Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1861-12-04
INTERESTING WAR NEWS.

From East Tennessee From the Potomac-From
Port Royal and Tybee Island-Fort Monroe.
We have very late and perfectly trustworthy
Information direct from East Tennessee, and
Indirectly from other portions Of the South.
We shall not particularize the claims through
which this information is received, but give
our word that we know them to be worthy Of
the most absolute confidence. The Union
men OF East Tennessee were never more loyal
and hopeful than now. They stand dauntless
and incorruptible, and if there is any change
they are becoming more ardent and confident
in the good and great cause of national unity
and free government which they regard as one
and inseparable, now and forever. The seces-
sonists whisper that their attempted revou-
tion must end in failure. 1t is true, as ru-
mored for few days, that there are camps Of
Union men in Tennessee, twelve hundred in
one, and seven hundred in another, each man
with his rife and a pound of powder, and
corresponding quantity of balls, and regard
ing his powder as far more precious than
gold. In the late bridge burning three impor-
tant bridges in Tennessee and two ir Georgia
were entirely destroyed, and two others greatly
damaged. The roads were in bad order before
the bridges were burned, and the rolling stock
is in bad condition. II triA be impossible for
the road to be so far repaired as to permit the
passage of trains IL, less than month. The
loyal East Tennesseeans We're hourly expecting
q federal army to force its way through
Cumberland Gap, and if vigorous advance
had been made there, the capture of Zolleoff-
er's army would have been absolutely certain.
OF a man could have escaped. Zolicoffer's
effective force in Kentucky has not at any
time exceeded seven thousand men, and he
cannot now muster six thousand. The number
of rebel troops guarding the East Tennessee
Railroad when the bridges were burned vas
tess than eight hundred. If, after the battle
of Wildcat, our troops, had pushed vigorously
forward, the loyal East Tennesseans would
have taken possession Of the railroad and held
it for their own use instead of destroying it
and they would have taken a large amount of
provisions and military stores collected ut
Knoxville and other points for the use of the
rebel army. The falling back of the Cumber-
land Gap expedition will have most distress
ing effect. The sturdy loyalty of the East
Tennesseeans appears in the returns of the
recent Confederate election for President and
Vice President and members of Congress.
In Roane county, where a thousand votes
usually given, less than three hundred and
fifty were poiled, John Baxter, submission
Union man, (that is, one who is in favor of
the Union, but looks upon the rebellion as
accomplished fact,) run for the Confederate
Congress in Maynard's district, thinking the
Unionists would support and elect him, rather
than permit the election of an ultra secessionISt.
The Union men had about eight thousand
majority in the district, but refused to vote,
and the secessionists had very small, but
nearly unanimous vote. In Knox county,
where the Union men had three thousand two
hundred votes, Baxter, the subnlssionist
received but eighty votes. The Union men
would have nothing to do with the election,
but treated it with contempt. In many places
the polls were not opened and in some whole
counties not vote was cast. The lines be-
| tween the Union men and the seceSsionists
| are very sharply drawn. Every man knows
L
| trust The devotion of the Union people to
| the governments is unalterable, and many
| touching proofs of it are given. We told
of men more than seventy years of age, acting
| as guides on the mountains in the night for
| those whom they knew to be the friends of the
| government. The women will not take the
| money for any assistance they may render
| the Union men. Cases mentioned in
which poor women whose husbands are exiles,
| have with tears in their eyes refused to touch
| gold offered and urged upon them for provis-
| ions.turnished those who were laboring in the
| cause of the Union.
| On Sunday night Gen. Elsey's Orderly, a
1 young man named West, who had enlisted in
| Winchester, after the countersign had been
| given ont, mounted the Generals horse, and
| rode out of camp towards Fairfax. Giving
| the Rebel pickets the password nothing wrong
| was suspected. He rode directly along the
/ Little River turnpike through Fairfax until he
| came to Anandale. Here he found our pickets
and brought in to head quarters, when,
| after telling his story, he was leased and
| went home to his father, who lives here. He
thinks that the rebel strength does not exceed
! sixty Thousand at Manassas aud that they have
but about one half their army on the Potomac.
They lie west of Centrevlle towards Brents-
| vile and Leesburg and over the Bull Run bat tie
field. They have fifteen batteries of artillery,
but no heavy Seige guns and four or five
| cay oil hay h
ments except trifling dirt works, all of which
are in the of and at Centrevlle, and are
really nothing but breastworks for riflemen.
Beauregard is not there, but went South, as
was previously reported. Gen. Johnston is in
command. A large proportion of the troops
are VirgInIans, and are armed with all kinds
Of guns .and hundreds are without any uniforms
But few of the cavalry have uniforms or full
equipments. Most Of the men are well clothed
in common homespun, which is very thin and
weak, but they have not suffered yet from the
cold. Their tents are so thin that they will
not turn the rain, and so when it rains heavily
it rains through. They have plenty of corn
meal, -four and meat, but no coffee, sugar or
salt. He says that many Of the Virginia and
Maryland troops would generally desert if they
thought we would receive them, and that
proclamation from President Lincoln that al
would be received who left, would Thin ou!
their ranks. He says there was some dissatis-
factiCn in the South Carolina and Georgia
troops after the taking of Beaufort, who wanted
to go home, but now they are willing to stay
being assured that it is Of no account and thai
the federals will soon be driven off. He says
they offer our men when taken prisoners, the
choice of enlisting with them or going tc
Richmond, and two of the New York men
taken few days ago enlisted.
: The U. S. steamer Flag arrived at Port
Royal an the Oath Nov, and reported tha,
Tybee Island, after being slightly sheled by