be oEly one line OF Eobafructiods In Oh
James river, and that is opposite DruEy'
Il Blnh, and consists Of one line Of torpedoe
Z stretchfnR obIiauely from Fort Darling 70