Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-07-17
False Rnmors and Exaggerat;cns.

- oAAA@t ~ T.
points, of dreadful slaughter both among the
Confederate and LiEcoln troops, of large
of Yankees being taxed prisorer s,
&c some of which seemed to s.eome SO
that it was almost impossible to
doubt their accuracy But somehow we
did doubt their reliability, and acting upon
our motto, not to publish anything unless
are satisfied of its truth, we determined
to say nothing of these startling rumors
through our columns, until satisfied Of their
correctness, even though such caution might
subject US to the accusation of being a little
behind time" in giving 1.-THE news to our
readers. The sequel has proved, that this
caution has saved us The necessity of contra.
dieting in this issue, many things that we
might have published in our last. Our rea-
ders have learned to regard the Spirit of the
Age az rstabe in its publications, and we
intend to try and maintain this enviable re-
puta,ion, and publish nothing, in these excl
ting times. unless We have the best of reasons
for placing confidence in its authenticity.
Having said thus much in our own cause,
we esteem a word If defence, in behalf Of the
Ddiles OF the country, as but just and prop
er. They are as anxious as we are, to pub
fish nothing unreliable and untrue. They
can have no motive, and certainly no desire
to impose taLsehoods upon their readers but
they frequently receive intelligence that has
all the scmblance of reliability, and that
challenges their confidence. Before putting
their dailies to press, they are put in posses
sion of no facts causing them to doubt its
truth, and they publish it to the world, be-
lieying it to be entirely reliable. In aday or
two they sometimes have the modification
to announce that they have been imposed on,
and that what they believed and published
as truth, has since turned out to be greatly
exaggerated, or totally untrue. AS long as
men will lie, Editors are liable to be imposed
upon and instead of visiting censure and
condemnation upon the Editor, the righteous
indignation of a deceived reading community
should be visited upon the liars who impose
upon then.
1t may not be amiss to give some of the
exciting reports in circulation when We put
} our last issue to press, but which We declined
to publish till further advised:
: lit was confidently stated that Alex
andria had been taken possession of by the
e Confederate troops and that Washington city
was on fire. Not a word of truth in either
n statement.
2.-That a battle had been fought at New.
Z port News, or thereabouts, with dreadful
slaughter on both sides, and that the FRS
Regiment of North Ca olina Volunteers hat
& sustained a loss of several hundred killed
u There is some truth but more falsehood il
this statement. The truth is, that about Is,
e. Louisianians, headed by 1t. Col. Dfieux, o
i La, who were out reconnoitering. encounter
ne ed the New York Zouave Regiment of Co
~ Duryea, and a brisk fire commenced ant
continued for some time on botn sides. L
IN Col. Drieux, and one private killed and man,
". of the enemy, (about 40) are believed to hay
Of been killed. The n. G. Regiment was NJ
.ry in the skirnish.
te 3.-That Gen. Johnston and Gen. Beaur,
ter gard bad surrounded Gen. Patterson's arm
the of 30, GOO Yankees, and cut of their retire
or across the Potomac-that Patterson, fndil
tbe himself Tin a fix had SUR endered with /
the entire command, after having been repuls
lch three times with great loss. 1000 Yanke
were reported killed and wounded, and Q
he thousand of the Southern troops. The tru
the is, there had been no engagement betwe
we'd Johnstons and Patterson's armies, exec
that given in our last issue, wherein G.
jackson engaged Patter son. advance colun
ling which the reader will remember. Patters
the is at Msrtinsburg, Va, with a large arm
e in some say 10000, and Gen. Johnston of t
mes, Southern army with about 1000 men v
last within six miles Of him. Gen. Beaurega
urt, with 10, 900 men, was also said to be in ST
of king distance. So we may confidently
anne poets battle there every hour.
in But much as some of our friends are
goid. posed to deal in false and exaggerated st;
APP ments, the enemy can beat US to death in
The line. As a specimen, Gen. Patterson, in
tri- official dispatch to the Assistant Adult
lain General, says in reference to the recent S
e de- mish with Col. Jackson's small bod
Tered troops, published in our last, that he DR.
,hich and routed the rebels. about 10. 600 stro
the having with them four guns, and now OF
un- Ply his camp. with a loss on our side, | reg
void. to say, of three killed and ten wounded.
cues 1t is said that old Fuss and Feathers was
gthy much elated at the receipt of this despa
week. that he had old Abe awaked, at..midnight
odies have a iolification over the news. But
Feathers must have dropped no little W
,nder he found out what a lie Patterson had b
right bugged him with. Instead of three k
and ten wounded, the truth is, he lost
nd of tween ~ ~ Ahieu "hu doou1 ~
# the taken prisoners. If they can crow over
ID of a victory, they are easily satisfied.
tates, ---
d, al TR,N1ry Co1LEGE-Some one has ser
a catalogue of this institution. 1t gives
ex' number of students for the present
'sohe 215--of which 10 are in the Senior Clas
"Hu in the Junior, 81 in the Sophomore
pay Freshman, and 100 irregalars.
VINO Under DR.. Craven, President, and a
'ia' selected faculty, this popular institt
renee must continue to grow. See Advertise
r the in another column.