Spirit of the war.
From the latest journals received at this office we make up the following summary:
The fight near Prestonsburg confirmed.
The following confirmation of a telegraphic dispatch which appeared in this paper, on Thursday last, relative to a brilliant victory achieved by Gen. Marshall in Kentucky over the Yankees, we copy from the Lynchburg Republican, of the 17th inst.:‘ While we are as yet without official intelligence of the victory of General Marshall over the enemy, near Prestonsburg, and have out few additional particulars of the affair further than we gave yesterday, the report then given is confirmed by gentlemen who reached here yesterday on the western train. They state that a courier from Gen. Marshall arrived at Abindon on Wednesday evening, just before the passing of the train, with intelligence of the battle and victory, which corresponds in every particular with the statement published yesterday.
The scene of the fight was about eight miles west of Prestonsburg, and the attack of the enemy was not desired by Gen. Marshall at the point it was made. His object in retreating was to entice the enemy into a pursuit as far as Prestonsburg, where he had chosen a strong position, and had he succeeded in reaching it, would have annihilated them; but they were too quick for him, and succeeded in overtaking his rear before the desired position had been reached, when there was no alternative left him but to turn and fight.
The enemy's cavalry commenced the attack, and after a very fierce but short conflict, were repulsed, when their infantry coming up, the fight began, in earnest. It continued to rage for these hours, during which time several brilliant charges were made by our troops, each charge being gallantly met by the enemy, but they were finally compelled to fly, notwithstanding their vast superiority of numbers; throwing away, in their precipitate, flight, guns, swords, pistols, knapsacks, and everything else that impeded their flight. Their exhibition of fleetness is said to have far outstripped the famous Bull Run stampede.
’
From Gen. Zollicoffer's command.
Reports have prevailed for several days past that the Yankees had surrouneed Gen. Zollicoffer, and that he was likely to suffer from his position. These reports, however, were without foundation, as will be seen from the following paragraph, which we take from the Greenville (Tenn.) Banner, of the 15th inst.:‘ A few days since we met at our depot with Capt. Gammon, directly from Limestone Springs, Ky., where Zollicoffer is preparing winter quarters. We told the Captain of the reports that were afloat here — that it was likely that Gen. Zollicoffer and his army were surrounded, to which the Captain replied that he was surrounded with the safest kind of breastworks, and that the Yankees were well aware of it, and that they kept out of their reach. The Captain said they were ready for all the Yankees that could come against them at that point, that their only wish was that they would come.
’
Latest from Warsaw, Ky.--another Confederate village occupied by the Yankees.
The following article from the Cincinnati Commercial shows how the Yankee hirelings are annoying the true men of Gallatin and Owen counties. The miscreants will yet be paid in full and with interest for all their outrages:‘ On Sunday night Captains Hyatt and Fry, companies A and B, of Col. Whittiesy's regiment, were ordered to march, word having been received that Captain Sanders, the notorious rebel of Eagle Creek, was at New Liberty, a village about eighteen miles from Warsaw, where he was conducting himself with his usual violence and virulence toward the few whom he suspected of harboring Union sentiments in that village. New Liberty is in Owen county, and is the place where a big Secession barbecue was held some time since, and to which Humphrey Marshall and Breckinridge were invited. The former was present. Col. Whittiesey had information, also, that there were a number of State arms at New Liberty in the hands of Secessionists. Hence he ordered a sufficient body of men upon the duty, to overcome any opposition they might encounter.
Captains Hyatt and Fry arrived at the village that night, and quietly took military possession, stationing guards at all the public houses and establishing patrols in the streets. The consequence was, when the inhabitants rubbed their eyes in the morning they were not a little surprised at the glittering array of bayonets in their streets. They made the best of it, however, and soon became good Union men, having, as we are informed, ever since been viewing with each other in their efforts to treat the soldiers with attention and kindness.
Strict discipline was established, and no person was permitted to pass from one street to another without a pass from Capt. Hyatt, the officer in command, who has inspired the ‘"natives"’ in that section with a peculiar respect and admiration, they having learned that though courteous, he is decisive and firm.
Capt. Hyatt had been on the look out for the guns alluded to above, and expected to get possession of them on Tuesday night, when our informant, Mr. James Watson, left.
The same night one of the companies expected to leave for another village, about 10 miles from Liberty, where disturbances had been created by rebel sympathizers. We shall, therefore, probably soon hear that the 20th has occupied another secession town, and suddenly converted it into the Union cause.
Indignities having been offered to one or two of Col. Whittiesey's men, when alone, he declared, emphatically, that if the inhabitants of New Liberty molested any of his boys he would make them pay the penally very dearly.
’
Statement of a released Federal prisoner.
A telegraphic dispatch from Washington gives the following statement of a released prisoner from Richmond, recently arrived in that city. In speaking of the prisons, he says:‘ The Tombs are a paradise compared to these Richmond Black Holes. Within three months, since Captain Gibbs took charge, there has been some improvement. His authority has been used, so far as lay within his power, to ameliorate the condition of the prisoners. During the regime of Lieutenant Todd; President Lincoln's brother-in-law, things were worse. He was drunk most of the time, Once he ran his sword through the leg of a prisoner, who had committed no greater offence than that of not blowing out his candle at the appointed hour. For this and similar performances the brute was dismissed by Gen. Winder.
Other outrages resulted more from the ignorance and stupidity of the sentinels than from their malice. They were constantly tricked by the mischievous Yankees. The prisoners frequently got possession of the countersign, and sometimes stood guard while the sentry went for liquor. More than a hundred escaped, but all but eight were recaptured. Deficient in proper precaution, the rebels are equally deficient in all means of properly managing a system for war prisoners.
Confederate State paper is at a discount of from 25 to 50 per cent., according to the character of the news from England. United States Treasury notes are constantly at a premium of 10 per cent. Merchants cheerfully, although slyly, pay this premium, and frequently come to the paroled prisoners and try to buy notes of them.
Of the Union sentiment in Richmond, Mr. Gillett speaks with the greatest positiveness. It is large and would be effective for the suppression of the rebellion, if the whole of Virginia was not under the heels of the 150,000 ruffians sent up from the Cotton States. The State is held down by terrorism, and a savage discipline maintains the rebel army in position, through privations and misconduct enough to try the best troops. Another fact, significant of the real feelings of the rebels, is, that the Virginia postmasters are prohibited from taking any currency save Federal specie.
’ A telegraphic dispatch
Yankee failures.
The Cincinnati Commercial publishes the following table, showing the failures, their amount, and the total number of stores in several of the leading cities of the North:
| Number | Amount. | No. Stores. | |
| New York. | 980 | $69,067,114 | 19,127 |
| Boston. | 172 | 4,956,760 | 5,473 |
| Philadelphia, | 359 | 21,294,363 | 8,726 |
| Pittsburg. | 49 | 747,387 | 1,354 |
| Chicago | 91 | 5,117,170 | 1,77½ |
| Cincinnati | 103 | 6,982,071 | 2,595 |
| Cleveland | 22 | 604,600 | 917 |
| Providence | 54 | 1,093,000 | 1,111 |
| Detroit | 50 | 1,119,200 | 683 |
| Milwaukee | 17 | 537,200 | 533 |
| St. Louis | 100 | 2,580,374 | 1,830 |
Yarns cotton Rags.
The telegraph explains the immense accumulation of rebel cotton in the ports of the North, and in a manner entirely characteristic of that peculiar people. The ‘"bag,"’ of which they have boasted so loudly, turn out to be small land bag, and they filled with cotton in the seed, weighing each from eight to twelve pounds. Twelve pounds of seed cotton will turn out about three and a half pounds of the merchantable article, and this three and a half pounds the Yankees are parading before the world as a hale of cotton. Did the Lord ever make the duplicate of such a people?
