Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-05-24
TELEGRAPHIC.
Reported for the Ohio Statesman.
THE LATEsr T. NEWS.

Our Advance within Five Miles Ol
Rich m mOnd-ImPOrtant ntInfor NATION
| for Mcclellan -Great Distress In
Rich ma Ond-EnTOrcing the COnscrIp'
ton act. H.n
BAlrIMoRE, May 90 The boat from Old
Point has arrived
The American g special correspondence states
that the a. teamer from White House this after
noon brings a number OF passengers from the
headouarters OF Gen McClellan's army, which
was 10 close proximity to Bottom Bridge, over
which a portion OF the army has already passed,
the second divis on having crossed the Chicka-
hominy at New Bridge, about seven miles fur
ther up, and within eight miles Of Richmond.
| Il was rumored that a proposition for an
| armistice for ten days had been made by the
rebels, but of course no such idea cIuld be en-
| tertain, d. ..
The advance of our army was understood to
be within Ave miles Of the city, TO which POINT
the enemy has fallen back, with but slight ef-
fert to check our onward movement The ad-
vance by the way Of New Bridge enters the
city on the north side.
The tug Dragon, from the James river this
morning, bnpgs down two very intelligent cid-
zens from Petersburg, who fled from that city
to avoid the press gang, under the conscription
they bring, it would not be proper to make
their names public. Having been brought to
Commodore Goldsboro they we're Immediately
sent to Gen Wool, and will leave this morning
for McClellan's headquarters, for whom they
have some information which they have not
made public
They represent the condition of affairs at
Petersburg and the surrounding country as of
a most deplorable character. The sufferings of
the people seem almost beyond endurance -
The scarcity OF provisions Was so great that
every thing was seized for the army, and even
the soldiers have been on half rations fer a
week past, with no prospect of even this supply
continuing for great l,Dgth Of time
! The rebel army, or at least a great portion
OF it, they represent as demofaljzed and dieplr-
tied TO euch an txteDt that II is only held to-
gether my the most vigorous appliance Of mill
tary law. Still the work OF cODscrption was
progressing, and the roads to Richmond were
thrOnged with utamed men, old and young,
being driven along under strong armed guards.
They reDresent that no people In modern times
have suffered more than the people OF Virginia
are nov sulf. .ring, every household being mourn
ing with the proc pect OF an approaching famine.
They also state that Gen BeauregArd arriv-
ed at Richmond on Tuesday Ga being ques
tioued as 10 their authority for this statement,
they say il WAS 30 announced aid understood at
Petersburg on Wednesday morning. No one
doubted the fact
JEFF. DAYS and the military authorities had
declared their intention TO fight to the death
before Rich moDd, but strong suspicious were
that it was really their purpose to
abandon the city after short defense OF the
works surrOundingit
Large numbers OF women and children from
Richmond had arrived at Petersburg, who rep
resented the distress prevailing in the city aS
beyond description. Threats we're m tde by the
soldiers from the Cult States that if they had to
leave Richmond they would lay it 10 ashes be-
fore dong 80. Great fests we're entertained
that their thre eats would be carried into effect
Il would require the greatest Efforts on the part
of the cilizens to prevent such catastrophe.
The number of troops at Richmond aud 10
the vicinity was generally believed TO be lully
two bundled thousand, including the unarmtd
and poorly armed of the rtceut levies, who we're
having pixies put into their hands tor active ser
vice.
Deserters from Fort Darling report that the
Infantry force in the vicinity OF the work is
nearly thirty thousand men.