Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-12-23
The WnF.

We have tidings Of an unpleasant and serious charac
tar from the frOnt Of army at Centrevle As usu
al however, dependent on unofficial statement,
and vOueh for their accuracy The best au.her-
tieAsed account have Is from efcer who parte.-
pased in the sfir and is "a follows: Ca Friday morn.
ing about daybrsAk force consisting Of the llh Vr
giniA regimsnt (cOl GsrIands the 18th Aabams, de-
tachnent of the Washington Artillery, and a sq1sd OF
horse making in all about 1900 men, under Gen. Stuart
went out towards Drainsvils, a foragiDg expedition
Somewhere in the neghborhood of that village which
Ea u Is miles North ofCentreve the advance guard
ie back and notified Gen Stuart that body Of the en-
envy, numbering shout 1900 were in his 'front.' Deter
mined to be defeated in bis expedition BY force not
larger than his own Gen. Stuart pushed forward intend
iug 70 give them battle If they stood their ground Be
fore reaching them, and while passing through skirt Of
woods, Gen. Sgulr; was suddenly attacked BY very
large force under and in ambush The Confederate
forces fought furorsy, but Of course were rot permit
ted to continue so unSquL conflict the only care Of
the commanding General being to extrcats them a.
speedily aud wilh little los possible This he sue
eeedsd 10 doing 10 about hall az hours time having a.
our informant states about one hundred and forty 10th
ers say sixty to a bundrsd) dead and wounded on the
held and At the mercy of the enemy Early next day Gen.
being reinforeed returned the scene Of the conflict in
the hope Of again eneounteng the foe but be had d.
appeared and fed acrcss the Potomac barring eff as
the people Of Dransvie stated fOrtyio wagon loads
Of bis ON dead and wounded This Is the version Of
the affair given Ne We have said by an officer who
reached this city yesterday. II IS proper to say that
there many other and materially variant accounts in
circulation. I've LJnchburg papers have information
that the Rhe Greys, Of that city capt @. w. Latham
loss only one man, John L. Henry the Home Guards
tclp. Kirk 0;ey lost zone and the whole regiment Of
Col Garland lost but killed This would indicate
that the entire los Ia considerably less than our inform
ant reports IT, We give elsewhere the telegraphie re-
port Of the agent in this city.
Since the withdrawal of Gen. FOyd's fore, from the
banks of the KAnaWha prOEug aud predatory bands Of
the enemy have made their way up into Greeabrier couu
VNnd no military force being there to resist them,
Arsprsyng ad ibhmupOn the loyal peopls of that fine
eOoniy We reasonably conclude that this will not be
bOrne with Opg By the authorities and that these marar.
dsrs viii be driven back to the bleak aud barren region
about the mouth Of the Gluley.
Through the medium Of the Norfolk Day Book, We
have advices from Nm York 10 the 18Th instant; al
nom EaFope. By the Jura, days later intelligence
than the Europa brought over The Substance Of the
news from both quTers will be found in our columns
Us general aspect is cheering The determination of
the British Government TO have satisfaction for the
Wilkes insult either By the amplest reparaton and
apology, or BY ehastsng Yankee insoencs is tAexibe
The demand win be Thy this time doubtless has bser)
presented in the mos, categorical and peremplory FORM
20 TO shut of discussion and preclude prevaicaon
There must be a clear backdoWn at Washington or
tight Lincoln must come down on his knees and say
psecavi submit TO a mailing Stewards hope has eyi-
DENLY been that the matter might be thrown into the
chancery Of ststecra aud through long course o.
Diplomats pleadings. But John Bull brushes his red
tape aside and with his fist to Lncolns nose requires
him 70 say yes or no on the instant What uih
the ralspi;ter says We don't know. lie Is said to be
logged and obstinate and Is supposed to have erght
By contact s0ms Of the courage common to the West
but be lodged the question in bis message, which Ger
tAniy was squirting towards eraw6shing. Seward, in
spite Of thssuspc:on in England that he seeks coils
sion, doubt willing to Wrgg!e GU, of the affr in
any way. But when the demand is presented in such
form 10 require pllpabe, coWsrdly and dsgrsceiu
back out Of opinion tha. Yankee pride aud pre-
t,nsOa viii come to the support Of their weak ard rem
bng resolution and that the demand lOi be rsfssd-
In Anticipation Of this the Eaglsh Government is pre-
pariDg for immediate war, and gigantic SCALE
Arms, ammunition and are hurrying eff for Can.
ada and the immense navy Of the old ms.res, OF the
sea-" headiag The invncble and invulnsrabe War.
rOF," getting in fighting trim. Immediately on the
arrival Of the Europa at Halifax, man ofwar the Ri
naloo, vas dispatched to communicate with Admiral
Nine, who commands the squadron now watching the
boekading ass and il Is not improbable tha. in the
ossnt Of the British ulmatum being rejected he will at
DOCS commence the work of sending Lneons ricketty
eraf to Davy Jones' locker The few remaining days of
al, memorable year pregnant with events Of meal
enlabIs importance.
Twelve mouths ago Chrii'mas night, the FIRST act Of
war vas committed by ksjor Anderson, in Charleston
bArbor BY evacuadng Fort Noultre after destroying It's
offences as far possible and taking possession Of the
stronger and menAeing position Of Fort Sumter
Imu diaisy the concentration Of troops begun in
W-shiOgOn uadsr the pretex that they we're necessary
t, protect be capital and the peaceful inaugura
toa OF tie President elect From that time to the pres
en there has been No intsrmlssOn Of hosites Though
a,taa battle did not occur ill April Il may be said
hsrsfsFe that the has already lasted twelve month";
Whist the results We have It in the confession of
ool Blair the other day. in the Lincoln Congress- "Tbe
rebels havs not been driven foot" Some time AFRO
he New k.7F5aas said there was no instance in