The War News.
Owing to the prevalence of a strong south wind, the bombardment of Dutch gap by our batteries was heard in the city with such unusual distinctness during Tuesday night and yesterday morning that it was difficult to believe the firing was full twelve miles away. Such, however, was the fact, for no guns were fired on any portion of our lines nearer the city.All was quiet on the north side yesterday, though our men were, and still remain, in momentary expectation of a shouted salute, wherewith it is expected the Yankees will greet the first news of Lincoln's success at the Northern polls. It was not thought they will wait for official returns as to the general result of the election, but will bang away with their double-shotted guns over any important success. Our men were prepared to hurl back a defiance in kind; but the day passed without a shot from the Yankee lines, and when the sun went down, all was quiet in Darbytown and its surroundings.--To-day may not pass so noiselessly. Unless there have been many and serious rows, and riots, and smashing of ballot-boxes, the result of the election in the principal cities must be known to-day.
There were reports yesterday that the fleet recently in Hampton Roads had come up to the neighborhood of Deep Bottom, which is just below Dutch gap. A portion of the James River squadron, consisting of gunboats and monitors, has been lying in this vicinity for months past, and we have failed to hear from any authentic source that it has been recently materially increased.
From Petersburg.
There is a high degree of bad feeling existing between the hostile pickets in front of Petersburg. which vents itself in constant sharpshooting, which brings on infantry skirmishing, and pretty generally concludes with a considerable amount of cannonading. Very little, however, seems to be accomplished by all this except a waste of gunpowder, though it may be useful in keeping the men on the alert, and thereby preventing surprises. The Yankees are burning to avenge the descent made on their pickets by Mahone and Gracie, and it is well for us to be vigilant.There was some rapid firing of cannon and small arms on our left centre on Monday night, which was brought on by our pickets, who, suspecting that the enemy might take advantage of the dense fog prevailing to make a raid, determined to be beforehand with them and opened into the fog. The Yankees fired back through the fog, and both parties opened several pieces of artillery. This random firing was kept up ten or fifteen minutes without any known result on either side, when comparative quiet again settled down on the lines.
The Yankee papers inform us that Hancock, "perhaps, resigns his command of the Second corps to assume that of a department." "Perhaps" he is to be kicked out because of the miscarriage of the attempt to take the Southside railroad on the 27th ultimo. This is the truth of the matter. We learn from she same source that General Parke will take command of the Second corps. Parke, since Burnside was disgraced for the disaster which berel him at the Battle of the Mine, has commanded the Ninth corps.
We may here mention that, in his advance on the 27th, Grant had five hand care along with his wagon train, to be used, no doubt, on the Southside railroad. One of these care fell into our hands during Grant's hasty retreat.
