The War News.
The news yesterday which was chiefly discussed was the remarkable surrender to the enemy of Fort Gaines, at the entrance of Mobile bay. The particulars of the affair are given in the telegraph column; and we need only give the position as it now stands; At the outlet of Mobile bay into the Gulf there are two channels running either side of Dauphin island — that on the right passing very close to Fort Gaines, and that on the left passing not so close to Fort Morgan. While the Yankee fleet passed. Fort Gaines successfully, yet before operations against Mobile could have been commenced, it would have been necessary, to have reduced that work, which is a very strong one, and which was provisioned for six months. Until it was reduced their transports, with provisions could not come in nor leave Mobile bay. The work is situated on a barren flat point, commanding the country around it as far as its guns could throw, and could not have been taken by a land assault. Fort Powell, which is on the same side of the bay with Gaines, was evacuated by our forces and destroyed, as it was no longer of any use after the fall of the latter. Fort Morgan will doubtless now have to be given up, thus leaving the entrance to Mobile bay open. We have before stated that the passage of these forts did not place Mobile in imminent peril, and we may now add that neither does the fall of these works do so. The Yankees have not commenced on their work — the obstructions have not been reached, and, in fact, the "siege of Mobile" lies some weeks yet in the future.There were a number of street rumors yesterday, the general tenor of which was that Generals McCausland and Bradley Johnson had been surprised at Moorefield; Hardy county, and had lost some four-hundred men and several guns. We could not trace this to any reliable source, and think it probable that it is a repetition, in another form, of the Yankee boasts that they had whipped our cavalry at Cumberland.
There was nothing new from Petersburg yesterday. The shelling had been pretty much discontinued. It is still reported that Grant is removing troops from his present position, and a citizen who came over yesterday evening says that he is certainly shifting the guns at Battery No. 5; but whether they are being removed or replaced with others of different calibre could not be ascertained.
There was a heavy explosion heard yesterday afternoon on the Chesterfield Peninsula, and a heavy smoke was seen shortly after in a straight line east from Dunlop's, on the Petersburg road. It was supposed some of Butler's powder magazines had "gone off" unexpectedly.
From the Trans-Mississippi it is stated that General Buckner is to take the place of General Dick Taylor, in East Louisiana. General Taylor left that army, in consequence of a disagreement with Lieutenant-General E. Kirby Smith, after the defeat of Banks. He demanded to be relieved by General Smith, and his demand was complied with. General Smith was in Houston, Texas, on the 1st instant. In Texas, Governor Murrah is busy organizing the reserve troops, providing arms, ammunition, &c.
