January 8.
A fight took place at Springfield, Mo., between the Union forces under Brigadier-General Brown, and a numerically superior force of rebels under General Marmaduke, resulting, after a contest of more than ten hours duration, in a retreat of the latter. The loss was nearly equal on both sides.--(Doc. 98.)
Yesterday a large reconnoitring force of Union troops, under the command of Major Wm. P. Hall, embarked at Yorktown, Va., on board the fleet of gunboats and transports, under the command of Catain F. A. Parker, and arrived at West-Point, at the junction of the Pamunkey and Mattapony Rivers, early this morning. Thence they proceeded to Lanesville, where they captured a wagon-train, consisting of contraband goods, en route for richmond, consisting of gutta-percha, block-tin, paints, medicines, shell-lac, and ordance stores. Leaving a strong picket-guard at Lanesville, they next proceeded to Indian Town, [33] where they found two wagons loaded with meal, awaiting ferriage to White House, and destined for Richmond. After destroying these, with the telegraph, and seizing the mail, they crossed the Pamunkey to White House, where they destroyed by fire the ferry-boat, two sloops laden with grain, two barges, four pontoon-boats, the steamer Lottie Maynard, a store-house, containing over one thousand bushels of wheat, a large quantity of commissary stores, etc. The torch was next applied to the railroad depot, containing a large amount of freight for Richmond, the tank, the rolling stock, signal station, sutlers' buildings, and stores. The force remained until the demolition was complete, when, the object of the reconnoissance having been accomplished, they returned to Yorktown, having sustained no loss whatever during the expedition.--Official Report.
Captain Moore, of the Twentieth Illinois cavalry, this morning at sunrise, made a sudden descent upon the camp of Lieutenant-Colonel Dawson's rebel command, near Ripley, Tenn., and dispersed the occupants, killing eight, wounding twenty, and capturing forty-six prisoners, among whom were one major, two captains, and one lieutenant. He also seized twenty horses, and one wagon-load of arms. Dawson's party had been engaged for many weeks burning all the cotton that could be found in that part of the country. Captain Moore did not lose a man, and had only three wounded.--Wolverine Citizen.
The English sloop Julia was captured near Jupiter Inlet, Fla.--General Mansfield Lovell was dismissed from the service of the rebels for incapacity.--The steamer Mussulman was burned by guerrillas at Bradley's Landing, ten miles above Memphis, Tenn.--General Pemberton, in command of the rebel forces at Vicksburgh, issued an order expressing his high appreciation of their “recent gallant defence” of that position.--The rebel steamer Tropic, formerly the Huntress, of Charleston, S. C., while attempting to run the blockade, was destroyed by fire. Her passengers were saved by the boats of the National gunboat Quaker City.
