December 5.—General Joseph E. Johnston is now in command of this department. With the change all seem pleased.
We have a patient, who is a prisoner in the guard-house, Captain Thatcher of St. Louis, Mo. He is to be tried as a traitor. As yet I have not seen him, but send him what is ordered. He sent me a Confederate star and a note of thanks for what little I had done for him. I sincerely trust he is not guilty.
Dr. Abernethy has been appointed house surgeon; Dr. P. Thornton is now in charge. He is a nephew of Judge T. of Mississippi, and seems very much of a gentleman.
DECEMBER 5TH.—Yesterday there was some little skirmishing below Fredericksburg. But it rained last night, and still rains. Lee has only 30,000 or 40,000 effective men.
We have the Federal President’s Message to-day. It is moderate in tone, and is surprising for its argument on a new proposition that Congress pass resolutions proposing amendments to the Constitution, allowing compensation for all slaves emancipated between this and the year 1900! He argues that slaves are property, and that the South is no more responsible for the existence of slavery than the North! The very argument I have been using for twenty years. He thinks if his proposition be adopted that “several of the border States will embrace its terms, and that the Union will be reconstructed.” he says the money expended in this way will not amount to so much as the cost of a war of subjugation. He is getting sick of the war, and therein I see the “beginning of the end” of it. It is a good sign for us, perhaps. I should not be surprised if his proposition had advocates in the South.
Lt.-Col. T. C. Johnson sent in a communication to-day. He alludes to an interview with the Secretary, in which the latter in-formed him that the government intended to exchange cotton for supplies for the army, and Lt.-Col. J. suggests that it be extended to embrace all kinds of merchandise for the people, and informs him that New York merchants are willing to send merchandise to our ports if we will permit their ships to return laden with cotton, at 50 cts. per pound, and pledging themselves to furnish goods at 50 per cent. advance on cost. He advocates a trade of this nature to the extent of $100,000,000, our government (and not individuals) to sell the cotton. The goods to be sold by the government to the merchants here. i know not what answer the Secretary will make. But I know our people are greedy for the merchandise.The enemy have shelled Port Royal, below Fredericksburg, in retaliation for some damage done their gun-boats in the river by one of our land batteries. And we have news of the evacuation [click to continue…]
December 5.—A fight took place near Coffeeville, Miss., between a force of Union cavalry, numbering about two thousand, under the commands of Colonels Dickey and Lee, and a body of rebel infantry about five thousand strong, resulting, after a contest of about two hours’ duration, in a retreat of the Unionists with a loss of about one hundred men killed, wounded, and missing. —(Doc. 63.)
—To-day the Thirtieth Iowa and Twenty-ninth Wisconsin regiments arrived at Helena, Ark., and after pitching their tents, were attacked by a body of three hundred rebels, whom they repulsed, killing eight and capturing thirty.—General Winfield Scott, through the columns of the National Intelligencer, replied to the letter of James Buchanan.
