The War news.
There was quiet yesterday on all the military lines in front of
Richmond and
Petersburg.
The mud has laid an embargo on all field operations, even if the chiefs of either of the hostile armies desired to attempt any offensive movement.
Even the
Dutch gap cannonade was not heard in the city on yesterday morning, though it may have been going on.
There was in circulation a report, which baffled our efforts to trace to its source, that
Grant was moving his army towards
North Carolina.
This seems to us wild and improbable.
His "objective point" in that State would, of course, be
Wilmington, which is over two hundred miles distant from his position before
Petersburg.--In addition to the distance, there are any number of sound reasons why he should not attempt such a move, but of course it were waste of time for us to go gravely into the subject upon the strength of a flying, and no doubt groundless, rumor.
We do not believe
Grant's army, including the "Army of the James," has moved in any direction since it resumed its place in the trenches after its defeat on the 27th of October.
Large numbers of the men have gone to their homes on furlough, obtained on the promise that they would vote the
Lincoln ticket; and there is some reason to believe that several brigades have been sent to different Northern cities to over awe the
McClellan voters.
We read in the
Yankee papers of the 6th that "the Eighth, Eleventh and Fourteenth regiments of regulars" have arrived in New York and been quartered in different parts of that city.
The war has, for a brief period, become, with the Administration, a matter of secondary importance.
For what would it profit the Republican party even though they should take the city of
Richmond and lose the Presidency.
In this view of the matter, we may, even should fine weather now set in, safely count upon
Grant's keeping quiet until such time, at least, as the political campaign shall be decided, the result known, and his furloughed voters and regiments of regulars returned to their posts in his army.
Even then, should
Lincoln be elected, he will hardly move until reinforced by the conscripts raised under another draft.
There was considerable firing Monday night on our left centre, near
Petersburg.
There was a heavy fog at the time, and doubtless there was an attempt made by one picket line to capture the other.
Nothing definite is known, but the cannonading was very heavy, and so was the musketry.
All was quiet during yesterday — mud and army movements are antagonistic.
Sherman and the whole Northern Government are, without doubt, puzzled and at their wit's end as to
Hood's intentions.
Cheering news of
Hood's movements was received at the War Department last night, but it was not made public.
The enemy have been, for the most part, "put under" in the whole west country, from
Texas north-west to the
Missouri river.
Magruder is attending to
Arkansas, while
Price keeps the
Yankee army moving in
Missouri.
In
Texas, the enemy held only the seaboard, and that with slight tenure.
There is every reason for gratulation on the
State of affair in the Trans- Mississippi Department.
Our news from
Kentucky is very cheering as to the sentiments of the people.
They long for the coming of Southern arms to set them free; and their hatred of the
North is deep-seated and bitter.
They are suffering sadly now from the effects of their neutrality system, at first advocated.
Private letters from
Kentucky say that the
State is filled with marauders, who are murdering people for their money, and it is not safe to travel the roads in some portions of the
State by night or day.
Massachusetts men are coming into
Kentucky and buying the negroes at $1,500 a piece.
The owner divides the money with the negro, and the
Yankees run the negroes off north and put them in the army as substitutes.
The Yankee army is now being filled up with negroes and foreigners of the meanest type.
A mass meeting was held, some days since, in one of the towns of the
State, for a ratification of
Lincoln's nomination.
No Kentuckian participated; only foreigners spoke; while four thousand Niggers and
Dutch cheered the orators.
