There is so longer any doubt that the enemy's forces in
Eastern North Carolina are moving on
Weldon, with a view of tapping the railroad at that point.
We published some days ago an account of a fight which took place between three companies of the 28th North Carolina regiment and the advance guard of the enemy, on Sunday last.
In this engagement the enemy was repulsed, our lose being ten killed and twenty-nine wounded.
Later intelligence furnishes us with some fuller particulars of the advance, from which it appears that the enemy landed large forces at
Washington on Sunday, and advanced towards
Hamilton and took possession of that town.
It is reported that they destroyed nearly the entire place.
Their force at
Hamilton is represented to be about 10,000 infantry, with forty pieces of artillery, and a considerable force of cavalry.
They are also reported to have landed a large force at
Palmyra, Halifax co., some twenty-five or thirty miles from
Weldon.--
Gen. Pettigrew commands the
Confederate force at
Weldon.
The
Yankees are said to be commanded by
Gen. Foster.
There was a report in circulation on Saturday that an engagement occurred in the vicinity of
Tarboro', Edgecombe county, on Thursday last, between some six regiments of N. C. State troops under the command of
Gov. Vance and
Gen. Martin, and about 10,000 of the enemy.
The Raleigh
Journal, of Saturday, says that this report was incorrect, and that nothing of the kind had taken place since the fight of Sunday evening.
The impression prevails that the enemy is concentrating his forces in the neighborhood of
Williamston, Martin county, with the intention of attacking some point on the line of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad.
A dispatch from
Goldsboro', dated ten o'clock Friday night, states that there had been no fighting, and that the enemy had retreated in the direction of
Weldon.
We do not exactly understand now they could have retreated towards
Weldon, since that is the point towards which they were supposed to be advancing.
A letter in the Petersburg
Express, from
Tarboro', dated the 8th, says the
Yankee army is marching upon that town with 12,000 troops.
The information is derived from a Yankee deserter.--They are represented to be within fifteen miles of the town, and within four miles of the
Confederate troops.