Late Fortress News.
statement of Confederate officers Relating to the battle of Mill Spring--the character given to General Crittenden--advance of the Union forces.
From the New York Herald, of the 5th, we make the following extracts from its Kentucky correspondence:
Concreted movements.
But I am confident no movement of this kind is intended. General Schoepff's brigade has been moved South, five miles from Somerset, to the river, and General Thomas has now possession of this place. General Manson's brigade occupies the entrenchments at Mill Spring, where they cannot long remain unless they can subsist on half rations, as at present. General Wood is at Stanford, and, with a thousand laborers and four regiments, is engaged in building a military road from that point to the river. As soon as it is possible to arrange the supply trains, General Sehoepff will move forward to Monticello, with General Manson's and General Curtin's brigades, and own, while the river points further South will be held by Gen. Boyle's brigade. This route to Nashville will be held at all hazards, as its present occupation threatens the rear of General Buckner. This force will prove a strong and able one, and may yet act in concert with General McCook, in an attack upon Bowling Green, if such an attack is ever made, which is extremely doubtful.
Confederate sick left to die.
Flag of truce to Recover Zollicoffer's body.
Captain Henry Ewing, of Nashville, Aid to the late General Zollicoffer, accompanied by a Captain Speller and twenty-five men, appeared and asked an interview of the Commanding-General. Captain R. C. Kise, Assistant Adjutant-General, of Gen. Manson's staff, and the writer, were dispatched to meet the flag of truce, when the letter of Gen. Crittenden, asking the return of Gen. Zollicoffer's remains, was presented. General Manson replied to the request in this letter:
Your note of the 25th inst., accompanying a flag of truce, has been received. In reply, I will state that it would afford me great pleasure to comply with your request; but I am informed the body of Gen. Zollicoffer was removed to Somerset, and has been from there sent to his home in Tennessee, in charge of one of your surgeons who was taken prisoner by the United States forces in the engagement of the 19th inst. For the satisfaction of the family and friends of the late Gen. Zollicoffer, I will say that his body has been property cared for, decently clothed, and placed in a substantial wooden box.
Statement of Capt. Ewing.
The writer gained the following information in sundry conversations with Captain Ewing and Captain Spiller.Captain Ewing is a young man who has just arrived at the dignity of biting a delicate mustache of a saffron hue. He was aid to General Zollicoffer, an Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, and appears to have been a great favorite with the rebel General. He is, a son of one Orville Ewing, of Nashville, and a nephew of the notorious Andrew Ewing, who early became a proselyte to secessionism, and prominent as a Breckinridge elector. Captain Ewing is the aid who fired on Col. Fry, who, in returning his fire, killed Zollicoffer. Ewing says Zollicoffer imagined the Fourth Kentucky regiment of Col. Fry to be the extension of his own left wing, and, though forewarned by Ewing, the rebel General rode up to Col. Fry to caution him against firing on his own men. Ewing fired at Fry at the moment Zollicoffer turned from Fry having discovered his mistake Ewing thinks he hit Fry. Fry's back was towards him at the time; says it was impossible for him to have shot Fry's horse in the side. He says that had not Thomas appeared at Logan's Cross Roads at the time he did Crittenden would have retreated without a fight. He says they were entirely destitute of provisions, and were gradually being surrounded. He says they had in camp on the 18th only two days provisions, which the troops carried to the battle field in their haversacks. An order dated the 19th corroborates this statement, while the destitute condition in which our troops found the commissary department adds fresh proof. No intention to attempt a defence of the entrenchments was shown. A fear existed that Boyls would cross to Monticello and cut off the rear. The crossing of the river was begun at an early hour in the day. Many of the men reached Monticello at dusk, and the main force had passed that point at midnight. The panic was at its full height at the time of the crossing, and did not subside until the point of the convergence of the roads from Rowena and Monticello was passed. Gen. Crittenden and staff were among the first to part.--Capt. Ewing evidently thinks Gen. Crittenden a coward and poltroon. He says that immediately subsequent to the fall of Zollicoffer, he rode up to Crittenden, and found him standing behind a hay-stack. He immediately corrected this statement, and said, ‘"not exactly behind it, but near by."’ Crittenden is hardly a man to shun danger, unless his conscience has made a coward of him. Capt. Ewing expects to have the brigade together in ten or twelve days, and try us again. He admits that the troops at Camp Shields are mainly Alabama and Mississippi men. He says that the skeletons of these two regiments were all they had in the fight.--Camp Shields is at Bolling Springs, on Cleark Fork of the Big South Fork of the Cumberland, and on the southern edge of Fentress county. It is distant just 52 miles from the battle-field.
Statement of Capt. Spiller.
This officer is an elderly man, who lived at Chattanooga, Tennessee. He appears to have been the Quartermaster of Gen. Zollicoffer's brigade, which, he states, was the First of the Department of the West, which Department was under the command of Gen. Crittenden. He has no great opinion of Crittenden, and calls both that General and Gen. Carroll, who was in command of the reserve whiskey bloats" This disrespectful term, significant and expressive, is original with Capt. Spiller, and quoted verbatim. He says Crittenden had no command over the men, and they had no confidence in him. They would not have moved forward had it been generally known that Zollicoffer was opposed to the movement. Since Crittenden's assumption of the command all general orders have emanated from Zollicoffer. The men would not respect any others; Capt. Spiller says two regiments only fought our army, and that the guide and spy who led the Generals was a traitor. Captain Spiller was twice in General Schoepff's camp. He says that Zollicoffer used every means in his power to obtain a supply of provisions sufficient for a four days march, intending to attack Schoepff in his camp. No such supply could be obtained. Neither Captains Spiller nor Ewing made any inquiry as to the sick or wounded.
Aspect of the country.
Monticello, lately occupied by the Confederate troops, is described by the Herald correspondent to be denuded of every beauty by the rough hand of war. It is at present nothing but a hospital for the Confederate sick and wounded. The country all along All the cattle and horses are driven off, and the river about Mill Spring is utterly ruined, in every hut-house, hovel, and stable, between Mill Spring and the Tennessee State line, the sick, wounded, and dying are passed.
The Confederate wounded.
On the read to Monticello we saw wounded in every house, with the exception of the rather splendid residence of a well-known and important Secessionist named Collee. He was unable only to secrets a few trunks of officers, but would not admit the wounded thrown out of the wagons at his very door. Gen. Manson is acquainted with such facts as will make it go hard with this Collee. The occupants of these houses are in many instances Union men, as they profess to be, and indeed as all the residents do. Even Collee thinks the war a politician's war. Most of these houses contain from two to five, but in some we found one only secreted. The rebels have a great course of falling into our hand — after the war, impartial ones. They bag these in whose houses they may be tots their until they get wall. We found in a of a single sight on ten th bitatics of an old man, due two daughters about sixteen and eighteen years of age, a poor, delicate and wounded youth, who represented himself to be fifteen years of ages a Tennesseean, and the son of a well to do farmer. He spoke of his house and his parents, and the big tears in his eyes glistened by the dim firelight that lighted the darkened room. General Manson appeared rather ashamed of the same display of weakness in his, but I should blush if I did not record that the tears of sympathy stood in mine; for the poor boy's grief was most eloquent.--I cannot detail the hundreds of other instances that I might name, nor have I the full list of the wounded. Among the many wounded at this place I find the following of the Fifteenth Mississippi alone, who have just given me their names:
John Buckley, in thigh.
John Goodrich, in thigh.
B. F. Watson, in thigh.
John Lucas, badly burned; has negro servant with him.
Wm. A Turner, in foot.
B. D. Clemens, arm and side — a cousin of Jerre Clemens, of Huntsville, Ala.
Thomas J. Stearns, in knee.
Wallace B. Skurr, right arm.
At the same place is Henry E. Graves, of Nashville, a member of the Twentieth Tennessee, who was shot through the left side the ball penetrating the left lung, and who walked from the battle-field of Monticello.--He says at least 150 men were drowned in crossing the Cumberland river, and corroborates the statement of another that the officers in the boats used their swords on the men to keep them from swamping the boats, thus killing a great many, who sank to the bottom.
Wallace B. Skurr, wounded in the right arm, does not require the wealth which he professes to have to the amount of $300,000, to make him a gentleman. His gentlemanly demeanor and manners are naturally his. --He speaks, acts, and appears like a gentleman. He made a statement of much interest. Although only a private, he was intimate with the principal officers. He knew their plans as well as any man in the brigade, and says that he is aware that General Crittenden made his northward move and attack as a desperate chance, and that he was forced to it by the condition of his Commissary Department. He says it was impossible to remain two days longer where they were, that all their provisions were in their haver-sacks when they marched. He thinks if we had had a general in the place of Schoepff at Somerset, that their whole force could have been captured.
Federal account of the last skirmish at Occoquan.
Monday afternoon another little skirmish occurred near the banks of the Occoquan.--It was reported in the morning that a body of rebels was at Pohick Church. Captain Lowing, of the 3d Michigan regiment, Col. Chainplin, then on picket duty in front of General Heintzelman's division, took thirty-four men, under Lieutenant Brennan, from Company F, and forty-four, under Lieut. Bryan, from Company H, and went to meet them. Arriving at Pohick Church, no rebels were seen. The party, however, proceeded to the banks of the Occoquan, opposite the town of that name. Arriving there early in the afternoon, a few unarmed men were observed drilling in the town. They gave the alarm; when a number of rebels came from the houses and fired on our men. A brief skirmish took place. Four of the rebels were seen to fall, and were carried off by their comrades. No injury was sustained by any of our party, except by one man, who was slightly bruised by a spent ball.The enemy was about sending a large party across the Occoquan, when our men retired to their picket posts. Near Mrs. Violet's house they discovered a tent, which was used by a rebel picket and destroyed it. When they had reached Pohick Church on their return they heard four volleys and several separate shots, fired nearly two miles distant, bearing to the left. As none of our party were out at the time, it is supposed that the rebels had sent over a couple of squads to attempt to capture our men, and meeting with each other had by mistake fired upon their own men.
Scouting party.
A party of Pennsylvanians went our on a scout a few days since. They proceeded nearly twelve miles along the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, and scoured the country between Burk's Station and Fairfax Court-House. They ascertained the positions of the enemy's outposts, and heard the beating of the rebel drums. They found that a young man, residing beyond our lines, who had been frequently seen about our encampments, was in the habit of conveying information to the enemy. He was arrested and sent to headquarters in Washington for examination. The day before his arrest he was in Alexandria, with a few articles which he purchased there. He went out to the house of Widow Taylor, who is his aunt. He says he told his aunt's folks that some of our pickets were posted at his gate. Widow Taylor has at least one son in the rebel army. A squadron of Stewart's rebel cavalry had been at her house about a week ago, and had taken forty-three head of cattle from people residing in that neighborhood.
Activity of rebel batteries on the Lower Potomac.
Sunday being the rebels' fancy day for firing, the batteries at Shipping Point opened on the Maryland shore after breakfast. A number of shells were thrown across, one of them bursting over the land, while others did not appear to explode. One of the shells exploded immediately on leaving the gun, the boiling up of the water close in to the Virginia shore indicating where the fragments fell. After wasting a great deal of powder the rebels ceased firing, thus concluding the morning service. In the afternoon they opened fire again, the shells bursting as in the morning, with the certainty of a ‘"nobody hurt."’ The battery at Budd's Ferry did not return the fire.
The bridge burners.
Of President Davis's threat in relation to the Missouri bridge burners, the Herald says:‘ It is probable that the news of the recent order of the War Department, directing the privateersmen to be regarded as prisoners of war, had not reached rebeldom when this last message was sent from Richmond. The sentiment expressed by those who know the purport of the message is, that the officer who brought it, thereby disgracing the flag of truce; should have been retained and hung with the bridge burners.
The names of those convicted of taking part in the railway destruction, and now under sentence of death, are John C. Tompkins, Wm. J. Forshey, John Patton, Thos. M. Smith, Stephen Stott, Geo. H. Cunningham, Richard B. Crowder, and George M. Pulliam.
’ In regard to their conviction, the order says:
‘ The findings are approved, and the sentences awarded them will be carried into effect at the time and place to be hereafter designated by the General commanding the department. Brigadier General B. M. Prentiss will notify the prisoners of the decision of the Commission in their respective cases, and warn them to prepare for the execution. He will see that the prisoners are thoroughly guarded, so as to prevent the possibility of escape. Any one attempting to escape will be instantly shot down.
’
Federal finances — necessity of immediate action--Secretary Chase on the subject.
In a note to Mr. Spaulding, Secretary Chase says, ‘"immediate action"’ in Congress. ‘"Immediate action is of great importance. The treasury is nearly empty. I have been obliged to draw for the last instalment of the November loan. So soon as it is paid I fear the banks generally will refuse to receive the U. S. Treasury notes. You will see the necessity of urging the bill through without delay." ’In another letter, to the Committee of Ways and Means, Mr. Chase says:
‘ The condition of the Treasury certainly renders immediate action on the subject of affording provision for the expenditures of the Government both expedient and necessary. The general provisions of the bill submitted to me seem to be well adapted to the end proposed. There are, however, some points which may, perhaps, be usefully amended.
The provision making United States notes a legal tender has doubtless been well considered by the committee, and their conclusion needs no support from any observation of mine. I think it my duty, however, to say, in respect to this provision, my reflections they have conducted me to the same conclusions they have reached.
It is not unknown to them that I have felt, nor do I wish to conceal that I now feel, a great aversion to making anything but coin a legal tender in payment of debts. It has been my anxious wish to avoid the necessity of such legislation. It is, however, at present impossible, in consequence of the large expenditures entailed by the war and the suspension of the banks, to procure sufficient for disbursements, and it has, therefore, become indispensably necessary that we should report to the issue of the United States notes.
The Herald says it is the inaction of Congress, and not the Cabinet or President, or McClellan, that is now retarding those military operations, destined to crush out rebellion and prevent Southern recognition. Bennett cries out for the Congress to furnish the sinews of war and to make the necessary paper money without further delay.
’
Gen. Siegel not Resigned.
General Siegel has been in St. Louis sinceThursday last, it, responded to a General Stalleck and left this troubled holed to take charge of his division, for Lebanon. The report made days says since, and telegraphed over the country, that General Siegel had no intention of resigning, but would remain in the service, was gratifying to his friends ever where, but lacked the essential elements truth, General Siegel has not withdrawn his resignation, and will not do so until he has assurance that he can be justly and impartially treated.
Mason and Slidell Embarked for England
By the British West India mail steamer at Panama, the Panama Herald, of the ultimo, learns that the British gun-board Rinaldo, with Messrs. Slidell and Mason and their Secretaries on board; had reaches St. Thomas on the 15th of January, transferred her passengers to the British West India mail steamer La Plata, bo for Southampton.
The New York Custom-House.
The quantity of foreign merchandize imported during the month of January was a sufficient to supply the demand; for it's quantity thrown on the market exceeded that imported during the month by about one million of dollars — the value of the merchandize withdrawn from warehouse exceeding the value of that placed in store by about this sum. There has been a constant though gradual, decrease in the amount of goods in bond almost every month since the rebellion assumed its formidable proportion.
Investigations.
The legislative committee resumed their investigations into the shoddy clothing and military equipments generally, yesterday, to the St. Nicholas Hotel, and were in session from nine o'clock in the morning until late last night Between forty and fifty witnesses have now been examined. The testimony elicited yesterday is said to be of the richest character, showing absolute favoritism on the part of the State Military Board in giving their contracts to the highest bidders.--Indeed, it is known that such down right swindling has been proven that the people will be amazed when it is made public. The immaculate Thurlow Weed figures very conspicuously in the testimony. Some twenty more witnesses have been subpoenaed for tomorrow, from whom some spicy evidence is expected. As the committee will likely leave for Albany on Thursday, it is not probable that their investigation will be completed this week.
The Minister to Peru
The Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary, Mr. Christopher Robinson, from the United States, was only receiver by the Peruvian authorities on the 10th ult The whole civic and military powers of Limit were in requisition to do honor to the veteran, and to evince sympathy and regard for the honored Republic which he represented.
Cotton and the universal Yankee in Nicaragua.
The Herald's Nicaraguan correspondent says:‘ The civil war in the United States and the blockade of the Southern ports have stimulated the cultivation of cotton in this country. The fields in the vicinity of Massys, Managua, Leon, and Chinandega, are teeming with this plant. Activity and industry have displaced idleness and slothfulness. The genius and farsightedness of the representatives of the universal Yankee nation residing here have furnished the machinery for cleaning, pressing, bailing and exporting the cotton. Its culture will undoubtedly become general and profitable. The soil, climate, and labor are eminently adapted to it. Nicaragua will export the incoming year five hundred thousand pounds of ginned cotton, equal in quality to Mississippi middling fair. The hardy Indians (men and women) of Nicaragua are fully able to till the fields and harvest her agricultural wealth. Coolies are the most objectionable class, either as labored of colonists; they have no interest other than the wages which they earn; negroes are not to be thought of. I am satisfied that both the people and Government would oppose their introduction under any circuitry, stances and upon any terms.
’
