ment.
A report of the ordnance officers of Bragg's army shows that in the late retreat (without a battle) from Shelbyville to Chattanooga, the army lost some 6000 arms and between 200,000 and 300,000 cartridges!
Our naval commanders are writing that they cannot get seamen --and at Mobile half are on the sick list.
Lee writes that his men are in good fighting condition — if he only had enough of them.
Of the three corps, one is near Fredericksburg (this side the river), one at Orange C. H., and one at Gordonsville.
I doubt if there will be another battle for a month.
Meantime the Treasury notes continue to depreciate, and all the necessaries of life advance in price-but they do not rise in proportion.
The Examiner had a famous attack on the President to-day (from the pen, I think, of a military man, on Gen. Scott's staff, when Mr. Davis was Secretary of War), for alleged stubbornness and disregard of the popular voice; for appointing Pemberton, Holmes, Mallory, etc
The city is full of generals-Lee and his son (the one just returned from captivity), Longstreet, Whiting, Wise, Hoke, Morgan (he was ordered by Gen. Cooper to desist from his enterprise in the West), Evans, and many others.
Some fourteen attended St. Paul's (Episcopal) Church yesterday, where the President worships.
Doubtless they are in consultation on the pressing needs of the country.
About noon to-day a dispatch came from Lieut.-Col. Cole, Gen. Lee's principal commissary, at Orange Court House, dated 12th inst., saying the army was out of meat, and had but one day's rations of bread. This I placed in the hands of the Secretary myself, and he seemed roused by it. Half an hour after, I saw Col. Northrop coming out of the department with a pale face, and triumphant, compressed lips.
He had indorsed on the dispatch, before it came — it was addressed to him — that the state of things had come which he had long and often predicted, and to avert which he had repeatedly suggested t