North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1863-02-04
w ar News

The army of the Potomac are at dead
halt and have been, since the Fredericks-
burg slaughter. An effort was made few
days since TO cross the Rapahannock a few
miles above that point, but it failed on &C
count of the difficulty of moving artillery
through the mud and, the army return
ed to its old quarters near Falmouth.
The following items of news we take from
the World.
The Richmond Examiner of Saturday pub
fishes telegram from Charleston saying
that the federal gunboat j. p. Smith, carry
ing eleven guns and 220 men, surrendered to
the rebels on Friday after sharp engage
ment on Stono river. The federal loss is,
of course, said to have been heavy.
The steamship Columbia, from New Orle-
ans Jan. 9th, arrived here yesterday. A re
port was current in the Crescent City that
the Harriet Lane had eIuded the vigIIence of
our blocksding feet off Galveston, and es-
capped to sea. There was also story that
the Alabama was cruising off the passes in
the hope of capturing some vessel laden with
coal.
Dispatches from Nashville state that a
/ thousand rebel cavalry, with battery Of
four pieces Of artillery, are iyInc in wait to
capture federal transport feet moving up
the Cumberland river.
! 4 report has been received from rebel
sources that an engagement had recently TAX
/ en- place near Savannah, in which the rebels
had been worsted. Though no particulars
! of the affair are given, it is supposed, from
! the tenor of the latest advces from Port Roy
all that the iron clad Montauk, with other
gunboats, had gone up the Ogeechee river
to capture or destroy the rebel steamer Nash
Vile, and probably met with success. 1t is
also probable that the Muntauk had a fight
with the rebel steamer Atlanta, formerly
called the Flngal.
Intelligence is received from Fortress Mon.
roe of an engagement on Friday, near the
/ Backwater, between the rebels nnder Gen
! Pryor and a portion of Gen. Peck's con.
mamd. Gen. Pryor's forces advanced across
the river and made a demonstration with ar.
tillery on Gen. Peck's advanced brrgadeS
but were repulsed, and re-crosSing the river
retreated IN the direction of Franklin. The
fighting appears to have beeh quite brisk re-.
/ sul'ing IN a loss to us Of about one hundred
| in killed and wounded. The rebel loss is
unknown, but number of prisoners were
taken. Corcoran'> brigade was in the en-
gagement, and fought galantlv.
! A scouting party consisting uf one hun
! dred and thirty men, under he command #
| Lieut. Colonel Steward, recently dashed in
! To Van Buren, on he Afkan,a, river, and
captured a steamer AMI three hunirel ua>-
sengsrs.
WASHINGTON. Feb. |.
Acting Rear Admiral Lee has sent the fol
lowing telegram to the Secretary of the Ma
w.
NEWPORT News, Jan 81, }
via. Fortress Monroe, Feb. Is A. NJ {
The Richmond Eraminer of Saturday
contains the following dispatch:
CHARLESTON, Jan. 30.
The federal gunboat J. P. Smith, CARRYING
eleven guns and two hundred and thirty
men, surrendered Internationally to our for
ces this afternoon after sharp engag cmcnt
at Stono river. The encmy's loss is heavy.
Only one man was wounded on our side
Another gunboat escaped in a crippled con-
dition. Our forces were under command Of
Lieut. Col. Yates.