December 5.
A fight took place near Coffeeville, Miss., between a force of Union cavalry, numbering about two thousand, under the commands of Colonels Dickey and Lee, and a body of rebel infantry about five thousand strong, resulting, after a contest of about two hours duration, in a retreat of the Unionists with a loss of about one hundred men killed, wounded, and missing.--(Doc. 63.)
To-day the Thirtieth Iowa and Twenty-ninth Wisconsin regiments arrived at Helena, Ark., and after pitching their tents, were attacked by a body of three hundred rebels, whom they repulsed, killing eight and capturing thirty.--General Winfield Scott, through the columns of the National Intelligencer, replied to the letter of James Buchanan.