Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1862-02-27
THE LATEST WAR NEWS.

THE LATEST WAR NEWS.
Confederate account of the seige of Fort
Donelson states that their force was le.ween
thirteen and fifteen thousand. The severest
fighting took place on Saturday, when the Con-
federates took seven pieces of artillery and some
two hundred prisoners. One of these prisoners,
it is said, informed General Buckner that the
Federals had fifty thousand men, and expected
to be reinforced by thirty thousand more, which
induced him to surrender the works. The Con-
federate loss in killed is estimated to have been
between three and four hundred and from
twelve to fifteen hundred wounded.
No dispatches had been received from Nash
vile which furnished any details of the battle at
Fort Donelson, and the speculations of the jour
nails were wholly founded upon the statements
which had been derived from Northern journals
Passengers who reached Augusta. Georgia, on
the 18th. asserted that Generals Pillow, Floyd
and Buckner had cut their way through the
beseging force, and were then at Nashville. -
The statement was only true so far as it related
to Pillow and Floyd.
The official report of the occupation of Carks-
vile has been received. The Federal troops
under COL Webster, of Gen. Grants staff land
ed and took possession Of the place on Thursday
last. Two-thirds of the inhabitants had fed on
the approach of the forces. The Confederates
before evacuating the place burned the railroad
bridge across the Cumberland. The report states
that Union sentiment manifested itself as the
fleet of gunboats moved up the river.
10 ore fol &lok 81, 81
ceived in Richmond on Saturday announcing
that Nashville had been surrendered, and that
the city had been occupied by Federal troops
This report is confirmed by brief dispatch re-
ceved from Cairo on Monday night, which states
that Gen. Buell's forces occupy Nashville and
that Gov. Harris has called in all the Tennessee
troops It's also stated that strong reaction
has taken place among the people.
There is no reliable news from Savannah
The steamer from Fortress Monroe, which ar
rived on Saturday, brings the statement that It
vas Is n hassyaffb ii in ;t N Yn .st
| the Federal troops An arrival at New York.
from Port Royal brings intelligence of an en-
gagement below Savannah. between several
Confederate gunboats and Federal battery; in
which the former were defeated and compelled
to retire. An official report of Com. Dupont
| states that in recent expedition up the Savan-
nah river number of small cans were discov-
cred floating in the water, which. on examina-
ton, proved to be attached to sunken torpetloes.
The latest intelligence from, the Burnside ex-
petition is to the goth, Thursday last, when,
according to accounts received in Norfolk a
| number Of Federal gunboats assembled the Cho-
wan river, to Winton, where short engage
ment occurred. The Confederates soon retired
and the Federal troops landed and burned the
town. Chas. H. Foster, who lately claimed to
be member of Congress from North Carolina,
is reported to be among the killed on the Fed.
eral side. Winton is the capital of Hartford
county, North Carolina, and is situated on the
right bank of the Chowan, and contained about
FIVE hundred inhabitants.
The whereabo:t, of the main portion of the
Burnside fleet is a matter of speculation, as at
last accounts all the Federal soldiers had left
lSdenton, and no gunboats were seen on Abe
marie Sound.
A Federal scout, who left Columbus as late as
the 18th, reports that no preparations were be-
ing made for the evacuation of that place. but
that, on the contrary, a large umber of steamers
were at the wharf, and a salute was fred, indi--
eating the arrival of General and reinforce
ments from the South. -
The 2Sth of February has been set apart by
the authorities Of the Confederate States as day
os humiliation and prayer. In Directing to the
drafting Of citizensas urged by Governor Letch-
er Of Virginia en- masse the Richmond WhH
remarks that '.the rage for volunteering is great.
er than it has been since the beginning of the
war; and adds: "There will be no want of men,
without any extraordinary legislation, if they
can only get arms, and leaders to conduct them
against the enemy" Three batteries of artillery
are to be furnished the Maryland brigade in the
Confederate service, and a bill is pending trans
ferring all the volunteers from Maryland. who
re-enlist in Virginia troops, to Maryland resi-
ments. u
Some of the Richmond papers express great
dissatisfaction with the war policy of the admin
istratien, and one of them goes so far as to sug-
gest that the government be resigned into ADLER
hands. Ineficiency is openly charged, and to
the neglect of offensive movements at the proper
time are attributed the late disasters to their
arms Yet there are no expressions of a desire
for peace short of recognition of the indepen-
dence of the States, all urging the prosecution
of the war with energy. The Congress on Sa-
turday was engaged in the discussion Of the past
and future policy of the war, and it was pro-
posed that Commander Chief of the army be
appointed, to whom all directions of the military
operations should be entrusted.
The Confederate war steamer Sumter is re-
ported to be at work again. From Catlz infor-
nation had reached London that she bad over
hauled ship from New York, but subsequently
released her upon the captain signing an order
payable In london for $4,000,
Additional reinforcenents to General Buffers
command at. Ship Island hare left Boston dur
Ing the past week.