--It appear hard to get a fight out of the
Yankees in
East Tennessee Gen. Longstreet offered the battle on Sunday and Monday last, but they retreated from his front.--The
Bristol Gazette says:
‘
On Sunday last, our forces endeavored to flank a portion of the enemy's column near Vorsey Creek, and after a sharp skirmish, they retreated to Straw, berry Plains Skirmishing is all that can be got out of the tory army of East Tennessee.
In one of the skirmishes referred to
Major Goforth son of
J. S. Goforth, the
Superintendent of the
East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, was severely, and
Lt. Gibbs slightly wounded.
The enemy are said to be entirely without cavalry, and wholly destitute of wagons for even foraging purposes, and they are stealing the last morsel of food in the hands of citizens in that vicinity.
We have captured a small for of prisoners.
Among the recent prisoners who have fallen into our hands, is the notorious scoundrel, Wm Doug lass, who on the advent of the
Federals to
Knoxville, proved such a terror to the
Southern women and children of that doomed city.
He is said to have hunted up Southern saluters with dogs, in the graveyard of the old Presbyterian Church, and to have committed a long catalogue of crime among them, the grossest indignities to his father-in-law.,
John Bishe which, coupled with Federal cruelty, drove the old man to his grave.
’
The same paper noticing the outrages committed by the
Federal troops in
East Tennessee, says:
‘
A renegade East Tennessean, under the command of
Burnside, had command of a regiment marauding around in the heart of that beautiful region.
He wrote free papers for negroes where he might find them.
After getting such papers from this officer one negro fellow went after his wife, who was a servant in a neighboring family.
The mistress of the house desired him to desist and go away, as her negro woman (the
Tellew's wife) did not wish to leave her mistress.
The negro man first gave some impudent language, and then gave the lady a blew which brought her senseless the ground, when he inflicted some further blows, after which he gathered up his wife and left.
Such was that negro's treatment to a defenceless white lady, and Federal troops incited him to such acts.
Nothing short of an eternal hell could mete, out their just dues to such fiends.
Another case is as follows: A gentleman was required to make oath to the amount of stock and the condition of the same in a tannery owned by himself, after doing which his negro man, armed and attended by soldiers, came around him and drew his gun, and, with many bitter oaths, accused him of having sworn falsely, while threatening, if be opened his mouth, to blow his breaths out.
’
