War Matters.
It was stated yesterday that the rumor of a capture of Federal troops near Leesburg, by Gen. Evans, of the Confederate army, had been confirmed by dispatches received at the War Department, A report was brought down by the Central cars that a long train of baggage wagons had started for the scene of action to bring in the captured stores. We have endeavored to ascertain the truth of the matter, and the result has not confirmed any previous report or rumor.Mathias Point, on the Potomac, is now watched with the almost vigilance by the Federalists. The propeller Resolute has been hovering about there, and, as we learn from the Yankee papers, has succeeded in carrying off a number of negroes, from plantations along the river. The Fredericksburg train, yesterday morning, brought us the following intelligence:
A boat belonging to the Federal steaming Resolute, containing six men, attempted to race near Mathias to-day, (Aug. 15,) when she was fired into by a guard and five of the enemy were killed.
This was followed by a severe cannonading from the steamer, which resulted in the almost complete destruction of the residence of Benjamin Grymes.
It is believed that these depredations upon the property of our citizens will soon be checked. Farther than this we make no revolutions.
The Federal accounts of the great battle in Missouri, which we publish in full, exhibit a studied effort to conceal the extent of the disaster to their arms. That they were strictly fronted in the engagement, we have no sort of doubt. They said not to ‘"pursue"’ the Southern army, because they (the Federalist) were ‘"so badly cut up,"’ is an admission. differently indicative of defeat, even if they had not informed us of their own retreat.
A victorious army would scarcely have left the field of battle for a distant point in such a hurry as did the army of Hessians commanded by the late General Lyon. This officer, whose loss they now lament, was out of their most prominent General and his St. Louis butch are fresh in the memory of the public born it. Connecticut in 1815, entered the West Point Military Academy in 1837, served in the part of the Seminole war, and subsequently in the Mexican campaign, He received the rank of full captain in 1851 and was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in May last, he was familiarly known in camp as ‘"Daddy"’ Lyon, and was reputed a strict discipliners. On Saturday, the 10th inst. he met the fate which all deserve who are adding the Lincoln Administration in the nefarious work of making war upon a free people.
