The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-03-31

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SlStancc.
THE GOLD MARKET.
Gold continues to- decline in. New
York. On the 9th it opened at 155 3 4,
and closed at 154 10. =
THE TRIBUNE'S AUTHENTIC
SECRET IMPORTATION FROM
RICHMOND. q
The New York Tribune, under the
heading Of" Lees Despair" His Army
Anxious for Peace" Prominent Union
Men of the South" ETC., publishes the
following rigamarole from its Washing
ington correspondent, who very well
says, "that for every fact / am about to
state there is animpeachable authority"
We publish the account entire, as likely
to afford considerable amusement to our
readers:
WASHINGTON, March 23.-Information
has been placed in my hands touching
several points of great importance in re-
gard to the rebellion, its military
strength, its condition, the opinions and
hopes of its political and military leaders,
and the judgment of one of its most
prominent men upon the possibilities
and terms of peace. Without comment
of mine, submit them to you with the
single remark, that for every fact l am
about to state there is unimpeachable
authority, and that these statements
bear, in themselves, evidence of their
authenticity and credibility.
First, as to the military strength of
the Confederacy. The figures which l
give do not date later than February 4,
1865, at which date they were not merely
accurate, but were compiled from the
official documents of the Confederate
War Department.
On the 4th of February, 1866, the en-
tire available force of the Confederacy
was $4,000 men. They were distributed
as follows:
Bragg, including Hokc's division .......... 5000
Beauregard and Hardee. p 900
Total.
The %, 900 under Beauregard and Har-
dee includes the late army of Hood and
all the forces which evacuated Savannah
and Charleston. The 5000 of Bragg
includes all the garrison of Wilmington
These 81, 900 men constitute the bulk of
the army now under Johnston in North
Carolina, with such additions as have
lately been made. The 1000 under
Taylor, Hill and Cobb, are, or were,
scattered through Georgia, Alabama and
Mississippi, part of them constituting
the present garrison of Mobile.
OF Hoods army the following is cor
rect numerical statement: :.
Came 800
Net loss of the campaign. .............29, 500
In East Tennessee and West Virginia
there were, in February, but four thou
sand five hundred men altogether, and
the greater part of them were transferred
on March LIST. and thereabouts, to Lynch
burg.
GENERAL LEES TESTIMONY.
A committee of the rebel Senate was
engaged, carly in the present year, in an
inquiry into the condition of the Con-
federacy.
Among the witnesses summoned be- |
fore them was General Lee, and the fol |
lowing are extracts from his testimony
on the Oath Of January, 1865:
Question by Senator Hunter.-What |
is your opinion Is to evacuating Rich. |
mond and Withdrawing the army to |
North Carolina?
Answer.-1n my opinion, it would be |
, bad movement. The Virginia troops |
would not go to North Carolina; they |
would 60 home.
Question~-Do you think we have
troops enough for the next campaign?
Answer.-I do not. We cannot last |
till midsummer.
Question.-What do you think Of the |
policy Of arming two hundred thousand |
Answer.-Ifswe are to carry on the |
war, that is the least Of evils; but in
such an. event the negroes must have
heir liberty.
Question.-Do you think we would |
succeed by putting the negroes into the
ieldp /
Answer.-That would depend on cir
We could ct least carry on
.ha war for another year.
Question by Senator HILL What is
he sentiment of the army in relatiop to