Arkansas true Democrat., 1861-07-18
The Virginia Battles.

| tinsburg, Va, begin to reach us III a some7 what authentic form. It will be seen by the following, from several articles in the Richmond Dispatch, that, although no de- cisivc battle had been fought, the conlcde- rate forces had secured highly advanta- 1 geous position, and that the abolition forces were in great peril. We quote from the l Dispatch of the 7th
 "It turns out that Cadwallader or Pat terson for both, as the case may be, did not recrcx,s the Potomac, but followed John- ston's advanced force, under General Jack son. until 1t effected junction with the main body of thes confederate forces few miles south of Martinsburg. That town | is in Berkeley county, upon the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, ten or twelve miles from the Potomac, and twenty miles north of l Winchester. The federalists according to | the most reliable information we have, and it comes straight enough to be believed J | at once assailed the entire force under John ston, and were repulsed with severe loss. l Thrice did they try to drive him from his position with the like defeat, and the last | time Johnston pursued them into Martins burg, where, having outtanked them, he held them at last accounts. The statement further Is that he had given notice to the citizens of his intention to fall upon the enemy there, in order that the women and children might escape.
 This is all that has come to hand. This, as we say, Is verbal; but then 1t IS from gentlemen who are highly respectable and who report that it came to Winchester Tn a very straight and creditable manner. We are all anxiety to hear that Cad
 walladcr, or Patterson, whichever he may have been, is nearer reinforcement than Johnston. We see that Stone, with three thousand, five hundred men was looked for in the neighborhood of Harper's Ferry, twenty miles only from Martinsburg, on his way to unite with the federalists at Martinsburg A little delay night bring aid to them. But Gen. Johnston is too great strategist to allow any time to elapse before availing himselfto the fullest extent of his advantage. A passenger states that the militia of the region thereabout were assembling and considerable force of them would likely arrive in good time to join Gen. Johnston.
 LATER-PATTERsoN IN TRAp.-Ex- Gov. Lowe, of Maryland, arrived in our city yesterday afternoon, from Winchester, by the Central cars. He states that on en- tering the stage at Winchester, on Thurs day evening, reliable intelligence was re- ceived from Martinsburg to the effect that Gen. Johnston's command had engaged the forces of the United States, estimated at 10000, at a place called Darkville, three miles this side of Martinsburg- Gen. Johnston had repulsed them three times with great loss on their side, although their number largely exceeded his. Gen. Patterson is supposed to have been in con- mand of the federal troops. Gen. John ston succeeded in driving him back to Mar tinsburg- -outhanking them and getting be- tween them and the river, intercepted their retreat.
 From the topography of the country at and around Martinsburg, the federal army is thus held in trap, and between the up- per and neither millstones of Johnston and Beauregard, who will doubtless grind them to powder, unless the federal commander has judged "discretion to be the better part of valor," and surrendered.
 An order has been received at Martins burg, from Gen. Johnston, to remove the women and children.
 It was not known by our informant what was the extent of the loss on either side We shall doubtless have full particulars to-day.