Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-10-27
The News of the Week.

Late northern papers state that two corps
of McClellan's army have crossed the Poto-
macon at Harper's Ferry and the other
ut Shepherdstown, and occupied, respective
", Chariestown on the Winchester railroad,
and Kerneysville on the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad. Charlestown is fifteen and Ker-
neysville about twenty miles distant from
Winchester. Until Thursday the main body
of Gen. Lees army is supposed to have been
west Of Oppequan creek, and between Bunk
ers Hill and Winchester. By arrivals direct
from the latter place, we learn that our army
has made a movement in the direction of
Kerneysville and Charlestown. If this re-
port be correct, and we see now no especial
reason to discredit it, the great battle so long
expected in that quarter, both by the North
and South, may be near at hand.
From later adyices, however, we learn that
Gen. jackson made an advance to meet the
enemy, when he Immediately withdrew and
crossed over the Potomac into Maryland. 1t
is therefore inferable, that Mcclellan has no
intention to give Gen. Lee battle in that re-
gion, at leaseaOr the present. He is thought
to be drilling and preparing his new levies
for the Geld, preparatory to another onward
move to Richmond or some other important
point.
While Mcclellan is pushing forward on the
upper Potomac, Sigers cavalry are patrolling
the country from Alexandria to Warrenton.
A body Of a hundred of them made a descent
upon the town of Warrenton early on Satur-
day morning, and drove out q company Of
forty of our cavalry, who were in possession,
killing their captain and wounding three of
aha men. Fugitives from the place state that
Snis = killed eleven of the Yankees, but
sons familiar with troopers stories. The fight,
if fight there was, took place in the main
street Of Warrenton.
The impression prevails below, that the
Yankee forces ut Newbern have been largely
reinforced, recently. Whether they are dread
ing an attack from our forces, or design an
early attack upon our lines, is not known
1t is, however, obvious that it will not do for
us to anticipate any thing less than q strong
movement upon us. The absolute necessity
of meeting such q movement vigorously and
with . sufficient force, must be palpable to
every one.
The more we hear of the battles at Corr
NTH, the more we are convinced that som
of the most terrible fighting of the war oc-
CURED there. The yankees only claim 200
Of our men killed and 1900 wounded, while
they admit a loss of three Thousand woun.
ded and could not tell how many killed. The
Mobile Register says that our army has made
. stand ut . convenient point in North Mis-
sissippi, that it IS rapidly being reinforced,
and will soon be in position to resume often
sive operations.
In order to meet the vastly lating
armies Of the North, the Adjutant General
Of the Confederate army has issued orders,
extending the draft so as to include all citi
zens liable to military duty between the ages
Of eighteen and forty years.
We publish in another column, Genera
Bragg's official report of his recent battle in
Kentucky. 1t is certainly a very meagrs
and unsatisfactory account. The truth is, il
is now very generally conceded that the cam
paign in the West has proved a failure. Tn,
subsistence of the waters Of the Western
rivers, and the unprecedented drought which
prevailed for many months in that quarter
left the enemy high and dry in the interior
deprived Of his gunboats, remote from hi
base of supplies, and liable to destruction .
any moment from a vigilant and active ad
versary. The Southern people saw this col
dition of things with perfect clearness, an
expectation was on tiptoe all the summer Fl
o brilliant and successful campaign of o,
armies. The season has passed, winter
coming on, and the enemy without losir
any ground, is already acting on the aggres
I've, driving eur armies before him.
The cause of General Bragg's failure
now sufficiently obvious. Instead of fgh
ing Buellina pitched battle, when he had hi
q disadvantage, near Chattanooga, inferi
IN numbers, and remote from supplies, whe
defeat would have been utter ruin. Gene,
Bragg adopted the plan of taking possessi
Of the country in his rear by detacbm.,
and avoiding general engagements. The
peditio 5 of Morgan and Smith into Ke
tacky, and the achievement Of Forrest n