From the South-side.
A member of
Dodge's New York Mounted Riflemen deserted and came into our lines, near
Zuni, a few days ago, and arrived at
Petersburg on Friday.
He is represented to be a likely, intelligent man, and has been in the service but three months, but expresses himself as fully satisfied with his war experience.
He gives it as his opinion that there are not more than 15,000 now in and around
Suffolk, and says that an attempt will be made to cross Backwater, at or near
Franklin, at an early day, and that the material for pontoon bridges reached
Norfolk on Friday week.
Corcoran's Irish Legion arrived at
Suffolk on Saturday week, and were received with some enthusiasm
Corcoran was not with the Legion, being left at
Fortress Monroe, where he lies quite ill with aphoid pneumonia.
Corcoran is said to have expressed a desire to be assigned to duty at
Suffolk, with the hope that opportunity might be afforded of avenging some ‘"indignities"’ offered him in
Petersburg in February last.
The skirmish on Tuesday last, already noticed secured at
Carrsville,
Isle of Wight.
Our forces were out foraging, and consisted of
Major Griffin's battalion, and one of
Capt. Wright's Rockett battery.
The
Yankees were informed of their movements, and succeeded in ambushing them.
After a severe fight of about an hour our forces retired, with the loss of between 30 and 35, wounded and prisoners, and the rockett gun. We lost five horses and captured six. The gun of
Wright's battery captured was taken below
Richmond from the
Yankees and the battery is said to be the only one of the kind on the continent.
