Affairs in Chattanooga.
The Chattanooga (now Atlanta) Rebel, of the 24th inst., gives some interesting news about the former city of its publication, now in the occupation of the beleaguered Rosecrans. It obtains them from a well-known merchant who left there the Monday night after Rosecrans's defeat:There are no trains running to Chattanooga from Nashville over the bridge at Bridgeport, as was at first stated. The Yankees have no pontoons opposite or near Chattanooga, and had been using the hulk of the old steamer Paint Rock as a sort of barge for the crossing of troops. The machinery of the boat having been destroyed by our soldiers before the retreat, was of no use to the enemy. The Yankees have destroyed no property by fire, but the soldiers have gutted, without a single exception, the houses and stores in the town. Many of the houses deserted by our citizens are now occupied with swarms of free negroes of both sexes. Mr. B. states that there were plenty of Yankees in the town when he left Monday night, but the main body were at MacFarlane's Spring. The retreat had already commenced, and there was every evidence of a defeat on the part of the enemy. The utmost confusion and disorder prevailed among them. --The wagon trains had already commenced the retrograde movement, and numbers had been sent off before Mr. B. left.
Mr. Ben. Chandler was acting deputy Provost Marshal, and George Rider, (formerly constable of the district,) was also an attached of the Provost-Marshal's office.
The enemy have not constructed any new earthworks around Chattanooga, but had materially strengthened our old deserted forts. The fort beyond the cemetery was mounted with six guns.
Rosecrans had been in Chattanooga nearly all the time since its first occupation by his forces.
The Yankees have left no provisions for any one, save the Abolition sympathizers, and some of the loyal Southern people were actually subsisting upon parched corn.
The enemy had received no reinforcements up to Monday night from Grant's army.--They were under the impression that Gen. Joe Johnston commanded our army.
The following citizens of Chattanooga and vicinity were arrested and confined by the enemy: Capt Moses Wells, L Ryle, Dr. Gillespie, R Simpson, Repan, Sr., Mr. McGill, Mr. McCreary, and Mr. Davis Swick.
The pretended charges against the last mentioned gentleman were that he had threatened to poison his well if the Yankees ever came to Chattanooga. Mr. McCreary has been robbed of everything and was sick in bed when arrested.
Col. Hunter, a Kentuckian, is Provost Marshal. His office is at the State Road depot, in the upper rooms. The back rooms
are used for a prison. Mails arrive and depart daily.
On last Wednesday the Catholic portion of the Yankee army held services, with high mass, in honor of Rosecrans and his advance into East Tennessee.
We are gratified to learn that the citizens generally have kept aloof from the Yankees, and have remained within their own doors and to themselves.
