Litchfield enquirer., 1861-06-20
Ys,us pf the atsek.
THE WAR NEWS

! THE WAR NEWS
 l LATEST FROM THE SEAT or WAH.-A train sent out from Alexandria on Monday afternoon to Vienna, taking Mccook's Ohio regiment, ac- companied by Gen schenck, dropped companies along the road, and reached Vienna with but three companies, when . masked battery opened upon them, killing ana wounding. according to the In'e1l;g neer, 20. The, Repu6lican said the number of killed and wounded was IS, and when the messenger left, thsee .companies were preparing to assault the batterry. large re- inforcement was sent out to relieve them. No tidings of them are received.
 The following was received late Meatlay night from the telegraphic camp: &
 l On turning the curve slowly within one quar- ter of mile of Vienna were fired upon by a raking mask battery of, I think, three gunsA with shells, round shot and grape, killing and wounding the men on the platform and in the i cars before the train could be stopped. When the train stopped the engine couldn't on account of damage to some part of the machinery, draw the train out of the fire. The engine being in the rear we left the cars and turned to the right and left of the town through the woods Find ing the enemy,s batteries were sustained by
 
 try, and by cavalry, which force we since under stood to have been some 1900 South Carolinians. We fell back along the railroad, throwing out skirmishers on both Hanks. This was about z A. M. Thus we returned slowly bearing off our wounded, five miles to this point, which we reached at, 10 o'clock.
 | The engineer, when the men left the cars, in- stead of. returning slowly as I ordered, detatch- ed his engine with one passenger car from the rest of the disabled train, abandoned us, running to Alexandria, and we have heard nothing of him since. Thus we were deprived of rallying point and of all means of conveying the wounded who had to be carried on filters and in blankets. We waited here holding the roads for reinforce. ments. The enemy did not pursue.
 have ascertained that the enemy's force at Fairfax Court House, four miles from Vienna, is now about 4000. When all the batteries opened upon us Major Hughes was at his station on the foremost platform car. Col. McCook was with me in one of the passenger cars. Both those officers with others of the commissioned officers and many of the men behaved most coolly under this galling fire which we could not return, and from batteries which we could not flank or turn from the nature of the ground.
 | R. c. scHEScK, Brig. Gen.
 The train which went to the relief of the Ohio troops contained the first and second Connecti. cut regiments, and proceeded as far as four miles this side of Vienna, where it met the rem nants of the Ohio troops at 4 Tuesday morning THE VARIOUS INDICATIONS which have pointed to speedy evacuation of Harper's Ferry by the rebels have proved reliable, and that place is now ready for the occupation of Gen. Patterson's troops. On Thursday evening all the outlying pickets of the rebels were called in by Gen Johnson, the men were recalled from the Mary. land side, and preparations were made for 6 lspeedy retirement. Between and o'clock Friday morning-trains having for some time tbeen. laid for that purpose-the bridge across the Potomac leading to Harpcr's Ferry Village was blown up and entirely destroyed, and tho retreat commenced in the direction of Winchest. CT, and was conducted with the greatest haste Eight car loads of provisions, it is stated, were destroyed, to prevent tleir falling into the hands of the Federal troops-there being no facilities for getting them away. Notwithstanding tic preparations which have been made for this movement of the rebels, it is evident that it was made in hurry aud confusion-caused, proba bly, by reports that the Federal troops were rap idly approaching from Greencastle and Cumber land. If it is true. as reported that the retreat of the rebels is ill the direction of Winchester the ultimate destination is, no doubt, Manassas Junction., by sLle saE of Strasburg and From ) Royal, taking care 10 destroy the bridges owe, the Shenandoah at the latter point.
 , There appears to be no doubt that the grea body of the fourteen thousand rebel troops, whiel recently occupied Harper's Ferry, has proceeded to reinforce Gems. Beauregard and Loo at Man assas Junction but it is stated on the authori ty of a person who was at the Ferry on Saturday night, that portion of them was expected tt proceed to Romney, to join the command of Hen ry A. Wise, the crazy ex-governor of Virginia , who is reported to be on his march from Staun | ton with three thousand men, to oppose the pro gress of Gen McClellan's forces. How much h, expects to accomplish with three thousand mer does not clearly appear; but, of course, accord to Virginia reckoning they will be match fol , fifteen thousand Yankees. The rebels, on thei1 retreat from the Ferry, threw large quantity O.
 muskets, said to number Q thousand, into tn, river, together with some of their accoutrement. all of which have since been recovered
 Col. LEW. WALLACE telegraphs to Washington , that after the fight at Romncy, the rebels die not rally and return, but they ran sixteen mile, 8 toward Winchester before they stopped. "St l far from my retreating brought out to the cam1 at Cumberland their tents, valuable arms, uni forms, and medical stores, without leaving any h thing behind Their rout was total. The mex day there were several funerals in the town We killed captain and member Of the Virgini, = Legislature, and took one of their majors pris oner send you this to stop unwarranted sian
 der about my retreat, started by some cowardly scoundrel in Alexandria" He add "My boy. | are entitled to all honor; they won it bravely
 let them have it. They have not forgotten Bue
 na Vista"
 GEN. PATTERSON is moving with his column 0
 22,000 men to Washington. It is thought nor, probable than ever that the Rebels will continu to retreat and, indeed there is rumor that the, ? have really fled from Leesburg. After Patter
 son reaches the Capital there will be there no + less than 75,O00 National troops, and # Gen cClellan, with his force, also comes to Wash ington, we shall have 100000. The plail policy of the Government is to concentrate there greatarmy, probably for an advance on Richmond !. If said that tho rnhe1s at Manaseas Tuncf;ov