Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-03-21

Further details arc received of the battle
at Fort Craig, New Mexico. showing desper-
ate fighting but indicating no de- isive result.
On the 18th ult. the Texans moved a column
OF 500 cavalry, supported by 1000 infantry
against Fort Craig skirmishing took place
and the rebels retreated. On the 18th and
10Th the Texans crossed to the east bank OF
tie Rio Grande, in order to take possession
OF the heights opposite to Fort Craig. Col.
Candy crossed and pursued them in force,
when the Texans on the heights fired some
30 cinnOn shots with some damage 10 our
forces. On the morning Of the 2lst, 200
Texan mules were captured with thelI wagon
master. Col. Candy held the pass to the water
guarded by battery and 1000 men. The
Texans had 10 fight desperately for water or
surrender
On the 2l,t the hattie took place, lasting
from clock till shutdown. The fight com
menced in the morning between portion of
our troops und r Col. Roberts and the enemy
across the Rio Grande with varied success,
until about | or . O'Clock of thst day, tn e
2lst. Col. Candy then crossed the river in |
force with a battery of 6 pieces under Capt. |
McCrae. Cd. Candy also took with him a |
small battery Of hovitzers. The enemy |
were supposed to have 8 field pieces.
Towards evening the guns Of the enemy |
were sIlenced. They, however, made des-
perate charge on our howitzer battery, bit
were repulsed with great loss, which was
defended hy Capt. Plimpton's Company of
the L. 5. infantry AID a portion of Col
Pino's regiment of New MexIcans.
The Texans then charged desperately with
picked men, about 600 strong on Captain
McCrae's battery. The Texans were armed
with carbines, rey0lveIs and long ! pound
bowie knives. After dIscharging their car
bines at close quarters, they drew their re-
v0lvers, and reached the battery amid storm
OF grape and canister. The New Mexicans
of Col. Pino's regiment became pane s;rick-
en- and fled. Capt. Plimpton with the L. s.
infantry, stood his ground, and fought nobly
until more than half were dead. With his
artillerymen cut down, and with his support
reported killed, wounded OF flying from the
field, Capt. McCrae sat down calmly on one
of his guns, and with revolver in hand, re
fuSing to fly or desert his post, fought to the
last, and died like hero, the last man at
hls guns. The Texans suffered terribly IN this
desperate charge.
1t is supposed that the battle was renewed
next day, with what final result Is not
known.
\ skirmish took place on Wednesday ,nlne ,,
miles from Winchester, Va, on the Stras-
burg road, in which a squadron OF the Mich
igan cavalry took SIX prisoners, including
% Lieut.. Murray of Ashby's cavalry corps.
When the rebel jackson evacuated Win
chester be left unmolested the railroad and z
rolling stock, consisting OF FIVE locomotives
four passenger cars and fourteen freight cars. e
Gen. Halleck has telegraphei the follow a
ing v
ST. LOUIS, March b.
Hon. L. ". Stanton
Our artillery and cavalry yesterday attack
Il the enemy 5 works one half mile west of
Paris, Tenn. The enemy was driven out
with a loss Of one hundred killed, wounded
and prisoners. Our. loss is Captain Bull of
he artillery and four men killed and four
wounded
\ cavalry force sent out from Lebanon, y
iissouri, attacked one Of Prices guerrilla -
arties, killing thirteen and wounding five g
nd capturing over twenty prisoners, among tc
whom was BrigadIer General Campbell the .,
commander. !,
In Beauregard's quarters at Manassas was
Ound roll OF papers, which are now in the
hose were found to consist of complete plans
f all the works about Washington, with "
minute statements Of number of guns noun
ed in each and their calIber, together with
he distances between each in feet also the tn
arious points indicated which were within Fl
helling distance of various public buildings p,
n Washington.
There has been warm work at Island -,
10. 10, and it was going to be warmer, as
Il the mortar boats, OF which there were 80 ye
t Cairo, were leaving that point for the VI
Gene Of action. The rebels were stron Fly *
ortifed both on the Island and on the main =,
md, having Sir distinct batteries, and I'll
lrge number of troops on the Tennessee in
bore. a despatch from Cairo gives the lat du
st IRON the flag ship benton up to the eve
ing Of the 18th, as follows:
We had hard work this afternoon with the
pper battery of all at this point. Four
bots struck Us only out of the fire of five =
,rts One shot after striking the upper
eek twice and the lower deck once and
reaking some half dozen beams, finally
,dged in the flg-oficer's desk, depositing -
self as quietly as possible. We have bat :"
cred the forts all to pieces, dismounting one be
IN, but night came upon us and we had to
ave without flashing the work, but will
)-morrow 20 at him again.
\ Tihed gun burst on board the St. Louis
nd killed two men outright, wounding NOR Pl
ally two more, and wounding ten Others. B,
'hese are the only casualties. :;
The mortars are doing well. i"
ia
Cen Halleck telegraphs Secretary Stanton, :
be 18th, that a scouting party under Lieut..
'ol. Wood and Maj. Drake, consisting of me
bout 80 men Of the 9th Missouri, and Sd
owa cavalry encountered near Salems, Ark, II,
bout 600 of the enemy, under Coils Cole -
nan, WOodsides and Mcfarland. After a L
svere fight the enemy was defeated with the
1ss of Col. WoodSides and about 100 killed de
nd wounded. 90.
The train from Nashville to Bowling Green m
as Intercepted at Gallltin on the 18th, by
party of rebel cavalry under Capt. John
lOrgan, who ran the cars of the track, and
,ok prisoners about 80 builders, en-
,ute TO Nashville, to rebuild the bridges G,
yer the Cumberland.
The only remaining locomotive on the ~
Iemphis Branch of the Louisville and Nash nc
lie Railroad near Louisville, exploded the Ct
.me day, killing the engineer, conductor, vi
Orter and brakeman. This suspends rail :.
on the Branch for the pre- Is
mt. IN
Key West adylces Of the 10th report the Oh
iiling Of POrter's feet. 4
The Providence journal remarks that those dr
-ho attended the Lenten service in any of
ne Episcopal churches on Tuesday afternoon, vi
lust have been struck with the appropIia- IL
moss 81 q, santanea in ono of the rSalmS So l :