Staunton Vindicator

Cotton and Tobacco.

The resolution offered in Congress by Mr. Marshall to purchase for the Confederate States all the Tobacco and Cotton in the Confederacy, which has met with decided favor in the lower House, from all that we can learn, seems to meet with the approbation of nearly all save those who have made fortunes during the war and placed them for safe keeping in the hands of King Cotton and his consort Tobacco. These persons seem a little feverish when the seizure of Tobacco and Cotton is spoken of, and proceed without delay to vent their hitherto pent up feelings upon the devoted heads of Congress, and especially a few who favored the measure. We have often heard it stated that "capital was timid" but it has been reserved to us of this day to witness the truthfulness of this remark, handed down to us as the experience of past ages, by the tremulousness of men of means when the hazarding of their fortunes is even discovered in the dim distance. Had this matter been dealt with in the first year of the war, as it should have been, by the purchase then of all the Cotton and Tobacco in the Confederacy, we doubtless would now experience a better state of affairs. It is useless, however, to repine over the past. A measure calculated to promote the good of the Country as much as this is likely to do should meet with universal assent. When life and liberty are placed in the balance against wealth and property, we say unequivocally away with wealth and all its concomitant comforts. We at first felt indisposed to favor this measure, but upon a closer scrutiny and a better understanding of the desired result of the resolution we feel that it will be productive of great good to our Country and its cause.

Our Representative from this District, Hon. J.B. Baldwin, gives the measure his hearty support, and places Va in the proud position she has always desired to occupy. We append a short abstract of his remarks below.

Mr. Baldwin, of Va., earnestly advocated Mr. Marshall's resolution. He said that rumo[r]s had reached Congress that parties in certain states were willing to treat for peace independent of the common Government, and he therefore desired that it should go forth to the country and the world that the Confederacy now, as at the beginning of the struggle for independence is a unit. He could speak for Virginia, and could say that she was now willing to give her means as freely as she had given her sons. Mr. B, during his remarks, alluded to the fact that a member from one of the cotton States had threatened on yesterday to resign if the resolution under consideration prevailed, and that no gentle man from that section had yet endorsed it.

War News.

At the present writing all is quiet along the lines of the James and Appomattox.

On Sunday night last, an attack on our lines was expected and arrangements were promptly made to meet it. The night however passed off and the enemy came not. The roads and the weather, are obstacles of suffic[i]ent importance to prevent either of the armies from attempting an immediate advance.

From the Dispatch of Tuesday we learn that Maj. Gen. Gordon has been placed in command of the Second Corps lately commanded by Lieut. Gen. Early. He issued an address to the troops upon taking command.

From the Charleston Courier we learn that our forces had abandoned Pocotaligo on Saturday night, burning the Saltketcher bridge and falling back to this side of the Saltketcher river.

A force of the enemey [sic] estimated at 15000 men under the command of General Foster, were advancing on Pocotaligo. The enemy encountered our forces near the old battle ground at Old Pocotaligo. A fight ensued, and the enemy were held in check until dark, when our troops, in accordance with previous arrangements, were withdrawn to our lines behind the Saltkehatchle. All the commissary stores, &c., a Pocotaligo were brought off safely. No particulars were received.

The Lynchburg Republican gathers from one of our Surgeons who remained in Winchester in charge of our wounded during the whole of the campaign from the 19th of September, some interesting facts relative to our losses.

This gentleman states that we left in the hands of the enemy, in the fight of the 19th of September, about 400 wounded, and that there were in Winchester previous to the fight 260 and wounded. Our informant further states that the entire number of sick and wounded captured by the enemy, was 864. This includes all the fights in the Valley from the 19th of September to the close of the campaign. These losses are certainly very far under the estimate we had heretofore had, but that they are correct we have every confidence, as our informant's position gave him every facility for obtaining accurate information.

The gentleman tells us that the enemy claimed to have 45,000 infantry and 12,000 cavalry.

The Yankee surgeons at Winchester told our informant that they buried, after the fight at Winchester on the 19th of September, six of their own men to one of ours, and that the hospitals in the town contained six thousand of their wounded from that fight alone.

This exhibit of the losses of the two armies evidences the skill and gallantry with which our officers and men fought, and though they were unfortunate in not securing the fruits of their oft repeated victories, yet none will deny that they deserve well of their country, when they remember the overpowering odds against which they had to contend.