The War news.
The perfect quiet that has prevailed for a week along the lines below this city and in front of Petersburg was rudely broken at 5 o'clock on Thursday evening. The Yankees, on the receipt of the news that Sheridan had beaten Early at Fisher's Hill, in the Shenandoah Valley, let off one of their shotted salutes in honor of the victory. All of Grant's artillery joined in the salute. The noise made was awful, stunning; the injury inflicted upon us was nothing. Though the Yankee guns were aimed at our lines, where our men, unsuspecting danger, were strolling about in large numbers in exposed positions, not one of them on the north side of the river was struck; and it is not probable that any casually occurred on the south side, as along that portion of our lines sharpshooting and picket firing have been kept up, and, in consequence, our men are at all times on the look-out for hostile bullets.The roar of the salute having subsided, the white smoke of gun and shell was wafted away on the evening air, and silence once more settled on the lines of Yankee and Confederate.
Though our infantry and artillery have had a quiet time on the north side for a week and a day (ever since the memorable Yankee reconnaissance on the Darbytown road), our cavalry have been constantly astir. General Gary, on the Charles City road, has been continually harassing and stirring up that unfortunate Dutch-Yankee, Kantz. What with charging the ill-fated and played-out raider and his followers in the middle of the night, soon in the morning, at dinner time, and on sundry other occasions, he has gotten them so under hack that they will not make even a show of standing up against him, but on the first alarm of his approach they break and run to the Yankee infantry for protection. We are happy to be able to say that General Hampton, on our extreme right, has the Yankee Gregg in the same wholesome state of dread. He keeps himself so far out of sight as to give rise to the report a short time ago that he had left the south side and gone on a raid somewhere north of James river. It was subsequently ascertained that he was skulking in the bushes.
From the Valley.
Official dispatches, received yesterday, state that General Early attacked Sheridan's camp, on Cedar creek, before day on the 19th, and surprised and routed the Eighth and Nineteenth corps, and drove the Sixth corps beyond Middleton, capturing eighteen pieces of artillery and thirteen hundred prisoners, which were safely brought off; but the enemy subsequently made a stand, and in turn attacked General Early, causing his line to give way. On the retreat the enemy captured thirty pieces of artillery. Our not less was twenty-three pieces of artillery and some wagons and ambulances. Our loss in killed and wounded was less than one thousand. Our loss in prisoners is thought to be small.The enemy' infantry is reported to be very much demoralized. He did not pursue. His loss was very severe. General Rame was severely wounded while acting with gallantry, and was captured by the enemy.
Passengers by last evening's Central train report that the prisoners (thirteen hundred, were to arrive in Staunton last night.
It is said that the loss of artillery occurred from the guns getting crowded together in the streets of Strasburg, and before they could be extricated the enemy's cavalry came up and captured them. It is reported, however, that Early subsequently recovered some of the lost artillery, returning and bringing it o in the night.
Be that as it may, with the exception of the loss of the artillery, we are the victors. The flower of the Federal cavalry being in Sheridan's command, he is able to overcome our cavalry and use his horsemen for flanking purposes. This is said to be the cause of our disaster. Early' forces are now in good condition, and are not unprepared to meet any attack which Sheridan may make.
From Petersburg.
No fighting occurred in the vicinity of Petersburg yesterday or on Thursday night. The great shotted salute which, by Grant's order, extended along the whole line, both north and south of the James, fired on Thursday evening in honor of Sheridan's supposed victory, was the only thing of interest which has occurred for several days to break the monotony.There were no casualties on our side, though the shot and shell flew thickly, and came while our men were little expecting such an outburst of feeling and animation.
From Georgia.
Lafayette (the last point from which the enemy hears of General Hood) will be remembered as the point from which General Bragg marched out to fight the battle of Chickamauga, and the scene of General Pillow's cavalry disaster. It is an insignificant little village in Walker county, Georgia, twenty-two miles from Chattanooga, at the extremity of Wills's valley. General Hood can march up this valley and tap the railroad twelve miles from Bridgeport, near the river, and push forward over the route followed by Rosecrans upon the Sebastopol of East Tennessee.Hood has now reached the mountainous and rugged country, defensible by nature; and he is in possession, also, of all the defences, entrenchments and redoubts established by Sherman in his southward march when confronted by General Johnston. He has now possession of Lookout mountain, the best observatory and signal station south of the Tennessee line. It will be remembered that the Federal endeavored in vain to reach our signal men with their artillery previous to our abandonment of it and the retreat southward. Sherman, on the other hand, has been thrown into the open plain. What ever may be said of a hundred days rations and an abundant supply of food, we know very well that there is no truth in the statement.
Sherman's supply trains were captured, one after another, and immense quantities of army food destroyed by our cavalry. A considerable amount was run into Atlanta, but it could not have been very great. There may be a quantity of commissary stores at Knoxville, but that is about as accessible to Sherman as to us.
Sherman's army is not so great as is generally supposed; they are, however, the flower of the Northern army, and fight well. There is one corps, eight thousand strong, at Atlanta. Thomas has twelve thousand with him. There are five thousand at Cartersville, two thousand at Etowah, and the remainder of the army will count twenty-three thousand. This makes a total of fifty thousand. The cavalry amount to about five thousand. This being the approximate strength of the enemy, our army, if well managed can easily disconcert and baffle them.
