Yankee Raids on the Virginia Central railroad--damage thus far Trifling — Exciting rumors of the enemy's movements.
Yesterday afternoon intelligence reached the city that a heavy column of Yankees had made their appearance in the neighborhood of Frederick's Hall, on the Virginia Central Railroad, fifty miles from
Richmond.
The statement was somewhat startling because of the known fact that the greater portion of the reserve artillery of the Army of Northern Virginia was quartered at that point, and without an adequate force for its protection.
Later in the afternoon the report reached the city that the whole of the artillery, amounting to some eighty pieces, had been captured; but this in turn was contradicted by a statement that the enemy did not go to Frederick's Hall, but struck the railroad some two miles south of that point, where they tore up a portion of the railroad track.
After inflicting this damage on the road they left, taking a southerly direction.
We are Inclined to think, form all the information we can gather in relation to the affair, that this latter statement is in the main correct.
The raid is no doubt intended to interrupt communication between
General Lee's army and
Richmond, but it is hoped that, like
Stoneman's raid last spring, it may prove a failure.
Passengers by the
Fredericksburg train last night state that the
Yankee force consisted of one brigade of cavalry and several pieces of artillery; that they crossed at Ely's Ford, on the
Rappahannock, and passed through Spotsylvania Court House about 11 o'clock on Sunday night.
A dispatch was also received yesterday afternoon from
Col. Mallory, commanding at
Charlottesville, that a cavalry force of the enemy were threatening that point, and that our troops were fighting them about three miles from the town.
Late last night report stated that they had been repulsed, and had retired.
The train which left this city yesterday morning carried as a passenger
Gen. R. E. Lee, and for a while those who feed upon rumors had it circulated that the train had been captured, and
Gen. Lee made prisoner.
For this, however, there was no foundation, as information had been received of the safe arrival of the train at
Gordonsville.
Some uneasiness was felt in the early part of the evening for the safety of the down passenger train, due here at 7 o'clock, but it was ascertained later in the night that it, too, was safe.
