We have received, through the courtesy of the officers of the Exchange Bureau, New York papers of Tuesday, the 3d inst. The news is not important, and very little of it refers to arrangements for the battle now impending in Northern Virginia:
Gen. Grant's Army — the destruction of Madison Court House.
It is stated that the movements of Grant's army on the 1st inst were merely for the purpose of changing position. The Confederates, it was said, were concentrating their forces on the Federal left. The Washington Star, of Monday afternoon, has the following about the movements of Grant's army, including the destruction of Madison Court- House:The cavalry expedition sent out from Vienna last Thursday, under command of Col Lowell, returned to that place yesterday after having visited Leesburg, Rectortown, and Upperville. Near Upperville a portion of Mosby's guerrilla band was encountered, when a sharp fight ensued, which resulted in the loss to the rebels of two killed and four wounded, and twenty-three taken prisoners. Col Lowell lost three men killed and four wounded. Col Lowell returned safety to Vienna with the twenty three prisoners captured from Mosby, and also three blockade runners, twenty-five horses, and a large quantity of wool, tobacco, and other contraband goods picked up on the route.
The expedition which was sent out last week destroyed Madison C H.
The expedition met no rebels until about half a mile from the court-house, when a slight skirmish took place, in which the rebel loss was five and ours none. The rebels retreated in the direction of the court-house. The rebels suddenly disappeared, but on our forces entering the town they were received with volleys of musketry, fired from the windows of houses, and were compelled for a time to withdraw.
The officers of the reconnoitering party ordered another advance, when again a destructive fire was poured in from the houses. There being no other way of smoking out the rebels, orders were issued that the town should be fired. The torch was supplied to a number of houses affording cover for the enemy, whereupon the latter hastily decamped leaving our forces in possession of the place.
The flames, however, spread very rapidly, and there being no means at hand whereby they could be checked, a general conflagration was the result, and in a short time almost the entire town was in ashes.
The Evening Post, in referring to the probable movement of the Army of the Potomac, a short time since, said:
‘ Yet it need surprise no one if it is not made decisive for two weeks. The roads are not yet settled in Virginia, the snow still lies on the summit of the Blue Ridge, and so long as it remains the weather is unsettled and heavy rains will be frequent. A night's rain suffices to turn dirty roads into almost impassable mires. Gen Grant will not be in haste to move under these circumstances. He will probably prefer to let spend his strength in unimportant demonstrations.
’
The one hundred days men — the Pennsylvania troops to be discharged.
A telegram from Washington says that Gov. Curtin has received assurances from Lincoln that the Pennsylvania troops whose time of enlistment (commencing with the time of their enrollment in State service,) is out shall be permitted to go home. This will thwart Mende's order attempting to hold the troops for three years from the time they went in the United States (not State) service. It releases 5,000 men from Gen. Grant's army for the summer campaign. The "One Hundred Days Troops" offered by the Western Governors are the subject of discussion in the United States Senate. An uneasy sort of feeling seems to be agitated at the sight of so many troops in Lincoln's hands:Mr Fessenden reported from the Finance Committee the House bill appropriating $25,000,000 for the payments of the volunteers called out for one hundred days, with a recommendation that it pass Mr Hale, of New Hampshire, (Union,) opposed the measure as unwise. While he would keep faith with every man called out by the Government, he should oppose the resolution as eminently unwise.
Mr. Fessenden said whatever might be his individual opinions of the wisdom of the call, they had been offered and accepted by the Commander in Chief, and he should vote to appropriate the amount required.
Mr Henderson, of Missouri, (Union,) would vote any amount of money to pay troops called out for a longer period; but he did not think the present bill of any account in fact, it was a perfect humbug. These men could not be drilled in this time.
Mr Grimes of Iowa, (Union,) inquired how long the men at Wilson's Creek had been drilled
Mr Henderson said, so far as the Missouri troops were concerned, they were mustered into the service in August, 1861, but they had been drilled for a number of years previously. For himself, he was opposed to calling out a mob.
Mr Sherman, of Ohio, (Union,) said there could be no doubt, under the existing law, of the President's authority to call out these troops; and, what ever might be our opinion as to the wisdom of the call, we should vote the appropriation
Mr Carille, of Virginia, (Dem,) did not think it was respectful on the part of the President to have slighted Congress in not having indicated his intention to call out these troops for one hundred days. This proposed action placed the Treasury of the United States directly under the control of the President, and we set here merely to vote the money to carry out, and not to determine measures. The sum proposed would not hall cover the cost. Besides this, these men were to be taken at a time when labor was of more value to the country than any service they could render in the fled in their short term of service.
Mr. Wilson, of Massachusetts, (Union,) said he had expressed to the Secretary of War his opinion that this proposition of the Western Governors ought not to be accepted. The President, however, having the sanction of the law, and having exercised it, he should vote for it. He was in favor of calling out the troops for a longer period
Mr Henderson inquired if the President had given a verbal or written acceptance to the offer of the Western Governors.
Mr Wilson understood it to have been an official acceptance by the President, advised and approved by Gen Grant; and the draft of the bill before us was inclosed in a letter to the Chairmen of the Military Committee of both Houses. The mode of the call was proper enough though many doubted its wisdom. He voted for the measure, and put the responsibility where it belonged — on the President.
Mr Clarke, of New Hampshire, (Union,) said the great point was, whether this call, having met the approval of the Executive, after consultation with the Commander of the Army. should not now be sanctioned by the Senate. For one, he was not willing to say so. When this great campaign was about to commence, and when we needed men, and the Governors of States offered them, he wanted to know why the Senate would refuse them, or prevent them from rallying to our standard. He, for one, would not be willing to take that responsibility.
Mr Fessenden did not think we should raise technical objections in the present emergencies — We certainly had the power to make the appropriation whatever might or might not be the wisdom of the object it was designed to forward. He was not a military man, and yielded his judgment to those who were or even presumed to be such.
Mr Johnson opposed the measure. He would inquire why the Governors of other States had not been consulted? Was the opinion of able general officers in the service and their advice heeded before the acceptance of this offer? If we have heretofore passed laws conferring the power of the President to accept these troops, then in good faith we were bound to support him. He took the view that we were under no such obligations, and felt bound to vote against the bill.
Mr Wilson called the attention to the law of 1861, which clearly gave authority to the President to call for the militia in particular contingencies.
Mr Conness, of California, (Union,) said he frequently gave votes in favor of measures when he had doubts as to their propriety and wisdom be cause in our present troubles he felt it his duty to do so. This measure old not receive the concurrence of his judgment, and he should vote against it. It proposed that 100,000 men should be mustered in for one hundred days, at an expense of $25,000,000, to be doubled and quadruped. The first knowledge he had of this measure came to him from the public press. It was said that these Governors would call upon the President with their offer, and the next announcement was that the President had accepted it. Who authorized these Governors to generate this method of carrying on the war? Was not this the function of the President and his Cabinet? If the President wanted additional men why in God's name didn't he call for them, to the extent of 500,000, for two or three years, or for the war — and thus inspire the nation, instead of trilling with it and mortifying its temper. He said this as a friend, than whom no truer could be found to the Administration.
Mr Lane, of Indiana, (Union,) defended the acceptance of the troops offered by the Western Governors. Their proclamations calling them out expressly stated that their action had endorsement of the President. For himself, he was as willing as any one to advocate a stringent conscription law.
Mr Conness offered an amendment giving the President power to continue the services of these troops six months from the date of their muster.
Rejected--25 to
Mr Henderson offered an amendment providing that no part of said appropriation be paid to the troops mustered in after May 15, 1864, unless they shall be mustered for a period of six months.
Rejected--19 to 17.
The bill was then put upon its passage, with the following result:
Ayes--Messrs Anthony, Clark, Collamer, Cowan; Doolittle, Fessenden, Foot, Foster, Grimes, He is,
Harian, Howard, Howe, of Indiana, Laue of Kansas, Morgan, Morrvill, Strerman, Sumner, Van Winkle, Willey, Wilson 22.
Nays — Buckalew, Tarlist, Chandier, Conness, Tavis, Harding, Henderson, Johnson, Nesmith, Pomercy, Powell, Riddle, Sprague--13
No quorum having voted the Senate adjourned at ten minutes past five o'clock.
The Red river Disaster — reported safety of Steble's command.
The Washington correspondent of the Boston Advertiser says that no official reports of the recent battles on Red river have been received from Gen. Banks in addition to those published in the New Orleans Era. Unofficial letters from persons upon whose testimony reliance is placed in high quarters give an even more unfavorable account of the condition of things than any heretofore published and comment severely on the lack of prudence and generalship said to be displayed by Gen Banks and Gen Stone, who was sent to him for Chief of Staff at his request. One letter says:‘ Banks, with his fine army of 30,000, was totally deleted and routed by 12,000 under Dick Taylor It was done in this manner. Gen Banks sent out 6,000 cavalry in the advance, with all their wagons, 200 in number, just behind them. This force of cavalry was supported by about 2,000 infantry, while the great mass of the army was far in the rear coming up in anything but good order. The result can be easily imagined. The whole rebel army charged on the cavalry, stampeded them, threw them back on the infantry, and the whole concern turned around and ran, actually ran. It was a complete rout. The rebels captured 1,500 prisoners, 18 guns, 160 wagons, and a large supply of provisions, and so forth, besides driving our army back 15 miles to Pleasant Hill.
’ The enemy attacked Banks on the second day at Pleasant Hill and was defeated, but our army has retreated to Grand Ecore, and the rebels are just outside the town. Our army is now in a state of demoralization. All the troops are in town, and seem afraid to go out of it. Officers and men blame each other, and unite in saying time it was a most miserable and criminal piece of generalship. Brig Gen A J Smith must be excepted altogether from condemnation. His men fought like tigers.
Admiral Forter, whose dispatches come down to the 13th inst, gives quite as satisfactory a history of the campaign as the above. His flotilla arrived on the 10th inst, the appointed day, at Foggy Bayon, five miles from Springfield, to which place the supplies brought by transports were to be hauled to the army. The only appearance of the enemy during the voyage was on the 4th inst, when a man rode out to the bank and deliberately shot acting Lieutenant Couthony, Commander of the Chilicothe, and a good officer
all on the transports were in the best of spirits. Firing had been heard, and reports were current that our army was victorious, and hopes were entertained of arriving at Shreveport at the appointed time, but immediately on arrival at Foggy Bayon, Admiral Porter received a message from Gen Backs announcing his defeat and retreat. Of course the flotilla had to follow suit.
"What could we do but come back?" says an officer attached to one of the gunboats. The water was falling; we had 25 transports to protect, which the rebel army might destroy, beside inflicting other injury on us. We came back and literary fought our way through. The rebel army attacked us at every point, and we have fought them for the last three days steadily.
Yesterday, the 12th, about 25 miles above here, Gen Greene attacked the gunboats and transports with 2,500 men and three pieces of artillery. We opened on them immediately, secured a cross fire on them, and although the banks were very high, we gained a brilliant victory. In halt an hour their artillery was silenced, with two pieces disabled, and in another half hour they were completely routed. Over 200 were killed outright, 200 or 300 wounded, muskets, knapsacks, &c., lying all around the field, and their own wounded men uncared for. From the latter we learned that we had killed Gen Greene and a number of other officers.
The next place at which they attacked us was a bluff, but we soon drove them out of that, and so on all down the river. It was one continual fight, but we brought everything to Crand Ecore safely and with comparatively small loss.
Advices from Camden, Ark, say that Steele had arrived there safely. A telegram says:
‘ Price supposed Gen Steele was going to Shreveport via Washington, and moved his command from Camden to Washington after the fight at Prairie de Anna.
’ Gen Steele pursued the rebels towards Washington, and then suddenly turned and pushed for Camden. Price discovered his mistake, and started for Camden also. A desperate race ensure, and, although heavy skirmishing occurred all the way, Marmaduke being in front and Dockery in the rear, with cavalry and artillery, Steele came out victor, and entered the enemy's fortifications unopposed. Camden is strongly fortified with nine forts. All its approaches are well guarded, and it can be held against a largely superior force.
Gen Steele's force is fully strong enough to whip Kirby Smith should he attack him. No tears need be entertained for his safety.
Another exposition of the thief Butler.
A Washington letter says that Pierpont a Virginian Yankee, is about to expose Butler, a Massachusetts Yankee, for thieving. It says:‘ Governor Pierpont has at last got his letter to President Lincoln and Congress printed, and will to morrow lay a copy of it before each member.--I send you a copy to-night by mail. It is as exposition of the corruptions of the military authorities of Norfolk and Portsmouth, and is terribly severe on Gen Butler. Although the greatest secrecy has been observed lest the contents of the book should get out before the Governor was ready for its distribution, some zealous friend of the General surreptitiously purloined a proof sheet from the printing office, and on Sunday last forwarded the same to Fortress Monroe. The cream of the whole affair is that Butler has a reply all ready to lay before Congress simultaneously with the charges. --Butler still lives.
’
The fatal little operations of last year.
The New York Army and Navy Journal gives a list of the "minor" Yankee military operations of last year, including those on the Red river and in Florida; the great raid of Sherman, and the lesser one of Kilpatrick; the affairs at Plymouth Paducah, and Fort Pillow; then it asks:‘ What has been the result, what has been the gain of all these operations, which have cost us in killed, wounded and prisoners not less than ten thousand men, or more than twice the number lost by Gen Grant in his great operations from Chattanooga last November? The net profit from all these terribly costly operations is — what? Well, at this time we hold Fort de Russey, and the rebels hold Fort Williams. But what beyond this can truly and positively be set down as the real gains and losses of the dozen expeditions of 1864?
’ These are certainly startling figures (says the N. York Times) and facts; but we greatly fear that ten thousand is not an under estimate of the losses we have suffered by these small, desultory, indecisive and unproductive operations. The losses of Gen Banks alone at Grand Ecore are now known to have been over five thousand. It was certainly high time for the new military policy of concentration of forces and unity of action to be applied.
Rebels reported to be moving out of North Carolina.
A Washington telegram, of the 28th, says:‘ Gen Butler to day telegraphed the President that from information which he had received, he believed that the rebel troops were abandoning North Carolina, and concentrating their forces with those of Lee for the defence of Virginia. It is now understood that little Washington and Newbern are safe. The rebels having accomplished all the mischief they desired, in consequence of Butler's bad management, have now ample time to concentrate their forces to guard against any possible flank movement by the York or James rivers, which the Richmond papers have recently suspected might be attempted.
’
Miscellaneous.
We learn from the Indianapolis Journal that the quota of one hundred days men from Indiana is being rapidly filled up. A meeting, of ladies to promote enlistments was held at Indianapolis, at which the wife of Gov Morton presided. It was resolved that they would tender their services as clerks in the stores, so that the clerks might respond to the call of the Government. They would receive soldiers' pay, and the clerks should have their full salaries continued to them. A long list of the names of the young ladies who have volunteered as substitutes for the clerks is printed in the Indianapolis Journal. Committees were appointed to visit the business men, the clerks, and the female substitutes, and so to secure the success of the plan.The Sub Committee on the Conduct of the War (Senator Wade and Representative Gooch) have returned from Fort Pillow. They took fifty seven depositions, all of which more than confirm the newspaper accounts [Yankee newspaper lies] of the massacre. They say that it would be impossible to exaggerate the crudities committed. Among the witnesses who were examined is the negro who was buried alive and who dug himself out of his own grave. There is no doubt of the fact that one or more persons were nailed through their flesh to pieces of wood, and then burnt alive. Not only on the day of the surrender were such fiendish acts perpetrated, but on the next day, in cold blood. The victims seen by the committee were, some of them, pierced and cut in the face and eyes with bayonets and swords, while other parts of their hodies were smashed and disfigured, either by steel or lead. An order accompanies these papers, found in the rebel camp, signed by the officer in command, threatening that no quarters would be allowed in event of surrender.
Mrs President Lincoln, says the New York Herald, did a considerable amount of shopping in that city last week. She arrived at the Metropolitan Hotel last Wednesday, and was accompanied by her son, Master Tommy Lincoln. Business being the object of her devoted the whole of her time to it. Milliners, dressmakers, making-makers and other articles versed in the mysteries of formate attire were consulted with in reference to a suitable outfit for the approaching fashionable campaign, when the dog star will be in the ascendant, and winter apparel at a discount. From an early hour in the morning until late in the evening Mrs Lincoln ransacked the treasures of the Broadway dry goods stores. The evenings were spent in company with a few private friends who had been apprised of her arrival Mrs Lincoln returned to Washington about seven o'clock lad evening, after having very satisfactorily accomplished the object of her visit.
Monday morning Hole in the Day, Chief of the Shippewas, was dangerously wounded by Look. Around, one of the indian delegation in Washington city, in an Indian fight generated by "fire water," Very little hope is entertained of his recovery. Look Around fired a pistol, the ball entering near the right ear of the Chief, passing round his head and coming out of his mouth. Look Around had his face injured with a pocket knife in the hands of Hole in the Day.
James Helbrook, the well-known special agent of the U S Post Office Department, died at his residence in Brooklyn, Connecticut, last week, after a long illness.
God was quoted in New York on the 24 inst at 176.
