Burning of bridges by the enemy in East Tennessee.
On Monday last a body of Yankee cavalry, variously estimated as to numbers, made a raid into
East Tennessee and destroyed two important bridges on the
East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad--one across the
Holston and the other across the
Watauga.
The bridge over the Molston at
Blountville was guarded by some two hundred of our cavalry, who, it is said, were completely surprised and made prisoners without resistance.
The enemy's force came to within six miles of
Bristol, but retired without visiting the place.
At the
Watauga bridge a small party of citizens, hastily organized, came up with the enemy, when a skirmish ensued, when one of the
Yankees was killed and two taken prisoners. They belonged to a Pennsylvania regiment, and report their force at five thousand.
The Lynchburg
Republican says:
‘
The enemy first entered
Virginia between
Cumberland Gap and Pound Cap, and passing through Estillville in
Scott county to
Blountville, fulfilled their mission of bridge burning and made a demonstration as if it was their intention to visit
Bristol.
This, as before stated, they failed to do fearing, doubtless, to venture so far. They continued in the direction of
Jonesborough, but it is stated by our scouts, who came into
Bristol Tuesday night, that they were retreating over nearly the same routs they had advanced.
’
The distance from the point at which they entered the
State line to
Jonesborough is between 90 and 100 miles, and the trail is certainly a most daring one, and argues an audacity in the enemy which they were not supposed to possess.
They are reported to have been piloted by a militia
Colonel of
Washington county, Tenn., by the name of
Ward, who left his home on Friday, and met them at the mountains.
The damage to the railroad is serious as, besides burning the brides named, the track is torn up in many places and the sills and iron burnt.
The distance between the
Watauga and
Holston rivers is nine miles, and the burning of the bridges across those streams involves a loss of that distance in our railroad communications.
It will take several weeks to repair the damages, and they come at a time when the road is taxed to its utmost capacity.
