The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-03-28

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The week opened with hard battle and a
brilliant victory on Sunday near Winchester,
Virginia. Gen Shields with about 5000 men
under him, defeated the combined forces of
the rebels under Gems Jackson, Smith and
Longstreet. The returns from this conflict
are very meager as yet, for what reason, We
are at loss to conjecture. 1t is supposed
however, that Gen Shields is pursuing the
rebels and may bag some game yet. The
federal loss is estimated at 100 killed and
go wounded-that of the rebels much larg-
err. We shall doubtless get full particulars
sometime. There is such secresy in army
movements nowadays that it is not even
known what regiments were in the Sunday
fight, though it is supposed there were seve-
raj from Massachusetts. P. S.-A late dis
patch which we give elsewhere gives the de-
tails Of this fight.
Gen Burnside is following up his success
at Newbern by occupying Beaufort, n. c.
The rebels evacuated the town after blowing
up Fort Macon and burning the steamer
Nashville, which the Tuscarora watched so
long at Southampton. 1t is believed that the
occupation Of Beaufort will be of great adj
vantage to Gen burnside, more particularly
as base for future operations.
Gen McClellan's movements are carefully
kept from the public, as no doubt they should
be. There is belief that he will attempt to
bring his fine army face to face with the reb-
els on or between the York and James liv-
ers; though if the rebels persist in running
how can the man fight them? Mcclellan is
popular in the country, notwithstanding the
hullabaloo raised against him by few; and
he is immense! y popular in the army. In a
letter from the 9TH Vt. regiment the writer
SAYS: "Our confidence he (McClelan) al
ready has, and if his plans ard strategy de-
mand another draft upon our patience it shall
be freely honored. 1t makes no difference
what political leaders think or newspaper
marshals write about oor general-his &ol!-
ie's tore HAM, and nine out Of ten are perfect
ly familiar with the objects of his traducers.
OF one thing these men may rest assured.
this army fights under Mcclellan or it nere'
fights. 1t has combated the enemy orce I'M
der the supervision of politicians and jour
mails, and that once is enough" Little Mac is
the trump that is bound to win yet
The sanguinary struggle that is going on
at Island No. 10 in the Mississippi river is
growing intensely interesting: and the fact
that only mo;ety of news is transmitted
from this point increases the interest into al
most fear for the result. But the RICH,
man is at the head of that beSieging army
Commodore Foote is not a man who puts his
hands to the pillow and then turns back. The
cool, deliberate manner with which he invest,
this strongly fortified rebel position is almos
a guaranty Of success.
On the whole the news of the week is en
couraging The campaign of tn,
next three months will be full of ust sucI
news, only more so.
The American blockade has been thorough
ly discussed in the British Parliament, ans
the effort to agi,ate fairly and squarely vote'
down. Even the London Times acknowl
edges that the blockade is etlcctual, and
comes to that conclusion from the fact tia
England gets no cotton.