We have received a copy of the
Washington Chronicle of Sunday, the 1st instant.
A dispatch from
Cincinnati, dated the 31st, says that a telegram from
Columbia, Tennessee, says "it is thought" that the larger part of
General Hood's army is still north of the
Tennessee river.
It adds:
‘
Hood first attempted to strike the river at
Decatur, but
General Granger occupied the place in advance, and headed him off. At the same time the gunboats came up the river, and compelled him to abandon the point, near
Florence, where he had pontoons.
Owing to the bad condition of the roads, the movement could not be rapid.
’
The Recent advance on Gordonsville — its Repulse.
A correspondent, writing from
Sheridan's army, says the First and Second divisions of cavalry, under
Torbert, returned to camp from their
Gordonsville expedition on the 30th.
Their march towards
Gordonsville, up to Thursday, was without serious impediment.
The letter says:
‘
The following morning (Friday), the First brigade,
Colonel Stagg commanding, which had been guarding the crossroads, was removed forward to where the
Charlottesville and
Orange road crosses the
Gordonsville pike, and the Second brigade was thereupon ordered to advance toward
Gordonsville as far as possible.
There was but little opposition until the brigade had arrived within two miles of
Gordonsville, where the pike passes through
Southwest mountain. --Here the road was barricaded, and the hillsides were found to be well arranged, naturally as well as artificially, for defensive operations.
More than all, the works, such as they were, were occupied by infantry.
Notwithstanding this fact, the Second brigade,
Colonel Kellogg, was ordered in. The Second Pennsylvania,
Major Scott; Seventeenth Pennsylvania,
Lieutenant-Colonel Anderson; Ninth New York,
Colonel Nichols, and Fourth New York,
Captain Oliver, moved up in handsome style, and succeeded in capturing the advanced positions; but while all this was going on, fresh troops were constantly being marched into position, and the trains on the railroad, bringing up reinforcements, could be distinctly heard.
Besides the cavalry before mentioned,
Kershaw's division of infantry was developed here.
After feeling the works for several hours, the command was ordered to retire.
Lieutenant-Colonel Anderson, of the Seventeenth Pennsylvania, behaved with distinguished gallantry, leading his men in two separate charges--one on foot and the other on horseback.
Colonel Nichols, of the Ninth New York, took a prominent part on the extreme right, in a flank movement.
In retreating, the enemy following only a short distance, they were not disposed to cultivate a too intimate acquaintance with the rear guard, having some knowledge of the men composing that force.
On the return, hearing that
Mosby
was wounded, and at a house near by,
General Gibbs, commanding reserve brigade, sent out a detachment of the First dragoons, under
Captain Coppinger, of
General Torbert's staff, to bring him away in an ambulance.
The place visited was Dorman's mills, near
Upperville, but too late.
Mosby had been removed, and was dangerously wounded, according to the statements of the people residing there.
The enemy gave the First division a few parting shots in
Ashby's gap, firing at least a hundred shots at the command while passing through that place.
Several hundred horses and cattle were captured and driven in, but there was no systematic attempt made to capture or destroy property, save in one instance, where
Captain Oliver, with the Fourth New York, went out; but getting lost in the fog, and surrounded by an invisible foe, the command did not do much damage.
’
The New Orleans correspondent of the New York
Herald writes under date of December 24th:
‘
Twenty-five hundred rebels, under
Scott and
Wirt Adams, threaten to attack
Baton Rouge.
They are in the neighborhood of the town, and say they will eat their Christmas dinner there. --
General Burton is prepared to give them a warm reception.
’
The cost of the torpedo that did not Blow up Fort Fisher.
A correspondent of the New York
Tribune, writing about that torpedo that
Admiral Porter had read so much about that he could not help trying one, says:
‘
Every appliance which scientific knowledge and ingenuity could devise, and enterprise and manly daring execute, were put in requisition to insure the success of this novel and important feature of the expedition.
The boat selected for the purpose was the
Louisiana, a propeller of about three hundred tons burden.
About one hundred and forty tons of powder, together with the necessary
Gomez fuses and other appliances for insuring an instantaneous ignition of the vast mass of powder that was put on board before the boat left
Hampton Roads. One hundred and twenty tons more of powder were added at
Beaufort, where she put in on her way to the scene of action, making, in all, two hundred and sixty tons, or 520,000 pounds. The aggregate cost of powder and boat to the
Government was slightly in excess of a
quarter of a million of dollars. The boat was painted white, her general appearance being not unlike that of a blockade-runner — though, to do her strict justice, a somewhat more respectable-looking craft.
’
The grave of Sherman's child.
The Cincinnati
Commercial has a description of a monument made there to be put over the grave of
General Sherman's child.
It says:
‘
The monument was made by order of the Thirteenth regiment of regular United States infantry, of which
General Sherman was colonel four years since, and of which his namesake-son, the deceased child, was, by general consent, considered a sergeant, having been elected to that position by the members of the regiment, who were very proud of him. The monument is about two feet square at the base and six feet high.
Above the rough ground base is the marble base, an eight-sided, finely-polished and ornamented block.
Upon four of the faces are inscriptions, and upon the other four, between them, the
American shield, with its stripes and stars.
Surmounting the base is a full-sized tenor drum, with straps and sticks complete; and crossed, above this, two flags of the
Union--all in beautiful white marble.
The inscriptions are as follows:
"Our Little
Sergeant Willie--from the First battalion, Thirteenth United States infantry."
"
William Tecumsch Sherman, son of William T. and
Ellen E. Sherman.
Born in San Francisco. California, June 8, 1854; died in
Memphis, Tennessee, October 3, 1863."
"In his spirit there was no guile."
’
Seward on the belligerent rights of Confederate Cruisers.
In his correspondence with the
Brazilian Minister,
Seward takes occasion to say that this Government disallows the assumption that the insurgents of this country are a lawful naval belligerent; and, on the contrary, it maintains that the ascription of that character by the
Government of
Brazil to the insurgent citizens of the
United States, who have heretofore been, and who still are, destitute of naval forces, ports and courts, is an act of intervention in derogation of the law of nations, and unfriendly and wrongful, as it is manifestly injurious to the
United States.
After further remarks, he says:
‘
It does not, however, belong to the captains of ships of war of the
United States, and the commanders of their armies, or to their consuls residing in foreign ports, acting without the authority of Congress, and without even Executive direction, and choosing their own time, manner and occasion, to assert the rights and redress the wrongs of the country.
This power can be lawfully exercised only by the
Government of the
United States.
Although the crew are enemies of the
United States, and, as they contended, enemies of the human race, yet the offenders were nevertheless unlawfully brought into the custody of this Government, and therefore they could not be lawfully subjected here to the
punishment which they have deserved; nor could they, being enemies, be allowed to enjoy the protection of the
United States; they will therefore be set at liberty to seek a refuge wherever they may find it, with the hazard of re-capture when beyond the jurisdiction of this Government.
The entire correspondence will soon be officially promulgated.
’
The Wire-Pulling in Lincoln's Election.
The
Weed-
Opdyke libel suit in New York is bringing to light a goodly amount of political scandal.
It appears that the " American party" of New York supported
Lincoln on the contract that
Andrews was to have the collectorship of the port.
One who certified to this fact related the interview of the "American" committee with
Lincoln.
He said:
‘
On Tuesday or Wednesday, the 11th of July, 1861, the committee I have named was at the
President's mansion at 12 o'clock; he informed us he was busy, and asked us to call at 8 o'clock in the evening; we called, and had an interview of an hour and a half or two hours; we had prepared a written argument or statement, urging the appointment of
Mr. Andrews, alleging the services he had rendered and the services his friends had rendered; we stated to the
President that we did not belong to the Republican party, and never had; but we had supported him; that
Mr. Andrews and
General Ulman had rendered very essential service; that we had no one in
Washington to represent our interest, and therefore had come to him to look after the interests of the
American party.
The President, after hearing everything that took place, and reading over the paper, stated: "Gentlemen, I appreciate the services you have rendered to me in the last canvass, but I am not prepared to decide this matter this evening; I have made an implied promise to the
Secretary of State that before I decide this matter I would consult with him in reference to the premises; but by Thursday evening this matter shall be settled, and you shall not be disappointed." Among other things,
Mr. Ulman stated that he and
Mr. Andrews had called on him at
Springfield, Illinois, before the inauguration, and he had then agreed to take care of the
American interest; that if he intended to carry out this promise there was now no other appointment of any note left in the
city of New York--every other office being filled except this; on Thursday, we received a satisfactory message; we returned on the 15th;
Mr. Andrews remained a few days; I have not stated all the conversation, but the substance of it.
’
Stoneman's raid — a List of Munchausens.
Stoneman has arrived at
Nashville, and gives a regular
Munchausen account of his raid into
Southwestern Virginia.
The following is the story:
‘
The forces consisted of
General Burbridge's troops and
General Gillem's
East Tennessee troops, all under command of
Major-General Stoneman.
They left
Knoxville on the 18th.
The movement was unknown to the rebels, who were not discovered until after three days.
At
Kingsport,
General Jones's command was attacked, consisting of about five hundred of
Morgan's old command.
The forces were killed scattered, or captured.
Next, the rebel forces of
Vaughn were discovered at
Papertown, near
Bristol, trying to effect a junction with
Breckinridge, at
Saltville.
Our forces pursued him to
Marion, where an engagement occurred, resulting in a loss to the rebels of all their force and artillery, except about two hundred men, who retreated towards
Lynchburg, Virginia.
Breckinridge's command had followed
General Stoneman with the forces of Galtuer;
Crosby and
Withers, and the balance of
Duke's command, who had been on the frontier of
Kentucky, waiting to co-operate with the cavalry.
General Stoneman attacked the force at
Marion and drove them over the mountains into
North Carolina.
His command then attacked the salt works, which were defended by about seven hundred men, who were either captured or dispersed.
The loss by this raid to the rebels is immense.
All the railroad bridges from
New river to the
Tennessee line are destroyed.
Thirteen railroad trains, with locomotives; several trains and extra cars, without engines; were captured and destroyed.
All the depots of supplies in
Southwestern Virginia, depots, foundries, mills, factories, storehouses, wagon and ambulance trains, and turnpike bridges, were destroyed.
In addition, we captured two thousand and five hundred rounds of artillery ammunition, two thousand pack saddles, and a large amount of harness, and a great quantity of small arms, two thousand horses and one thousand mules.
Among the captures were also two rebel editors and four secession
printing presses.
The latter were sent to Parson
Brownlow as a Christmas gift.
Severe loss to the rebels was the destruction of the salt works, at
Saltville, and the lead works, at
Leadville; both were rendered valueless.
Our losses were very small, not exceeding two thousand killed, wounded and missing.
Among the killed was
Colonel Bogle, of the Eleventh Kentucky cavalry.
Our captured rebel prisoners amount to twenty-four officers and eight hundred and forty-five men.
East Tennessee is now free from any body of rebels, and
Kentucky is not infested by Confederates,
General Stoneman had possession of the rebel telegraph line, and held it for eighteen hours,
during which time he discovered all their plans and movements.
’
The act for the emancipation of the Slaves in the Confederacy.
The New York
Tribune does not think there is a sufficient Abolition majority in the
Yankee House to pass, by a two-thirds vote, (which is required) the bill abolishing slavery.
The New York
World, discussing the same question, says:
‘
All reasoning which concedes the early abolition of slavery assumes that the
South cannot gain its independence by the unaided efforts of its white population.
If it can, slavery will be abolished when the
South pleases; which will not be in this generation, nor the next.
Let us assume, then, that the time is not distant when Southern arms will give way before Northern valor, unless some new element enters into the struggle.
Meanwhile, steps are taken for extinguishing slavery by an amendment to the
Constitution.
What will be the consequence?
Why, clearly this: that the
South, seeing that the fall of slavery is inevitable, will anticipate our action and get beforehand with us in its abolition.
That a majority of the negroes will prefer their old homes and associations in the sunny climate of the
South is next to certain; and the rebel army will have nearly as many fresh blacks to draw on for recruits as they had whites at the beginning of the war. To say that this will have no tendency to prolong the contest, and render the final result doubtful, is to talk superlative nonsense.
If, as the Abolitionists contend, the emancipation proclamation prevented
European recognition, it logically follows that (the disposition of
Europe remaining the same) recognition would speedily follow the abolition of slavery by the
South; and all the more certainly from the increased military weight of the
South when its able-bodied male negroes had been thrown into the scale.
The certainty, then, is as great as this kind of reasoning admits, that the passage of the constitutional amendment would cause the
South to offer up the doomed institution on the altar of independence, and that fortune would be so far propitiated by the sacrifice as to enable them to prolong the struggle and win a recognition in the family of nations.
It is not the mission of the Democratic party to abet a proceeding that tends to protract the war and cast doubt on its success.
’
"a solid block of New England granite in position."
The New York
Tribune, under this caption, announces the event of
ex-Secretary Chase taking his seat as
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the
United States.
The style of the paragraph is quite worthy of Yankee literature, and we copy it:
A large and distinguished assemblage was present in the Supreme Court-room to-day to see
Mr. Chase take his seat as
Chief Justice.
Seldom have the venerable walls enclosed more men of eminence in the various professions and pursuits of life, or a more attractive representation of the women of
America.
It was impossible to forget that the present court-room was the old Senate chamber, hallowed to our memories by
Clay and
Webster, and other great souls that had battled for constitutional freedom.
There is no ceremonial about the installation of a chief justice.
It was evident that the crowd was disappointed in this respect.
They rightly imagined that, as the office is of so high dignity, the new incumbent would be inaugurated with some solemnity.
But there was nothing of the kind, beyond that which the characters of the principal participants, and especially of the leading personage, imparted to the scene.
Yet, in many respects, it was a memorable spectacle.
I stood again in the area of that chamber which had so often resounded to the stirring eloquence and matchless logic and patriotic sentiments of the orators and statesmen who had elevated the fame of American parliamentary elocution to a level with the noblest exemplars in ancient or modern times.
I saw it again filled with the most eminent men in polities, in letters, and in professional life, and with the beauty and grace of feminine loveliness — all attracted to do honor to the elevation of one whose talents and worth only had raised him to the greatest honor of his profession — that of presiding in the highest tribunal of the nation.
It was gratifying to notice in the assemblage several of the most prominent political opponents of
Mr. Chase--among them the
Democratic candidate for the Vice-Presidency,
Mr. Pendleton, and
Mr. Reverdy Johnson.
Within the bar were the venerable
Thomas Ewing, of
Ohio,
ex-Secretary of the Treasury;
Mr. Orville H. Browning, of
Illinois;
Mr. Carlisle, of
Washington, etc. The daughters of the
Chief Justice,
Mrs. Sprague and
Miss Chase, were courteously accommodated with chairs just below the bench, surrounded by a brilliant throng of ladies, from different parts of the country.
The Judges entered from their private room on the left of the chamber, the procession led by
Mr. Justice Wayne, of
Georgia,
Mr. Chase being next in order.
Judge Wayne, who is truly a gentleman of the old school, distinguished for his mingled suavity and dignity of manner, remained standing while
Mr. Chase read from a manuscript, in a clear, firm, emphatic tone, the
chief justice's oath of office.
The commission from the
President, countersigned by the
Secretary of State, was then read by the clerk, the new
Chief Justice took his place in the centre of the bench, and the installation
was over.
The ordinary business of the court forthwith began, and the crowd immediately dispersed.
I overheard a gallant officer remark: "Well, there is a solid block of
New England granite placed in its proper position."
Miscellaneous.
Ex-Vice-President George M. Dallas died in
Philadelphia on Saturday, aged seventy-one years. He had been minister to
England and
St. Petersburg, and in 1813 he accompanied the distinguished
Albert Gallatin as secretary to
St. Petersburg when the offices of the
Emperor of
Russia were tendered to bring about a peace.
A spy was recently captured near
City Point, upon whose person elaborate drawings and descriptive sketches of our defences in this locality were found.
It is stated that, when taken, he was on his way to
City Point to complete his mission by examining the inner line of works at that place.
They are catching "St.
Albans raiders" all over
New England.
The last batch of alleged raiders was bagged in a Vermont recruiting camp.
Ten new regiments have been organized at
Cincinnati for the field.
Fifty thousand dollars in 7.30
United States bonds was presented to
Admiral Farragut by his friends in New York on Saturday.
The Board of Supervisors of the city and county of New York have resolved to raise four millions of dollars to pay the thousand-dollar bounty, to prevent a draft.
The debt of
Vermont amounts to $1,640,845, or $5.21 for each person in the
State.
The debt is principally funded, and is payable in 1871, 1874 and 1897.
The model of a colossal statue of the late
Major-General Berry is on exhibition in
Portland, Maine.
This is said to be the first statue of the kind ever attempted in
Maine.
The
New England railroad companies are beginning to use wood again on account of the high price of coal.
Not one-half the usual amount of lumber will be cut this winter on the Aroos-took or
St. John rivers, in
Maine.
Supplies and labor are so high that operatives generally concede that nothing can be made in the business.
Gold was quoted in New York on Saturday evening at 227 3.4.
Lincoln was to give his New-Year reception on Monday, from 1 to 2 o'clock. The "police arrangements" were already perfected on Sunday, according to the
Chronicle. 
