Latest Northern news.
Northern advices of the 15th are received. We give below a summary of the news: ‘ A correspondent with Burnside's army telegraphs that, on Wednesday, the Federal front was fifteen miles beyond the Rappahannock, South of Warrenton. It was thought the Confederates were evacuating Culpeper Court House, and Jackson was said to be near Chester Gap with forty thousand men. A dispatch to the Washington Star intimates that the army may be moving again in twenty-four hours. The Confederates were reported to have abandoned the line of the Potomac near Harper's Ferry. Grant's forces are reported to have occupied Holly Springs on the 13th. The usual dispatches appear about skirmishing in the West, and the capture of large parties of guerrillas, which of course must be read with due allowance. ’ The particulars of the late attack on Nashville are given. The Gazette says it appears that the Confederates made a dashing charge on the city, but failed in their object, though Morgan appears to have captured three companies of the 51st Illinois. ‘ "condition of our foreign relations, notwithstanding the modifying assurances lately given by the Associated Press correspondent from Washington to the contrary, are very distinctly assumed to be threatening, especially with France and Spain, by some of the most prying of the Washington correspondents." ’ The New York World's correspondent, in addition, gives intimations confirmatory in a degree of their statements. He says that the course of Gen. Butler at New Orleans, and the seal of some of the naval commanders in the West Indies, have evoked those issues which the representatives of two, at least, of the Powers concerned are pressing to a somewhat peremptory solution. General McClellan is already besieged with visitors from New York, Philadelphia, and other places, all anxious to pay their respects to him, though he expresses the desire to remain quiet. On Thursday evening the citizens of Trenton, with delegations from Newark and New Brunswick, gave General McClellan an overwhelming demonstration. Upon being called upon for a speech, he responded, but was able to speak but a few words, owing to frequent interruptions by cheers of the audience.--His closing sentence was significant, as follows:-- ‘ "While the army is fighting, you, as citizens, see that the war is prosecuted for the preservation of the Union and the Constitution, for your nationality and your rights." ’ Foreign news, a day or two later, to the 1st inst., is telegraphed from Halifax. The English papers say little in regard to American affairs, except that the Times draws attention to the immense increase of our Navy. The Grecian question is to be quieted. President Lopez, of Paraguay, to whom the American Minister had just been presented at last advices, is dead. The privateer steamer Alabama is supposed to have been seen on the 6th inst., in longitude 71 deg. 41 min., latitude 34 deg 40 min., by the bark Mary Bentley, on the way from New Orleans to New York. An extensive defalcation has been discovered in the New York Custom-House. Lord Lyons recently had an interview with Seward. The Yankee correspondents, in speaking of the interview, says ‘ "that nothing whatever of an official character has been received from England, or any other European power, indicating an intention to interfere with our political affairs in connection with a recognition of Southern independence." ’Threatening character of Yankee Foreign relations.
The special Washington correspondent of the New York Times, who seems to have taken Yankee ‘"foreign relations"’ especially in charge, in his dispatch yesterday enlarges upon the "delicate nature of Yankee relations with France and Spain as follows: ‘ The official announcement made some days ago by the State Department, that there is no reason to apprehend serious embarrassments with France on account of Gen. Butler's operations in Louisiana, is now proved to have this foundation and no more: The French Government has demanded full and immediate indemnity for all injuries inflicted upon French citizens by Gen. Butler, the immense armament — now nearly ready at Marseilles — being pointed to as the commentary on the diplomatic request. Our State Department, therefore, in announcing that there will be no difficulties leading to a rupture of relations, merely informs the French Minister in advance that it is ready to back down to any extent from Gen. Butler's acts, and that no defence of that officer's conduct, and no adequate examination of the French complaints will be made as a bar to his further effort to conciliate. The Spanish Minister has addressed to our Government a demand for an apology for the burning of a vessel in Spanish waters by one of the ships of Admiral Farragut's fleet. This act, it was complained, was made more heinous by insults to a Cuban magistrate who remonstrated against this wrong done in a neutral port. The Spanish squadron now cruising in the Gulf might undoubtedly give trouble to the large fleet of our transport vessels, which will soon, from all indications, be obliged to navigate that region. ’The correspondence which Ended M'Clellan.
The following correspondence, which removed McClellan, contains some of the reasons why Lincoln has concurred with his military advisers in making the change: --in reply to the general interrogatories contained in your letter of yesterday, I have to report:- 1. That requisitions for supplies for the army under General McClellan are made by his staff officers on the Chiefs of Bureaus here — that is, for quartermasters' supplies by his chief quartermaster on the Quartermaster General; for commissary supplies, by his chief commissary on the Commissary General, &c. No such requisitions have been, to my knowledge, made upon the Secretary of War, and none upon the General in Chief.
- 2. On several occasions General McClellan has telegraphed to me that his army was deficient in certain supplies. All these telegrams were immediately referred to the heads of bureaus, with orders to report. It was ascertained that, in every instance, the requisition had been immediately filled, except one, where the Quartermaster General had been obliged to send from Philadelphia certain articles of clothing, shoes, &c., not having a full supply here. There has not been, as far as I could ascertain, any neglect or delay in any department or bureau in issuing all supplies asked for by General McClellan, or by the officers of his Staff. Delays have occasionally occurred in forwarding supplies by rail, on account of the crowded condition of the depots, or of a want of cars; but whenever notified of this agents have been sent out to remove the difficulty. Under the excellent superintendence of General Haunt, I think these delays have been less frequent and of shorter duration than is usual with freight trains. An army of the size of that under Gen. McClellan will frequently be for some days without the supplies asked for, on account of neglect in making timely requisitions, and unavoidable delay in forwarding them, and in distributing them to the different brigades and regiments. From all the information I can obtain, I am of opinion that the requisitions from that army have been filled more promptly, and that the men, as a general rule, have been better supplied, than our armies operating in the West. The latter have operated at much greater distances from the sources of supply, and have had far less facilities for transportation. In fine, I believe no armies in the world, while in campaign, have been more promptly or better supplied than ours.
- 3d. Soon after the battle of Antietam General McClellan was urged to give me information of his intended movements, in order that, if he moved between the enemy and Washington, reinforcements could be sent from this place. On the first of October, finding that he proposed to operate from Harper's Ferry, I urged him to cross the river at once and give battle to the enemy, pointing out to him the disadvantage of delaying till the autumn rains had swollen the Potomac and impaired the roads. On the 6th of October he was peremptorily ordered to ‘"cross the Potomac and give battle to the enemy, or drive them South. Your army must move now, while the roads are good."’ It will be observed that three weeks have elapsed since this order was given.
- 4th. In my opinion there has been no want of supplies in the army under Gen. McClellan as to prevent his compliance with the orders to advance against the enemy. Had he moved to the South side of the Potomac he could have received his supplies almost as readily as by remaining inactive on the North side.
- 5th. On the 7th of October, in a telegram in regard to his intended movements, Gen. McClellan stated that it would require at least three days to supply the first, fifth, and sixth corps; that they needed shoes and other indispensable articles of clothing, as well as shelter tents. No complaint was made that any requisitions had not been filled, and it was inferred from his language that he was only waiting for the distribution of his supplies.
U. S. Military telegraph
received Oct. 22, 1862--9.40 P. M.
From Gen. McClellan's headquarters:
To Brig.-Gen. Meigs--Your dispatch of this date is received.
I have never intended, in any letter or dispatch, to make any accusation against yourself or your department for not furnishing or forwarding clothing as rapidly as it was possible for you to do. I believe that everything has been done that could be done in this respect.
The idea that I have tried to convey was that certain portions of the command were without clothing, and the army could not move until it was supplied. G. B. McClellan, Major Gen'l.
