The war news.
There is nothing new on the north side of the
James river.
On the lines about
Petersburg there has been, of late, rather more than the usual cannonading and picket firing.
On Saturday afternoon, the enemy for several hours, shelled our lines near the
Appomattox furiously, but with no result worth mentioning.
Besides these daily cannonades, there is nothing of interest occurring on the
Petersburg front.
Telegrams received yesterday from
Lynchburg contain the latest intelligence we have from the raiders on the line of the Virginia and East Tennessee railroad.
From the latest of these, it appears that the
Yankees, on Saturday, having come to Max Meadows, ten miles this side of
Wytheville, turned back towards
Abingdon, destroying property of all kinds as they went.
As they were returning.
Colonel.
Witcher struck them at
Adkins on Saturday evening about 4 o'clock, and fought them till night.
Adkins is a point on the railroad seven miles this side of
Marion.
The result of
Colonel Witcher's fight is not given.
It is believed that the enemy have succeeded in destroying the machinery at the lead works, the report that that point was guarded by
General Vaughan being untrue.
From the celerity of their movements, it is doubted whether the enemy have any artillery; and some think that, for the lack of this arm, they have not and will not attack the salt works.
The statements of the telegrams mentioned are based on information telegraphed to
Lynchburg by officers of the Virginia and Tennessee railroad, one of whom escaped from the enemy at
Glade Spring, and the other went out from
Lynchburg on an engine to make a reconnaissance.
These officers also report that the enemy has destroyed every bridge on the railroad between
Glade Spring and Max Meadows.
Yankee papers confirm our surmise that
Stoneman was in command of this raiding party.
The news from
Tennessee, furnished us by the
Yankee press, is not of the most delightful and cheering character, certainly; but we have the consolation, upon which we can always rely where their statements are concerned, that matters are not half so bad as they represent.
Thomas says that, on the 16th, he again drove
Hood before him and captured thirty cannon.
If he has thirty of
Hood's cannon, they were captured not on the 16th alone; but the number is made up by adding together the captures of the two days. The reader will find the
Yankee accounts in another column of to-day's paper.
