The War News.
The Armies of the Potomac and James still keep within their lines. Grant is quietly awaiting the results of military operations elsewhere.
The Attempted raid on Gordonsville — the enemy repulsed and pursued.
The following, from General Lee, received on Saturday, is supplementary to his dispatch published in our last issue:
"Headquarters army of Northern Virginia
"General Fitz Lee reports that the force which attacked General Lomax on yesterday consisted of two divisions of the enemy's cavalry, under General Torbert."Lomax was posted across the Madison turnpike, two and a half miles from Gordonsville.
"The enemy was handsomely repulsed, and retired about 3 P. M., leaving some of his dead on the field. He traveled too rapidly last night for our troops to engage his rear, having passed Jack's shop, twelve miles from Gordonsville, one hour after dark.
"Thirty-two prisoners, captured by the enemy at Liberty Mills on the 22d, being unable to keep up on the retreat, were liberated.
"Lomax's loss was slight.
From Southwestern Virginia--the enemy driven out of the country — the salt works little damaged.
The following official dispatch, which was received on Saturday, explains the situation of affairs in Southwestern Virginia, and conveys the gratifying intelligence that the enemy has at length been driven out of that country.
"Headquarters army Northern Virginia
"General Breckinridge reports that the enemy, after having been roughly handled in the engagements of Saturday and Sunday; near Marion, many having been killed and wounded, gained possession of Saltville during the night of the 20th."The garrison [of Saltville] retreated up Rich Valley.
"General Breckinridge's advance arrived at daylight on the 21st, and the enemy retired that night and on the morning of the 22d towards Hector's gap.
"The enemy is being pursued; our troops bearing the fatigue and exposure with great cheerfulness.
"The damage to the salt works can soon be repaired.
"Many depots and bridges on the Virginia and Tennessee railroad have been burned.
Sherman — Savannah evacuated — a column of the enemy moving Southwest from Savannah.
From official intelligence received here late Friday night, we learn that Savannah, in pursuance of a plan sometime previously decided upon, was evacuated on the morning of the 21st instant.--The evacuation was effected without other loss than of such materials as, from their bulk and weight, could not be conveniently removed. The last of our troops crossed the Savannah river at 3 o'clock A. M. on the 21st, and marched in the direction of Charleston. At 5 o'clock A. M., the enemy entered the city, which was surrendered by the Mayor. Our engineer troops held the bridges by which our troops had crossed until 6 o'clock A. M., and then destroyed them, and followed our main column.--The evacuation was conducted in perfect good order and without an accident. Sherman was not aware of the movement until it had been accomplished.An official dispatch from General Beauregard, dated December 25, and received yesterday, states that General Hardee reports that a force of the enemy — infantry, artillery and cavalry — has moved from Savannah towards the Altamaha river.
General Hardee has made proper dispositions to check the column. The object of this column is probably to destroy the Savannah, Albany and Gulf railroad, its depots, etc.
No report has been received from General Hood since the 28th of November.
Wilmington
From our Wilmington telegrams, it will be seen that the Yankee fleet attacked Fort Fisher about 1 o'clock P. M. on Saturday, and bombarded it heavily till nightfall, renewing the bombardment at 10 o'clock A. M. on Sunday, and continuing it throughout the day; that, under cover of the fire of the fleet, the enemy landed an infantry force above Fort Fisher, which attacked the fort on Sunday night, and were repulsed.Fort Fisher is situated on a sand-spit on the right bank of the Cape Fear river at its mouth, twenty miles below Wilmington. The enemy, we presume, reached their position above the fort not by passing up the river, where they would have been obliged to run the gauntlet of the guns both of Fisher and Fort Caswell, on the left bank, but by landing on the beach west of the mouth of the Cape Fear river. The enemy's having effected a lodgment above the fort is a serious matter. It will cost double the force to dislodge him that would have prevented his landing.
Colonel Mosby reported killed.
It was reported on the streets yesterday that the daring and distinguished guerrilla chief, Colonel John S. Mosby, had been killed by the enemy. The story was that he had been surrounded while dining at the house of a friend in Culpeper and ordered to surrender; that he drew his pistol and fired upon the enemy, when he was shot dead. But a telegram from Fredericksburg, dated the 25th, was received yesterday morning, which contradicted the report of his death, stating that he had been shot, but not mortally wounded, and was in the hands of his friends. The question of his condition is, however, not yet definitely ascertained.A gentleman who reached here yesterday from Fredericksburg, learned there, from two of Colonel Mosby's men, that their chief was shot through the abdomen while scouting in Prince William county. They further stated that the surgeon did not consider the wound mortal, though they themselves though differently. This, we are disposed to believe, is the correct rumor of the lamentable casualty; but it will be observed that the New York Tribune, quoted elsewhere, locates the shooting in the neighborhood of Piedmont, on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad.
We heard last night that Colonel Mosby had been carried to Charlottesville.
