Weekly Trinity journal., 1863-12-12
From the War.


AS it has been utterly impossible to receive any
Eastern news by telegraph since the late storm
set in, we obliged to draw upon our lower
country exchanges for what of Importance has
transpred at the seat of war since our last issue.
Following is the Sacramento Bees opinion rela-
to the late " forward and back" movement of
Meade
As ''the King of France, with 1000 men,
marched up the hill and then marched down
again" so General Meade went up to the rebel
works, looked upon their formidable proportions
and respectfully retired for the season. There is
more in this than appears on the surface. 1t was
not the fear of attacking that caused the Army
of the Potomac to fall back nor the fear of the
loss of life either, although these reasons may
be offered to an inquistive public. There is a
Dolicy in this war We know not whose plan it
is that is now being carried out, whether Stan
toms Hallecks, Meade's, Grants or Lincoln's
but it is the one adopted by all, and which gov
ems all-and which wins 1t was not in that
rlan for Meade to attack, or he would have at
| tackled. Combinations are being made to close
cut the war. If Gilmore were to take Charles
! ton sc, 900 rebel troops would be added to the
srmy of Lee or Bragg, and for military purposes,
IS base for anything, Charleston is not, to us,
worth taking. So if Lee were driven out of
Virginia. and Richmond captured, the rebel army
| would go uOWn lUlO OcOTgld, anu We WOulu nave
Ito follow it into the center of the cotton States
and their troops might repossess themselves, for
"a time of portions of the Mississippi, snd while
the mere fact of us possessing Richmond might
have some effect abroad-whence we have but
little to fear-it could not strengthen the cause
at home. 1t is easier, or at any rate cheaper, to
destroy the rebel armies in Virginia than to pur-
sue them through the swamps of Georgia and
Alabama Now, we hold the situation every
where, in Texas, on the Mississippi in Tennes-
see in Georgia md Virginia, and it is for us to
give battle when and where we please.
From the dispatch to the Union of the 7th
inst we CLEAN the following items;
The Richmond Examiner has a Dispatch dated
Orange Court House, December lst, which says
There was spirited artillery duel all day. The
enemy have thrown up fortifcations along their
front
The Raleigh Standard contains Wilmington
dispatch, dated November Goth, which says
Thirteen large steamers, heavily laden ran the
blockade on the night of November 18th.
ATLANTA (Ga. J, Nov. 29th.-Bragg' headquar
ters are at Ringgold. Great fears are entertained
for Longstreet's safety. Three thousand of the
enemy are advancing toward Knoxville. Fight
ing is reported to-day at Kingston.
ATLANTA, December 2d.-The enemy arc in
trenching themselves at Chickamauga. There
has been heavy fighting at Charleston Tennes-
see. The enemy burned portion Of Ringgold
to-day and destroyed the bridges and railroad
track at Chickamauga. The Yankees hold Cleve-
land, (Tenn.) and are advancing on Charleston
! (Tenn).
BosroN, Dec. 5th.-A correspondent of the
Hratd, writing from off Charleston, Nov. 28th,
says One or two rebel batteries on James Is
land have been completely destroyed by our
shells. A Sergeant and several privates belong
ing to Georgia regiment stationed on James
land escaped and surrendered to our forces on
James Island They say the Charlestonans and
rebel troops are in state Of panic.
CHICAGO, Dec. Washington special dis
patches, dated December 5th say; 1t is said
the necessity for the recent retrograde move
mcnt of the Army of the Potomac is charged
upon the failure of the Corps OF Gems. French
and Warren to reach until Friday night, Novem-
Der 27th the positions which they were ordered
to reach twenty-four hours sooner-thus giving
the enemy time to intrench themselves, so that
II was doomed rru don't 10 mako attoeE
Intelligence from the front tonight says that
Lee 5 movements seem to indicate intention
of assuming the offensive. 1t is plain that he
construes Meade's withdrawal as confession of
weakness and is determined on making u move.
1t looks though the rebels were endeavoring
to flank Meade on the right getting between him
and the Rappahannock. a disposition of our
troops has been made in anticipation Of such
movement.
1t is stated that the siege of Knoxville is raised,
and Longstreet is retreatng. The fight on the
Goth, was Obstinate the rebels advancing on our
works in the face of deadly storm of shot from
the batteries, and marching their columns up to
the very base of Fort Sanders they were there
received with murderous volley of musketry
and hand grenades, which caused their lines to
falter, wayer, and flee in confusion, leaving 300
| nriSOnprs and 700 muSkets in our hands The
rebel press is indulging in a wall over their re-
verses in East Tennessee, and on the Chcka-
mauga. The celebrity of our troops in their
movements is a matter of astonishment to them,
and poor Bragg is made the target for all their
yituperative shafts, while Davis is blamed for
continuing him in command
CHICAGO, Dec 4th.-The capture of Corpus
Christi has been already reported, but the follow
ing particulars are from correspondent with the
expedition, who says the fleet left Brazos San
tiago Pass on the evening of November nth,
and the following afternoon regiments landed on
Mustang Island, and, marching all night, reached
the vicinity of the rebel works about daylight.
Some skirmshing took place between our ad-
vance which was thrown across the Island that
no one might escape, while the ganboat Monon-
gaheia threw a number of ll-inch shells among
the rebels, which Immediately caused panic.
Half an hour later, when Gen. Ransom came up,
with two regiments in line of battle, the rebels
threw up white shirt the point of q bayo-
net, and made unconditional surrender of
their fort, troops and munitions of war The
capture was effected without the loss of man.
Government has ordered the sale of all the
con6scated lands in Virginia, South Carolina.
Louisiana and Tennessee. The January sale is
to be peremptory, to pay the direct tax of those
States.