Southern federal union. (Milledgeville, Ga.) 1861-1862, September 16, 1862, Image 2

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From tie Richmond Enquirer, Extra. 6th. Aalhrttlir null Olliiiiil fi-on*. <!•« ^at ®* *,V»r. Letterfrom Gen. Lre to the President— Correspondence between Gens. Lee and f>op ( —Another Battle at Germantown.— General Kearny Killed. The following letter, addressed by Gen eral Lee to the President, has been re ceived: Headu’rs, Army Northwestern Va. ) (Jhantilby, 3d Sept. 1862. Ji His Excellency, Jefferson Davis, President Confederate States of America: Mr, President—My letter on the 30th nit., will have informed your Excellency of the progress of this army, to that date. Gen. Longstreet’s Division having arrived the day previous, was formed in order of battle on the right of Gen. Jackson, who had been engaged with the enemy since morning, resisting an attack commenced the 28th. The enemy, on the latter day was vigorously repulsed, leaving his nu merous dead' and wounded on the field. His attack on the morning of the 29tb was ficelle, but became warmer in the af ternoon, when he was again repulsed by both wings of the army. His loss on this day. as stated in his published report here with enclosed, amounted to 8,000 in killed and wounded. The enemy being reinforced, renewed the attack on the afternoon of the 30th, when a general advance of both wings of the army was ordered, and after a fierce combat, which raged till after nine o’clock, be was completely defeated, and driven beyond Bull Run. The darkness of the night, his destruction of the Stone Bridge after crossing, and the uncertainty of the fords, stopped the pursuit. The next morning the enemy was dis covered in their strong position at Centre- villc, and the army was put in motiou to wards the Little River Turnpike, to turn his right. Upon revelling Ox Hill on the 1st of September, he was again discover ed in our front on the heights of German town, and about 5 P. M„ made a spirited attack upon the front and right of our columns, with a view of apparently cover ing the withdrawal of his trains on the Ccntreville road, and masking his retreat. Our position was maintained with but slight loss on both bides- Major General Kearny was left by the enemy dead on the field. Daring the night the enemy fell back to Fairfax C. H.,. and abandoned Lis position at Centreville. Yesterday about noon he evacuated Fairfax C. H taking the roads as reported to me to Al exandria and Washington. 1 have, as yet, been unable to get offi cial reports of our loss or captures in these various engagements. Many gallant offi cers have been killed or wounded. Of the General officers, Ewell, Trimble, Taliafer ro, Fields, Jenkins and Mabone have been reported wounded* Cols. Means, Marshall, Baylor, Neff, and Gadberry, killed. About 7,000 prisoners have al- readv been paroled, about the same num ber of small arms collected from the field, and thirty pieces of cannon captured, be sides a number of wagons, ambulances, Ac. A large number of arms still remain on the ground. For want of transporta tion, valuable stores bad to bo destroyed as captured, while the enemy, at their va rious depots are reported to have burned many millions of property iu their retreat understood that no delay will take place on thoir removal. Very respectfully, Your obedient servant, (Signed) R. E. Lee, General. The following letter received at a still later date, shows what a vast number of the enemy’s wounded still lay upon the field of battle—four days after the en gagement—notwithstanding the efforts made by Popes officers to remove them un der the permission granted by Lee. The answer of Gen. Lee to this application of Dr. Coolidge has not been communicated: Centreville, Va., Sept. 3, 1862. Gen. Robert Lee, Commanding Confed erate Army: General—Medical Director Guild, of the Confederate Army, and Medical Di rector McFarlin, of the U. S. Army, have just arrived here from the battle field, near Manassas* The accounts they give are far more serious than my previous in formation had led me to believe. Our wounded soldiers, to the number of near three thousand, many still lying on the field, are suffering for food. 1 have no commissary stores, and my supplies of med ical comforts are wholly inadequate.— With every kindly attention and effort on the part of those under your command, the loss of life must be very great, unless food and means of transporting the wound ed within our own lines are promptly sup plied. 1 know of no source of adequate sup ply nearer than Washington. If, General, you can, consistently with duty, permit supplies of food and transport wagons for wounded to pass through your lines to and return from the battle field, you will save very many lives and much suff ering. If you cannot do this, I beg that you will, for humanity sake, point out some other way in which the needful re lief may be obtained. I am within your lines, and, of course cannot provide the necessary relief with out your permission. I have the honor to he, Very respectfully, Your obedieut servant, Richard H. Coolige, Medical Inspector U. S. Army. The Coiiftcriplion Bill. The following is a copy of the bill as it Nothing could surpass the gallantry and endurance of the troops, who have cheer fully home every danger and hardship, both on the battle-field and march. I have the honor to be, Very respectfully, Your mo6t ob’t. serv’t. R. E. Lee, Gen’l. [Chantilly is North of Centreville, and North-west of Fairfax Court House, about six or eight miles from each. The “letter of of the HOth,” referred to in the above was not received- The “Little River Turnpike leads from Middleburg to Al exandria, and intersects the Centreville Turnpike about a mile this side of Fairfax Court House. Germantown is on the Lit tle River Turnpike, about bait a mile west of its intersection with tlie Centreville Turnpike.] The following is the “published report” of the enemy, referred to in General Lee’s letter: Headcii arters Field of Battle, I Groveton, near Gainesville, > Aug. 30, 5, A. M. ) jl/a/. Gen. HaUec'k, General-in-Chief: We fought a terrific battle here yester day, with the combined forces of the ene my, which lasted with continuous fury from daylight until after dark, by which time the enemy was driven from the field, which we now occupy. Our troops are too much exhausted yet to push matters, but I shall do so in the course of the morn ing, as soon as Fitz John Bolter’s corps comes up from Manassas. The enemy is still in front but badly used up. We have lost not less tbau eight thou sand men, killed and wounded, and, from the appearance of the field, the enemy lost at least two to one. He stood strictly on the defensive, and eveiv assault was made by ourselves. Our troops behaved splendidly- Til® battle was fought on the identical battle field of Bull Run, which greatly increas ed tlie enthusiasm of our men. '1 be news just reaches me from the front that tlie enemy is retreating towards the mountain. I go forward at once to see. We have made great captures, but I am not able yet to form an idea of their extent. * * * * John Pope, Major General Commanding. The following correspondence will illus trate tlie thoroughness of the enemy’s de feat in the battle of the 30th. It bears date, as will be seen, of the next day: Centreville, August 31, 1862. Sir: Many of the wounded of this Ar my have been left on the field, for whom I debire to send ambulances. Will you please inform me whether you consent to a truce while they are cared for? I am, sir. your obedient servant. John Pope. Headu’rs Army of Northern Va., I August 31, 1862. ) Major Gen, Pope, U. »$’. A., Commanding, Sfc.: Sir:—Consideration for your wounded induces me to consent to your sending am bulances to convey them within your lines. I cannot consent to a truce nor a suspen sion of military operations of this army. If you desire to send for your wounded, should your ambulances report to Dr. Guild, Medical director of this Army, be will give directions lor their transporta tion. The wounded will be paroled, and it is was passed: An Act to amend an act entitled ‘‘An act to piovido furtfcoi- in, tlip, public de fence,” approved 16th April, 1S62. Section 1. The Congress of the Con federate States of Amlrira do enact, That the President be, and lie is hereby author ized to call out and place in the military service of the Confederate States for three years, unless the war shall have been sooner ended, all white men who are resi dents of the Confederate States, between the ages of thirty-five and forty-five years at such time the call or calls may be made, and who are not at such time or times, le gally exempted from military service; such call or calls to be made under the provis ions and according to the terms of the act to which this is an amendment: Provided, that nothing herein contained shall be un derstood a3 repealing or modifying any part of the act to which this is amendatory, except as herein expressly stated: And provided further. That those called out under the act and the act. to which this is an amendment, shall he first and immedi ately ordered to fill to their maximum mimber tLo erunpaniftK. battallions, squad- rons, and regiments in service for the re spective States, at the time the “Act fur ther to provide for the public defence,” approved 16th April, 1S62, was passed, and the surplus, if any, shall be assigned to organizations formed from each State since the passage of that act, or placed in new organizations or disposed of as now pro vided by law: Provided, That the Presi dent is authorized to suspend the execu tion of this act or the acts to which this is an amendment, or any special provision of said acts, in any locality where he be lieves such suspensiou will promote the public interest. From the Southern Recorder. The Orchard of I,. ]>. Buchner, Esq. This truly delightful and well ordered establishment is situated in the village of Scottsboro’, distant about four miles south of the city of Miiledgeville. Nature has been prodigal in contributing her mean s to facilitate and advance the labors of tlie husbandman. It is a singular fact that the locality itselfis more exempt from the common effects of untoward seasons than any other spot in the immediate neighbor hood, and far iflore propitious than other sections for miles around. It is adapted to the cultivation of ev*ery variety of fruit, and has received from the efforts of the en terprising owner every attention and ex pense to make it successful not only in the way of experiment but of large remunera tion. The prominent item is the Apple—em bracing quite a mimber of the most choice kinds, obtained from the North and other apple regions of our country. At this time Mr. Buckner has 12,000 healthy trees, all of which are bearing more or less fruit, according to their ages and the fa vorable seasons. It must not he supposed that this unprecedentedly large number was the work of a month or a year; or that they sprung from seeds unaided and unimproved by the grafting-knife ! Time and much care were necessary to the de velopment of such a magnificent project, although, incredible as it may seem, only a few half dozen—were required to perfect now exists as if by magic. \fc think we hazard nothing in saying that for exten siveness, for variety and for beauty of ar rangement, there is no establishment at the North, certainly none in our Confeder acy, that surpasses it. Twelve thousand trees within the same enclosure (about one hundred acres) is a bight not often wit nessed even in the most favored regions; and when regularly arranged, equidistant, and kept in such admirable style, presents a scene at once attractive and commenda ble. Its scope and design make it novel in its character and startling in the pro ducts of remuneration. It was for this ob ject, however, that Mr. Buckner made the effort, and lie is well assured and well sat- requires cash to get the one and laborers to work the other; most of us have neith er of these, at least in sufficient force to make the profits commensurate to de mauds. But there are other fields we can labor in and glean to a profitable advan tage Mr. Buckner has opened up to our view one of many that being adopted and followed will secure competency, ant] make even the capitalists and cotton growers ot our country consumers of the products. ’A VISITOR. The Advance into -Warylnihl. There seems to he but little doubt that our troops have crosswl the Potoinac and are now investing Washington. Tlie Richmond Aiquir^jf Monday re ports : » Yesterday beiiq but oue piece which the cavalry j la army is not comparable to this, took. | That, as we knew by private letters At G o’clock the army entered the j received a week before it occurred, town, amid the deep rumbling of Hying 1 " A ^ )m artillery ; the frantick shouts of victo rious thousands and the waving of handkerchiefs. Tlie great excitement and confusion did not prevent the kind riety of rumors w gained most crede. That Generals J crossed the Pot^ and were at the morning last, in this rumor, a; another colnm shows that th the Yankee doubtless has ready to make his exit he usual va- r’he*e which following : ngstreet had Edward’s Ferry, House on Friday may be some truth \ hearted ladies from coining to the edge of the street with buckets of water to 'relieve the almost famished soldiers, ami welcome them as friendly visitors. The artillery rushed to the far side of the town and a few shots were fired at the retreating foe, and then the cavalry turned loose. Cols. Scott, Starnes and Morrison, had made a circuitous march while the last battle was being fought, and got in the rear “of the enemy. About ten o’clock the news came that the whole army was captured and demoralized. Their number was estimated by ( cconnt published in j Gen. Smith at 10,000. They lost about a Yankee journal ! 4,000 to 5,000 killed, wounded and panic prevailed in J prisoners, all their artillery, ammuni- and old Abraham Scotch cap at hand, LATER. Later intelligence gives us the gratify - ... . - . u,g assurance that General Jackson has years probably no more ban a en °, red M land< b the routc above sen-were required to perfect what I indicated> a / d isnow t0 ut»to the most I tion, wogons commissary, &c. The j rout was complete, and their loss five | to one of ours. Gen. Bull Nelson was ! wounded and reported captured. Gen. j Mi inson, second in command, was | captured. One General killed. After I the fight was over Gen. Smith rode important and inviting point between Bal- j along the lines, and never, novel, ha\e timore and Washington. It is useless now to speculate upon probabilities. The w ar has assumed a new phase, and our citi zens must expect hereafter to Lear news that will startle amidst both good and bad report. The tables have been turned, and the Confederate army is now an army of invasion. The Examiner of-tlie same date says: A gentleman arrived in Staunton yes terday direct from Maryland. He reports that he saw General Jackson cross the l’otomac last Wednesday at Leesburg, lie himself forded the river at that place and found the water not more than two 1 heard such shouting and rejoicing, Gen. Smith raised his hat and said, “Hurrah my brave boys you have done tin* best day’s work ever done in the Southern Confederacy.” .May'this only he the commencement of a series of brillant victories to Gen. Smith. May his laurels be as bright and as lasting as his marching has been hard and toiling. R. M. S. . c , . .. , , .. . feet deep. I ho I otomac was said by the istied that there is no cotton plantation m ., / , .. . r j residents along the bank to be lower than all the cotton growing estates, rating over , , , p , . ° c , 6 , it had been tor years. ,A portion ot tlie ten times- the numberof acres and proba-: J , i t- , , ,, , i ii 1 ankee forces made a show of opposing bly twentu times the number ot laborers, ., , T i * ..*'. ... *-i, , , I General Jacksons passage, but were that will yield an equal amount of money i . , , , , J ° . , . . J . 1 , , nii. ! quickly dispersed by our cannon, (plantation costs and charges all deduct-; 1 x J . 1 , J , , w • • , / 7 j /• c, .. Lougstreet was on the south bank Braiin’i C'ongrntulnlory Order. Chattanooga, Sept. L0.—A congratula tory order from Gen. Bragg to his army, on the recent successes of the Confederate arms, has just been received. It is dated at Sparta, 5th instant, and reads as fol low's: 'Comrades ! Our campaign opens au spiciously. The enemy is in full retreat, with consternation and demoralization de vastating his ranks. To secure the fruits of their condition, we must press on vigor ously and unceasingly. Alabamians! Your State is redeemed. Tennesseeans! Your Capital and State are almost restored. Without firing a gun, you return conquerors. Kentuckians! The first great blow has been struck for your freedom. Soldiers from other States share the happiness of our more fortunate brothers, and will press on with them for the re demption of their homes and women. (Signed) Braxton Bragg. Gen. Kershaws Brigade in Maryland.— The Charleston Courier says: Gen. Ker shaw’s Brigade was not engaged in the battle of Manassas Plains. In a letter to his father in this city, dated Manchester Hospital, Sept. 6th. Private A. B. Miller, of tlio Palmetto Cuard, Qd liogimont, S. C. V., says: “I leave for my Regiment on Monday. The old 2d is in Maryland. God bless it. It was not in the late battle. This I be lieve to be reliable. A soldier who ar rived from there says he left them in Ma ryland under the command of General D. H. Hill. Frederic The Great.—“Frederic the Great being informed of tlie death of one of bis chaplains, a man of con siderable learning and piety, determin ed to select a successor with the same qualifications, and took the following method of ascertaining the merit of one of the numerous candidates for the appointment : He told the appli cant that he would furnish him with a text the following Sunday, when he was to preach at the Royal Chapel. The morning came, uud the chapel was crowded to excess. The king ar rived at the end of the prayers : and on the candidate ascending the pulpit, he was presented with a sealed paper by one of his majesty’s aids-de-camp. The preacher opened it, and found nothing written. He did not, however, lose his presence of mind, but turning the pa per on both sides, he said : ‘My breth ren, here is nothing, and there is noth ing : out of nothing God created all things:’ and proceeded to deliver a most eloquent discourse on the won ders of creation.” ed) as this simple apple orchard of Scotts boro.’ Let us sco what figure* -n-ill elucidate. At a low estimate, and a very low one it. is, each tree, when of. proper age, will average two bushels of apples per year. Most persons will say this quantity is far too small. Our experience and informa tion lead us to the same conclusion , but no matter—the more the better for the producer. At a like low estimate we wilt say that SI per bushel as a clear net profit, will be readily obtained in every market, even at the orchard itself. Now, with these low estimates, (and we leave every one to judge for himself if they approxi mate to a proper average,) what an enor mous profit is presented ! Upon one hun dred acres planted in apple tiees, attend ed by not more than six workers at a cost of about $800 a year, we foot tip an indis putable gain of twenty four thousand dol lars jier annum ! It may be said, the crop will fail sometimes from frost or other blight. This applies equally to every de partment of husbandry. The trees, howev er, will remain. There will be no yearly planting or replanting ; there will be no clearing of fresh lands ; no indispensable outlay of cash one year with another, to keep the plantation up ; no overseer’s wa ges will have to be paid, together with a host of other items of expense which all cotton growers know of, and which dimin ish their profits in proportion to the magni tude of their forces. We will venture to remark further, that the cost of the or chard as it now stands does not exceed 2 thousand dollars all told, and tuis includes a high paling of upright piue boards near ly, if not quite, two miles in extent ! We moreover confidently believe that from the commencement up to the present time, the annual receipts have far outweighed the annual expenses ; in other words the establishment has established itself. We perceive then, viewing it as an experimen tal project, that it has more than defrayed current expenses, and taken as an invest ment rf capital, it bids fair to exceed in actual reimbursement, any hank stock, railroad stock, or cotton plantation (equal in amounts laid out,) that exists any where. But we present another feature which augments the profits of the orchard. While, as we have said, the apple constitutes the prominent and main item, the same ground is made to produce, yearly, corn, peas, po tatoes, and all the vegetables incident to a farm. These constitute his provision crop—as they do the provision crop of every plantation—and with them Mr. Buckner raises his hogs that more than supply his bacon, and at the same time subsists his horses, mules and cattle. It is plain, therefore, that his actual expenses are absolutely nothing. The same soil that supports the apple trees in used for his planting lands ; indeed he has none be side. Independently , he has a most choice Peach orchard—itself a source of no small income ; and his vineyard of well selected varieties, from which lie has manufactured excellent winec, and the fruit of which he also sends to market. In fine, lie raises everything, excepting cotton, that is grown by planter, farmer or gardener. Another source of profit derived from his orchard is found in the ready sale of y*ourig grafts taken from all of his choice apple trees, which he disposes of at 820 per hundred. Now, for the beneficial application of the facts thus presented. We cannot dis suade ourselves that they are not pertinent and of vital import. In these times, above all others, the policy of diversifying our means of individual as well as national prosperity, challenges the attention of all. Cotton has been King, and will no doubt be enthroned again; hut we cannot say how long the reign will continue without interruption, such as is now being experi enced. We have in the past eighteen months seen enough to force conviction upon our minds that we should, in due time, prepare to avert a recurrence of like disasters that now beset us. and which are mainlv, if not solely, attributable to a want of diversified employments. Admitting that the 'second reign' may be as prosper ous'and long as the first was, all have not the means of ‘obtaining office’ and deriving emolument under a like rule* Diversity of pursuits is the only station that a vast majority of our people can profitably main tain. We need a diversity' in our agricul tural department; we need more varied and systematical husbandry, as we need more varied and well arranged workshops to supply wants that now sorely press us. It is indeed time to look about. It is time for many of us to set our hopes upon other securities than stocks or cotton fields. It Lougstreet was on the south bank of the river preparing to cross, and tlie party bringing the information learned that A. P. Hill was to follow on Thursday. Gen. Lee’s headquarters were at Leesburg* It was believed at Leesburg that our cavalry has visited Frederick, Maryland, and the Relay House, nine miles from Baltimore, Frederick is .only twenty miles from Lees burg by the best McAdamized road in tiiis country'. It was also rumored there and [From the New York World ] LATEST FROM THE NORTH. OER GREAT DISASTER IN VIRGINIA. The rebels could have afforded to pposing p a y beiJ millions of dollars for the re- f ‘ ! suits accomplished by their cavalry raid on General Pope’s headquarters j at Catlett’s Friday night. They took possession of our camp, pillaged and | plundered to their hearts’ content, and I besides the lives, money, horses and personal effects lost, General Pope 1 lost the muster rolls of his army, all I his private papers, copies of dispatches land reports, memoranda of the camp- aign and the past and present condition generally believed that the lower counties i ol the army, copies ot all the telegrams p ,, 11, , , , , 1 * .1. 1. .. 1 4. of Maryland had revolted en masse and were butchering the Federal officers and Provost Marshals. The Lynchburg Republican gives the following account : We also have information that on Thurs day morning two divisions of our army, one under Jackson and the other under Longstreet, left Drainesville at eight o’ clock and took up the line of march for the Potomac, one crossing the river at Ed ward’s Ferry to Pooleville in Maryland, and the other at White’s Ferry, a short distance lower down. Nothing had been heard since this important movement had been made ,* though our informant, ticer of the army', directly from Manassas, which he has sent to Washington since bis taking bis present command, all the dispatches received from the President, General Halleck, General McClellan, General Burnside and the War Department, copies of all the orders issued to his Generals of corps and division, all his maps and topo- ! graphical charts, and, in short, every I record and piece of information which I any one could desire to have who I wished to know, with perfect accuracy ! and detail, the past history and future '■ plans of the campaign, the numbers and disposition of our troops, and the says the general opinion is that the Yan- purposes of the YV ar Department and ee Capital is, ere this, completely invest- the Generals. If these had all been ed from the Maryland side, its railroad ; destroyed by fire the loss would have communication cut off, and but one mode of escape opened to the besieged, and that down the Potomac. We place great re liance in the intelligence above publishe knowing that it is somethin mere rumor. been most serious, and would have greatly retarded the prosecution of the war. Captured and possessed by mu., ; ^.| ie enemy, their loss is incalculable.— moie um ^ jj^j e driblets of information From the Knoxville Register, September 6th. From Richmond, Kentucky. Richmond Kentucky, > Sunday, Aug. JOth, 1SC2. \ God blessed us with a great victory yesterday, and this morning finds us which careless correspondents have suffered to leak out in their letters was so valuable to the enemy as to make it wise for General Pope to exclude them from his lines, and keep the millions to whom the lives and deeds of our soldiers are precious in utter ignorance and almost insup- enjoying the blessings of the Yankee portable suspense, how valuable to the enemy must have been the posses sion of all the information which Gen. Pope and bis staff’ have acquired and possess. President Lincoln himself could now tell Jefferson Davis and his generals nothing concerning our army in Virginia which they do not already know. The loss, we repeat, is incal culable. Unless our force is so strong that such perfect knowledge of our purposes'by the enemy is no detriment to their successful execution, the whole plan of the campaign must be changed. It will hardly do to say that we are thus strong when the loss met with oceured during a retreat. This loss is so stunning and so com plete that the report of it would hardly be credited did it come in any doubt ful shape. But our own special cor respondent, who with all other mem bers of the press was about being ex cluded from General Pope’s lines, was present and a witness of the raid. He and one other correspondent were the only members of the press then and there present. His letter, which cre ated such a profound regret throughout the city, is amply confirmed, not by telegrams, from Gen. Pope’s new headquarters—for it is notorious that nothing can be trusted which comes to tlie public from that source, and that however eloquent he may be over fictitious victories, he is silent over real disasters—but it is confirmed by his own verbal statements and of others who reached the city yesterday from the field of battle. The cause of this shameful disaster is single and plain. Gen. Pope’s headquarters were not and never lrad been guarded. To surprise was as easy as to find them. The rebels knew the fact. It was his headquarters for which they proclaimed themselves in camp. Skirmishing the evening pre vious indicated the proximity of the two armies. We camped with Gen. Smith 15 miles from Richmond, and early next morning we proceeded to meet the enemy, who were seven miles from Richmond. The road was crowded for miles with infantry and artillery, so that Gen. Smith had to pass through the fields in order to gain the front. As he passed along the lines, I never heard such cheering for Gen. Smith. I think troops never were more eager for battle, nor more sure of success. About 8 o’clock the the boom,’ boom of artillery was evidence that the hall was now open ed. Soon the contest became hot and general. Volley alter volley of mus ketry was poured in upon them, and for about two hours the battle raged with great fury. The fight lasted about four hours, when they gave way, falling back two miles. Gen. Clay- burn was wounded early in the en gagement and Col Fitzgerrel, of the 15th Tennessee, was killed. After refreshing a short time outlie contents of Yankee haversacks, they were again, attacked and routed a second time falling hack to town. Notwith standing our men had ben marching for weeks, and enduring all the pri vations nearly that men could endure, they fought like they had been resting for a month. Three miles from town now, Capt. Owens’ Co. Cav., with skirmishers [on t either side of tlie road, marched down the pike toward town, taking prison ers all along as we went. When we came within sight of town we found the enemy drawn up in line of buttle on this side in front of tlie graveyard. The Brigade which had been sent out of the Crab Orchard road by Gen Smith was now' forming on the hill to the right. We took some prisoners in front of their lines a d they looking at us. We returned hack and the infant ry and artillery moved up and a third attack was made about 5 p. m. The artillery played awhile and then the fight was entirely with small arms.— For about half an hour the fight was the hottest I ever heard. They could not stand the unerring fire from our undaunted men any longer, and they gave wav, a third time, in utter confusion, leaving all their artillery was expected and prepared for. Our military stoies were withdrawn, the rebels left to an almost bootless plun der, and preparations were begun for the strategic movements which re sulted in leaving no unexpected poiut open to the enemy’s attack. It Gen eral McClellan’s headquarters had then been the object of their raid, and all his papers had been seized, it would have been a terrible loss, but by no means equal to this, for his army was now effecting a junction with General Pope’s as General Burnsides’s had al ready done, and the voluminous mes sages which must have passed between ttiein were also borne oft’by the enemy, and reveal the number’s, conditions and situation of Gen. McClellan’s army as completely as the muster rolls and copies of the dispatches to Washington reveal the numbers and situation of General Pope’s. It is for the president to decide what punishment is due for this culpable and most disastrous negligence. If it be true that the President has said that “Gen. Pope was celebrated for three things—great smartness, indolen ce, and a want of strict veracity,” the loss of.public confidence in that Gener al’s telegrams will not bias hisjudgment unduly. He will be Unaffected also by—perhaps lie is unware of—his extreme unpopularity with nearly all his subordinate Generals, officers and men. He will give just weight to the bad Generalship which left the gallant Gen eral Banks to be defeated at Cedar Mountan, for it is incredible that he can have been deceived by tlie tele grams with which it was attempted to amuse and appease the public, or that General Tope’s act in returning to his brigade commanders the lists of killed, wounded and missing sent in by them, as incorrect and exaggerated, can have blinded the President’s eyes any more than it did theirs to the measure of our disaster and the plentiful lack of Gen eralship which caused it. The Presi dent knows also how the discipline of Gen. Pope’s army has deteriorated since he took the field. He knows the causes of this deterioration, and the country will confidently hope that these too will have just weight in Ids decision upon the future command of the army of Virginia. The gove'Hjneut, we repeat, is im posing upon the country the utmost sacrifice in an intolerable suspense and anxiety so that the enemy may get no information which could be of value to them from correspondents, whose only office is to convey to the people what they have an undoubted right to know of the brothers and sons whom they have sent to fight the battles of the nation. Yet here is a general guilty of the grossest care lessness in the holding of that informa tion, and directly as the result of that carelessness the enemy is made ac quainted with all that they could pos sibly desire to know to enable them to countervail our plans, defeat our arm ies, and capture our capital. It is outrageous and intolerable, and the President may be assured that the indignation which he must feel in his own high place of knowledge and power, at such incompetency and shameful carelessness, is more than shared by the people whose destinies hang upon the fidelity and success with which he choses the instruments to wield the vast power committed to his hands. ment of the State is next directed to sell to the wife of of each soldier now in military service, if she claims it, aud to each widow having ason orsons in the service, one half bushel of salt for one dollar. This salt, like that gratuit ously bestowed on the widows of sol diers, can only be procured upon a certified list of their names by the Jus tices of the Inferior Courts, directed to Col. Whitaker, who will order its de livery in like manner, through the Jus tices of the Inferior Court, the latter havingyirst transmitted, and he, Col. Whitaker, having first received the money ora check, or a cetificate of de posit, for the same. Third.—These distributions having been made, should then the widow of a deceased soldier, or the wife of a soldier in the service, desire more than a half bushel of salt for her own use, she will be permitted to purchase it at the price paid by others, in preference to all other persons, if there is not a sup ply for all. This she can do through the State agent appointed by Col, Whitaker, or the County agent, if any shall he appointed by the citizens of the county, to sell the salt. Fourth.—The Agents will proceed to sell the Salt to all other heads of families at the rate of $4,50 per bushel, but no head of a family will he permit ted to receive more than one bushel till all are supplied with enough for present use. State Agents have been appointed at the following places: Cartersville, Atlanta, Athens, Augusta, Griffin, Macon. Albany, Columbus, Savannah, and Thomasville. But Agents may also be appointed by tlie people of any county, in public meeting assembled, who will obligate themselves to sell the Salt for the ac commodation of the people, at the price above mentioned, adding only the freight which he has to pay from where it is delivered to them, provided said Agents pay the cash for the Salt before it is delivered to them. The State is now receiving Salt from the Virginia Salt Works, and it is desi rable that its distribution be forthwith commenced. This willl require prompt action on the part of tlie Inferior Courts of the several counties of the State. Should they be laggard, or neg lect to follow the directions which have been transmitted to them by Col. Whitaker, there will he such a delay in supplying the widows of deceased soldiers, and iu selling to the wives of soldiers in Hie service, as to procrasti nate its sale afterwards to heads of families by tlie Agents appointed for that purpose. Hence we would urge upon tjie Inferior Courts a prompt and energetic compliance with the request of Governor Brown, in order that the beneficent measure which he has in augurated and is desious of carrying out successfully, and early, may not be impeded by neglect or mistake?—in short, that the Salt may he distributed as soon as possible after it is receiv ed. search. They found them, ransacked them as they pleased, and went away in safety. 'J here is no doubt upon this point. A correspondent of the “Tribune” says: “Probably the whole might have been saved aud the attack repulsed if there had been pickets or even seutries about the camp. But there has not been a. guard mounting at headquarters since Gen. Pope took the field, a piece of carelessness for w'bieh he has paid a heavy penalty. The raid on the flank of our Peninsu- From the Atlanta Intelligencer. Salt Distribution by the State Authorities; We have heretofore published Governor Brown’s directions to the Commissary General of the State re lative to the distribution and sale of the Salt, for which arrangements have been made by His Excellency, and which is now being shipped into the State,from the Salt Work's in Virginia. Those directions were forthwith trans mitted by Col. Weitaker, the Com missary General of the State, with ad ditional ones from him to the Justices of the inferior Courts of the several Counties,in order that there should com mence as early as possible, a distribu tion of the same, in strict accordance with the Governor’s instructions. It appearing, however as we have been advised, that some misapprehension exists, (and that some delay prevails,) in regard to tlie manner of this distribu tion, we have deemed it advisable to procure from Col. Whitaker such in formation, as that, when we lay it be fore the Justices of the Inferior Courts oftheseveral Counties of the State, as well as before the several agents ap pointed for the delivery aud sale of the Salt, the work, of distribution will go on smoothly and without embarrassment to the parties engaged either in its re ception or sale and delivery. In the first place, under the Gover nor’s directions, one half bushel of Salt is to he delivered gratuitous/)/ to the widow of each soldier who has been killed in battle, or has died in the mil itary service of tlie State, or the Con federate—and this will be the first dis tribution made. Now as to the manner of this fistribu- tion, the Govenor directs, and Col. Whitaker will require, that the Jus tices of the Inferior Courts shall furnish the latter with a certified list of the names of all such widows of deceased soldiers in their several counties, which, having received, there will be shipped to said Justices, at such points as they may designate, the requisite quantity for each soldier’s widow, to-wit, one half bushel of salt, to be distributed among them by said Justices. Follow ing these plain directions, the widows of the deceased soldiers, will thus re ceive the salt gratuitously bestowed upon them. In no other way will the salt be delivered to the widows of de ceased soldiers. Second.—The Commissary Depart- What is Life ? The present life is sleeping and waking ; it is ‘good night’ on going to bed, and ‘good morning’ on getting up; it is to wonder what the day wiil bring forth ; it is sunshine and gloominess ; it is rain on the win dow as one sits by the fire ; it is to u*aik in the garden, and seethe flowers open, and hear the birds sing; it is to have* the postman bring letters ; it is to have news from East, West, North and South ; it is to read old books, and new books ; it is to see pictures and hear music; it is to have Sundays ; it is to pray with a family morning and evening ; it is to sit in the twilight and meditate ; it is to be well and some times to be ill; it is to have business to do and to do it; it is to have break- last and dinner and tea ; it is to belong to a town and have neighbors ; and to be one in a cirele of acquaintances; it is to have friends and to love them : it is to have sight of dear old friends ; and with some men it is to be kissed daily by the same loving lips for fifty year; and it is to know themselves thought of many times a day, in many places by children, and grandchildren, aud many friends. A weather prophet, writing to an agricultural paper sa} r s : “When you wish to know what the weather is to be, go out and select the smallest cloud yon see; keep your eye upon it, and if it decreases and disappears it shows a state of the air which wiil be sure to be followed by fine weather ; but, if it increases iu size take your great coat with you if you are going from home, falling weather will not he far off. Tlie reason is this, when the air is becoming charged with electricity, you will see every cloud attracting all lesser ones towards it until it gathers into a shower ; and, on the contrary, when the fluid is passing off’ or diffus ing itself, then a large cloud will be seen breaking to pieces and dissolv ing-” S'a o in ilie nZiftsiKMippi—Yellow fovri’ mnonc the Yankee Troops. Mobile. Sept. 10.—A special despatch to the Advertiser & Register, dated Jack- son 9th, says: The gunboat Essex has gone below Baton Rouge. Reliable information has been received here from parties who escaped from New Orleans, that the yellow fever prevails among the Yankee troops in the city. Uorriaburg aud Philadelphia iu Tribula tion. Richmond, Sept. 11.—Late Northern papers received here indicate that serious apprehensions of an invasion by the Con federates are felt at Harrisburg and Phila delphia. At the former place all business was suspended, and the citizens are form ing into companies and drilling. The Mayor of Philadelphia has issued a proc lamation recommending the citizens to form military organizations to repel inva sion. Brigadier General Toombs has been released from the arrest under which he was placed by Gen Long- street.