What babbles rumour now?

The papers simply teem with secret histories of the week, diaries of omniscient pundits and so forth, in which these rumours multiply to an extent that staggers the plain person.

After the battles in the Westparticularly after the fall of Fort Donnelsonterrible rumours were current in the Army of the Potomac and in the hospitals concerning the plight of the woundedof new regiments that had been sent into action with not a single medical officer, or, for that matter, an ounce of medicine, or of lint in its chests.

With a view to test the accuracy of these rumours our Special Representative called yesterday upon the Editors of several leading publications, and, although much secrecy is still maintained, he has succeeded in collecting some valuable information.