The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-03-11
From Washington.

Another gigantic raid has been at
tempted, and in q manner executed, in
the direction of Richmond. 1 say in a
manner executed, because, while the
movement failed IN the main, it has not
been altogether a failure, as you have
learned from dispatches, or will learn,
before this reaches you.
The old story of Richmond being un-
defended has been so insisted upon OF
late by such intelligent gentlemen as
Col Streight and his fellow comrades,
who recently escaped from Libby, that
the dashing young General Fitzpatrick
determined to immortalize himself by
the capture of the rebel Capital, and
the release of our suffering braves now
held at Libby prison and Belle Isle,
The movement and its results are be-
fore the country, and to particularize
would be to waste time. The enemy
were met and driven within the outer
works of the defences at Richmond,
but finding himself unable to penetrate
farther, or to make his way back to the
Army of the Potomac, Gen Fitzpatrick
succeeded in reaching Gen. Buffers
forces with comparatively small loss
! am disposed to view this failure OF
Gen. Fitzpatrick almost as matter Of
course, for reasons to be stated, to wit:
Several. days before the newspapers
gave any notice of the movement, it
had been so minutely discussed in GER
tain circles in Washington, that the
name and grade of all the prominent
officers concerned were familiar to
many, and it was even known, or pro
fessed to be known, who made their
wills" before starting, and who didn t.
1t was also affirmed that the matter
had been under consideration at head
quarters for several weeks, Meade op-
posing, and Fitzpatrick and others urging
the movement; the question being
finally settled by the President in favor
of the raid 1t is also asserted that
this movement was the theme of gen
eral conversation among the ladies al
the balls given at certain corps head
quarters on the 22d February Suppo
sing that these things are so, it is not
to be wondered at that the supposed
return Of Longstreets veterans to Rich
mond was announced just before the
raid, and that Gen Fitzpatrick found
Richmond closely defended
Late intelligence from Lees army
indicates that the rebels are in better
condition than for some time past. A
captain and ten men who have come
within our lines this week, report that
they have had full rations since the frs
of February, and that the rebels are
hopeful of their cause Their arInie:
are also reported to have been greatly
strengthened by the sweeping conscrip
ton law of the Richmond Congress, and
everything indicates that our forward
movements are to be. sthbbornly re
sisted
A voluminous report submitted to the
Senate yesterday by the Secretary o.
War, places a quietus upon the ciamor'
against General Schofeld so persistently
INDUCED by so many of the so-called
radicals of Missouri Instead of i'm
prisoning soldiers for releasing the
slaves of rebels and hurrahing for "Jim
Lane it appears that some Minnesota
troops were placed under arrest, for a
time, for interfering, against orders, to
prevent a loyal man from moving a
family Of slaves Of St Louis, who had
1 permission to do so from the command
ing officer of the post. The soldiers
were quartered in an abandoned hotel
or full rations, to await an inyestiga-
ton Of the affair, when 1t appeared that
they had been misled by a report that
the slaves were the property Of an officer
in the rebel army They acknowledged
their fault, and were returned to their
regiment Such is the mole-hill which
the mountain in labor has brought
forth.
The Sencte having, upon the recon-
mendation Of the Secretary Of War,
passed the House bill to extend the
three and four hundred dollars bounty
to recruits until the first of April, it is
announced that the draft viii be post
poned accordingly, and it Is confidently
believed that many, if not all Of the
States, win be able, within that time,
TO fill their quotas By volunteering thus
obviating the necessity for a draft under
the late call for fve hundred thousand
men
The fight in Congress over the inter