The news.
The Richmond and Petersburg lines.
All quiet and buried in the mud on this side of
James river.
On Saturday night, during the progress of a considerable fire which took place in
Petersburg, the enemy threw several shells into the city, which drew the fire of our batteries, when a spirited artillery duel, of two hours duration, ensued.
Grant is believed to have the whole of the Army of the Potomac, except the Ninth corps, massed in the neighborhood of
Hatcher's run, ready for another dash at the Southside railroad.
The miry condition of the roads is thought to have delayed an attack which he contemplated making on Saturday.
On Friday night he moved a considerable force of artillery to his left.
The Ninth corps alone are now said to be holding the lines between the
Weldon road and the
Appomattox.
General Johnston, on assuming the command of our forces in the
South, issued the following order:
"In obedience to the orders of the
General-in-Chief, the under signed has assumed the command of the Army of Tennessee and all the troops in the Departments of
South Carolina,
Georgia and
Florida.
He takes this position with strong hope, because he will have, in council and on the field, the aid of the high talents and skill of the distinguished General whom he succeeds.
He exhorts all absent soldiers of the Army of Tennessee to rejoin their regiments and again confront the enemy they have so often encountered in
Northern Georgia, and always with honor.
He assures his comrades of that army who are still with their colors that the confidence in their discipline and valor which he has publicly expressed is undiminished.
General N. B. Forrest has been placed in command of all the cavalry in the District of Mississippi,
East Louisiana and
West Tennessee.
His first
general order promises the re- organization of the cavalry with the restoration of discipline.
He threatens extermination to all Confederate stragglers, robbers and deserters.
General Thomas's troops are being mounted for a supposed march through
Alabama.
Raids have been made from
Hernando, Mississippi, towards
Senatobia.
Many complaints of
General Kirby Smith are made in the
West.
General Wofford is in command at
Atlanta.
Re-organization in
Georgia has already commenced.
Reinforcements from
Northern Mississippi have been sent to
Grant.
Large bodies of troops are moving in the
West, and important movements are reported.
The Legislature of
Mississippi is about to convene in extra session for the purpose, it is said, of calling a State convention.
The Georgia Legislature convened on the 14th instant at
Macon.
Governor Brown's message to the Georgia Legislature.
The Georgia Legislature met on the 16th instant, when
Governor Brown sent in a characteristic message, of which a brief abstract has been published!
The message of
Governor Brown commences with a defence of the
State against the attacks of the press for permitting
Sherman to march unmolested through the
State.
He says she was abandoned to her fate and neglected by the
Confederate authorities; and while her army of able-bodied sons were held for the defence of other States, and were denied the privilege of striking "an honest blow" for the protection of their homes,
Georgia was compelled to rely only on a few old men and boys.
He claims that the golden opportunity was lost for overthrowing
Sherman.
Had he been resisted from the start, forced to fight and exhaust his ammunition, his surrender would have been certain.
He recommends the establishment of a militia system, to be in no case turned over to the Confederate Government, but retained for home defence.
He says that there are only fourteen hundred exempts in the
State, and most of these are over age.
He recommends the passage of a law authorizing the impressment of provisions in the hands of persons under bond to the Confederate Government who refuse to sell their surplus to the indigent families of soldiers.
He complains that the
Confederate agents can lock up the corn-cribs and smoke-houses against the
State purchasing agents.
Referring to the penitentiary, he says that more than half the convicts released to fight have since deserted.
He recommends the passage of a law prescribing the penalty of death on conviction of robbery, horse stealing or burglary.
He opposes the arming of slaves, believing them to be more valuable as agricultural laborers than they could be as soldiers.
They do not wish to go into the army, and the principal restraint now upon them is the fear that if they leave the enemy will make them fight.
Compel them to take up arms, and they will desert by thousands.
Whatever may be our opinion of their normal condition or interests we cannot expect them to perform deeds of heroism when fighting to continue the enslavement of their wives and children, and it is not reasonable to demand it of them.
Whenever we establish the fact that they are a military people we destroy our theory that they are unfit to be free.
When we arm the slaves we abandon slavery.
He complains of the usurpations of the Confederate Congress in levying disproportionate taxation, and says that much of the most objectionable legislation is imposed upon the country by the votes of men who act without responsibility to constituency out of the army.
He takes the
Government to task for a great variety of alleged abuses, such as illegal impressments, arrests of citizens without authority by provost guards, the passport system, and the partiality of the
Government to men of wealth, who are given nominal positions which keep them out of the army, while poor men and boys are forced into the ranks.
He animadverts severely on the generalship of the
President, and traces his military career during the war. Our Government is now a military despotism, drifting into anarchy, and if the present policy is persisted in, it must terminate in reconstruction, with or without subjugation.
Governor Brown states that he is utterly opposed to both, but if he favored either, he would give his earnest support to the
President's policy, as the surest mode of diminishing our armies, exhausting our resources, breaking the spirit of our people, and driving them in despair to seek refuge from a worse tyranny by placing themselves under a government they loathe and detest.
For the cure of existing evils, he recommends the repeal of the conscription act, and the return to the constitutional mode of raising troops by requisitions upon the States; the observance of good faith with the soldiers by paying them promptly; the abandonment of impressments and secret sessions, and no more representation without constituency; and finally, taking from the
President his power as
Commander-in-Chief.
He calls for a convention of the States to amend the
Constitution, and closes in the following language:
"My destiny is linked with my country.
If we succeed, I am a free man. If, by the obstinacy and weakness of our rulers, we fail, a common ruin awaits us all. The night is dark; the tempest howls; the ship is lashed with turbulent waves; the helmsman is steering to the whirlpool; our remonstrances are unheeded, and we must restrain him, or the crew must sink together and be buried in irretrievable ruin."
