The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1862-03-26
From the Ohio Statesman.
The War Record of the Past
Week.

March, we are. told. derives It's name
from Mars. the god Of war. The present
March bids fair to prove the great war
mouth of the year. Its record thus far
is sanguinary one, and almost daily we
hear of battles and rumo-s of battles.
Though the rebellion cannot yet be safely
said to be .'crushed out" its dimensions
are lessening and its power becoming
weaker and weaker. We will glance
briefly at some of the items of news re.
ceived during the past week.
We have had very full accounts of the
great naval engagement of News, Cd
Saturday and Sunday. the sth and sth
inst between the rebel iron. plated steam.
er Merrimac or Virginia, as the rebels
call her, and the United States vessels,
the Cnnberland and Congress. and after.
ward between the Merrimac aud Erics.
sous battery, the Monitor, which forced
the rebel iron-cased monster to retire
from the contest. We have given de
tailed account Of this first great naval
fight in the present war, derived from the
pilot of the Cumberland, to which the
reader is referred. .g4gss4g
We also publish in this paper the most
complete and connected account we have
yet received of the great battle of Pea
Ridge 10 Northwestern Arkansas. which
lasted for three days, commencing on
Thursday. the 9Th, and ending on Satur.
day, the 8th inst, This appears. taking
all things into account, to have been the
bloodiest and most desperate land fight
which has taken place siace the war be-
gan, resulting ir The complete rout of the
rebels, and the loss of at least two of
their NEST noted commanders. More
authentic details may, however, be expect.
ed shortly.
We are still in want of any full aud
satisfactory occount of the fight or series
of fights, which occurred about the 20ih
of February, at Fort Craig on the Rio
Grande. 1t appears that q severe engage
ment took place on the 2lst uit., in which
our forces under Col Candy sustained q
reported loss of two hundred in killed and
wounded, and among whom were several
gallant officers. But the rebel Texans
were repulsed and are supposed to have
suffered a much greater loss.
! The rebels have been expelled by Gen.
Pope from the important post of New
Madrid GU the Mississippi, and forced to
retreat to Island No 10, q short distance
above. 'rhe place was captured on Fri
day, the l4h, after bombsrdment and
| fight, in which we lost about City in killed
and wounded. Thirty two batteries ol
field artillery, severa! thousand small arms
and an immense quantity of stores fell
into our hands.
New Madrid ia the capital of New
Madrid county, Missouri. 1t occupies q
commanding position on the Mississippi
river, about twenty-five miles southwest
of Columbus. Kentucky, in direct line
T. had been occupied by the rebels evel
since they moved on Columbus last sum
mer. We may well con gratulate all Uniou
men upon its recent capture.
Ga the sane day that General Pope
took possession of New Madrid. Friday,
the ] l4th lust, our troops under Genera
Burnside, after desperate conflict o
four hours. drove the rebes out of New
berne, North Carolina, at the poiat o.
the bayone., and took possession of the
town. No official report of this trans
action has been received. bat there must
have been a considerable loss on each
side The day was clearly won by the
Union forces, aud among our trophies are
reported to be three light batteries of 6eld
artillery, forty-six heavy siege guns, thir
ty thousand stand Of small arms and two
hundred prisoners. including several Off
GERS as vsa Ists setsi
Newberne WAS in old colonial times
the capital of the province of North Caro-.
lima. 1t is situated on the Neuse rivef,
thirty miles from it's mouth in Pamlico
Sound. The Neuse is here over . mile
wide, aud is navigable eight months in the
year. Ocrscoke Inlet affords communi,
cation with the sea- Newberne. is also
connected, by branch road 30 Colds
boro, about forty miles distant. with the
railroad line running through North Caro-
lima to Richmond, Virginia. 1t was on
the Goldsboro branch that the rebels made
good their escape. 1gsstsa seq
We have also the report of the recent
movement, by order Of Gen Halleck, Of q
force under Col. Wood, on Salem. Fulton
county, Arkansas. where q large rebel
force was completely routed, about one
hundred having been killed and many
prisoners captured. Our loss is stated to
have been only about fifty. But this
news is too recent to be confidently relied
upon
There have been during the past week
cheering news of many other minor sue
cesses on the Union side. which We have
not space to eaumerate What We have
given, compared with foruer recent vic.
tories, shows that the day of he complete
and final triumph OF the Union cause
cannot, il professedly loyal meh are faith.
f.l a., Ia Gonstifn,ion AID The rolntrv