Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

journal & Messenger. J. If NO W LE» iand 8. ROS K, hDITOKS AM) PKOPKIKTOKS. * 1 iiotliciul I.PltPl* of A. S JohuMoii to President Davis. Df.catur, Ala., March 18, 1802. My Dear General: —l received the dis patches from Richmond with your private letter by Captain VVicklitfe three days since ; but the pressure of affairs and the necessity of gettiug my command across the Tennes see, prevented me from sending you an ear lier reply. 1 anticipated all that, you have told me as to the censure which the fall of Furt Donel •n drew upon me, and ftoe attacks to which you might be subjected, but it was impos sible for me to gather the facts for a detailed report, or to spare time which was required to extricate the remainder of my troops, and save the large accumulation of stores and provisions alter that disheartening disaster \V hen about to assume command of this Department, the Government charged me v<ith the.duty of deciding the question of c. cJipying Rowling Greet), Ky., which invol \ l not only military, but political consid eration. At the time of my arrival at Nash ville, the action of the Legislature of Ken * tui ky had put un end to the latter by sanc tioning the format inn of companies mena cing 'Tennessee, bv assuming the cause of the government at Washington, and by abandoning tlm neutrality it professed, and in consequence of their action the occupa tion of Rowling Green became necessary as an act of s»df defence, at least in flu* first step. Anuut the middle of September Gen. Buckner advanced with a. small lone of about *I,OOO mi'ii, which was increased bv the Lull October to 15,01 m), and though tu - ees. ions of lorce were received, it continued at about the same strength until the end of November, measles and other diseases keep ing down the effective force. The enemy’s force then was reported to the War Depart ment oOjtMff) and an advance was impossible. Relieving it to be of the greatest moment to protract the campaign as the dearth of < 'utton might bring strength from abroad and discourage the North, and to gain time to strengthen myself by new troops from IVnnessce and other States, I maguilied my torces to the enemy, but made known my true strength to the Department and the Governors of States. The aid given was small. At length when Gen. Beauregard came out in February, he expressed his sur prise at the smallness of my force, and was i impressed with the danger of my position.— 1 admitted what was so manifest, and laid before him my views for the future, in which he entirely concurred, and sent me a memo randum of our conference, a copy of which J send to you. 1 determined to tight for Nashville at Ronelson and gave the best | part of my army to do it, retaining only 14,000 men to cover my fi out, and giving 10,000 to defend Donelson. Ihe force at Donelson is stated in Gun. Pillow’s report at much less, £ do not doubt the correctness of his statement, for the force at Rowling Green, which L supposed to be 14,000 elective men, (the medical re port showing only a little over 500 sick in ihe hospital,) was diminished move than qOOo by those who were unable to stand the fatigue of a march, and made my force, on reaching Nashville, less than 10,000 men. I enclose Medical Director’s Report. Dad 1. wholly uncovered my front to de fend Donelson, Ruell would have known it, and marched directly on Nashville. There core only ten small steamers in the Cum- I Gaud, in imperfect condition—only three "l which were available at Nashville, while to.' transportation of the enemy was great. i he evacuation ot Rowling Green was im peratively necessary, and was, ordered before, ami executed while the battle was being bmgbt at Donelson. I had made every dis position tor the defence of the Fort my mean> allowed ; and the troops were amoug the best ot my lorce. The Generals, Floyd, l'id.m and Jjuekner, were high in tlie opin ion ot officers and men for skill and courage, umt among. iRe beats officers of my command. * hey were popular with the volunteers, and oil had seen much service. No reinforce- ' intents were asked. I awaited the event, op po ito Nashville. f l he result of the conflict 1 '•acii day was favorable. At midnight on ! I he loth, 1 received news of a glorious vic tory —at dawn of a defeat. M \ column during the day and night was thrown owr the river—(a battery had been established below the city to secure the pas '' ('•e.'i Nashville was incapable of defence b'om its position, and from tin* forces ad van* cing trom Howling Green aud up the Cuin -1 yrlaud. A rearguard was left under Gen. t i*y I to >‘cure the store.* and provisions* ’ l! ' ‘hd not completely efloet the object.— Ihe people were terrified, and some of tha lic.opv were disheartened. The diseoura meat was spreading, and I ordered the corn* tuatid to Murfreesboro’, where \ managed, b) assembling Critiendeu’s tmd the togirives trom to collect an arncy al-ie to otler battle. The weather wasiucio ment, the floods excessive, and the bridges ?. e *£ washedi away, but most of the stores nd provisions were saved, and conveyed to new depots. This having been accomplished, though with serious logs, inconformity with i»,y original design, I marched* Soiuhwml c.ud crossed the Tennessee at this pokn?. sc •' ,s ro co-operate or unite with Gen,. Bfcaujr g.ird, for the defence of the Y&fley. oft) u s '* : JT'» * ie passage ig aliflpst eoinj* de tea, and the head ot column is already with General Bragg at Corinth. The m o ve uient was deemed too hazardous by the most experienced members .of my staff, but tl.o ob ;,ect warranted the risk. The difficulty ol electing a junction is not wholly overcome, but it approaches completion. Day after to-morrow, unless the euemy iutorcepts me tuy force will be with Bragg, and my army nearly -thousand strong. 'I Ais mvst U destroyed before the enemy can attain his rs, 1 have given tills sketch so that you may appreciate the embarrassment which sur rounded me in my attempts to avert or reme dy the disaster of Fort Donelson, before al luding to the conduct of the Generals. When the force was detached, I was in hopes that such disposition would have been made as would have enabled the forces to defend the Fort, or withdraw without sacri ficing the army. On the 14th, 1 ordered General Floyd by telegraph, “if he lost the Fort to get his troops to Nashville.” It is possible this might have been done, but jus tice requires to look at events as they ap peared at the time, and not alone by the light of subsequent information. All the facts in relation to the auirender will be transmitted to the Secretary of War, as soon as they can be collected, in obedience to his order. It appears from the information re ceived, that General Buckner, being the junior officer, took the lead in advising the 1 surrender, and that Gen. Floyd acquiesced, and they all concurred in the belief that their force could not maintain its position— all concurred that it would require a great sacrifice of life to extricate the command.— Subsequent events show that the investment was not so complete as their information from their scouts led them ta believe. The I conference resulted in the surrender. The ' command was irregularly transferred, and devolved on the junior General, but not up i pareutly to avoid any just responsibility, or ! from any want of personal or moral intre pidity. The blow was most disastrous, and almost without a remedy. I therefore, io my fust report, remained silent. This si ienco you were kind enough to attribute to my generosity. 1 will not lay claim to the motive to excuse my course. I observed si leuee, a* it seemed to be the best way to serve the cau-e and the country. The facts were not fully known -discontent prevailed, and criticism or condemnation were more likely to augment then to cure the evil. 1 refrained, well knowing that heavy censures would fall upon me, but convinced that, ii was hotter to endure them for the piosent and defer to a more propitious time, an in vestigation of the conduct of the Generals, for in the meantime, their services were re quired and their influence useful. For these reasons, Generals Floyd and Billow were as signed to duty, for I still felt con tile nee in their gallantry, their energy and their devo tion to tin.* (’ontedcracv. I have thus recurred to the motives by which I have been governed, from a deep personal sense of the friendship and confi dence you have always shown me, and from the conviction that they have not been with drawn from me in adversity. All the reports requisite for a full official investigation have been ordered. Generals Floyd and Pillow have been suspended from command. [Mere follow some allusions not necessary to un understanding of the main objects of the letter, and a statement of the disposi tion of the fences in command, which it is not deemed necessary to publish.] The let ter closes as follows ; J have troubled you with these details as I cannot properly communicate them by telegraph. The test of merit in my profession, with the people, is success. It is a hard rule, but I think it right. If I join this corps to the forces of Geu. Reauregard (1 confess a haz ardous experiment,) then those who are now declaiming against me will be without an argument. Your friend, A. S. JOHNSTON. I-’jill of Fort Pulaski! The favorable reports which reached us yesterday morning from those who, watched the contest between the enemy’s batteries and our garrison in Fort Pulaski, had not pre pared us for the startling intelligence of the surrender of the Fort, which reached us about; ten o’clock last night, A courier arrived in the city lust night, from whom ivc learn that the Fort was breached in several places by the heavy lifted Parrot guns, twelve of which were in the King’s Point battery, distant about a mile and a quarter from the Fort, Early in the nay all the guns in the barbette except two - were dismounted or otherwise disabled by the tire ot the enemy s batteries, and seven of the casmatcdguns bearing on the batteries disabled. The shot and shell of the enemy’s batteries having made extensive breeches in , the walls of the. Fort, their tire was directed towards the magazine, the location of which I they had doubtlessly learned from deserters, and winch was in imminent danger of being exploded, having been breeched in three places. Tim Fort, having become untenable under the terrific lire of ibe heavy guns of the ene my, nearly all our gims that could he brought t»t Ixeur against their batteries having been di.sa.pded,and the magazine being in imminent dagger, a longer resistance was deemed hop,-, le-s*. and tJie Fort was surrendered about two o\dnek in the afterrnoon. We are gratified to be able to state that die casualties on our side were very few.— F<nu' men were wounded, lmt none killed.— W«'. understand that two of the (fijlethorpe /*'"/ ’> f Infantry lost a leg each. A member Os an up country corps lost a portion of his urn* below the elbow, and was slightly wound ed in the shoulder, and Lieut, Christopher Hussey, of the Non faf ornery (itnc/ds, was slightly injured by a brick knocked from the wal ! of the Fort. Our informant states that the effect of the renem/s batteries on the walls of the Fort •was utterly demolishing, aud that the strong masonry, heretofore deemed almost impreg nable, offered but a feeble resistance to the J steel pointed shot of the immense Parrot guns. The result has shown how little reli ! mice is to be placed iu brick walls against | modern batteries. j The fall of Pulaski, with the loss of its j garrison, guns aud munitions, though a se f rious misfortune, should not discourage us, : "but, on the contrary, should stimulate us to the exertion of our utmost efforts to repel Hhe insolent invader.— Savannah Xevs of tSaturday. Tin: Y ankers in North Carolina. —A corres pondent of the Petersburg Ji.rpress writes from yirffeis, April 9th, as follows: j. messenger arrived here last night, bringing the* news that a party of Federate landed at some j »ok t near Elisabeth Pity yesterday, aud succeeded in' ct >,ptur;ag two or three hundred militia stationed b> it* ecu Elizabeth -City and South Mills. The feat was ~»ccc mpiished by getting in their rear and cuttle? them off from,their escape. I could not learn tr* - number of Yankees that lauded. Army Corre*pon«teDc«r of the Savannah Republican. THE BATTLi: «HP ski I roll. Tlie First Day's Eight. Battle-Field of “Shiloh,” ) (Seventeen miles east of Corinth,) Sunday night, April (sth, 1802. I reached Corinth yesterday, but found it impossible to get a horse to dime out to the army, then encamped fourteen mites e:t t of that place, on the road leading to I’iLtcbur - Lauding. This lauding is four miles below Hamburg on the Tennessee river. I was more foituuate at 10 o’clock this morning, however, and succeeded in procuring a mule and a hard Mexican saddle without auy pud ding in the seat. Iu this way I reached the field a little after noon. It was known that the enemy had a heavy force on this side the river, and that Buell was advancing overland from Columbia with a large reinforcing column. In view of these facts, Gens. Johnston and Beau, -rd deter mined to give battle before Ruell .should come up. The army was put in motion U u J liursday, and by Saturday’ evening our en tire force was got info position. It was the Intention of our officers to have given battle on yesterday, but some oi the regiments were raw, and there was some delay in <>vf ting them ready. \\ e commenced the attack at sunrise this morning. Our order ot battle is said to be the strongest known to military sou-nee. We advance in three parallel lines or corps, each one in line of battle. The first or front corps was led by Major General Hardee Immediately behind him came a full com plement of artillery. A thousand yards in iiis rear followed the second corps or line, led by Major General Bragg. Immediately in his rear came more artillery, and behind them came the third corps, being our reserve, commanded by Major General Roll;. Gen eral Johnston was in supreme command, no bly assisted by General Reauregard. The artillery was commanded by Brig. Lien. Trudeall, under the orders of General Bragg. <len. 'l'. distributed his batteries along the roads and upon such open eleva tions as lie could find. The batteries have been handled with consummate skill and effect throughout the day by their respective officers. The nature of the ground is exceedingly unfavorable for field operations. With the exception of two or three small fields of eight or ten acres each, the battle has been fought wholly in the woods. The woods are quite open, however, much more so than they arc in Georgia; but they nevertheless interfered very much with the evolutions of the army. The ground is rotting, and in many places quite wet and boggy- near the water courses, several of which cross the field, and still farther impeded the operations of the day. Rut Gen. Hardee has encountered the en emy in front. The sun is just rising as his division is hurled against them like a thun derbolt. r l he enemy was not expecting an attack, us was evident from the condition in which he received us. Indeed, lie was not aware of our near presence; he never ex pected us to attack him, and was doubtful whether wc would ever allow him to get near enough to attack us. Hardee “set his squadron in the field” with great judgment, aud led them most gallantly throughout the day r . I have not been able to come up with him, but hear that he escaped without a scratch. The enemy was at length driven from his first line of encampments. Meanwhile lie recovered from his surprise, and met our on set with firmness and resolution. The light ing now indeed became hot aud close, and raged with great violence and fury along our entire front, The right and left wings as well as our centre were engaged, and the roar of artillery and the rattle of musketry fairly shook the earth. Rut oil llurdee presses, backed up by Bragg and followed by Folk—each corps rolling onward like succeeding waves of the storm-lashed sea. Haidee s corps advances, but it is done slow ly; for the enemy has rallied his forces and is handling them with coolness and spirit, \\ e. moved forward as it were by inches, but still wc did move; and never at any time during the day did we lose one foot of the ground wc gained. o n At length we readied the centre of the enemy’s encampment, He yielded his home in the woods with much reluctance, and dis puted every foot of ground with courage and resolution. Thus far vve have advanced throughout the woods, which are almost des titute of under-growth. Every where the trees bear the marks of the. terrible eouilict. Limbs were carried away, and in some places trees a foot in diameter were cut off. In a tew instances, the long, sharp rifled cannon balls passed entirely through the tree. The traces of the musketry tire are to be seen everywhere upon the trees and bushes, aud also in the numbers of the dead and wound ed over whom we advanced. At two o’clock the resistance had increas ed, and become more obstinate than at any time during the day. Gen. Johnston, in order to make a sure tiling of it, placed him self at the head of our attacking force, aud led the charge in person. How unfortunate that he should have done so! for at half past. 2 lie received a minnie ball in his breast, and had his leg badly torn bv a shell. He fell, and died soon afterwards, but not until the enemy had again given way all along the lines. He died in the arms of Col. Wm. Preston, of Kentucky, his aid and brother in-law, aud former U. 8. Minister to Spain, while Gov. Harris, of Tennessee, another aid, supported his head. Thus a brave soldier and skillful officer has gone down before the red tide of battle, lie tell in the very arms of victory, with our flag up-raised aud advancing under the migh ty impetus given to our attack by his own own individual heroism aud daring. Let the Republic do justice to his memory, and repair the grievous wrongs which have of iate been heaped upon him. The fall of Gen. Johnston did not in the least discourage our men; for they knew the gallant Beauregard was still left to them, with many other officers of skill and courage. On they press, therefore. Bragg has long since brought up his corps, composed tor the most part of his seasoned Pensacola troops, and most admirably has he handled them throughout the entire day. Gallant and chivalric, yet cool and sagacious, he knows when aud where to plant his terrible blows. Gen. Polk also was many times in the thick est of the Iffilit, and bore himself throughout Cj 7 < the battle, whether in the immediate front of the enemy or iu bringing up his reserves, with the calm courage and serene spirit of a Christian warrior. Only a portion of our roerves were ever brought into action, there being no necessity for it. At half past five o’clock the enemy was in lull retreat, aud hotly pursued by the victorious Confederates, lie tied hack to the Tenuessee, and took shelter under his guuboats and river works, the tire from which was too heavy for our light tield bat terms, Night too had come ou, and our ar my returned to the enemy’s camp, and are now occupying it. The Fcderals left their L*uts standing, together with all their camp equipage, quartermaster and commissary stores, private baggage, medical supplies and considerable ammunition. The attack was sii fffrious—it came so much like the first clap of thunder when the storm begins— and the pursuit so close and unrelenting, that they had not time to remove anything, not even to gather up their records and half finished letters. The amount of properts taken is immense. Our men are now re^al-. n ing themselves upon the ample supplies of excellent food everywhere to he found. I am unable to speak with certainty of tin* number of the enemy’s forces. One of the first prisoners 1 encountered (a lieuten ant, who formerly belonged to the old ar my ), estimated them at 120.0H0 men. Oth ers put them down at 100.POO; others, again, at 75.000, and some at 50.000. (Jen. Prentiss, whit was captured about 5 o’clock, says the Federal army on this side of the river was composed of six divisions, of about 7,500 each, which would make the forces of the enemy engaged about 15.000. l'hey probably exceeded this number, with out, including the forces on the other side of the river. At no time had we as many engaged as the enemy. Nor cun i speak with certainty of the number of batteries or prisoners we have captured, it is too early filter the battle, and too much confusion prevails, for me to get at the precise facts. The number of prisoners is variously estimated ; some say *2,000 and others 4.0()0 ; one report has it that one entire brigade has been captured.— This is, doubtless, a mistake. Among the prisoners are many officers, and t lie greater part of the Seventh lowa Regiment, who lately petitioned the Federal Congress fur permission to inscribe upon their banner the victories*of Belmont and Donelson. The number of batteries taken is said to be eighteen, which, allowing six pieces to the battery, would make one hundred and eight guus. It is more probable that parts of eighteen batteries were taken. Several stands of colois were also captured—three by the first Louisiana Regiment alone. I have seen two of them myself, and was pres ent when they were brought iu and deliver ed to Ben. Beauregard. I witnessed, also, rhe arrival and presentation of General Prentiss, who was taken by a staff officer or officers ot Gen. Polk, aud conducted to the latter, who sent him, with his compliments, immediately to Gen. Beauregard. The fol lowing is the substance of conversation that ensued after they had shaken hands : Prentiss. —Well, sir, we have felt your power to-day, aud have had to yield. Beauregard.—That is natural, sir. You could not expect it to be otherwise. We are fighting for our homes, for our wives and children, for generations to come after us, and for liberty itself. Why does your gov ernment thus war upon us, and seek us up on our own soil ? Prentiss —Oar people have never yet been able to bring themselves to consent to see the Union broken up. Such a tiling has not entered into our calculations, and cannot. Beauregard.--The Inion is already broken, and the last man, woman and child in the South will willingly perish before it shall be restored. \\ hat force have you had oimaged to-day ? & Prentiss.—Six divisions numbering a lit tle over 7,000 each —the whole not amount ing to more than 40,000. Grant commands, assisted by Gens. Sherman, MeOlernard, Hulburt, Wallace, and myself Gen. Smith is sick, and has not been upon the field My division was the first to receive your attack, and we were not properly supported; it we had been, the day might have gone otherwise. There lias been mismanagement somewhere. Ilad 1 been supported in time, we should have broken your centre at the time we stopped your advance. Beauregard.—You are mistaken, General. My order of battle was such, that if you had even penetrated the centre of our front line, it would have been to encounter certain des truction : we would have cut you to pieces. Has Gen. Buell arrived and what are his forces ? Prentiss, (hesitation.) —I do not know where Gen. Buell is, or the number of his forces. I have heard lie was at Columbia, and also that he was on the road. We do not look for him under forty eight hours.— I fear you will capture the greater part of our army on this side of the river. You have met and overcome to-day the best troops we have. Beauregard.—l am glad to hear it, and trust that the result of this day's work may bring your government to a frame of mind more favoiable to peace. Prentiss.—That can hardly be, sir. If your army had pushed ou after the battle of Manassas, it might have taken Washington, and overrun the North, and brought us to peace. We had an insufficient supply of arms then, and were not prepared. The muskets purchased iu Belgium by Fremont were of but little account; you could turn your thumb in the muzzle, the bore was so large. W T e also procured from England the old arms that have been stored away as use less in London Tower ever since the war with Napoleon in 1M.5. They are of no value whatever. It is ouly within the last sixty days that we have become thoroughly and efficiently armed. Our supply is now ample, and we cannot be overcome. Your govern ment lias made two mistakes—first, in not availing itself of the fruits of the battle of Manassas ; and secondly, in waiting until we had become well untied and organized. We have now 250,000 men in camps of instruc tion, who will be brought upon the field as thei may be needed. We do not doubt the tina result. Beauregard —Nor do we. Our cause i just, and God will yet give us the victory. Prentiss. —We know you have able officer and a spirited army to hack them, hut ou confidence is fir in. And permit me to add General that among all the Confederate oth eers, no one is so great a favorite with us a: yourself. Such is my own feeling, and tbal of our army and people. B«-aiuegaitb \ou are very kind, sir; Put w» have hiueli lie!ter officer* than 1 am. (ten. Siilnet Johnston ami Gen. Joseph Juliuslon art* both im superiors in ability as well as iu rauk. 1 have served under boili of them most cheerfully, nmi know them well. 1 care nothing for rank; the good of mv country is wliat 1 look to. Oilier observations a* re made, but the forego ing embraces the chief points of the intervi«-». - (Jen. Prentiss was easy ami pleasant, ami not ut all depressed. Apparently, too, he was quite can did ; and vet I thought i delected a disjxaeilion iu evade, it not to deceive, in his reply an to the whereabouts and forces of Buell. 1 believe that Buell is near at hand. It is to be hoped that lam mistaken, and that our men, v»ho have ahead* ton ht twelve long hours, may not have to encoitu ter a fresh force to morrow. I am unable to approximate the number killed ami wounded on either side. The loss upon the part ot both must tie verv heavy, though not so great as it would hare been but for the promotion afforded by the trees. Among our wounded tre (Jens, ('healham, Bush rod Johnson, Bowen, ('lark ami Gladden- the first live not seiiouslv. Gen. Gladden who commanded ini- right wing ot Hardee’s coi p J , lost his lett arm. Gen. Gheatham received a bull in the shoulder, and Gen. Bushrod Johnson one iu the side. Gen Bowen was wounded iu the neck, and doing well at last accounts. ( 01. Adams of the Ist Louisiana regulars, succeeded Gen. Gladden in command ot the right wing, and was soon after shot, the ball sulking him just above the eve and coming out behind the ear. ( 01. Kitt Williams, ot Memphis, ami i 01. Blythe, of Mississippi, formerly ('onsul to Havana, were killed. Many other officers were wounded and killed, but my knowledge of tlu regunents is too limited, and the confusion too great to procure reliable details. The Mississip [nans, Tenuesseans and Louisianians suffered ter riblv. All the troops behaved most gallantly.— Never did men fight better ; and yet many of them were raw troops fresh from their homes. " The 21st Alabama regimen*, took two batteries, and the Ist Louisiana a section of artillery ; other regiments did equally well. The battle was fought around Shilnfl Church, tin* place of worship ol the surrounding country, ami will be known in history as the battle of Shi 1011. i write in ( apt. !■ niton’s tent, Quartermaster of the oJil Ohio regiment, which (Jen. Beauregard lias kindly assigned to two friends and mvself.— Gapt. F. wa-s good enough to leave an ample sup ply °1 paper which I have been using freely.— Ihe tent was perforated bv twenty-one musket balls. It is now raining very hard. Fp to sunset, the day was lovely. The change ie the result, doubt less, of the heavy cannonading kept up since early morning. Ihe enemy is still throwing shells from his gunboats, and some of.them fall uncomfortably near our tent. Whether he fears a night attack, or is seeking to cover the transfer of his army to the other bank of the river, it were impossible to! say. Will Buell come? I have my fears. But let us! leave the morrow to tell its own tale. Meanwhile I shall court the sweet embrace of Sonin us upon Capt Fulton’s camp cot. There is many a weary soldier lying on the wet ground to-night, who is ready to join with Sancho Panza, and say, “blessed be the man who first invented sleep.” r. w. a. 's'bt‘ Pulaski I*risoii<*i‘s Ac. AN o have thus far not a wold officially from Fort Pulaski, yet all, except a few very incredulous individuals, have yielded the point of its fall. The Confederate authorities have declined all applications for a flag of truce, and we shall probably be kept in sus pense until the New York or Boston papers, accidentally spirited over the line, shall en lighten us. AVe cannot appreciate the wisdom of the policy, though perhaps, we are not in a position to judge impartially. The garrison was 413 strong, officers and men. Thirty have been detached, leaving the number at the time of the surrender 383, or 24 officers and 359 men. Lts. Cule, of the Oglethorpes, and Bush ier, of the German Volunteers, were in the city. Reports from below state that the enemy are removing their battery from Jones’s Island, near Venus’s Point, we presume, a Jitfle higher up the river. If it be possible to pre vent such encroachments, it should be done,; and few things are impossible if we but use the means and energy at oun command. Two vessels—a brig and schooner—were lying at Venus’s Point yesterday, and a num ber in the vicinity of Fort Pulaski. Satur day last a steamer was seen to pass from the' Fort to the fleet, off Tybee, and some suppose she was faking off the prisoners for shipment to headquarters, or to some northern place of incarceration.—A *.fpublican of Tnesdai/. A Mining IGliiotic A<l<lre**—Gen- Jolinsinn to 1 in* Army oi tli«* 49 GsisipjH. The heroic Johnston is no more; but the following stirring address’speaks volumes for It is patriotic devotion to his country, and which he has sealed with his heart’s blood : Headquarters Army of the Miss., ) Corinth, Miss., April 3, 1802. ’ { Soldiers of the Army of the Mississippi, I have put you in motion, to offer battle to the invaders of your country. AYith resolu tion and disciplined valor becoming men fighting as you are for all that is worth liv ing or dying for, you can but march to de cisive victory over the agrarian mercenaries who have been sent to despoil you of your liberties, your prosperity and your honor. Remember the precious stake that is in volved in this contest; remember the de pendence of your mothers, your wives, your sisters, and your children, is upon the result. Rememlcr the fair, broad, abounding laud, the happy homes and the ties that would be dissolved and desolated by your defeat. The eyes and hopes of eight million of people rest upon you. Y’ou are expected to show yourselves worthy of your race, and your lineage ; worthy of the women of the feoutb, who&e noble devotion iu this war has never been exceeded at any time. A\ ith such incentives to brave deeds, and iu the trust that God is with us, your gen raL will lead you confidently to the combat, fully assured of ultimate and glorious suc cess. Signed] A. S. Johnston, Gen. Com’g [Official.] Jno. M. Otey, Jr., A. A. General. Gom the *»*=„,„ a |, - I i:\tortionerft-vi t,<> . * n 1 There is much random a,*?’ ,h **r nouuciation against extortion,. '* CP Bn : p I sjseldom stop to inquire iJ a’ a “' 1 b • I the charge. If a merchant !,V *, I ( 1 0 ceuts for a pound of 0f ,r k, H P-n w ft * sack of salt, ho is set <Ju*7 o ' 0<? ’ ° r tt\ ■ . and a swindler by the p Ull p aQ ex, °rtiuQer ■Jfi*r is not apt to enquire \ ( r Ut. i| things cost the merchant, a f*. B the whtle character of the J U^‘Q f> j pv»»d*. If Ihe coffee cost him -|‘ Sa '' t ‘on ,j„ ■ *••*$18 or 919, iti, evidenM I no extortioner—the profit in eac j, . * * mm a reasonable one on his capital W f,. * S talk about extortioners, we should * 9 to bear in mind this important item \ S A merchant buys tor the ;neonuim,! • * his customers as well as tor hid >w X ami it he has to pay high prices, it j, If to attack his character lbr honesty anG ■ dealing simply because he charm If prices. B That extortioners cxi<t, there can b. if doubt ; but we should be careful to 11 the right hor-c—to discriminate Wtwc innocent aud guilty. Wo arc not « . 1 but that some people who uie ion,j >s . JR their denunciation ot extortioners,aiv, tk, M , selves, receiving as huge profits ou tj B capital and labor as anybody else. Our con tempi iratory of the Atlanta F j tederaey has a proposition which puN;p i( I matter in its true light. A writer overtj I signature of “Reason,” in the Intel! i ■ pours a broadside into the provision n, -. I | chants of that city ; whereupon the ( | l entci/ makes the following fair proposiri n iu order to arrive at the justice of the , It is applicable everywhere : “The spirit manifested by this huujua is, in our judgment, anything but a prop .r one; but we most respectfully make . propositoti to Reason. If he will cull 1 our office on Monday at S o’clock, we will take our note book and pencil, and with 1, ■ j visit every wholesale provision e;table,hm*-’ in Atlanta, and price together, bacon, | M ik beef, flour corn meal, potatoes, peas, a We will then go together and take each the main streets by which marketuien and dealers iu country produce approach ourcit> stop every wagon and cart coming in, aid price the same articles. If by this exp,*; ment w’C do not convince Reason that he Lai done the grocery and provision merchants great injustice, it there is left a sufficient margin to pay the merchant’s house rent, clerk-hire, store expenses, taxes, Ye., .id 10 per cent, per annum upon the capital invested, we will obligate ourselves to fur nish the family of Reason with bacon, ffi-ur and meal, (/ratis for the next twelve tumulo, and give him an accepted bank obligati to insure the performance of his engagement We will engage that the profits of the far mer on his produce at present prices, upon the cost of making it, are five times that of the merchant ou the cost of purchasing it. “Now come, fricud Reason, this is practi cable aud fair; and we respectfully invite you to the trial. “Further: We think we can safely guar antee to you 8190,(100 worth of groceries that have been brought aud paid for by merchants in Atlanta, and shipped from New Orleans, but which have not arrived and are now somewhere on the way, which you can have by your paying the original New Orleans cost and the actual cash ex penses upon them up to this day, without any interest on the money laid out, or charge tor time and trouble. If we find this to b« so, of which we have no doubt, then “rea son” will show you that your statements are incorrect, mischievous, and dangerous in their tendency. You may be patriotic aid honest in your motives ; but you are utterly at sea without chart or compass upon this subject.” Tlie Federaris i\i Huntsville. Sergeant K. E. Pritchard, of the Wash ington Artillery, arrived here last evening and gives us further particulars of the occu pation of Huntsville. He was on his way to join his company at Corinth, hut was turned back at Stevenson by the intelligence that rhe Federals had possession of Hunts ville and had cut off the Railroad communi cation with Corinth. Mr. P. informs us that he had a conversation with an Engineer who succeeded in running the “gauntlet” and who gave him the following statement: He said that early on Friday morning h came up the road from Decatur, that on ar riving at Huntsville he found the Telegraph operator in waiting, who threw his apparatus on board and informed him that the Feder alists were just coming into the town. The Engineer then started his train, hut before getting through the town he was fired ujmu by the Federal force and a shell was al>J fired at the train hut did not succeed in lot ting it. His brother, also an engineer, wm just, behind him, with a long train of empt) ears, which was returning from carrying troops to Corinth. The Federal infantry fired a volley into the cab on the engine and it was supposed killed the Engineer the train was stopped aud had not been heard from at Stevenson. The sth Georgia regi ment had passed over the road a short time previous and were all safely beyond Hunt ville, except some few who were detailed to bring in the baggage. Passengers by the Georgia Rail Road last night report that Huntsville has been occu pied by eleven thousand Federal troops Iwo locomotives and trains of cars, loaded with troops going to reinforce Beauregard, were captured. All communication, except by way of Mobile, is cut oil, if the report is true. Rice Cakes.—As rice is the cheapest kind of food we have, as well as the most uutricious, the following from a correspon dent of the Fold Notes, will be read by eve ry good house-keeper with interest: While visiting the West India Island, I became very foud of rice cooked after this fashion ; they boil the rice in the usual man ner aud let it cool, then add a little water or milk to it, making it about the consistency of common buckwheat cakes. Add to this a little salt and a handful of flour, and bake on a griddle as you would batter cakes and buckwheat. An egg will help some by ma king them bake quicker. Try it housekeep ers; I think you will find it an excellent dish* Any dyspeptic can eat these rice eakes*