Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1862-01-30
THE LATEST WAR NEWS.

The destination Of the Burnside expedition i
still in doubt 1t is stated that information ha
becu received at Fortress Monroe that the expe
dition fitting out at Hilton Head by Genera
Sherman would move northward and form
junction with General Burnsde's forces. and tn
combined expedition would then make demon
stration on the coast of North Cnrolina. A
the last advices from Hilton Head it is statec
by another authority that all the floats ant
aunches-of which there were great numbers
were collected or collecting, and preparation
were making to transport troops. Two of tn
regiments at Hilton had received not simpl,
marching orders, but orders to move, and they
were preparing to go, towards what point wa
of course not stated, but it was there supposed
that the movement was to be against Savannah
1t is reported that six or seven of the vessels o
the Burnside feet have been driven ashore nea
Hatteras, and were burned by order of the Fed
eral commanders to prevent their falling int
the hands of the Cunfederates. The fine steam
er Louisiana. of Baltimore, was one Of the yes
sells destroyed.
We publish elsewhere full details of the lat
battle near Somerset, Kentucky. 1t is repre-
sented that the fighting on both sides was des
perate.
Dispatches published in the Norfolk papers
confirm the Federal reports of the battle. The
Richmond Dispatch Of Friday last declare:
frankly that the defeat of Zolicoffer was eyer
more decisive than it was stated to have beer
by the written account; that FIVE hundred Con
federates were killed and Wounded, and tha
General Crttenden, also wounded, was falling
BACK on knoxville. The only serious dange
which is apprehended by the Dispatch is tina
the Federal troops may succeed, by the disper
sal Of the opposing force, in reaching the rail
road which passes through Eastern Tennessee
and thus cut off communication with the States
Of the Mississippi Valley. To force the passage
of the Cumberland Gap, one hundred miles dis
tant from Somerset. in the present condition o
the roads in Kentucky, is not believed to be fea
sible. The only other route which is open il
that taken by the retreatiDg army, but the dan
ger of seizing the railroad in that direction it il
asserted, can be easy guarded against, as mea
sures to that effect will be promptly taken.
The Cairo correspondence of the Cincinnati
Gazette and Commercial, and of the New York
Times, throws considerable light not only upor
the condition of affairs in the Gulf States, bu
also furnishes some very interesting particular
with regard to Columbus and its defenses. Al
New Orleans we learn that there really did ex
ist suppressed Union sentiment, until the issue
Of that astounding proclamation from Ship Is.
land by General Phelps. Now, however, al
classes seem determined to fight the quarrel out
and be possessed of much more intense hatred
of the Union, and of the North, than was ex.
hibited two months and a half ago. The de-
fenscs Of New Orleans are said to have beer
made almost impregnable, every avenue of ap.
proach to the city being protected by powerful
batteries supported by an army of not less thar
fifty thousand men.
An arrival at New York from Port Roya
brings the intelligence of the sailing of the sec.
ond stone fleet. The vessels composing this ex.
pedition are to be sunk in Maf6t's channel, thu
passage by which the steamer Ella Marley re-
Gently entered Charleston after eluding the bloc
dading vessel off that point.