Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1863-02-20

been urgently requested by the commandant
OF that isolated post TO furnish an additional
number OF troops to enable him TO repel the
attack which, it is said, the Confederates were
meditating at last advices.
Federal picket, composed Of forty-fve
men belonging to the 9th Michigan regiment,
was surprised on Friday night last, near An
andale by a superior force Of Confederates,
and in the skirmsh that ensued, lost fifteen in
killed and missing, whilst several Others were
wounded " Our men" says the telegram,
with commendable terseness, were forced to
give way"
General Grants operations before Vicksburg
are becoming interesting. He is establishing
chain Of batteries along the Western shore
OF the Mississippi TO point opposite Warren
ton, ten miles below Vicksburg, for the two
fold purpose of blockading that portion Of the
river, and of covering, if necessary, the pas
sage Of troops across the river and thus at
lacking the Confederate batteries on that flank
where their defeuces are weakest. In the
meantime, McArthur's division has been NOV
ed up the river some one hundred miles above
and is said TO be endeavoring to cuta channel
from the river which shall, in connection with
two streams-the Bayou Mason and Bayou
Tensas-alford depth of water sufficient to
enable vessels to reach by this route the mouth
ra, and 80 miles north of Port Hudson. An
other Federal force under Gen. German, is
operating at the same time at the Yazoo Pass
on the Mississippi side Of the river, where it
is engaged in destroying the levee which, at
the present stage ofwater, willresult, it is said,
in the overflow Of the country for fifty miles
in every direction, and open navigable chan
mel for ordinary boats to the Yazoo river above
the Qualifications
"WEDNESDAY, Feb. 1s.-There is very little
news from any quarter, and that little is not
specially interesting. General Van Dorm has
crossed the Tennessee river with force of Ca
valry Of some thrty-dve hundred men, for the
purpose Of getting in the rear of Rosecrans
and cutting off his communications
General Hunter has been compelled to re-
sort to " n severe draft' to Gil up his black
brigade at Hilton Head The negroes will not
volunteer. They are said to be averse to do
ing anything beyond eating their ratons
Advices from Port au Prince received at New
York state that the Confederate steamer Ala
bama took two or three additional prizes with
in six days after her departure from Kingston.
THURSDAY, Feb. l9.-The New Orleans cor
respondent of the New York Post predicts
that very shortly there will be stirring news
from the Department now commanded by &C.
neral Banks. He states that q Confederate
force of some six thousand five hundred men
have been congregated at Bayou Teche, under
command of Brigadier General Taylor, for
merly of New Orleans. General Weitzel is
now about investing what is known as the
Teche country, and hence the correspondent
predicts that we shall soon have momentous
news. The writer adds that " the progress of
General WeitzeI will, by no means, prove
bloodless," as he will be compelled to over
pnunn rpCiataucp AT avor.- eto,,
The telegraph informs us that skirmish
took place on the 18th instant near Bolivar
Tennessee, between a detachment Of Federal
cavalry and body of Confederates in which
four of the latter were killed and number
wounded. The same telegram states that the
18th Wisconsin and 18th Illinois regiments
were attacked near Lake Providence a few
days since, by three Confederate regiments,
and that the Confederates were repulscd