Weekly Georgia telegraph. (Macon [Ga.]) 1858-1869, May 16, 1862, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextMy Joseph Clisbt. MACON, FRIDAY, 3 O’CLOCK, P. M„ MAY 16, 1862. ACCIDENT AND APOLOGY. Yesterday while running the press, (as we suppose,) at improper speed, a serious break age occurred. The stringency ol the times having reduced us to the use oi one large press, another could not be put in working order with less delay than will be requisite to repair the breakage. We were therefore forced to substitute the little slip we send out to day, for our regular issue, aud are in hope to be ready again for a lull sheet in the course of a day or two These interruptions annoy us more than they do the reader, but there is no pre venting them altogether. Mulli/yini Ikr Ad. We publish to-day an order lrom Milledge- ville, by which it will be seen that Gov. Brown has nullified the operation of the Conscription Act so far as relates to commissioned officers of the militia. We shall say nothing to pro voke controversy upon this subject, because, in truth, it is of little practical consequence, and wt have no heart for any domestic divis ions aud discords at a moment when every com mon interest is in vital peril. If a man were aroused by a fire bell at night, and finding his neighbors busy in fighting the flames, should stop them and demand documentary evidence that they were acting under regular orders from the tire department ; or, if, finding his neighbor hoed assailed by a mob or insurrection, should insist that he would follow nobody to the de fense unless in pursuance of regular summons under lawful commission, we suppose the lead er would think him more nice than wise. And so not much wiser do we deem the pol icy of raising doctiinai issues at a time like the present, when we all stand on the brink of po litical and material ruin, and it is hard to say whether if everybody does his best we can keep out of the jaws of destruction. However, ifwe lay out of account the moral effect of the Gov ernor's antagonism to the Confederate Govern-* ment upon this subject, and assume, (as we suppose is reasonable) that the Confederate government will make no issue upon or raise ary objection to the paitiai suspension of the Act in Georgia, it will, after all, take but very lew from the service, and really amount to no thing important. We hope our entire people will see the necessity of preserving harmony as far possible, and determine to pass over thesejars and conflicts as lightly as may be. £gf“McDowell, the scene of Stonewall Jack* son’s fight, is not honored with a place on the maps. It is some point East of Slaunton on the road to Fredericksburg. The Post Of fice Guide locates it in Highland county. The stoi y of disabling the new iron clad gun boat Galena, we are fearful will not be borne t>ut by the facts. Baruamville is a point we cannot find on any of our office maps or on Boye’s great map of Virginia. We presume, however, it is near West Point, on the York river. The tale of a battle there we are disnosed to *—» ■' : - has happened we will probably get some more satisfactory information before going to press. (Since the above, we find, by another map, that Barhatuville is eighteen miles liom .Wil liamsburg on the road leading to Richmond.) THE 12TH GEORGIA. From the telegrams received it appears that this gallant regiment bore itself gallantly at the recent fight at McDowell. It doubtless led the attack. It will he seen that Capt. Furlow, ol the Calhoun Rifles, Calhoun county ; Capt McMillan, of the Davis Rifles, Macon county; Capt. Patterson, of the Lowndes Volunteers, and Lieut Turpin, of the Muckaiee Volunteers, Sumter county; Lieutenant Goldwire, of the Lowndes Volunteers, and Lieutenant Wood ward were Willed, besides nearly one half of the Putnam Light Infantry, and a number of the Central City Blues « ounded. Lieut Massey, of the Blues, is mortally wounded. Capt Sam. Dawson, of the Muckaiee Volunteers, is also badly wounded. It was a gallant fight. Stonewall Jackson thus telegraphs Gen. S. Cooper: “God blessed our arms with victory at McDowell yesterday. THE CONSCRIPTION ACT. Mr. Editor:—There are many views enter- ^Uined and opinions given in regard to the fol lowing points. Please let us know 1st Where will invalids under the conscrip »tion be examined and exempted legally ? 2d. Will all the conscripts in Georgia be im mediately sent to lamps of instruction * 8d. Will the conscripts he discharged as they become thirty-five I * By answering the above points, you will confer a favor on many readers of the Tele* graph. Hocttm. Answer.—The fact that so intelligent a cor respondent aa “Houston” raises these questions is conclusive that the terms of the Conscription Act and of the instructions thereupon, leave these points in doubt, and yet we have nothing more to base an opinion upon than has Hous ton, and his judgment is just as good as ours, it is plain that they can be finally settled only bv the War Department itself. We can but venture an opinion as to how they they will be fettled • 1. The Governor having declined to have any thing to do with the enrolment of conscripts, it must be done entirely through Confederate officers, and, therefore, the certificate of a medi cal officer in the Confederate service, appointed for that purpose, will probably be necessary to •xempt on the score of physical disability. If the enrolment had been made by State officers, certificates of exemption from the regimenul surgeon would probably have been valid. 2. We certainly understood from the instruc tions of the War Department that it was the intention of the Government to form camps of instruction of all the conscripts, immediately after their enrolment The act contemplates holding, in theme- tive miliury service of the Confederacy, only citixens who are between the ages of eighteen ai d thirty five and volunteers yhose terms ol service have not expired. Thp twelve months volunteers in service are retained ninety days merely out of the necessity of avoiding partial disorganisation at a time of emergency, and to allow their places to be tilled by conscripts.—— In this view of the case, we inler that conscripts should be entitled to discharge when they at- tatu th*e age of thirty-five. But no provisions can be found either in the act or instructions authorising such discharge, and if made, it must bo in pursuance of further orders from the Wat D-'paitmsnk STATE RIGHTS. Po itical doctrines and dogmas all either owe their origin to, or derive their importance from, the kit or fancied necessities of the day. In the Revolution, the Colonies all stood shoulder to shoulder. “The cause of Boston was the cause of all.” The Continental Congress, with out a shadow of legal authority, and every one of its acts and resolves a nullity, yet exercised the controlling legislative power of the conti nent. The clamor of faction, if not altogether stilicc, was muffled and smothered under the oppressive sense of the common peril. The haltci, imprisonment, fines, forfeitures, confis cation and disgrace, stared our fathers in the face, just as they now do their sons; but, wiser than we, our fathers saw they must “hang to gether if they would not hang separately.” The Continental Congress was a mere asso ciation of deputies, with no authority to bind a single colony ; and yet all saw the necessity of being bound, and ill made haste to carry out the common will as registered by the Con gress. If there was any collision between the Congiess'and the Colonies we do not recollect it. iVe believe that they were too wise to al low it, and yet our Revolutionary Fathers were never n such mortal peril as we are this day. It was not till the tremendous outside pres sure of the common danger was removed, and the war was over, that loctl conflicts began to arise. The first year of peace was signalized by outbreaks against the government. Penn sylvania and Massachusetts revolted; and it may be said, from that moment up to the cul mination of the spirit of insubordination in the famous Hartford Convention, the New England States never were fairly at peace and good feeling with the Federal government. They were fierce for St*te Rights, and during the war, not only insisted that the Federal govern ment should not presume to order their State troops out of State limits, but set up that the States themselves had a right and a duty to make a separate peace with the enemy. The trouble was that their trade and commerce were ruined by the war, and these high-strained and ridiculous notions of State Rights were the convictions of interest and the pocket. When the war of 1812 was over, govern ment then set in tu fostering manufactures and shipping. Bounties for seamen and protection to all kinds of factories was then the order of the day ; and then never were such high strung Federalists, or rather consolidationists, as these same fierce State Rights men of New England. The General Government was all in all,andtne States nothing. There was the conviction of interest again. If they were not so clear upon the argument, they could at least comprehend the operations of high tariffs and shipping bounties very well. They knew which gov ernment paid them the best, and understood the duty of sticking by that. But meanwhile the South, which being a purely agricultural region, had no other use for h t?ca / secun t y conic rretfj SnSffia?! 1 A&fiQr supported the Federal Government, from the conviction that a strong concentration of pow er was necessary for the common protection— the South, we say, began to giowTestive under the unequal operation of these bounties and tariffs, and for the first tune th* strong State Rights parties were developed ; and from that' time to the end of the Republic the conflict of the State Rights doctrines of the South and the consolidation dogmas of the North—the w ar of defensive interest on the one hand, and aggies sive interest on the other, have made up the party records of the country. The only episodes have been where the abo litionists, to compass their ends, have set up some bastard plea of State Rights. Thus they have raised a continual howl about the rights of their free negro citizens in opposition to our municipal laws—have claimed to nullify the fugitive slave law—deny the co-operation of their magistrates and executive officers under it, and have persistently exercised, from year to year, the precious privilege of interference in every possible way with the peace and dig nity of the South, all under the banner of State sovereignty. Some of them too claimed the right of se cession on account of the annexation of Texas, and would have exercised it, but they saw it would be a losing business in a pecuniary point of view. Indeed, under the pressure of tbeir fierce fanaticism, they would have all seceded from the South and the Union long ago, but for the aforesaid bounties and tariffs and the many attractions of'Southcrn trade which it was impossible to forego. As matters stand, no man can deny that the whole scrips of abo lition affronts, annoyances and injuries suffered by the South hav* been inflicted under this bastard banner of State Rights. They claimed to the fullest extent the prerogatives of sover eign States as weapons of assault upon us, and it is only when the South, driven to the wall at last, risuuicd that sovereignty as a means of escape that the North, with a keen scent of pe cuniary ruin in the ddetnne, scouta at it alto gether and insists that the States to the Union hold the same relative position that the coun ties do to the States. Thus, in this glance, we observe what a see saw has been played on the doctrine of Slate Rights. Its importance to the South in the old Union grew out of the fact that she was a mi nority section, having but a single leading pe cuniary interest and a social organisation ha' ted by the majority. She stood to State Rights in self defence. We have, now, however, an homogenous people, bound together by com mon interests and institutions. It is impor tant that the States and the Confederate Gov ernme it shall each move on harmoniously, re stricts! carefully to their respective spheres. This '.hey have every interest in doing, and none vie can conceive of in violating. But mu-t 1-e manifest to the most unreflecting that that extreme jealousy which subsisted between the Southern States and Federal Government, would now be unreasonable and out of place. The ex treme peril in which we stand must averted through the instrumentality of the Confederate Government The State* must co operate with and support it, or we are all lost, and State Rights and personal rights alike over whelmed in a common ruin. It if no time to be splitting hairs or spinning fine theories. We must now do or die. THE PRISONERS. The eight to nine hundred prisoners now at Camp Oglethorpe ip this city, present, as it ap pears to us, a very inconvenient and expensive problem. The expense attending their subsis tence and safe keeping is not short oi a thou sand dollars per day, and is a good deal more than that of the same number of effective troops in tiie field. If our country is as successful in this war as we expect her to be, and the Lincoln government still refuses an exchange, we shall, in a short time, have on our bands the cost of two armies; and, indeed, we see no reason why the Lincolnites should consent to an exchangivwith these facts before them. The bulk of their army being composed of men thrown out of civil employment—men who must lie fed by somebody—it is a most econom ical plan to leave them upon their enemies for support, and there is no difficulty in filling up the vacuum by recruits in like condition. Il the 700,000 invaders who are now penetrating our country in all directions, are successfully repelled (as we do not doubt they ate destined to be), it is impossible but that thousands and tens of thousands of them will be cut off, and create a burden upon us as intolerable as the invasion itself. It can scarcely be believed that an enemy who fights us with poisoned balls and medicines, would balk at fighting us with the burden of supporting prisoners taken from their ranks. They have plenty of men ol that stamp, and care little for them.— They know, too, that food and clothing are scarce in the South. On the other hand, they have plenty of food and clothing and know that we have comparatively few men, and those val ued members of society. They can feed and clothe four prisoners for the same money it costs us to maintain one. Why, then, should they favor an exchange of prisoners! The dis advantages are all on our side and there are positive benefits upon tneir own. We have lit tle idea they will exchange, except in the case of sick and wounded. They could actually conquer us by prisoners and still have an army in the field. But ifwe retain the prisoners, then the obliga tions of religion and humanity hind us to take proper care of them. Those in Camp Oglethorpe are now nearly naked, and must be clothed. It will take $20,000, as clothing is now valued, to make these men decent and comfortable, and it is time, out of a due respect for the customs of every civilised country, or even of semi-bar barians, that the tailor should be set to work. Wear and tear have already reduced them to very visib’e extremities. But why not get rid of the prisoners at once, a manner advantageous all round ? Bind them under oath not to take up arms again in INTERESTING LETTER. A friend has handed the following highly in- t ire.-1 r g private letter from Hon. Alfred Iver son, which we print for the benefit of our read ers—omitting some figures, which though it THE NEWS OF THE WAR. The Crisis of the Campaign in Virginia- Battle of Williamsburg. The crisis of the campaign seems at last to have been reached in Virginia. On Monday last the enemy appeared in front of our-forti would be a gratification to place before the jfications at Williamsburg in large force, and at reader, would be imprudent to publish : Richmond, Va., May 6th, 1862. Lear Sir:—I was fits days getting to Rich mond, and tet like McClellan, I was pushing on all the time. I have not had an interview with the President as yet, but hope to get one to-morrow, and ai soon I aje him and the Sec retary of War I shall be off. This is no agree able place—full of officers, soldiers and stran- 2 o’clock, P. M., a battle commenced, which raged furiously until dark closed the scene, when the enemy were in full retreat, and Gen. Stuart’s Cavalry Brigade in hot pursuit The battle is said to have been one of the fiercest of the war while it lasted, and resulted in a' glo rious victory to the Confederate cause. AN though oar troops fought a portion of the en gagement behind entrenchments, our loss is represented as having been 223 in killed and wounded. From the Virginia paper we gather gers, and ail in a bustle, and all in a wild state the following items in regard to the engage- ef excitement, and no one seems to know any thing, and every one has his own opinion (wise of course) as to what is doing and ought to be ment: Only a portion of our forces were engaged, the great bulk of the Confederates being seve ral miles in the rear of Williamsburg. Tbc done. All that 1 can learn definitely is that I charge of Stuart’s Cavalry Brigade is said to our army tell back from its ol'. position near have been fearful, mowing the Hessians down Yorktown on Fridav last, and is now between by the score, and securing prisioflers in large 12 and 16 (fifteen) miles from R : chmond, where it is understood it will make a start i and fight if McClellan advances. It is asserted, howev er, here, that he has gone off again, either to the Rappahannock or towards Norfolk, and that he may now attempt to approach Rich mond by Fredericksburg. He is believed to have some 120 or 140,OuO men. This is the report of prisoners taken, but great sickness pi avails in his army. He is said to have 40,- 000 sick soldiers. Much sickness exists in our own army. We have here in Richmond at least 25,000 sick men lrom that army, but they are generally light cases, broughton by fatigue and exposure in the trenches and lrom which the men will soon recover. The new line is said to be more healthy, and that is given as our reason for falling back ; but I presume the main reason was that it takes the army out from reach of the enemy’s ships in York river and forces them to come up in the country to tight. Johnson has about — thousand men. William Ruddsaid to tne last night that one of the quartermasters told him that rations were issued for thousand men—excluding out side employees, waggoners, Ac. This would leave Johnson with thousand men. It is not believed here that the retirement of our army was so much a work of necessity as of policy, and great confidence is expressed by our officers, and best informed men here, that Johnson will whip McClellan whenever they tight. The enemy made an attack on our rear ranks, Longatreet’s Division on their retirement but were repulsed and lost a gun. We have not yet heard the particulars of the brush, hut learn only that it was a gallant affair on our side. I legret.to learn that Noifolk and Ports mouth are to be evacuated in a few days. 1 hey are now transporting everything valuable to Raleigh and other places, such as machinery, army and naval stores, Ac. I presume that the Virginia will be brought into James river as high up as she can he got to keep the Yan kee vessels off Richmond. The Government is now putting obstacles in the river, and much confidence is tell that no danger is to be feared lrom that quarter. Stonewall Jackson has this war, and then let them go, and you will crossed the mountains and is pursuing Banks, suit them exactly and serve the Confederacy | Jackson and Ewell now have —- regiments— too. But will they keep their oath f Will a man eat when he is hungry or drink when he is perishing with thirst! They have sttfJi^wuab isfy every one of them that it is the hardest way to earn a living known among men. say — thousand men. I heard last night ihat Jackson had telegraphed the Secretary of War if he would send — thousand additional troops uij. *• uevuer uie uovcrmneiu wi* -'•hole ar- the men or not I do not know , w; ..aVo - - - siderable force near Fredericksburg, but I do not learn what number. It is in command of quantities. We captured 900 prisoners and 11 splendid field pieces. The Federals had ap peared, six thousand strong, along a skifS wJV By Electric Telegr Beauregard Attacks the 4 i; Mobile, 9th—The following s s peci»^£'„.)Bni has been received by the Evening News# 1 !, “'^atFairj Beauregard moved out this morning anoi un 1 otki tacked the enemy in his own position, on o I -riuuslwitfo right The conflict opened at noon,.and still * * continues. The cannonading although regular is not rapid, and a courier reports the enemy to be falling back, and the Confederates press ing forward. The battle ground is near Farm ington, five miles distant from Corinth. Beau regard has just gone out. FROM NORTH CAROLINA. Wilmington, N. C-, 9th.—Pickets report the landing of Federals at Swansboro’, twenty miles South of Fort Macon, yeaterday. No fotce to oppose them. All quiet here fWeare indebted to C. G. Conner, Esq., for tfcji following private telegram ] Wiu(i^QTON, N. C., 9th.—All the commis woods, a short distance from a small for^vy, to get 3ie ! jft cers of Company A, Floyd Rifles, tion in our possession, below Williamsb .neap* j , T . u At an early hour on Monday morning < e )t!,j ons have I right jP* e ' ecte< L ' 1“ Company A, Macon Longstreet despatched a howitzer to t,’^ aiultiplied^^^c ta^ 1 ^ 6 following officers have been and another to the left of their posit^j ■ iuiprovi^^^B^ t "ft subjecting them to across fire, which ^jncs of J^HfbecUGeorge S. Jones. rible execution, advanced on their fre.-.-o » r- D .. put them to rout, taxing the above y prisoners and eleven pieces of artillery. 1 co J. Granntss, 2d Jr. “ T. K. Campbell, /**»> . 1st Sergeant^ ^ Their great fear is that they wi l be forced to General Hill of North Carolina. Troops are renew it by an exchange, and their constant daily reaching him from beloW, towards Golds- Drave- is to be put on parole when they can borough and other places, and are being sent go home quietly and never hear a drum again, off to one or other of the three armies. Wc go nouie \|urevij “ f - „««• 1*2 regiments at Raleigh on the move for Put them all on the Centra, train-send down Goldgbor o Ug h. ETe ry traill brings from two tj Fort Pulaski—turn them over to the Yankee lQ t jj ree hundred returning 6oldicrs or recruits Commandant there, and the whole difficulty for old regiments. On the whole my conti- would be solved in the best possible manner. dence has grown bettor since I catne here that ,. ..... V. . i we shall hold Riel inond, and will defeat the But we are told that the Government must point3 . If Beauregard shall de- have hostages for the safety ol our men m the. feat Bue j; at Corinth, we shall be on our legs hands of the enemy. The answer is, if we are aga .; n notwithstanding the loss of New Orleans, able to punish inhumanity and secure the safe- The policy of relying on obstructions and IV of Confederate prisoners in that way at all, noton forts to protect our cities on the coast.8 y i . f - ur ^ u, now being adopted, and is the most etfeotual, there can be no lack of hostages. )V e ought th h jt w ;u cost a vast sum to remove them to have fifty thousand of them in the next after the war three months, unless the enemy makes better , speed out of the country than we expect him CULTII AlION OFTHESWEEl POIAIO. do. On the other band, if we are defeated, As the time is at hand for preparing a crop of is vain to talk of holding prisoners of war this valuable root,we publish below some direc j tions for the work, communicated to the New York Plow in 1852, by Judge Asa E. Ernest, of this county a venarable and patriotic citizen recently deceased, whose memory is dear to many of our readers. We also add some sug gestions upon the value oi the sweet potato as either case, it appears to us a useless expen diture. CONFIDENT. The telegram reports our boys in Fort Mor gan as confident of beating off tho enemy.— Faith is a great thing, and woiks are some, I stock food, copied from a communication to the too ; but neither faith nor works will save our Savannah News :— Fort Morgan boys this time. The fact is, that I The best time to plant is from April first to all our forts are not worth a rush against the May fifteenth. It will do to plant later, but . not so well. Before planting, the ground should ,, ,t, I be broken up deep and fine.* Then throw up that the shoal water in Mobile Bay may em- I ^ e( j s a iurn plow four and a half feet apart barrass the advance ef the Federals upon the and put , n t h e sets, about two feet apart.— town. We have, however, little idea thateith- Some think this is giving too great distance; it er the Fort or the city will be saved. We have I may be of a wet year, but I always plant that mind. I. .he .b..ah. whole seaboard must be given up for a whue, t j jc pota j 0 plants on the top of them, and when and shall not, therefore be cast down or dis- I lhe g rass springs up they draw down the grass turbed by the fall of Mobile. ridge and all, and leave the plants away up on mi I a narrow, dry ridge, to starve for lack of moia* DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE ture. Why they do this, I can’t say unless I their daddies done so. I think the best plan is The waggish editor of the Countryman says t * get the p i ant8 on the bed and draw the dirt a friend has furnished him with copies of the t0 them 19 t h ev bear it. I don’t think I correspondence between the French minister ; a bor under any great mistake about the sweet and the President, during the recent visit of potato nn ,i ,f I d Q not, it is one of the mostprq the former to Richmond. We copy from that b^blc"crops made here, or anywhere else in paper the opening letter, as follows : suitable soil and c imate. There is no crop Mons. U President:—Dis note is for to you 1 that l know of, whieh pays so well. Some inform dat I been come to dis ceetay of Reesh* people plant potatoes it is true, an I get scarce eymong, for to you see on de soobjay of de ly enough to pay for digging; and so do some Frenchey Emperair^s tobac. I hear dat you no f a ji j n every thing they undertake. But there parlez vous Francais, and as I write de Ong- ^ n o nied of failing in the potato crop. Plant leesh firs rate, ver good, and wid de elegance, j n soil, mellow soil, and keep the ground loose I write to you in de Ongleesh. a nd clean a few weeks, and the vines will soon I been come to de hotel de Spottswood, and COV er the whole ground, so that the grass can’t vish vair moosh to you see dare. I vish to hold I do any harm. Sweet potato vine3, it well cut* ▼id you von leetley congversashong, concern- ] ed make excellent food for cattle and sheep.— ing de Etnperair’s tobac. His tobac done been They are hard to cure, but they are also hard give out, and he no Lave de smoke to put in to rot, and they must be very rotten or the his pipe. Euzheenie, she say she done been ,tock will eat them. Planters ought to com- vair glad, for de curtaings dey smell of tobac ID ence digging potatoes for the hogs in August too moosh. But de Emperair he say de tobac an d at that time the vines can be cured with mooiit come. I but little trouble. A friend of mine tells me he Old Abraham de blackeyguard—(vat you plants a potato patch in every cornfield that he call him! Ttha! de backeywoods, and de black- has, so that when his hogs are eating out his oy repooblecan)—he say he no care If dig to- peas, they have potatoes also. This is an ex bac run de blockhead, and vat I vish to see you | cellent plan. Hogs will da much better on po- about is, if you be Tilleeng too moosh, for de tatoesand peas, than thy will on either alone; Emperair's tobac to run de blockhead, too. and then a small piece of ground will answer Please do me de honair, Mons. le President, I the purpose, because they produce so much to for to come to my shambre, and have vid me the acre. Some people seem to be fearful they von leetley congversashong. Yen de Frenchey shall make t >o many potatoes, or more than ministair vish to talk vid de Yankey, he put up they can find any use for. This is a ground- telegraph and talk vid him vay yondair. Mine ) e gs fear. Feed them to hogs, horses and cows God 1 how dese dam Yankey smell like de cod- a n winter, and in the spring and summer too* feesh, and de oolongs I De Frencheyman he until the new crop comes in. I suppose it stand de onlongs by himself, but he no stand de might be possible for a man to make too many cod-feeab, and da oniongs, and corh-viskey, and potatoes, but this is a catastrophe that is not dese dam Yankey backeyvoods all mix tageder often realized in Georgia. A. E. Ernest. But de Soudern zhenlleyman he differong. Me Bibb County, Georgia. talk vid de Soudern zhentleyman faoe to face, »»» and feel myself honair vid his presonce. | Raise Ginger.—In the Colonial history of prisoners were immediately put on the march to Richmond. Our loss in killed and wounded is two hun dred and twenty. The Federal prisoners cap tured by ouf forces numbered six hundred and twenty-three, and the number of field pieces eleven. Nearly the whole oi Gen. Longstreet's brigade was engaged, although Gen. John«f er ,., commanded in person. Uur force is said to have been some eight or ten thousand; and that ot the enemy is estimated to have been at least twice aa much. They were reinforced rapidly^ while the main body of our army was jjj fifteen miles distant, and reinforcements oiam. . reach us until five o’clock, P. M. We repulsed the enei wi driving them back at least two miles, kilreig and wounding over one thousand. At one tit bp, under the deception ol a white flag, a co «iderable portion of the enemy got within fn j - paces of our lines. The flag was carriedilie, front by a small party, while the main body were concealed in the woods andj lying down in the bushes. A murderous fire was thus poured into our ranks. BATTLE OF BARHAMS VILLE. The fight, we have since learned, was con tinued ou \\ ednesday, at Barhauisville, which is situated on the dividing line of New Kent and James City counties, thirteen miles from Williamsburg, and seven miles from Chi :ka- hominy River. A courier arrived at Richdon, Wednesday night, who left the vicinity of the scene of action at noon, and brings intelligence that the fight was being conducted in the most terrific manner. Our troops were acting most gallantly, and had repulsed the enemy for the third time.— Both sides were largely reinforced. The mu tual loss is believed to be very large. At a later hour positive information was received that the enemy were landing immense forces ' ro iV. . l i Je ilK. u J^?. a a t g.3» l U r< Wl% r> 9UAili if to imply a flank movement with their trans ports. The RichmoncTExaminer, in alluding to the opening of the ball in Virginia, says: The battles in the Peninsula, which*may be now considered as joined, are the most impor tant events that have transpired since the set tlement of America. If we are successful, and retain Richmond, there will be foreign intervention and peace, without the possibility of disappointment, be fore the month of June. If we are defeated, and lose Richmond, the Confederacy is launch ed on a wide, troubled and uncertain sea of accidents. Foreign governments can delay action -now only on .he ground of a great Federal success. Sewatd is at the end ot his promises. If the United States fails to take the Capital of this country-on the present trial, and immediately th- game is up. Already it is declared in New York that the Southern Confederacy has been recognized by France. The news may not be true, but it is the shadow of the coming event —the event that stands at the door. But il Richmond is taken, the United States can again plead for and again get delay. The fail of the capital and the flight of the govern ment would be a striking evidence of power.— Tney would declare that before midsummer they would subdue the remnant of the South they would be believed; all the world would turn a deaf ear to our arguments, and shut tueir eyes on a painiul struggle which they would regard as certain to arrive at a tragical conclusion. The success of the South would then be difficult, and to be attained by desper ate means only. All depends on the preservation of this city which depends in turn on tbfe obstinacy ^ and per.-istence ol tho fighting in the Peninsula.— Nothing should be allowed to justiiy an evacu tion ot R cumoud. If beaten in one battle an other should bo begun, despite all the rules of West Point and practice of the present war.— No expense of life, no danger of destruction, should enter into this calculation. No effort should be spared to inspirit the troops, to en courage and hold them up, to rivet their de termination not to quit the ground between York river and Richmond. Let us hope that President Davis and the Generals will be equal to this great crisis. Let them show thetnselves in person to the troops, share their toil, fit their hearts, and lead them to victory. iergeant->y of-tl>“. Virginia. 3d “ ,th»cled anff lettered, pu. ^ 4th ’hot P Staten with more stripes,^, auspiM he is ~ •J •* ' or }n purpi The Ine of iu severely. ■n „ piatlna, uamanuEi Conner . pruasi&u^l^ j*. po EVACUATION OF Nw^rodc Richmond, 12th.—No folk was e ^ Saturday morning by the Confcderaieauh? cupied by the Federals, who landed at View Friday night. The Navy Yard p'-rt was burnt, arid the gates of the dry I blown up, so as to render it unserviceabl J twelvo months. The Virginia, forme^-*v an j. Merrimac. was burnt at Craney I- 1 ' "*.»**'wl e • aetii Journai the'fire re7 ^ zine, she was blown to.a'oms by t aadijl!,' He* crew arrived here thi- mar - i an. LATEST’ FROM Nt>v O-iLSAV In the New Orleans Evening Della of l! day, 1st instant, we find much of interest, collito below: Arrival of the Enemt’s Troop-.—A 1 prbpelier transport, her deck crowded a troops, strived to-day at 12 M., and aOc in front of the city. ** tl \at.d It is supposed Gen. Butler is or* be rf Whenever he lands let our people bea selves with the high spirit they have !.’ < n exhibited. . „ Any offensive demonstration with power to follow it up with physical be»iv puerile. Lat there be no gathering to gtnia * the landing, and let perfect silence attes.ui Vespect for our cause and for ourselves. 7 As important facts in the history of ft 1 Richmond, 10 . 00 / ' hrh ‘hjbfASUilties^j^^^^^^MJRgiment, . ..ax j . r r«tii^BRr}^^%houlder. In V/trft. Coo^)fJ a worn bTpv*' 1 - wiper Wilson was killed; A-rVJ.'“dlii,' l <1 )}gham, wounded in both arms, slightly ; Elbert Bose, tore finger shot off; P. H. Foy, left arm broke; B. J. Spence, wounded in the arm. In Captain McKenzie’s Company, Dan. Dey, killed ; Lieut. Calhoun, jjlightly wounded ; J. Pope, severely ; Madison Giddens and W. Pope, prisoners. STONEWALL” JACKSON -ADVANCING. A BATTLE. Richmond, 9th.—A despatch from Staunion this morning says that “Stonewall” Jackson’s advance force engaged the enemy near McDow- ! Federalists had passed the Forts. 1 This was done by order of the Governor of Louisiana and of the military commander of the Confederate States. Fifteen thousand bales were consumed, the value of « hich would hav'o been abouta million and a half ot dollars. J he s at 5 o’clock p. m , yesterday. After four hours fighting he succeeded in driving the ene my back. Our loss is said to be'300. Gene ral Edward Johnson was wounded in the an kle. Col. M. G. Harman and Capt. Dabney of the 62d Regiment were wounded in the arm Col. Gibbons of the 10th Virginia Regiment wan killed. A big fight is expected to-day. The Richmond Dispatch this morning says on the authority of Capt’. Hill of the steamer boats yesterday, and silenced one vessel and the iron clad steam gunboat Galena. events of the last five or six days, we w< state that the occupation f this city, now m£ raentarily expected by the United States forcwi secures to them the control ■ ! .lie livc-lRF* property of one hundred. t il.y ihous inhabitants, nearly all ot them non-c mibata' , The property in the city is altogether of* - description known ail over the world a- pr t -sual-^ property. Of other propirty, which Ins b«hefisjj recognized in all other countries, and in other wars but this, as private, and not sulyiogtrul to seizure in war—that whi -h forms the OoflttMa uierce ot our people, and which has conlr.bu e^j by mainly to the vast trade of our city—there is little or none left in cur port, 'i he cotton, which the United States authorities have in other places se zed and appropriated, without authority of any law of nations, as recogniz :d by civilized communities, was all consumed the moment the announcement was made that the tobacco now stored here, being all held by for eign residents on foreign account, was not de stroy e 1. ‘ T he specie of the haoks, to the amount of twelvo or fifteen millions, was re moved from the city and placed in a Secure plate; so ol nearly all the stores and other propci ty of the Confederate Sta es. Tho»rec- U'LY i'wo.C 0= B-» Customhouse, the Postotbcc and the Mint. Of provisions o every kind, there is a scant sup- 3'20 Hessians capiured at Williamshurg on p|y t barciy t ffietent tor the wants ot the peo- Monday arrived hero last evening, lliii city pie. Ot ship- id steamers, which ordinarily excited by reports of more fighting on the at this peiio f the year crowd our wharves, as tar as t - c can leach, there is not a sin gle or.o 1 :. only ships in our port are the arm-d ship- .' -he United States. They lie at the head < eiur principal streets, com manding them with their powerful batteries. The prospects of any arrival of coiton are poor.. By order of the Governor, the cotton on the banks of all the streams has been every where set r n fire. Not a bale could be picked up by the most diligent and enterprising search. The r hole valley ot the Missi-sippi is now be ing i.luminated by the confl ignition of tho most valuable articles of commeice. The exe cution ot this order of the Government, though not prompted by any motive of the sort, will send grief and misery to the great manufactu ring communities of the old world. The Con federate Government and the people aver that tney have been forced to this great sacrifice by the enemy’s threat and the performance of it, on a smalt scale, to confi-cate this valuable pro- duct to their own use. It is a heavy loss to our own people, but they claim no commisera tion or sympathy for suefi sacrifice, they can live without the proceeds of their cotton, and for the present the Southern people are, and will be, content with a bare substs ence. They have planted large crops of cereals, and will soon be quite indeptnd nt of all other co nmu- nities for the means ol comfortable subsistence. Su-h is historically our -it jation, and in tho presence of* hostile military force, virtudly occuping theciiy our functions as public jour nalists become those’ol the chronicler ot. 1 n s, the mere historian of the condition of thi- / and of the South-western \ alley of the Missis sippi. ' _ Peninsula. Auousta, 8th.— The Savannah Republican savs tbat the Yankees have bet n reconnoitcr ng the river and coast batteries all the morn ing, with gunboats, and that a balloon came up nearly to the mouth of Augustine creek and ihen returned. FROM MOBILE. Mobile, 9th.—All quiet at Fort Morgan.— The Yankee fleet sailed westwardly this room ing. FROM CORINTH. Richmond, 10th.—The following is an official despatch from Corinth 9th via Mobile: Gen. S. Cooper—VYe attacked the enemy to-day and drove him from his position, several miles. G. T. Beacheqakd. STONE WALL JACKSON’S VICTORY. Richmond, lQib.—A telegram this morning to Gov. Letcher from Staunton, states that Gi a Jackson despatches that we gained a brilliant victory at McDowell. The enemy is in full flight, hotly pursued. Our loss 40 killed, and 200 wounded. Federal loss heavy. The ene my left their dead and wounded on the field. Of the 12th Georgia Regiment, Captains Fur- low, McMillan and Patterson, and Lieuts. Tur pin, Goldwire and Woodward were killed.— Capt. Dawson was badly wounded. EjT’The 46th Georgia Reg meat, Col, P. H. Colquitt, U stationed at Ch*<-’l*4on, S. C. Mons. le President vil please excusay his I Ge orgia, It is stated that Race Ginger formed a hoomblay airvoog for not come to de President. 1 pjjncipal article of export from the colony.— He on von ’of de affiuree of state, ^ no r<!t8oQ . W(J cannot ^ it „ and he no vish his mtsshong yet to be known Uncus. why I well now ss our forefathers did then. WAR ITEMS. The Mobile* Tribune understands that the railroad is forbidden to carry passengers (e cept soldiers) to Corinth. The Jackson Mississippian says that it isi ported that the Federal flag was floating over tho Capitol at Baton Rouge. Rjverdy Johnson has written a letter prov ing the unconstitutionality of the act of abol ishing slavery in the District of Columbia. The Confederate schooner Dixie has been captured and taken to Philadelphia by the Yan kee steamer Keystone State. A Yankee captain writing to his sister from Tennessee, exclaims: “Ob, sister, the peach blossoms looks so tine, and maybe we’ll eat some tine peaches.” Elegant young Hopeful 1 The New York Herald asserts that the Re publican party of New York is undergoing a crystalization into two hostile factions—the one looking to Mr. Secretary Se».ard for the next Presidency, and the other to Mr. Secreta- ry Chase. A Yankee engineer has prepared a very in- eenious plan for a shot proof battery, which looks feasible. It has two revolving turrets and a gun at tha prow beneath the water line, which can be discharged at the moment of col lision with an adversary. The plan looks for- midable. * The Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Observer says a pro ject is on foot in that county to build an iron clad gunboat for the defence of the river, and expresses an opinion that such a boat can be MORE FROM CORINTH. Mobile, 10th.—The special correspondent of the Mobile Advertiser says that he has just returned from the front. The Federals were driven across Seven Mile Creek this morning, running like sheep. It appears that Pope’s division alone occupied Farmington, while Hal- leck with the main body is still on the river.—^ Confederate loss slight The Federals retreated so rapid that we were unable to capture many prisoners. Price and \ an Dorn led the ( attack. We captured the Telegraph office at Farming- ton. The Confederates are returning to Cor inth. It is reported that the Confederate forces are operating down the Tennessee, and have cap tured a large number of prisoners and a large amount of property at Paris and Paducah. THE FIGHT AT McDOWELL loss of the 12th Georgia. [Hon. E. A. Nisbet besides using the telegraph and the mails, sends tho following telegram to us for publication, as one of the means of im parting the information to tho friends of the killed and wounded.] Special to Hon. E. A. Niebet. Staunton, 10th.—I.leave in tho morning with the bodies of Capt W. L. Furlow, Capt. McMillan, Capt. Patterson, Lieut. Turpip, Lieut. Goldwire, Li6ut. Woodward and E. B. Read. The following ia a list of the casualties in the Putnam Light Infantry: Killed.—E. B. Read, E. S. Davis, F. 3. Wil liams. Wounded—Slightly.—Capt. Davis, Lieuten ant Marshall, J. Bell, J. Little, J. Denham, A. Walker, J. A. Bell, A. Marshal), H. Nomas, Sergeant R. H. Jenkins. Severely.—Lieut. Ethridge, Sergeant Bathol- ler, J. IL Parker, A. H. Reid, S. B. Batholier, Stubbs, J. C. Adams, Rickerson, TO ALL MAGISTRATES AND CITIZENS. Headquarters Army of the Mississippi, 1 Corinth, April 29tb, 1862. ) A powerful enemy, with a large army, has invaded our homes.’ Our brave soldiers are gathering for the holy purpose of driving him from our soil. There is a duty which you can perform, and we call upon you astai'.hful mag istrates‘and good citizens to discharge it.— Some of our soldiery are ab ent without leave and some on furloughs granted when their ser vices were not so urgently needed. All should return at once to duty. Wc caif upon you to send them back to the ranks. Show them by your counsels what is their duty, wiiat their country demands and expects, and enforce their return. Should any play the liggard or shrink from the contest, ho d them up to the scorn and indignation of your communities.— Your earnest and Zetflous aid is sought, and by aiding our gallant army in this respect, you will entitle yourselves to the gratitude of the coun try, and aid in driving the oppressor from our soil. ^f”Newspapers friendly to our cause are re* specifully invited to publish the foregoing. J. E. Slaughter, Brig, and Inspector Gen. Georgia Military Institute.—The acting Superintendent of the Georgia Military tute at Marietta, in a card to the Atlanta icjw federacy, denies the report that it has, about to suspend. A serious disturba/iqf 9 among the Carets, brought about Jiy, KuAy- nation among them to leave the Insti;*"*£££,*. f out the consent of parents and gu;.- * * in defiance of regulations. .29 That'soaroch 19 resigned, and 1 deserted,, foavinjp^ 011 ^® are herebp the Institute. .'«T Major Walker Reynolds has taflSlrthe load in Talladega county, Ala., ih sending negroes to work the farms of poor men who are in the army, and have left farms and families behind. This is as it should be. The Second Georgia Volunteers, now in the Peninsula, reorganized, under the Conscript Bill, on the 23th of April. E. M. Butts, tne former Major, was elected Colonel; Capt. Win. R. Holmes, of the “Burke Sharp Shooters,” Lieut. Colonel; and Capt. W. T. Harris, of tho “Jackson Blues,” Major. expresses an op.nton uiat sucu a ooai oa.i tea ^ ly j j. Pearson, W. W. Suther, constructed by the citizens, if they will ml/ f* ^ r. a Biad uke hold of the matter in th* proper manner. I J. T. D smuke. K. A. Ksas.

Georgia Historic Newspapers

Weekly Georgia telegraph. (Macon [Ga.]) 1858-1869, May 16, 1862, Image 1