The War News.
Yesterday was another one of those days of steady rain which produce fathomless mud and put a peremptory stop to military operations. All was quiet, wet and cheerless, on the lines before Richmond and Petersburg. There was not only no movement of armed forces, but no individual movement that could be avoided. Soldiers not on duty hung over their camp-fires in their bombproof and log-houses, and sighed for the return of fair weather. Even had the weather been favorable, it now seems doubtful whether Grant was making ready for so early an advance upon our lines as we had all agreed to expect.--The Northern papers announced that he has gone to visit his family in New Jersey; and as he left the James before the setting in of the now prevailing wind storm, it may well be questioned whether the weather has delayed the execution of any of his movements. He would scarcely arrange that any important operations should take place in his absence. Whatever his designs, it will be time enough to speculate upon them when the sun shall again penetrate the now heavy overhanging clouds.General Pickett still holds the advanced position taken from the enemy on Thursday night. The Yankees in his front are in a very bad humor because of the loss of their picket line and pickets, and especially because of their signal failure to retake the former on Friday night; and they have, in consequence, treated him to repeated heavy, but harmless, cannonades.
From Petersburg.
The enemy's cavalry attempted an advance or reconnaissance on our extreme right on Saturday morning, but were quickly driven back. Since then they have kept quiet.Burnside, after nearly four months of disgrace on account of his miserable failure at the Battle of the Mine, has again returned to the command of the Ninth corps. Grant and Hancock alone are now absent, as old Butler, also, has rejoined the Army of the James.
The Army of the Potomac now consists of the Second corps, General Parke; the Fifth corps, General Warren; the Ninth corps, General Burnside. The Army of the James also consists of three corps: the Eighth, formerly Wright's, though we have heard nothing of him for some time; the Tenth, under Terry; and the Eighteenth, under Weitzel.
Affairs in East Tennessee.
General Breckinridge's victory in East Tennessee gets better as it gets older. The prisoners captured are now reported at eight hundred and fifty. The Yankees stopped on Friday to make a stand at Strawberry Plains, but finding General Vaughan again making for their rear, broke again, and did not stop until safe within the fortifications at Knoxville.
From Kentucky.
We have late news from Kentucky, giving cheering accounts of affairs there. The day before our informant left, one hundred men had come out and joined General Lyons's command.Bands of rangers are organized in different portions of the State, and are joining the Confederate army as fast as they, raise commands.
The State went largely for McClellan in the late election, and Lincoln received very few votes.
