Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1861-12-18
The Latest News.

the way open, whereby the FORCES OF the ene-
my, under zollicoffcr, 1000 strong, secured
a footing on the north side of the Cumberland
river, below Somerset, compelling our troops
to fall back and take defensive position. 1t
appears that Gen. Shoef learned of the ene-
my's designs, and ordered Captain Dillon, with
one company of Kentucky cavalry, to proceed
Immediately to Mills Springs, fourteen miles
distant, which was the threatened point, end
ing the I7th Ohio, Col. Connell, and battery
of artillery, in the rear, with orders to reach
the spot as soon as possible. Notwithstanding
it was known that the enemy contemplated
crossing that night, and that great haste was
necessary Captain Dillon halted his men, ,after
proceeding seven miles, and encamped and
when the infantry and artillery came up, they
followed his example, and the result was, that
by SUNRISE the next morning the enemy was
north of the river in full force, and our troops
returned to headquarters. As Gen. Shoef
had but about three thousand men, he was
compelled to fall back this side OF Somerset,
| intrench himself, and await renfOrcements.
II we expect to carry on this war successfully
discipline must be enforced, and there is no
breach criminal, and so disastrous, that
which permits the enemy to gain advantages
| by movements which might be prevented. A
| reinforcement of 5000 men could not have
strengthened zollcofer effec.ually as the
advance he permitted to make.
THE SUMTER AND THE IRoQUoIs.-The brig
S. W. Rowland, Capt. Rowland arrived at
New York on the 18th, from ST. Thomas, Nov.
| 9th. Capt. S. states that the captain of the
Iroquois is entirely to blame for the escape of
| the pirate Sumter from Port Royal and Mar
| tiqne. A man was sent ashore at Port Royal
from the island to signalize the movements of
the pirate, and on the night of the 23d he
made signals that she was leaving tho harbor,
| but no notice was taken of it by the captain
of the Iroquois. His First Lieutenant tried
to persuade him to give chase, which could
easily have been done, as the Sumter draws a
| foot more water than the Iroquois, but he
would not hear to it-saying it would be very
| unpleasant for him to capture her as he and
Semmes had been school-mates, and Semmes
| had been his former superior officer; also that
he did not want to break the neutrality laws.
| The movements of the pirate We're plainly
seen from the deck of the Iroquois,the former
| taking a southery course. The Captain of
the Iroquois then gave orders to proceed to
| ST. Thomas, not making the least effort to
capture the pirate after lying off that port
several days for that sole purpose. The great
est indignation prevailed among Americans
and others friendly to the United States, when
the facts became known at ST. Thomas.
Fort PIcKENs.-A letter from party on
| Oh
hatvessel commenced BON harding Fort McRea
on the morning of the 22d, and while the
writer complimentng tho Captain of one of
the guns on the accuracy of his aim, shell
bounded through our bulwarks, took off the
Captains head and wounded six men. The
she'll on exploding raised fhe ship out of the
water and made her stagger like drunken
man. Another shell bursted six feet below
the water line, causing bad leak, kept the
vessel free. The Richmond moved out of
range the next morning, but the Niagara still
kept at them, but being outside of the enemy's
guns she cannot be injured. Fort Pickens,
mp to date, had lost but one man killed and
seven wounded. Fort McRea is much dam
aged but we cannot destroy it with our smooth
| bore guns, as they match for the enc
my's rided cannon. The result of the fight
may be briefly stated thus Two rebel boats
were sunk, and others disabled; Warrington
and the Navy yard were burned the flag staffs
of Fort McRea and Barancas were shot away !;
the former fort was badly injured, and the
latter is in the power of Fort Pickens, as soon
as reinforcements arrive in sufficient numbers
to enable Col. Brown to hold the place when
| taken.
BATTLE IN WESTERN VIRGINIA.-A special
dispatch from Cheat Mountain to the Cincinnati
Commercial says that on the 18th one of the
hardest and best fought battles of the war
was fought at Allegheny camp, Pocohontas
county, Western Virginia. Gen. r. II. Milroy
commanded the Union troops and Gen. John
son, of Georgia, commanded the rebels. The
fight lasted from daylight till O'Clock P. NJ
The Union loss is about thirty and the rebel
loss over two hundred, including a Major and
many other officers. Thirty prisoners were
captured. General Johnson, of Georgia, was
shot in the mouth, but not fatally injured.
The Twelfth Georgia regiment suffered most
severely. Gen. Milroy's force mum bered $50
men, from the Ninth and Thirteenth Indiana,
the Twenty fifth and Thirty-second Ohio and
the Second Virginia regiment. Gen. john
sons forces numbered over 2000. The Ninth
Indiana fought bravely to the last After
driving the enemy into their barracks no less
than five times, our forces retired in good order.
The rebels set fire to their barracks and re-
tired to Staunton. Gen. Milroy has thus
driven the last of the rebel army out of Western