The Yankee advance — a change of Base.
For a city besieged Richmond presented a very quiet and composed appearance yesterday. The sky was overcast and the day was not a very cheerful one, but nothing seems to dampen the spirits of our citizens. The men generally seem to have become possessed with the idea that they are regular troops, and have been in the army since the war commenced. They obey the summons to the militia with the promptness, coolness, and that imperturbable stolidity which characterizes old soldiers. The ladies, too, deserve as much credit as the men. They are the commissaries of the militia, and prepare the inevitable rolls with legs of fine chicken inserted, and the sliced ham, with which the married men particularly are well supplied. The single men are, of course, not so well supplied, being forced, as a general thing, to raid on their boarding house tables and take the chances, while the proprietor is looking the other way, of surreptitiously putting their two days rations into their haversacks. Saturday afternoon the following notice was posted in the city:
To the citizens of Richmond.
--The President and the Governor of Virginia, deeply impressed with the necessity of a speedy organization of all able bodied and patriotic citizens, for local defence in and around the city of Richmond and throughout the State, urgently appeal to their fellow-citizens to come forth in their militia organizations, and to commence and perfect at once other organizations, by companies, battalions, and regiments. An imperious necessity for instant action exists, and they trust that this appeal will be all that is necessary to accomplish the result. No time is to be lost, danger threatens the city.Therefore, with a view to secure the individual attention of all classes of the citizens of Richmond, and to impress upon them the full importance of the crisis, it is hereby ordered that all stores and places of business in this city be closed to-day at three o'clock P. M., and daily thereafter until further order, and the people be invited to meet and form organizations for local defence. They will be armed and equipped as fast as the companies are formed.
S. Cooper, Ad't and Insp'r Gen'l.
By order of the Governor of Virginia.
John G. Mosby, Jr., A. A. A. Gen'l.
A great many rumors had prevailed throughout the city during the day, all placing the Federal force at about three times its actual strength. The city troops, as we may call the militia, rapidly armed, and, in an incredibly short time — regiments were assembled on the public square. While this gathering was going on another notice was posted, of which the following is a copy:
My fellow-citizens, to arms!
--I have just received a message, direct from the highest authority in the Confederacy, to call upon the militia organizations to come forth, and upon all other citizens to organize companies for the defence of this city against immediate attack of the enemy. They are approaching, and you may have to meet them before Monday morning. I can do no more than give you this warning of their near approach. Remember New Orleans!Richmond is now in your hands. Let it not fall under the rule of another Butler. Rally, then, to your officers to-morrow morning at 10 o'clock, on Broad street, in front of the City Hall.
The regiments which assembled in the Square were notified to be in readiness at the same place yesterday morning at 10 o'clock, and assembled at the time appointed, with ranks very much increased. It was the general impression on the part of those who witnessed the parade that the city troops of Richmond were numerous enough, and well drilled enough, to defend the city without the aid of the very large body of regulars who are in and around the place. While there was no need for them yesterday, yet we have the satisfaction of knowing that an organization has been effected which will, with the addition of a little drilling, render Richmond perfectly secure against any raids or even regularly planned attacks of the enemy.
Our scouts were busy during the day in the country below the city, but did not gather much information that we have had access to. At one time the report was that the enemy were at Diascund bridge and numbered 23,000. This report, it was said, might be relied upon. We conversed with an intelligent gentleman, who was a prisoner within the enemy's lines on Friday, but, after being paroled, made his escape and walked to Richmond. He was captured Friday morning while within a short distance of the Pamunkey river, near Cumberland. The Dutch Yankee who arrested him carried him to the headquarters of General Keyes, who was in command of the division which landed at the White House. The division was drawn up in line of battle. He reached the headquarters near New Kent C. H., and upon being carried before the commanding General was closely questioned. During the examination, Gen. Keyes spoke several times in a very boastful manner of the ease which he would enter Richmond.--He said that Wise was "a d — d old coward," that Wise had challenged him for a fight anywhere between Williamsburg and Richmond, and that now he had come Wise had run away. The officers at headquarters participated in the confidence of their braggart chief, with the addition of the lie that they had 50,000 men. Our informant, who is a soldier himself, says he thinks they had about 15,000 men — cavalry, artillery, and infantry. He counted sixteen pieces of artillery. They claimed to have a brigade of cavalry, but he only saw two regiments. The infantry was composed chiefly of foreigners, the Dutch predominating. After being paroled the prisoner was allowed to go at large, and escaped by way of Charles City county, arriving in this city yesterday morning.
By the evening train on the York River road we have the latest intelligence of the movements of the enemy. Saturday evening the force from Diascund bridge, in James City county, arrived at the White House, after a march of 15 miles. That evening a Lieut.-Colonel, who was with McClellan while he occupied that point, made a visit to the farm of a lady near by and stated in conversation that the Federal force on the Peninsula numbered about 11,000, and was under the command of Gens. Keyes and Gordon, the former being chief. Persons who saw them at the
The Yankees have committed very few depredations in New Kent, but on Friday a raid was made by them across the Pamunkey into King William, during which they destroyed a good deal of property and carried off a large number of negroes. The soldiers making this incursion into the country were carried over from the White House in gunboats, and returned with their plunder by the same conveyance.
A report was in circu her on Saturday that a body of Federal had been seen or the Mechanicsville road, nine miles from Mechanicsville.
From all the facts, we conclude that Keyes, with about 5,000 men, came up the Pamunkey, landed at the White House, and proceeded to the vicinity of New Kent C. H., from whence his cavalry raid on the Central Railroad at Hanover C. H. was made. Gordon marched from Yorktown and took up his position at Diascund Bridge with about the same number of men, and on Friday advanced and formed a junction with Keyes's division, after which on Saturday, both divisions marched to the White House. What will be their next move it is of course impossible to know, but the general opinion of those who came up on the York River train yesterday evening was that they intended to embark for Yorktown.
A report "got loose" yesterday morning that a fight had occurred below Chaffin's Bluff between the Confederates and Yankees, in which the latter were defeated. No such fight had occurred, and the rumor died out with the setting of the sun.
When the bridge over Southanna river, on the Central Railroad, Friday, was burned, the position was defended by Lieut. Rice and 51 men of company A. 41st N. C. troops, under the command of Lieut.-Col Hargrove, of that regiment. The defence was most gallant and obstinate, though against such odds as to be unsuccessful. They were attacked from all directions by 1,000 cavalry, 200 dismounted men, and two pieces of artillery. We give the list of killed and wounded. Killed Privates John W. Newman, Jos. Cash, and Burton Nevils. Wounded: Serg't John Buchanan, mortally, private Jno. Pitland, mortally, (both since died;) Serg'ts Alex Pearce, J. G. Hays, and Wm. Strum; privates Stephen Knott, Wm. Sherron, James Ladd, James Sanford, Dennis O'Brien, J. Satterwhite, Thos. Clopton, Wm. Morgan, D. Buck, Jas. Emory, and Isaac Jenkins. Lieut.-Col. Hargrove received a sabre cut. The desperate courage of the defenders of this bridge against such odds may be understood when it is stated that out of fifty-three men twenty-two--nearly half — were killed or wounded before it was captured.
