The War News.
As the accounts continue to come in from the
Valley of Virginia, we have satisfactory evidence that the
battle of Monday last was less disastrous to the
Confederate arms than first reports made it appear.
It was, indeed, a very severe and hotly-contested fight, in which we lost a large number of men; but the losses of the enemy were far greater.
The battle occurred on the
Berryville road, about two miles below
Winchester, and so far from having been a "surprise" to our troops, the earlier part of the engagement was decidedly in our favor.
General Early's veterans stood bravely up to their work, and were steadily pressing the
Yankees back, when a flank movement of the enemy's cavalry rendered a retrograde necessary on the part of our forces, which was executed in an orderly manner, and without hurry or confusion.
Fisher's Hill, the position to which our troops fell back, is represented to be a very strong one.
With the exception of the loss of ground, all the advantage of the battle remained on our side.
A report that
Grant was in command of the enemy's forces is believed to have some foundation.
General Rodes was shot in the head while selecting a position for a battery, and lived but a few moments.
His remains have arrived in
Lynchburg, and will be interred with due honors to- day.
Intelligence received last night confirms the foregoing, except that a passenger by the
Central train informed us that the fight took place between
Martinsburg and
Berryville, which would locate it beyond
Winchester, and that the enemy pursued no farther than the last-named place.
We are still of opinion, however, that it occurred on the
Berryville road, below
Winchester.
The enemy, it is stated, massed a large body of cavalry on our right, and compelled our troops to fall back, which they did fighting every foot of the way. We learn that our loss in killed, wounded and prisoners bears no comparison to that of the enemy, which was enormous.
The
Yankees at
Varina yesterday claimed twenty-five hundred prisoners, which is about as much as our entire loss from all causes.
Nothing of interest occurred yesterday on the lines in front of
Petersburg.
The heavy firing from the enemy's batteries on, Wednesday morning was a salute in honor of the success of
Sheridan in the
Valley.
They opened with shotted guns all along the lines from
Deep Bottom to the Weldon railroad, and at the same time gave vent to their feelings in loud cheers.
The city was shelled furiously for an hour or more, and our batteries replied with spirit.
No casualties resulted from this action on the part of the brutal foe.
The Yankee papers have recently announced with a shout of triumph, the death of this formidable "guerrilla chieftain," and a Norfolk journal of late date published a sketch of his life and military career, with the circumstances attending his departure from this mundane sphere.
As our readers have already been informed,
Mosby was wounded in the groin in a recent skirmish with the enemy, and we now learn that he arrived at his father's residence, in
Amherst county, on Sunday evening last.
We trust that he will soon be in the saddle again, and that he will live long to carry on his courageous and daring operations against the enemy.
The most interesting point in the news from
Georgia is that an exchange of one thousand prisoners, captured in the battles around
Atlanta, has been effected.
The ten days armistice, proposed by
Sherman for the ostensible purpose of depopulating
Atlanta, but in reality to cover the movements of his army and to afford time for strengthening his works of defence, expired yesterday morning, and we may soon have a renewal of active operations in that quarter; though the opinion is quite prevalent that the
Yankee general will not resume the offensive for the present, but will quietly await the result of
Grant's campaign around
Petersburg and
Richmond.
Whether active hostilities will be inaugurated by
General Hood or not, the future must determine.
