Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams.
Sir: The excitement which attended the late political canvass having subsided, the public mind returns again from its wanderings to engage itself with the military situation.
The army under General Burnside, which had been some time gathering upon the north bank of the Rappahannock, crossed that river on Friday and Saturday last in perfect order, and with signal exhibitions of heroism. The insurgents were dislodged from the town, and retired to their defences upon the hills beyond it. At the moment when I am writing, however, General Burnside, for reasons not yet explained, has withdrawn his forces to the north side of the river, and the two armies are now separated from each other by its shores. General Burnside had, when he commenced crossing the river, one hundred and thirty thousand men under his command. The addition of General Sigel’s corps gave the commanding general last night fifteen thousand more, and to-day he will receive still another fifteen thousand. It is not easily understood how a general could handle a force larger than this.
Major General Banks sailed from New York fifteen days ago with re-enforcements for New Orleans, and we suppose that he must before this time have reached and taken command in that city. With the additional forces which are now descending through the valley of the Mississippi under Generals Grant and Curtis, and a very large land and naval expedition that is waiting at Cairo, as I understand, only for a slight rise of the river, it is expected that the Mississippi will be entirely freed from the insurgents, and become a base for operations [Page 20] eastward through Alabama and westward to the Rio Grande. Generals Curtis and Grant have had satisfactory successes. General Rosecrans, who is in command at Nashville, and is expected to operate against Chattanooga and the passes in East Tennessee, has been less demonstrative than was expected, but we have no reason to apprehend any ultimate failure of his projected campaign.
The political atmosphere begins to exhibit phenomena indicative of a weariness of the war, and a desire for peace on both sides. There are suggestions, perhaps as yet all of them visionary, of terms or bases of conciliation. No propositions or intimations, however, have come from the insurgent faction, and of course none have been communicated by the government. The public mind has been recently too much disturbed by incidental and collateral questions to study closely the progress of the war, and to measure the exhaustion of the insurgents. We are, therefore, without any conclusive evidence of their actual temper at this moment.
The return of members of Congress from Louisiana, and the holding of elections for the same purpose in North Carolina and Virginia, have nevertheless an undoubted significance.
The intended demonstration of iron-clad steamers is yet withheld for want of sufficient vessels. We continually see new vessels launched, and the workmen engaged in preparing them. But we do not find ourselves in possession of the overawing force of that kind which is necessary for watching at Hampton roads, and reaching at the same time Mobile and Charleston. The Passaic, when she arrived at the place of rendezvous, was found to be somewhat incomplete. She was sent up to the navy yard here, and will go out in good condition to-day. The Montauk goes to sea to-day or to-morrow. The “290” still escapes us, but the navy redoubles its exertions for her capture.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
Charles Francis Adams, Esq., &c., &c., &c.