The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-12-17

WASHINGTON, December 16,-Attorney
General Drum has turned over the Signal
office to Brigadier General Hazsn.
The Secretary OF the Navy has decided
to issue an order establishing training
fleet, with headquarters ut Coasters Har.
Dor, an island in Narraganset BAY.
HAMProS's BLUNDERS.
The letter OF Wade Hampton, publish
ed to-day, digclaiming that he intended to
challenge Secretary Sherman when he
(Hampton) informed Sherman that his
address was Columbia, has attracted
much attention here. This disclaimer
from Hampton was published because OF
q severe letter from South Carolinan liv.
ing in California, who. charged Hampton
with causing the defeat OF Hancock. AT.
ter summing up the Democratic blunders,
the writer adds: But these causes put
together were not so potent for harm as
General HsInpton's utterances. His
speeches upon the nomiaAtion Of Hancock
and at StGunton, Va, told.terribly against
US. But the worst and most unfortunate
OF oil was his correspondence looking to q
duel with John Sherman. But for that
Hancock might have been President, and
the people Of the South free from Federal
interference for the next four years. The
writer IL an admiTer OF Hampton. His
great services 10 the people OF South Oar.
olina entit!c him to their rlastiDg gratitude
He has many friends In this country, and
they are not altogether confined 10 the
Democratic party. have heard but one
feeling expressed in relation to his Sher-
man correspondence, aud that IS onS OF
deep modification and disappointment
that with one breath such high reputa-
ton for prudence and statesmanship
should be irretrievably lost This letter
has resulted in the publication Of Hamp-
toms attempt at selidefeuse. His friends
here say that he feels keenly the crili.
cisms that have been poured out upon him
from his own party.
HANCOCK AND HIS BREvET RANK.
The order assigning Gen. Hancock to
duty in acco dance with his bvevet rank
excited considerable curiosity. 1t was
rendered necessary by an odd oversight.
Col. Getty was few days since assigned
to duty at the Military School at Fortress
Monroe, with hiR brevet rank Of Major
General. which bears date OF the 81 Of
March, 1866.
Fortress Monroe ia in Gen. Hancock's
department, aud Hancock's rank as Major
General in the regular army dates only
from July, 1866 The order assigning
Getty, therefore, cRused him to outrank
his department commander. When this
condition OF relative rank WAS discovered,
the officially was remedied by also as.
signing Hancock TO duty in accordance
with bis brevet rank, which hears date
like Getty's, the Sd OF March, 1855.
our FOREIGN COMMERCE.
The annual report Of Joseph Nimmo,
Jr., Chief Of the Bureau OF Statistics, on
Foreign Commerce Of the United States,
Is completed. In regard to our export
trade Nimmo says: "The FIVE leading ar.
ticles Of export during the year ended
June 30th, were as follows:
Bread and breadstutFA, S2ss 056, 1856;
cotton, manufactured, S2ll ,5S5, ,905; pro-
visions, Sl27, ,04S 242; mineral oils, $685.
olS CPS; tobacco and manufactures thereof,
81, ,442,273. The United States, he sayPi
already surpasses every other country In
the magnitude OF its eXportS OF both bread.