The War news.
The perfect quiet that has prevailed for a week along the lines below this city and in front of
Petersburg was rudely broken at 5 o'clock on Thursday evening. The
Yankees, on the receipt of the news that
Sheridan had beaten
Early at
Fisher's Hill, in the Shenandoah Valley, let off one of their shotted salutes in honor of the victory.
All of
Grant's artillery joined in the salute.
The noise made was awful, stunning; the injury inflicted upon us was nothing.
Though the
Yankee guns were aimed at our lines, where our men, unsuspecting danger, were strolling about in large numbers in exposed positions, not one of them on the north side of the river was struck; and it is not probable that any casually occurred on the south side, as along that portion of our lines sharpshooting and picket firing have been kept up, and, in consequence, our men are at all times on the look-out for hostile bullets.
The roar of the salute having subsided, the white smoke of gun and shell was wafted away on the evening air, and silence once more settled on the lines of Yankee and Confederate.
Though our infantry and artillery have had a quiet time on the north side for a week and a day (ever since the memorable Yankee reconnaissance on the
Darbytown road), our cavalry have been constantly astir.
General Gary, on the
Charles City road, has been continually harassing and stirring up that unfortunate
Dutch-Yankee,
Kantz.
What with charging the ill-fated and played-out raider and his followers in the middle of the night, soon in the morning, at dinner time, and on sundry other occasions, he has gotten them so under hack that they will not make even a show of standing up against him, but on the first alarm of his approach they break and run to the
Yankee infantry for protection.
We are happy to be able to say that
General Hampton, on our extreme right, has the
Yankee Gregg in the same wholesome state of dread.
He keeps himself so far out of sight as to give rise to the report a short time ago that he had left the south side and gone on a raid somewhere north of
James river.
It was subsequently ascertained that he was skulking in the bushes.
From the Valley.
Official dispatches, received yesterday, state that
General Early attacked
Sheridan's camp, on
Cedar creek, before day on the 19th, and surprised and routed the Eighth and Nineteenth corps, and drove the Sixth corps beyond
Middleton, capturing eighteen pieces of artillery and thirteen hundred prisoners, which were safely brought off; but the enemy subsequently made a stand, and in turn attacked
General Early, causing his line to give way. On the retreat the enemy captured thirty pieces of artillery.
Our not less was twenty-three pieces of artillery and some wagons and ambulances.
Our loss in killed and wounded was less than one thousand.
Our loss in prisoners is thought to be small.
The enemy' infantry is reported to be very much demoralized.
He did not pursue.
His loss was very severe.
General Rame was severely wounded while acting with gallantry, and was captured by the enemy.
Passengers by last evening's Central train report that the prisoners (thirteen hundred, were to arrive in
Staunton last night.
It is said that the loss of artillery occurred from the guns getting crowded together in the streets of
Strasburg, and before they could be extricated the enemy's cavalry came up and captured them.
It is reported, however, that
Early subsequently recovered some of the lost artillery, returning and bringing it o in the night.
Be that as it may, with the exception of the loss of the artillery, we are the victors.
The flower of the
Federal cavalry being in
Sheridan's command, he is able to overcome our cavalry and use his horsemen for flanking purposes.
This is said to be the cause of our disaster.
Early' forces are now in good condition, and are not unprepared to meet any attack which
Sheridan may make.
No fighting occurred in the vicinity of
Petersburg yesterday or on Thursday night. The great shotted salute which, by
Grant's order, extended along the whole line, both north and south of the
James, fired on Thursday evening in honor of
Sheridan's supposed victory, was the only thing of interest which has occurred for several days to break the monotony.
There were no casualties on our side, though the shot and shell flew thickly, and came while our men were little expecting such an outburst of feeling and animation.
Lafayette (the last point from which the enemy hears of
General Hood) will be remembered as the point from which
General Bragg marched out to fight the
battle of Chickamauga, and the scene of
General Pillow's cavalry disaster.
It is an insignificant little village in
Walker county, Georgia, twenty-two miles from
Chattanooga, at the extremity of
Wills's valley.
General Hood can march up this valley and tap the railroad twelve miles from
Bridgeport, near the river, and push forward over the route followed by
Rosecrans upon the Sebastopol of
East Tennessee.
Hood has now reached the mountainous and rugged country, defensible by nature; and he is in possession, also, of all the defences, entrenchments and redoubts established by
Sherman in his southward march when confronted by
General Johnston.
He has now possession of
Lookout mountain, the best observatory and signal station south of the
Tennessee line.
It will be remembered that the
Federal endeavored in vain to reach our signal men with their artillery previous to our abandonment of it and the retreat southward.
Sherman, on the other hand, has been thrown into the open plain.
What ever may be said of a hundred days rations and an abundant supply of food, we know very well that there is no truth in the statement.
Sherman's supply trains were captured, one after another, and immense quantities of army food destroyed by our cavalry.
A considerable amount was run into
Atlanta, but it could not have been very great.
There may be a quantity of commissary stores at
Knoxville, but that is about as accessible to
Sherman as to us.
Sherman's army is not so great as is generally supposed; they are, however, the flower of the
Northern army, and fight well.
There is one corps, eight thousand strong, at
Atlanta.
Thomas has twelve thousand with him. There are five thousand at
Cartersville, two thousand at
Etowah, and the remainder of the army will count twenty-three thousand.
This makes a total of fifty thousand.
The cavalry amount to about five thousand.
This being the approximate strength of the enemy, our army, if well managed can easily disconcert and baffle them.