The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-04-18
var News OF the Week.

War News OF the Week.
The telegraph has not in many weeks
"a a. little to say of Hookers army as
du,;np the last. 1t is limited, however,
r.. pretty high quarters, that the army
~ the Potomac is on the eve Of a great
u.v.ment. and the rebels seem OF the
,ams opinion, for they appear to be NOV
ing mn reinforcements rapidly from Rich
,,oud TO Lee. As most Of Beauregard
troops that have been kept at Charleston
in anticipation of an attack are now re-
leased and can reinforce the rebel army
in Virginia, it would be- just like our astu'e
managers at Washington now TO push
Hooker into the jaws of Lees recupera'ed
columns.
There are signs Of rebel activity on the
Peninsula, about yorktown, Williamsburg
DC. Longstreet attacked Reyes near
Yorktown on Saturday and vas repulsed;
and Gen. Wise, who has quite an army
near Williamsburg, having male fruit
less attack on our forces there Is said to be
approaching with spade and shovel.
A rebel army, said to number $4,000
man. is making a serious demonstration
towards Suffolk and Norfolk. Our pickets
ut Suffolk were driven in on the morning
Of the 18th, and the rebels approached
within gunshot of our breastworks. They
also commenced the erection Of fortiiica-
lions on the Nuasemond, miles from
Norfolk, but were driven off by our gum
boats. On the 18th the rebels opened on
our breastworks with artillery from the di
rectiop of Somehow, but without effect.
Heavy work IN that quarter is anticipated
soon.
Gen, Foster is still besieged at Wash
ington, n. c., and all efforts to send rein.
,orcements to his relief have failed. He
has but 1000 men, and is surrounded by
$4,000. All our expeditions sent were too
small! to cut their way through and have
returned. The latest report at Norfolk
was that he had surrendered, which, how.
ever, is not believed.
There is not the slightest lntimatlon
from Hunters department as to what
nextT since the failure at Charleston ex-
cspt . rumor that Dupont's fleet will now
proceed to reinforce Farragut in the Mis-
sissippi.
Gen Banks seems to fear an attack at
New Orleans and has commenced fortIfy-
ing. Report also says he is organizing q
strong expedition to operate along the
Atchafalaya river.
Farrisut, with his three boats, is block
aiding Red River, GETTING off the rebel sup
plies from Arkansas and Texas.
1t is exceedingly difficult to make any
sense cut of the later dispatches from
Vicksburg. All the pass expeditions have
returned, accomplishing little or nothing.
Yet, while the rumors prevail that Grant
i, about to change his base of operations
to tho Ohio 4 Miss X. R., the dispatches
from Helena speak of large numbers o!
troops moving thence down the river to-
wards Vicksburg
Adjutant General Thomas, from Wash
ington, has been on a visit to Gen. Grant
for the last week, for what purpose is not
revealed From a speech he made al
Lake Providence, his principal business
would seem to be, to superintend the or
eanization of negro regiments. He came
there with an idea that, from the number
Of negroes there, three or four black resi
ments could be organized forthwith, bu
learned his mistake when shown that
although there were thousands of negroes
there, the mass of them were old
AID infirnl, or women and children The
rebels have been sharp enough to SEND
most of their ..ble-bod:ed negroes south.
There is nothing important from Rose
Grams department.. Van Dorm attacked
Gen Granger at Franklin on Friday o
last week and was repulsed with loss o
300 The federals loss was about 100. Oh
the same day, a passenger train between
Murfreesboro and Nashville was captured
BY the rebels. and quite number OF Fede
rL officers were taken prisoners. Consid
cradle booty was obtained by the raiders
REPORTS continue that the rebels AR
about to make another invasion OF Ken
lucky Twenty Thousand of their troop
are crossing the Cumberland near Leba
non, Tenn three thousand are marchin:
ing on Glasgow, Ky; and Morgan is pre-
pairing for raid on the Louisville ane
Nashville Railroad.
The ubiqutors Stopewall Jackson
said to be in command of the rebel force
in Southern Kentucky,-the commands G
Marshall, Cluke, Pegram. and Breckir
ridge having been consolidated with hi
own.
Gen. Burnside. at Cincinnati, has issue
An order, that all persons found within tn
Federal lines committing acts for IN
benefit of the rebels will, upon conviction
suffer death, and that persons declarIn
sympathy for the rebels will be sent oe
yond the Federal lines. Gen. Darlington
At Indianapolis, promulgates simila
order.
RUYruRE wfrH misunderstanding t
the tenor of Thursdays Washington de:
patches rupture with Great Britai
seems to be imminent. 1t is believed {
Washington that Minister Adams is il
structed to return home in the event =
Secretary Stewards demands, in his la
disnatebes. not being complied with b