We have received a copy of the Washington Chronicle of Sunday, the 23d instant.
Sheridan's last official Falsehood — he Amends his former Dispatches.
Fifteen hundred Yankee wounded from the fight at Cedar creek have arrived at Martinsburg, and, according to Stanton's bulletin, fifteen hundred prisoners! The same dignified and truthful document announces that "General Custer arrived at Washington this afternoon with ten rebel battle-flags displayed from the railroad engine. The following is Sheridan's last official dispatch, which the reader will do well to remember comes from a General that has just fallen back behind Cedar creek for safety:
Cedar creek, Virginia,
I pursued the routed forces of the enemy nearly to Mount Jackson, which point he reached during the night of the 19th and 20th without an organized regiment of his army. From the accounts of our prisoners who have escaped, and citizens, the rout was complete.About two thousand of the enemy broke and made their way down through the mountain on the left.
For ten miles on the line of retreat, the road and country were covered with small arms, thrown away by the flying rebels, and other debris.
Forty-eight pieces of captured artillery are now at my headquarters.
I think that not less than three hundred wagons and ambulances were either captured or destroyed.
The accident of the morning turned to our advantage as much as though the whole movement had been planned.
The only regret I have is the capture, in the early morning, of from eight hundred to one thousand of our men.
I am now sending to the War Department ten battle-flags.
The loss of artillery in the morning was seven from Crook, eleven from Emory, six from Wright.
From all that I can learn, I think that Early's reinforcements could not be less than twelve thousand men.
The latest from Sherman — the "pursuit"of Hood still kept up.
A telegram from Chattanooga, dated the 21st, after stating that "it is believed that both armies are in North Georgia," says:‘ Hood is reported to be rapidly moving down Brownstown Valley to Jacksonville and Talladega, where he strikes the railroad to Montgomery.
’ Sherman's army, stripped of every pound of superfluous baggage, is in hot pursuit of the enemy, who has so much start and flies so fearfully that his capture is not assured.
A train came up to Tilton from Atlanta to-day.
A small party of rebel cavalry attempted to tear up the track below Acworth yesterday, but were driven off by the train guard. Otherwise all is quiet along the Atlanta road.
The war in the Southwest--from Mobile.
They have had another fright at Memphis — this time from the report that General Dick Taylor was advancing on the city. General Dana is in command there. There has been some light cavalry skirmishing around Little Rock, Arkansas. An arrival at New York from New Orleans gives the following intelligence from Mobile and other quarters:‘ Several army officers made a daring reconnaissance in Mobile bay on the 10th, passing inside all the obstructions and returning safely.
’ One of our gunboats, while reconnoitering in Navy cove, was fired into, but no serious damage was inflicted.
A severe storm had occasioned some damage to one or two sailing vessels. A coal-laden brig was driven ashore and will probably be lost.
General Granger has gone to Pensacola. General Asboth has returned from his expedition. General Newton had arrived at New Orleans, en route to take command of Key West.
There are rumors that Farragut is going east.
The extremely severe trade regulations of General Canby have effectually stopped all business at New Orleans.
There is nothing later from Mexico to confirm the capture of Matamoras by the French.
The capture and destruction of the New York Steamer Roanoke.
The following is the statement of the capture of the Roanoke as gleaned by Captain Peiper, of the brigantine Mathilde, from Captain Drew:‘ The Roanoke left Havana for New York on her regular day. She proceeded on her course until evening in the usual manner without anything remarkable occurring. Captain Drew retired to his cabin about 10 o'clock P. M.
’ At that time a number of the passengers were assembled aft, singing; suddenly, several men, armed with revolvers, entered his (the captain's) cabin, and in a moment he found himself handcuffed.--Others of the party, meanwhile, adopted similar measures in other parts of the ship, and in a few minutes she was completely in possession of her captors.
Only two shots were fired. One took effect on the carpenter of the vessel, who, offering resistance, was shot dead.
The captors having gained possession, at one shaped the course of the vessel for Bermuda.
On arriving off the island they did not attempt to enter the harbor, but waited for a passing vessel, by which they could get rid of the crew and passengers--fifty of the former and thirty of the latter.--The former were mostly Spaniards.
The Roanoke had but little freight, but she had on board $40,000 to $50,000, partly specie and partly paper.
She had but very little coal on board when the transfer took place.
After the Mathilde reached Bermuda with her passengers, a party from the Roanoke arrived there in boats, she, as previously reported, having been set on fire and burned.
Letter from the Democratic candidate for Vice-President.
The following letter from Hon. George H. Pendleton, the Democratic candidate for Vice- President, has been received by Hon. John B. Haskin, of the New York Democratic Executive State Committee:
I have received your friendly letter. Malignant representations and falsehoods are so frequent in our political struggles that I have rarely undertaken to correct or refute them. I make no professions of a new faith. I only repeat my reiterated professions of an old one when I say that there is no one who cherishes a greater regard for the Union, who has a higher sense of its inestimable benefits, who would more earnestly labor for its restoration, by all means which will effect that end, than myself.
The Union is the guaranty of the peace, the power, the prosperity of the people, and no man would deprecate more heartily, or oppose more persistently, the establishment of another government over any portion of the territory within its limits.
I am in favor of exacting no conditions, insisting upon no terms not prescribed in the Constitution; and I am opposed to any course of policy which will defeat the re-establishment of the Government upon its old foundation and in its territorial integrity.
The St. Albans raid.
Twelve of the St. Albans raiders have been captured in Canada. One, in prison at St. John's, states that the raid was conducted by a captain in the Confederate service. Twenty-three persons were concerned in it. The amount taken from the banks was two hundred and twenty-three thousand dollars. The Evening Telegraph, published at St. Albans, says fears are entertained, from the sympathy shown at St. John's for the raiders, that an effort will be made to rescue them. Cavalry have been called out, and are now guarding the jail.Hon. J. J. Abbott, R. Laflamme, and Hon. J. H. Cameron have been retained as counsel for the rebels, and Mr. Devlin for the Federal authorities. Lieutenant Bennett H. Young, commanding the raiders, has sent to the Evening Telegraph a letter, in which he charges the citizens of Vermont with violating English and Canadian laws.
Abraham Lincoln upon the recent protest of the Tennessee electors.
Lincoln, under date of "Executive Mansion, October 22," sends to the Chronicle the protest and accompanying papers lard before him by the Tennessee electors, whom he treated so roughly. These papers are: First, the protest against Andy Johnson's proclamation taking entire charge of the polls; second, a copy of Johnson's proclamation; and lastly, extracts from the laws of Tennessee showing the rights!! of voters in that State. The petitioners who come before Abraham in this instance are the McClellan electors appointed by the "loyal Democrats" in Tennessee. Lincoln's letter, accompanying these papers, is addressed to those electors.--He says:‘ At the time these papers were presented, as before stated, I had never seen either of them, nor heard of the subject to which they relate, except in a general way, only one day previously. Up to the present moment nothing whatever upon the subject has passed between Governor Johnson or any one else connected with the proclamation and myself.--Since receiving the papers, as stated, I have given the subject such brief consideration as I have been able to do in the midst of so many pressing public duties. My conclusion is that I can have nothing to do with the matter, either to sustain the plan, as the Convention and Governor Johnson have initiated it, or to revoke or modify it, as you demand. By the Constitution and laws the President, is charged with no duty in the conduct of a Presidential election in any State; nor do I, in this case, perceive any military reason for his interference in the matter.
’ The movement set on foot by the Convention and Governor Johnson does not, as seems to be assumed by you, emanate from the National Executive. In no proper sense can it be considered other than as an independent movement of at least a portion of the loyal people of Tennessee. I do not perceive in the plan any menace of violence or coercion towards any one. Governor Johnson, like any other loyal citizen of Tennessee, has the right to favor any political plan he chooses, and, as military governor, it is his duty to keep the peace among, and for, the loyal people of the State. I cannot discern that by this plan he purposes any more. But you object to the plan. Leaving it alone will be your perfect security against it. It is not proposed to force you into it. Do as you please on your own account, peacefully and loyally, and Governor Johnson will not molest you, but will protect you against violence so far as in his power.
I presume that the conducting of a Presidential election in Tennessee in strict accordance with the old code of the State is not now a possibility. It is scarcely necessary to add that if any election shall be held, and any votes shall be cast in the State of Tennessee for President and Vice-President of the United States, it will belong, not to the military agents, nor yet to the Executive Department, but exclusively to another department of the Government, to determine whether they are entitled to be counted in conformity with the Constitution and laws of the United States. Except it be to give protection against violence, I decline to interfere in any way with any Presidential election.
An After-Dinner Herald editorial — M'Clellan and Bennett.
The fact that General McClellan spent the day with James Gordon Bennett at his mansion, on Washington Heights, on Thursday last, is a subject of comment in all the New York papers. With a little curiosity we turn to the Herald's political editorial of the next day to see how "Little Mac" is handled. We find the article opening with a lamentation over the fact that the rival candidates for the Presidency are two military and political failures, and the only question before the people is which is the least objectionable. After a scathing review of Lincoln's Administration, the article thus closes:‘ This brief review, touching the Administration, will suffice to expose the inexplicable stupidity of the managers of the Democratic party from the autumn elections of 1862 down to the present day. Had this party held fast to that vigorous war platform upon which they reached the inside track in 1862, they would have held it and gained in strength from that day to this. Or had the leaders of the party even at Chicago, consulting the defections and dissensions in the Republican camp, adopted a strong war and Union platform, with a consistent and unquestionable Union war ticket, there can be little doubt that, instead of losing, they would have carried all these late elections, from Maine to Indiana inclusive. But the unparalleled stupidity of the Democrats in adhering to their Copperhead peace-at-any-price leaders has over-balanced all the blunders of the Administration and very nearly united all the late discordant elements on that side of the house in spite of themselves and their readiness for any movement promising a wholesome change.
’ What is to be done?--the perplexed Democracy may well inquire. The short interval of sixteen days remains between us and the Presidential election. The late election results, especially in Indiana and Ohio, disclose the fatal weakness in the Democratic programme. It lies in its peace-at-any-price Chicago platform and its affiliations. How is this evil now to be remedied? This is a question which Mr. Belmont is the man to answer. Rightly and promptly considered and acted upon, he may yet accomplish wonderful things in strengthening and uniting the masses of the Democracy and other conservatives, east and west, upon General McClellan. But there is no time to be lost; for the tide is evidently setting in the opposite direction, though still it may be turned.
A summary of Burbridge's expedition to the salt Works.
A correspondent of the Philadelphia Inquirer, in a letter from James river, says:‘ A number of men (between thirty and forty, I believe,) belonging to Burbridge's command, captured at Saltville on the 2d instant, were among the prisoners who arrived to-day by flag of truce from Richmond. One of them — a gentleman of the Teutonic persuasion — gave me his opinion on the result of that expedition in a somewhat laconic style: "We gets not mooch salt dere," said he, "but we gets peppered like der tuyfel."
’
Miscellaneous.
A. J. Shackelford and George W. Booth, of Charlottesville, Virginia, arrived in Washington on Saturday as "refugees."Wendell Phillips is announced to speak at Cooper Institute on Wednesday evening, October 26th, on the Presidential election. It will be his first and only address in New York during the Presidential campaign.
The Republican procession in Washington on Saturday night burnt the McClellan flag hanging from the Democratic Club-House.
Rev. Mr. Bitting, and Messrs. Foster and Peyton, of Alexandria, who have been put on the trains on the Manassas road, have been released, and Messrs. Maddox, Metcalf and Murray, of Salem, and J. H. Hathaway, have been arrested and put on the trains.
A lady in Berkshire, New York, presented her husband with their twenty-first child last week. --The babies are all living, but the father is almost caved in.
A watchmaker of Annapolis has the silver watch given to George Washington by his grandfather.
The number of blockade-runners captured or destroyed off Wilmington since August 1, 1863, is fifty.
More than ten thousand refugees have arrived at Memphis within the last three months and been sent North.
Chicago is determined to rid herself of her lawless population. Sixty professional thieves were arrested there on the night of the 18th instant.
A building is finished in Cleveland, forty-four by eighty feet, which is to be used for preserving fruit. The air in the room is to be all pumped out.
Artemus Ward is lecturing in New York on "Life among the Mormons." He sends complimentary tickets to editors, inviting them to come to his show and bring one wife.
