Newspaper Page Text
By Joseph Clisby.
MACON, FRIDAY, 3 O’CLOCK, P. M., JUNE 6, 1862.
WARM WEATHER AND HOT WORK.
This, Thursilay, is a warm day—nobody
questions the fart and everybody asserts it, as
he stops in the shade to greet you and pulls
out a handkerchief to w i pe a moist brow. The
heat of summer is at hand. Next Sunday is
that great boundary of time—the 1st of June
beyond which the world has been duly no
tified the rebellion should not pass. The 1st
of June should find tho Southern Confederacy
extinct—the Federal arms triumphant in every
rebel State, and every Southern port open to
pour out its long locked up treasures to the
trade of the world. The first of June
gave them ninety days of settled weather from
the opening of spring, and the first of June,
too, was conceded by the outside world to open
ninety days in which the heat of a Southern
sun would be fata! to all field operations. As
that day found the campaign, soil must stand
arrested till the season of blasting heat and
withering fever, should be followed by the cool
ing frosts of October. Thus, we see, there was
a good reason at both ends of *he ninety days
why the 1st of June should have been fixed
upon; and if it passes with the Federal invad
ing armies arrested, and appalled in their
march to Richmond and to t oriuth, while far to
the Northward in Virginia their cordon is dis
gracefully broken, and their Hying and broken
legions are seeking safety in Maryland, the out
side world will feel that the “rebellion," so far
from being crushed out, has obtained a new
lease of life and will be more difficult to crush
than ever. They will judge, and judge rightly,
that the North has put forth her full energies
in one campaign to crush it and has failed—
that the exhaustion and discouragement follow
ing this effort will scarcely permit an equal
vigor in the third campaign, while, on the oth
er hand, the Confederates, encouraged by the
failure of their enemies and benetitted by time
and experience, will be able to pul forth a great
er degree of resistance.
This on the supposition that the 1st of June
finds us in our present condition. If we are
defeated at Richmond or at Corinth, the Fede
ral*, although far (and, we believe, forever,)
short of their maik, expectations and promises,
will still close their campaign with something
like eclat; but in respect to what they have
undertaken and promised, it must even then be
pronounced barren of results.
But should the 1st of June, or the first week
in June, find both their great invading armies
defeated, while their own territory has been
penetrated by our army, there will then be but
one conclusion among all parties capable of an
intelligent and reasonable opinion. The vast
embodiment of all the mental, material and
pecuniary resources of the North in the great
campaign of 1802, will have ended in disas
trous in ignominious failure. True they have
fak en forts and towns—penetrated hundreds I
of miles into our interior by the rivers, but
•very part and particle of their success waa
simply inevitable. In the nature of things
there could be no effective resistance to their
guuboats. We had and could have nothing ad
equate to meet them. Their triumphs were
like blows upon a non-combatant or an unarm
ed man, and the world will say that the Fede-
rals were victorious only where defeat was im
possible, and defeated whenever a single condi
tion of success remains with their adversaries.
But whatever fate may betide us or them at
Corinth or Richmond, we trust the determina
tion of our government and people is inexora
ble, that so far as we are concerned the sum
mer shall find us more active than ever. Sum
uier has been the favorite time for our people
to go Sorth, and we hope this old custom will
be kept up by our soldiers. We have an im
mense and gallant army, if by the help of trod
or man we could only get it out of entrenched
camps and put it actively in the field. Active
and energetic campaigns will be prosecuted
with one-half the loss suffered in the ditches of
Manassas and Yorktown last summer. Let the
territory overrun by the enemy all be regained,
and his own be penetrated, harrassed and laid
under contribution to support our armies. Let
the approach of winter find us at least all lost
ground in Tennessee recovered, and her rivers
thoroughly obstructed against gunboats, while
the enemy has been made to feel in his own
country something of the horrors and disasters
of war which he has been inflicting on us.
FROM RICHMOND.
The Dispatch, of the 28th, summing up the
little skirmishes which have taken place around
Richmond, adds the following in reference to
the filty three soldiers of the 25th New York
regiment, captured at Hanover Court House,
by the 28th North Carolina. The New Y’ork-
ers had arrived at Richmond as prisoners of
war:
These men state that little confidence is felt
in the result of the anticipated general engage
ment by the t ank and file of the Federal army.
They acknowledge the superiority of our sol
diers, and confess that in a land fight they have
very little hope of success. They had heard
of the splendid victory of Gen. Jackson over
Banks, which they represent to have had an
exceedingly Repressing effect upon the private
soldiers. Our loss in this engagement was
slight.
Later in the afternoon, commencing about
4 o’clock, a terrific fight took place near the
same point, hut of this we have no particulars.
yr The Rome Southerner slates that there
arc twelve or fifteen salt licks in Floyd county.
Good salt has been made from the water accu
mulating in them after a heavy rain.
11TH GA. BATTALION.
This battalion was organized at Griffin by
the election of Jack Brown, Esq , of Talbotton,
Major. It comprises the following companies:
Lockett Volunteers, (.'apt. C. J. Harris, of Ma
con ; Jack Brown’s, of Marion; Capt. Collins'
company, of \Vashinglon; ('apt. E. Cain’s,
from Hancock ; Capt. M. G. Bass’, Foil Gaines;
Corbin Greys, Capt Fickling, from Taylor;
and one or two other companies are to join.—
The Battalion will he raised to a regiment, and
as will he seen by advertisement, has been fur
loughed to 15th June, at which time it will
rendezvous at Macon. Most of the companies
\mposing the battalion have already seen a
year’s service, and whether in the field as
regiment or battalion, the corps will have no
superiors and few equals from this State.
FROM CORINTH.
We copy letters from Memphis papers of the
24(1 and 25th, which throw some doubt upon
the probabilities of a battle at Corinth. One
of them, indeed, asserts that Halleck has com
menced a retreat. The statement, however,
should be received with caution. P. W. A.
in a letter elated the 22d to the Republican,
says that the Confederate troops were put in
mot on for an attack the night before, but the
enterprise failed by reason of insuperable dif
ficulties in the ground encountered by a flank
ing column. He reports the arrival in Ualleck’s
cam) of the reinforcing columns previously
noted bv telegram, and says that the column
from Curtis’ Missouri army consisted of 20,000
men under Seigel. The following extracts lrom
late letters of Personne, of the Courier, will be
read with interest as indicating the strength of
our position and the movements of the ene
my:—
The Federals arc within two miles and a half
of our entrenchments at various points, and
are doubtless at work upon fortifications be
hind which they may reco l after their heavy
blows upon us. Siege guns arc also reported
to have been mounted by them, and a system
of regular approaches adopted, whereby their
attack upon our lines may be made sudden and
effective. All this we anticipate, and our move
ments take place accordingly. But in every
way we have the advantage of the enemy. Our
lines are so compact, that in two or three hours
we can throw every man upon a given point.
The Federals on the contrary' are compelled
to make detours of ten, fifteen or twenty miles,
to do which consumes a whole day or more.
We have no water courses to interfere with our
movements; but in front of us the country is
cut up with streams wh : cb will obstruct the
enemy on every side. Ilalleck therefore is
compelled to resort to what may be called
“heavy” military strategy, to prevent the rapid
forays which it is in the power of Beauregard
to make, and not without every probability of
success in his favor. Let him expose a weak
position and we pounce upon him like an eagle
a snake, and before lie could get his coils
around us, the serpent would be “scotched.”
This is one of the great difficulties with which
Halleck has to contend, and the delay now
taking place is consequent upon the extreme
caution with which he has to move his troops
from po>nt to point and at the same time pre
vent surprise. lie is aware also of the com
parative impregnability of our situation, and
the pei feet arrangements with which Beaure
gard and Bragg have made for his reception ;
that his only hope is in breaking our lines, or
getting to our rear, and that in making either
of these attempts the facility with which we
can mass troops might result in his discomfit
ture and defeat
It is not imprudent to mention the fact that
our army is now so situated as to enable us at
will to assume either the aggressive or defen
sive. We are emphatically strong, and were
it not for the temporary indisposition of a large
number of soldiers, incident to bad water, and
the tnalaTious influences of the country, could
at any time issue from our works, attack the
Federals at random and whip them across the
Tennessee. It may he so notwithstanding
these disadvantages, for I do not believe that
Halleck has fifteen ihmaind more effective
fighting men than Beauregard.
Saturday, Sunday, and to-day, up to the
present hour, have been marked by heavy
skirmishing all along our lines. The enemy
advanced with more vigor than ever before,
and evidently with the design to force them
selves as near our position as possible before
opening battle. Behind these demonstrations
there may he concealed still another object,
namely, that of throwing up entrenchments
and planting heavy guns. The belief is now
generally entettained that (he Federals intend
to subject our lines to serere shelling for three
or four days, more or less, with a view to wor
ry us into an evacuation ; or at least fatigue
our men to such an extent that a general at
tack will find them demoralized. In both these
designs the enemy will he disappointed.
Halleck can neither surprise us nor find a
weak place in our lines. There is not a posit
ion front or rear which, in three hours, cannot
be made as impregnable as the rock oi Gibral
tar.
A scout just in reports the Federals to be
massing their troops all around us. Roads arc
being cut by them, works built, and seige trains
brought forward to assist in the contemplated
demonstration. A great deal of sickness pre
vails, however, and their transports daily car
ry up the river thousands of the disabled. From
General Pope’s division alone, 3,000 sick men
were sent hack on Wednesday last. The
Tennessee river is now so low that the Federal
gunboats are aground. It is their guns, prob
ably, which arc being brought to the front.—
Notwithstanding their boasted means of trans
portation, the enemy find themselves environed
by a host of difficulties which heretofore they
have not encountered. For the first time they
begin to experience the real difficulties of cam
paigning, and in proportion to the distance from
their sources of supply is the suffering superin
duced. This fact of itself must soon solve the
knotty problem both armies have in hand.
FALLING BACK AT CORINTH.
The Atlanta Confederacy says rumors are
afloat that Beauregard is falling back, and adds,
“Such a movement is not at all unexpected to
us. It wont hurt us a great deal, while it will
be as bad as a defeat to the enemy." The ene
my have been defeated a great deal in that way
lately, and candor compels us to say it does
not appear to hurt them. •> much as a defeat of
the other kind. Now assuming that a Confed
erate army of equal size should be a fair match
for the Hessians, what should hinder a defeat of
the Stonewall Jackson kind—just for a rarity
—just for an experiment, to see which is really
worse for tho enemy.
♦♦♦
Stop Him.—Under this head the Richmond
Whig calls loudly for the suppression of Stone
wall Jackson for his outrageous violations of
the arts of war. A man who has no more
sense than to attack the enemy every day and
whip him, without a single entrenchment, or
retreat in good order, or the slightest respect
to the military etiquette and usages of the
times, should not be permitted to go at large in
these times It is dangerous and disrespectful,
calculated, if not intended, to wound the sus
ceptibilities of “our Northern Withering,” and
bring spades into contempt.
Jkke Clemens.—The Clayton Banner learns,
it don’s, say how, that Jere Clemens ia as much
of a secessionist as ever, and has not joined
the Federals.
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.
Some of the papers are working themselves
into eloquence over a recent “Union demon
stration” in Nashville, got up by Andy John
son. One hundred and forty delegates from
about twenty to thirty counties, are stated to
have been present The affair is of no conse
quence whatever. Indeed it is only surprising
that Andy Johnson and the Federal power and
patronage could not have done better than
that! The “delegates” were men there upon
their own mere motive and responsibility, and
it is a marvel out of the thirty thousand Ten
nessee voters who, from first to last were un
conditional Union men, only one hundred and
forty could be collected upon the sumons of a
Federal Governor to put themselves on the roll
as candidates for Federal pap. We argue from
this thin attendance that the Union n.en of
Tennessee are either pretty thoroughly dis
gusted with their cause, or think the Federal
gra«p of that State very precarious and likely
to stop at any moment. Probably both of
these causes conspired to make the meeting
contemptible. We are surprised it did not
number five thousand instead of one hundred
and forty.
44TH REGIMENT.
A note from Col. R. A. Smith, of this Regi
ment, dated Camp McIntosh, near Goldsboro’,
N. C., dated 2Gth May, says:
“My Regiment will leave for Petersburg to
morrow. You will be pleased to learn that the
Regiment numbers over eleven hundred men.
We shall carry probably one thousand to Pe
tersburg. The health of the corps has improv
ed greatly.”
Pocotaliuo.—The tight on Thursday last on
the Carolina coast, was the result of a move
ment o' the Federals on the line efthe Charles
ton and Savannah Railroad. They penetrated
nine miles in the country and within two of rience.
the Station which is designated by this eupho
nious name, but retreated so soon as they en
countered opposition. Two of our men were
killed.
as IllgWU^VaS
in- Jen bjlturis
hif When Gen. McClellan said in a boast
ful despatch, “we will soon drive the rebels to
the wall,” did he refer to Stone Wall f
INTERVENTION AND RECOGNITION.
We publish two extracts from Northern pa
pers on this subject which will amuse the read
er. Journal of Commerce says France is bent
on mischief and the Yanks must look to En
gland—Herald says England is gone and the
only hope is France. Meanwhile the sagacious
in the South regard these Northern alarms
about intervention, as mere gull traps of the en
emy to put the South to sleep attain ; but that
game has been playe 1 once too successfully to
succeed again. The South now means to buy
peace with blood, and has made up her mind
to pay the price.
other
Eufaula was written in red ink across the word
Irwinton, and the word office across the word
store. It was bogus, yet it circulated.”
The foregoing from our paper of FriR_f^,n
are told is incorrect. The change bi.S ht.>- | Jackal
to hav« been reissued by parties in Eufaula,
of tln?^ghest financial standing, and are per
fectly ji«od.
BATTLES NEAR RICHMOND.
HUNTER’S ORDER.
We copy Lincoln's Proclamation abolishing
Hunter’s Order. The amount of it, as will be
seen, is that Lincoln is not yet ready for such
a step, and when he is, will take it himself and
not through his creatures in the army. Mean
while, he tenderly exhorts and warns the Bor
der States to note the signs of the times—seize
the auspicious moment as it Hies, and co-operate
with Lincolnism while they can get compensa
tion for their contrabands. The proclamation
is as ominous as the order.
MORE PRISONERS.
We understand 800 more Shiloh prisoners
are on the way to Macon. The same advice
might be given respecting them as the others.
Loose them on their oath and let them go. If
that is not to be taken, here is another sugges
tion : Some of the New York papers are out
for employing Confederate prisoners on the for
tifications round New York Now as ditch
ing and banking are the great recourse on our
side, and our men don’t like the business, why
not borrow an idea from the New Yorkers and
put these prisoners at fortifying the new camps
of Johnston and Beauregard, if they fall back,
When these in turn are successfully met by
counter entrenchments of the enemy, and we
have another retreat—set them to work again,
ai\d so on till all get down to the Gulf, when
the prisoners can be turned over to the Yan
kees, and the Confederates surrender or take to
the water.
The commander of the post of Mem
phis has established a maximum price for pro
visions in that market Bacon, hog round, 23
*25c; Lard, barrels and tierces, 23a25c ; kegs,
27a28c; Flour, $14al6 per barrel; Corn, $1
20 bushel; Meal, $1.50 per bushel; Sugar,
brown and clarified, 8 to loc per pound ; Mo
lasses, 35a40 per gallon; Coffee $1 per pound.
A Scckek IlArrY in Anticipation.—The
Hanoinq the Gl'euii.las.—The Richmond
papers state that two Confederate partisan ran
gers have been hung by the Federals in North
western Virginia, and urge retaliation.
JJJT'A correspondent of the Atlanta Confed
eracy, writing from Shellmound, under date of
the 20th uli, states that Gen. Mitchell recent
ly sent a train of four hundred wagons loaded
with cotton, from Huntsville to Shelbyville,
and thence by Railroad to Nashville.
Memphis Appeal publishes a letter found on
the person of a deceased Illinois Sucker in the
Federal army, dated 27lh April, and addressed
to his wife, Mrs. Sue Donely, Mount Vernon
Illinois. Donely finds the people in Tennessee
very rough, but likes the land and will dispose
of both in this way :
Well, when that time comes up, we will make
the rebels feel the weight and power of our
Steel. They present a woebegone look. They
look like thev never had any advantages of an
education. I noticed some of the women’s
dresses. You ought to be here to take one gaze
at their huge appearance. Their hoops are
made of grape vine and white oak splits. I
feel sorry for the poor, ignorant things. Well,
we will teach them, in a few days, how to do
without white oak and grape vine hoops. They
are now the same as conquered, and one more
blow and the country is ours. I hate my eye
on a fine situation, and bow happy we will live
when we get our Southern home. When we get
possession of the land, we can make the men
raise cotton and corn, and the WOMEN CAN
ACT IN THE CAPACITY OF DOMESTIC
SERVANTS. The women are very ignorant,
only a grade above the negro, and we can live
like kings. My love to all the neighbors. Kiss
all the children for me, and tell them pa will
come back again. Adieu, my dearest Sue.
James Donely.
tSfGen. Lawton has called Colonel G. W.
Lee, commanding the military post of Atlanta,
to Savannah, as the withdrawal of Gen. Mercer
leave* Col. Lee senior officer of the brigade.—
Colonel E. P. Watkins has been placed in com
mand at Atlanta.
McClellan’s force.
Raymond, of the New York Times, in a par
agraph copied elsewhere, says McClellan’s at
tacking force upon Richmond does not exceed
a hundred thousand men. The occasion and
manner of this statement lead us to believe it
If the reader will examine it for himself, we
think he too will come to the conclusion that
it is true. If that be the fact, Johnston’s ar
my outnumbers that of the invaders, and if
we take into account the probable results of
the water, and exposure to the climate upon
Northern troops, McClellan’s sick list is un
doubtedly larger than ours and we have a pro-
portionably greater number of eflective men.
In the face of these facts, however, we see
that McClellan is steadily carrying out his pro
gramme as explained by Raymond—he is ap
proaching Richmond by regular siege opera
tions—fortifying and holding every step of his
advance, and apparently reducing its defenders
to the necessity, when the fight is fairly open
ed, of repelling the enemy by the slow and
costly operation of storming successive lines
of works. The Richmond papers are getting
nervous. The Dispatch of the 27th says:
There is yet no battle, and the enemy is
known to be fortifying his whole line on the
north bank of the Chickahominy. He has been
seen engaged in this labor most industriously
for several days. He will next commence the
shelling of our army. Some people say, from
one of his earthworks he can pitch a shell into
this city. This we doubt, though it must be
confessed that the line of works now in pro
gress by one of the great dirt diggers of the
age, is rather nearer than the citizens like. We
know very little of war, and do not presume
that our opinions will receive any more weight
than they are entitled to. It seems to us, how
ever, that as no attack has been made on our
side until it may be presumed the enemy is
pretty well fortified, there will not be any at
all of his present position. What our Gene
rals intend to do, of course they alone know.
They have learning, large capacity, and expe-
The country lias relied and is relying
on them; and if there is occasionally some
misgiving, let us hope that the result will prove
there is no good reason for it. All will join in
gratefully awarding to them the meed that may
be due them.
But it is a fact, that the commonest observer
must know that delay is not the thing for us.
FROM CORINTH.
Liberty of the Press.
P. W. A., of the Savannah Republican, fires
his last volley as a correspondent at Corinth on
the 26th. All he has to say about army mat
ters strictly, is the concluding paragraph, as
follows:
There is but little to communicate in regard
to the position of affairs heie. The Federals
are fast closing around us. It is reported, by
an intelligent scout, that they have planted one
of their heavy seige guns just across a swamp,
and within one mile and a half of our works.
Others will doubtless be got into position soon
Indeed, it is probable they will begin the work
of shelling our camps before this week is out.
They have also erected very strong defensive
works, to guard against an attack by us. e
must, therefore, either go out and fight ti. a
n their own strong positions, or submit to be
shelled in ours, or prepare to retire from Cor
inth. No other alternative is lelt us.
Our latest Corinth date, at present writing,
is the 29th, up to which time nothing had hap
pened ; but there is a common idea abroao that
Beauregard will be necessitated to fallback—
indeed an entrenched camp seems always bound
to result in this expedient. With heavier guns,
the enemy can make it too hot for us—no space
is left between the antagonists for field opera
tions—to carry the enemy’s entrenchments is
an achievement of great hazard, and alter it is
done our own light artillery and cavalry can be
used to no advantage. With these views, all
the street corner, editorial and bar room gene
rals unite iu the opinion that you might as
well put a Confederate army into a jug as an
entrenched camp, and see no chance for Beau
regard but to toll Halleck away and try him
somewhere else.
P. W. A. is in had humor over the order
expelling correspondents from the camp, and
berates it for more than a column as an attack
upon the “liberty of the press.” We cannot
see bow he can well maintain his charge. Ilis
own remarks in defence of it, display a great
deal of “freedom" still left, and nobody will
doubt that he can say and print a great many
more and haisher thing? with impunity.—
Can it be pretended that the well known
constitutional guarantees to freedom of speech
and the press are intended to apply in their
full force to our camps and armies in time of
war or even of peace ? Do not the rules and
articles of war always supercede both in a great
measure, so that the soldier is often punished
for insubordination in what is the mere exer
cise of constitutional “liberty of speech.” In
war, martial law must control the camp and all
in it, and the exigencies of the public service
not only abridge the liberty of speech and the
press, but often deny the use of both altogeth
er. Not only is nothing allowed to be printed
but even spoken in a voice above a whisper.
Now to maintain that a civilian can go within
the lines of a camp, in the presence of a pub
lie enemy, and insist upon the measure ef his
right of speech and printing, as defined by the
constitution, and declare that these fundamen
tal constitutional guarantees are assailed, be
cause it is denied him, strikes us as absurd.
He surrendered this or consented to its abridge
ment when he placed himself in camp, under
martial law, and if he must resume it let him
leave the camp. The plainest dictates of pub
lic necessity and safety require that military
secrecy should be maintained, and vest in the
commander a wide discretion as to the means
to be used in maintaining it As one of these
means, General Beauregard has thought it ne
cessary to exclude the reporters of the news
paper press from the camp. General Johnston
has done the same. Those reporters were not
of the camp—they were not in the public ser.
vice—they had no legal or military status in
camp. They can go outside of it and print
what they please. The charge, therefore, that
either of these generals has been guilty of an
attack upon the constitutional rights of the peo
pie seems to us quite groundless.
FORT FISHER ATTACK!
Wilmington, 29th.—Three of the
ders fired on Fort Fisher this morning.
' auled off about noon. Journal.
Special Despatch to the Telegraph.
THE SECOND GEORGIA BATTALION.
Wilminoton, 29th.—The Second Georgia
Battalion leaves here at 2 o’clock P. M. for Pe
tersburg. K.
FROM VICKSBURG.
Mobile, 2\Jth.—A special despatch to the
Mobile Advertiser, from Vicksburg, 28th,
states that the Federal gunboats have taken
position within range of our batteries—expect
them to open on the city at any moment Our
batteries have not fired a shot as yet.
Vicxsbuko, 29th.—About sundown last eve
ning the Federal gunboats and a sloop Of war
ppened on our batteries at long range. Our
drove them back, when the enemy
|J the lower battery. About twenty
exchanged, when the enemy retir-
THE WEST.
Since Beauregard's order suppressing the
newspaper correspondents, the West is a sealed
book to us. We get occasional reports by a
returned soldier—the last one of which was on
the 27th—that all baggage had been sent to
the rear, and which is interpreted into a prepa-
tion for an attack by some, and for a retreat,
by others. The idea of most people is that a
retreat must be the next movement Consid
erable chagrin and mortification are expressed
at the result of a strategetic movement on the
22d, in which a flanking column was despatch
ed over a route which was impassable. That
such a discovery had to be made by actual ex
periment after our troops had occupied the
camp at Corinth about four months, has been
ih» subjert of some uncomplimentary com
ment by the letter writers, and we think no
one need go far beyond this fact to find one
reason why the reporters were ejected.
But, no matter, we cannot permit our.dop'e to
flag that the western campaign will,, to >•'■<
work out right in time. Beauregai’f
fine an army as could be asked for, rj (
of general officers unequalled. Tl ,
of his camp at Corinth has so far
weakness and prevented an open tier
ter in which we should have defeateu.(° n ^
my—at least this is the popular judgement)/ t l
But it is possible that a retreat further South,
drawing Ualleck’s army away from its river
supports, may ultimately eventuate in his more
complete discomfiture. So mote it be.
ALL GUIET.
oni>, 29th.—All quiet along our lines
Au id in the city. Weather fine.
Siiinplasters.—“We saw a shipplas,*<jr■ tbf f
rer day, dated in 1838, in which the *!ord
1fjl V( yharacter of the dispatehes in Monday's
paptt'Uid not seem to warrant an opinion,ttfi
the recent fights near Richmond. The state
ments had, for the most part, no better basis
than the reports of wounded soldiers from the
battle field, and the advantages thus claimed
were far from decisive. Tho mutual suspen
sion of the struggle for the purpose of burying
the dead, indicates that both parties were well
tired of the fight and willing to quit. We
gather, therefore, that it has been a very hard
tight, resulting in a stand-off, with perhaps
some small advantage on our side. McClellan
will no doubt claim a victory. Stay; we will
write his dispatch, never having seen it, as fol
lows :
Banes of the Chickahominy, )
June 1, 1862. j
Hon. E. M. Stanton, See'y, <Ce. ;
I have the honor to report that a small por-
iii of my army, east of the Chickahominy,
were assailed by the enemy yesterday, and the
latter beaten off after a sharp struggle, in which
the loss on his side was prodigious. To-day,
hope of retrieving his disaster, he assailed
us in force, supposed to be upwards of on# hun
dred thousand men. After a sanguinary con
flict of ten hours, he was again routed, not
withstanding the disparity of numbers, and
retired, leaving the ground covered with his
ounded and slain. Geo. B. McClellan.
We shall see, by and by, how far we have
missed the figure. Our reports claim that we
drove the enemy from his position into the
cover of the swamp, say a mile and a half—
carried two of his entrenchments, and turned
his own guns upon him. They also admit that
the enemy fought with great gallantry—disput
ing the ground inch by inch, and that the car
nage on both sides was terrible. But we ought
certainly to get fuller accounts before going to
press. These remarks are founded solely upon
what was received on Sunday.
We got no news of the victims of the fight
except what is reported as the contents of pri
vate despatches. Gen. Ilatton, of Tennessee,
Gen. J. Johnson Pettigrew, of North Carolina,
Col. Tennent Lomax, of Alabama, and Capt.
Ethercdge, of Forsyth, in this State, are the
only officers we have yet heard as reported
killed; but we fear and expect to receive a long
and doleful catalogu!.
The advance of the enemy has been checked,
and probably the locality of the decisive strug
gle transferred to the other side of the James
river, but the battle of Richmond has yet to
be fought.
Freahrl
Richmond, 31st.—The heavy rain of last I then left without a force sufficient to war!
night caused a flood in the Chickahominy riv- the detachment of so large a body as this o
It is reported that all the bridges have ration f would h f 6 r T' r .t d ’ H ~ reSour , Ce ’
. . , , therefore, was to make the attack in regular
been washed away, and three divisions of the ( orm and by regular siege operation, running
enemy caught on this side of the river. Am- no risk of defeat by undue haste or inadequate
bulances were sent down at noon. The firing I preparation, and making it absolutely certain
artillery and musketry distinctly heard * ie could hold every step he might take in
here. No courier has arrived. advance.
And here let me say one word as to the rea-
THE FIGHT NEAR RICHMOND. sons lor the withdrawal of General McDowell
Richmond, 31st.—The battle has been pro- I lrom h* s command. This very remarkable
„ . step has very frequently been assigned to very
pressing all day near the Chickahominy. All un £ orthy m J 0tiv 4 oa t * he art of <§ en . M cDow-
reports from the field are favorable. The en- I ed) wb o is charged with having desired and
gagement is severe, and the loss heavy on both sought an independent command. I believe
ides. The Confederate wounded have been I this to be grossly unjust and utterly untrue.—
in for several hours. It is believed that Ge "- McDowell is as honorable and high toned
.. .. .. a gentleman as there is in the army, and I ba
the fight will be renewed to-morrow. I he com- | . (1 ,, v ,, j m .. ^ utterly incapable of any such
No Retreating.—The Richmond Dispatch,
of the 31st, contradicts its report of the SOtb,
that the enemy were falling back from Rich
mond.
Yanks Moving Inland from Pensacola.—
The Columbus Times announces by private
dispatch that 3,000 Federal infantry and 600
cavalry are at Oakfield, a short distance north
oi Pensacola.
More Troops.—Some time ago it was an
nounced by the Lincoln papers that there were
plenty of troops in camp to conclude the
bellion, and no more would be received. How
ever, since the anaconda has been cut in two
by Stonewall Jackson, the shops are again
opened and more volunteers are called for.
The 800,000 are insufficient. We shall soon
see the Herald swelling over the magnificent
spectacle of one million live Y’ankees in the field.
inunity is in good spirits and confident of vie- unworthy conduct; in point of fact, moreover,
tory. 1 happen to know that Gen. McDowell did not
LATER. I seek or desire a separate command—that he
The latest reliable reports from the battle ^c7eUan m'the^eJut^of 0 .h^rend^mt
Held represent that the enemy have been driven , assignedt0 and that he was surprised,
hack a mile and a halt from their position.— chagrined and bitterly disappointed, when he
*Ye captured three batteries after the most des- I received the orders which detached him from
THE ADVANCE OF JACKSON.
The Lynchburg Republican, of Wednesday,
says:
A Government bearer of despatches reached
Staunton early yesterday morning with intelli
gence that Jackson’s cavalry had entered the
town of Martinsburg, in Berkely county, and
taken undisturbed possession of tho place. The
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad is again in our
possession, and has, no doubt, been effectually
destroyed for such a distance as to make if of
no use to the enemy for some time to come,
even if our troops should be compelled to re
treat Jackson’s men were mostly in the rear
of the enemy, who were completely routed and
dispersed, fleeing on the roads that held out
the last chat.ce of escape. But our troops
were catching them hourly, and the occupation
of Martinsburg would, no doubt, lead to the
capture of nearly the whole army, the larger
portion of it having fled by that route.
Winchester was Banks’ depot of supplies,
and t’ne amount of commissary and ordnance
stores captured by Jackson is reported to be
immense. Twenty-three hundred prisoners
are reported to have left Front Royal on Mon
lay, and are expected to arrive at Staunton to
morrow or Friday. Other detachments would
be sent to the same place as they were assem
bled.
The Yankee force in the Valley at the time
of the attack, it is believed, only numbered
about twelve thousand, and they were distri
buted at three points—Front Royal, Strasburg
and Winchester.
When our men entered Winchester,
scene is described affecting beyond measure.—
The streets were crowded with all sexes, ages
and classes, who enthusiastically welcomed
their deliverers. Old men, with tears of joy
streaming down their withered cheeks, and
eyes uplifted to heaven, called down blessings
on the heads of the bronzed veterans to whom
they owed their freedom. Beautiful women
crowded around them, and vied with each oth
er in acts of kindness to the wearied soldiers,
and amid the cheers and prayers of all, our
brave men pressed on after the flying foe.
What Gen. Jackson’s future intentions are
is not known, but that he will follow up close-
ly the good work he has commenced, no one
doubts. His army ia said to be in good fighting
trim, confident in themselves and their leader,
and in n«mbers sufficient to make Lincoln
tremble in his capital.
Grn. .tIr(li-llB>’> Army—TkeCan^
Dowell’s Withdrawal^
Mr. Henry J. Raymond, editoa
York Times, in a recent letter fron
writes as follows : Gen. McClella*
have been strangely overstated in
ters, and I heard an influential m
gress, who had been vehement
plaints of McClellan’s inactivity,
had over 200,000 men under his
the Peninsula. Now, I have the fi|j
exact statement of his force, by cor_
divisions and brigades; and if it we.
even yet to state these details of his 1 '
Slfcort r w<ng I should be very glad to give them, by
i-as works refuting this opinion. I can say, howeve«
_ , out impropriety, that his effective forci”
.jtal darkness. | about one the number assigned,,*!
more, perhaps, but nokna soutn-Wcstem*;
His original plan, as I have alreau'
was to send a corps d'armee to the rear?
cester, to reach West Point, twenty :
above Yorktown, and then, by a combir*
SJl K»tal darkness.
.y on the Chick-
borough, of North
too wagoj
Carolir‘4 Wf X
A fight is no# progressing on the Williams
burg Road, near the Chickahominy. The riv- I t a ck ^nYeor^ in fronV'and on "the
is swollen by the rain of last evening. No our gunboats, to compel a surrender
report from the fight yet received. plan he was under the necessity of c
when Gen. McDowell’s corps was w
the chickahomiiay. | and scn t to the Rappahannock, because
perate fighting—the enemy being protected by
their entrenchments and the woods. Several
hundred prisoners are reported to have been
captured.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
Gen. 1). II. Hill’s Division commenced the
fight this morning, Rhodes’ and Garland’s
that army.
The r „ 3 on mi he change, which was made
by the Secretary of War, with the assent of the
President, was lear for the safety of Washing
ton. The battle at Winchester had startled
them, by revealing a much stronger rebel force
in their immediate front than they had supposed
and, upon inquiry, they found that the troops
, . ,, left for the protection of the capital were less
Lngades bearing the brunt of the battle for I ,.ff eC (j ve than had been assumed. Itwasthore-
sume time. Rain’s and Anderson’s Brigades upon decided that one of the two corps re-
Iso bore a conspicuous part until our reinforce- naming, either McDowell’s or Sumner’s
ments arrived. The enemy were also rein- s hould be withheld, and the choice fell upon
1 the former. This is a vory simple explanation
of an affair which has been invested by rumor
both sides. The enemy were finally driven w i tb a groat dea i u f political importance, and
from their redoubts and their batteries turned which has occasioned a good deal of bitterness
uoon them. Prisoners taken say that Gene- I of feeling. But I believe it to be the true one.
rt'.l Buell is in command. President Davis and I Enou S h on thi3 sub -) ect for the P resent
General Lee (here in the field.
Their presence
, . - . ah I The Tniikcc* ttt Port Koval—Their
increased the enthusiasm of our troops. All „r «
ac counts agree that the Confederates displayed 'p’j ie Y’ankees arc not getting on very smooth-
great bravery. The Yankees stubbornly con- I ly jn their “cotton growing" at Port Royal,
tested every inch of ground whilst giving way Family jars have sprung up among themselves,
before the impetuous charges of our soldiers. I an< * M* e negroes refuse to work for their new
N > reliable cs.im.t. of .ha „,a0e. ^ °' * B ““"‘
A large number of the Confederate wounded, 1 ,, . . ,,
B , , . , , , ! I Mr. Pierce, government agent over tho cot-
are wounded in tho arm and hand. General ton plantations, and Col. Noble, cotton agent,
Rhodes was slightly wounded. No other gen- have not been on the best of terms, and a con-
eial officer on our side hurt so far as known, troversv as regards the right of Colonel Noble
The enemy tried to make a flank movement at I t0 a fl° , ‘8 e *5^ saddle on one of the plants‘ or s
seven, but were repulsed by W hiting-s Divis- XoWe sent for> but Mr fV erce refused to delir-
ioo. I er, has led to some hard words, the finale of
which was Colonel Noble knocked Mr. Pierce
over, and General Hunter thereon ordered Col-
BATTLE PROBABLY RESUMED.
Richmond, Juno 1st—The battle yesterday I onej’Noblc^~home"inTheCah~awbato New’York,
took place in the vicinity of Boar Swamp, be- Colonel Noble, thinking to evade the order,
tween the railroad and the Williamsburg Road, left for Beaufort in a small sail boat on her day
ab jut seven miles from the city. Some can- I of sailing, but General Hunter detained the Ca-
. . hawba while he sent a small steamer and
no lading heard this morning. Lhe accounts I br0U ght ti ie r e Cre .uit cotton agent back. The
sent yesterday were in the main correct. cotton agents berate the Pierce party as aboli-
——~—~ tionists, while they in turn are charged with
THE FIGHT PROGRESSES. | sponging the government. There are about
Richmond, Juno 1st.—The tight is progress- ten thousand contrabands, including all class
ing furiously to-day—chiefly musketry. No es, on the islands of St Helena, Port Royal,
definite reports from the field of battle. The Ladies, Dawfuskie, Hilton Head and a few oth-
. v , At. a i ar j A ©rs in this vicinity, and they have planted about
general tenor of the statements of wounded three thousand / crcs of corn , potatoes and veg .
soldiers indicate that the Confederates are fol- ^bles, and live thousand with cotton—as near
lowing up the success of yesterday. Prisoners as can be estimated. The average yield of cot-
are constantly coming in. Buell was not pres- ton per acre is about one hundred and fifty
ent Gen. McClellan is commanding iu person, pounds and » worth seventy-five cents per
. , r.. pound, thus yielding a revenue of about $o60,-
It is. now be.ieved that the larger portion o. the besides the vegetables and corn, supposed
Federal army are on this side of the creek.— sufficient to supply this vicinity. The negroes,
Gen. Hatton, of Tennessee, was killed yester under their former masters, had usually one-
d quarter of an acre to plant for themselves.
Uncle Sam allows them one and a quarter, or
rns SNEMY DRIVEN INTO THE swamp. | cven more, if they wish, sometimes. Rations
Richmond, 1st.—No definite accounts of the are served out to them of sometimes bread, ho-
battle to-day have been received, but all reports rainy, molasses and some meet, but only a por-
concur that the enemy have been badly whip- tion of the allowance to the army. Govern-
, , , . . , J ment has thus far advanced them one dollar
ped and driven into the swamp. Carnage ^ acre j or wbat they have planted, which is
dreadful on both sides. The Federals have lost j ad the money they l ave received. They have
two to our one. Hundreds of the wounded j no regular wages, nor is it determined wbat
are arrivine. About 500 prisoners in all have they shall receive, or is it easy to know what
, 6 they should receive. It is difficult to mak
been taken. | tbem wor k t 0 r induce them to—if that sounds
better North—as they find something to eat
NORTHERN RUMORS.
Richmond 31sl— Northern papers of the I from Massa Lincoln, and seem to feel that they
Mth. lrom th. MU. O.U, Mb <hu
Gen. McClelbn telegraphed to the Secreury of I . „ .... „ :r k.\ ......
telegraphed to ure 0 ecie»ry ui | when their services arCt l>erhapSt mosl needed ;
War that the battle at Hanover Court House anc j g 0 l| i iton Head or Beaufort. For in—
resulted in a complete rout of the enemy, with stance, some ground had been prepared for
the loss of 1 000. (A lie.—Tel. Operator.)— | plowing and planting, but just as they were
Federal loss 379 killed, wounded and missing, needed the few mer. who understand that part
„ „ .. . , .. tt went off for two days without the least notice,
1 he Confiscation bill has passed .he House tbua delaying the planting, which was then even
of Representatives, Lincoln Congress. late. Until some method is adopted to make
Tho Philadelphia Inquirer says that Stone- them feel the necessity of work for their own
wall Jackson’s success has aroused the North, good, government will receive but little benefit
Volunteers are pouring in. comparatively. Their ideas of the value and
, - .. . . , . . , uses of money are about as vague as young
G. F. Shepley, of Maine, has been appointed childrenl8) an J d inves t me nts in h£p skins au3
military commander of New Orleans in the abt I jewelry are indulged, while necessary garment*
sence of Gen. Butler. ‘ are forgotten.
&A-: aVt■■»*;«!»*
a- .*V *
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