The war News — the situation in Georgia--capture of General Stoneman, the Famous Raider — extent of our victory at Petersburg, &c.
We give below a summary of the news received yesterday:Important from Georgia--capture of General Stoneman and five hundred of his command.
The following official dispatches were received yesterday at the War Department, communication with Atlanta having been re-established. The fight on the Lick Skillet road, mentioned by General Hood in his first dispatch, took place on Thursday last, and this was the first intimation we had of the occurrence. As no allusion is made to it in the second dispatch, dated four days later, the inference is that we still hold our own. Indeed, the correspondent of the Associated Press says that the enemy attacked Cheatham on Friday, and were easily repulsed, with considerable loss. Our troops carried two lines of the enemy's entrenchments, but afterwards fell back to their original position. Altogether, the situation before Atlanta is quite as favorable as could be expected. The enemy commenced extending his right about 8 o'clock this morning. Lieutenant Generals Stewart and Lee were directed to hold the Lick Skillet road for the day with portions of their commands. About half-past 1 P. M. a sharp engagement ensued, with no decided advantage on either side.--We still occupy the Lick Skillet road. I regret to say that Lieutenant General Stewart and Major General Loring were wounded. In my dispatch of yesterday, I should have mentioned that Brigadier General Recton was severely wounded that day. J. B. Hood, General.
The following dispatch is just received from Brigadier-General Iverson, through Major General Cobb, at Macon, concerning the party of raiders who struck the Macon and Savannah road: "General Stoneman, after having his force routed yesterday, surrendered with 500 men. The rest of his command are scattered and flying towards Eatonton.
Many have been already captured.
I shall be in Macon to-night, and wish rations for my men and prisoners."
General Stoneman, with a cavalry force estimated at twenty eight hundred, with artillery, was met two miles from the city by our forces, composed of Georgia reserves, local companies, and the militia which Governor Brown is organizing here.
The enemy's assault was repulsed and his force held in check along our entire line all day. Retiring towards Clinton, he was attacked the next morning by General Iverson, who, having routed the main body, captured General Stoneman and five hundred of his command.
General Iverson's men are still capturing stragglers. Howell Cobb; Major General.
Major General Stoneman, who has been captured, is one of the best cavalry officers in the Yankee service.
He will be remembered by our citizens as the commander of the expedition which made the raid around Richmond early in the month of May, 1863.
It was during the strategic movements and fighting on the Rappahannock, which resulted so disastrously to Hooker, that a large force of cavalry crossed the Rapidan with the view of cutting off General Lee's army from his base of supplies at Richmond.
Dividing into detachments, one under the command of Kilpatrick, (who has since been wounded in Georgia and retired from the service,) one under Wyndham, and one under Davis, they damaged the railroads to some extent and plundered the inhabitants heavily on their route.
The damage was soon repaired, however, and the raid, so far as its main object was concerned, proved a complete failure.
It was considered at the time the most remarkable affair of the war. For deliberate, prolonged planning, elaborate equipment and contemptible achievement; for the magnitude of its promises and the poverty of its performances, it was without parallel.
The affair created great excitement in Richmond; local companies were organized and quite extensive arrangements made for "bagging" the whole party, but they were suffered to escape with slight loss.
Stoneman's career, however, has at length come to an inglorious termination.
Sherman has lost in Stoneman his right-hand cavalryman, and in McPherson his right-hand infantryman, and it is difficult to conceive how he will manage his army in the emergency.
