From the Rappahannock.
The information received by us from the lines of the
Rappahannock is so confused, and the reports so conflicting, that it is with difficulty that we are enabled to present anything approaching an intelligible account of affairs in that locality.
On Saturday a heavy artillery duel took place at the junction of Hodgeman and Aestham rivers, between nineteen guns of the Washington Artillery,
Col. Walton commanding, and about forty guns of the enemy.
In this engagement we lost twenty-four men killed and wounded of the above named corps.
Among the killed we have learned the names of
Lieut. J. W. Brewer, and
privates Taylor Marshall,
Walter Chambers, and
H. Ross.--Four artillery drivers were also killed.
The enemy were driven across the
Rappahannock, at
Berke ley's ford, and were in full retreat in the direction of
Alexandria.
As our troops approached the railroad bridge over the
Rappahannock, the enemy commenced shelling it with great fray, and finally succeeded in burning the structure.
While the fight at Berkeley's Ford was in progress, and after it had terminated, heavy firing was heard on the left, or in the direction of
Warrenton, supposed to proceed from some portion of our forces that had crossed higher up the stream.
Passengers who arrived by the
Central train last evening, state that it was currently reported at
Gordonsville yesterday morning that our forces had entered the town of
Warrenton without firing a gun, and large quantities of commissary and other stores fell into their hands, which the hasty evacuation of the enemy had compelled them to desert.
It was further stated that our cavalry had burned a bridge over
Cedar Run, on the
Orange and Alexandria Road, between Warrenton Junction and the Prince William line, cutting off the retreat of the enemy in the direction of
Manassas, and that a large body of our infantry and artillery had moved down from
Warrenton and taken position between the enemy and the point at which this bridge was destroyed.
This statement, though not improbable, is not scarcely worthy to be considered as positively correct.
We saw a letter, yesterday afternoon, from a member of
Capt Parker's artillery, dated ‘ "Camp on
Rappahannock River. Aug. 24,"’ which stated that an order had been received from
Gen. Jackson at
Warrenton, to hurry up the remainder of the army, and not to delay to prepare provisions, as enough had been captured at that point to feed the whole force for some time.
In the pursuit of the fleeing foe our forces captured several hundred prisoners, who were expected to reach
Gordonsville in the afternoon of yesterday, and will perhaps arrive in this city this morning.
