Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1863-03-06
THE SENTINEL.
SUMMARY OF WAR NEWS.

FRIDAY, Feb. 27.-With the exception Of
few stirring incidents that claim attention at
our hands, we might sum up the military
news with the old stereotyped phrase" All
quiet along the lines" Northern journalists
however, assure their readers that it is the
quiet OF active preparation-the calm that pre-
cedes the storm which is soon to burst over
Vicksburg and Port Hudson, Tullahoma or
Chattanooga-no one knows which--and over
the beleaguered cities of Charleston and SA-
vannah In the harbor of Port Royal an i'm
mense feet has been assembled, and on the
islands adjacent an immense army is encamp-
ed but when the combined naval and militia
ry forces are to move, or which Of the two sea-
ports they now menace equally, is to be first
assailed, must remain for the present, in
doubt. There are those, however, who per-
sist in asserting that Charleston is to be at
tackled Immediately, and that news of the bonn
bardment of its forts and batteries, by the
iron-clads, may reach Fortress Monroe at any
moment. Our last advices from Port Royal
are to the goth instant, up to which time no
movement had taken place.
Across the Potomac activity prevails among
the Confederate cavalry, in spite OF the bad
weather, and worse roads. On Wednesday
last, a force, estimated at one hundred men,
made sudden swoop upon Federal cavalry
picket, numbering some forty men, and cap
tured all Of them with the exception Of one
man, who succeeded in making his escape. 1t
is also ascertained that large body Of Confe-
derate cavalry crossed the Rappahannock the
same evening, with the supposed intention of
making raid on the Federal forces-Sigel' s
command-somewhere in the vicinity of Stat
ford Court House. 1t is likewise rumored
that the Confederates are in considerable force
at Warrenton, and that General " Stonewall"
jackson has gone up the valley to Strasburg
On the upper Potomac we have from the
Pittsburg Chronicle, the details of the affair
which took place near Romney, on the 18th,
and which is very properly styled disgrace
full" On that day, twenty Confederate caval-
ry attacked eighty Federal infantry-Ohio vo-
lunteers-in charge of forage train, and cap
tured the whole of them without firing a shot.
They were told to throw down their arms and
take a parole, which they did forthwith. The
commissioned officers galloped off to Romney.
Some Pennsylvania cavalry-nineteen in num-
ber-are said to have behaved better. Two
Of them had the audacity TO fire upon the Re-
bells as they rode up" all the iring,n says
the correspondent of the Chronicle, +" which
was done on either side" Sixteen of these
were also taken prisoners and paroled. One
hundred and one horses and mules, and ninety
one sets of harness, were captured and carried
off Nineteen wagons loaded with hay, were
entirely destroyed and two others partially
injured. On the news reaching Romney, two
hundred Of the Ringgold Pennsylvania caval-
ry were sent in pursuit, but, after riding some
eight or ten miles, they concluded it g would
MT pay" to use the ranking captains phrase,
and returned forthwith to their old quarters
The rumor that at least portion of Nor
gan's Confederate cavalry was in Kentucky,
is confirmed. A detachment of one hundred
of his men has succeeded in capturing, on
Barren river, about five miles above Woodbu-
ry, the steamer Hetty Gilman, with forage and
provisions. Another steamer, the d. b. Camp
bell, similarly freighted, and bound for Bow
ling Green, it was feared would also fall into
the same hands. Another body of Confede-
rates, which had previously advanced as far
as Richmond, RsntaeLF, 10 sold 20 iS leaving
the State, Closely pursued by the Federal troops
under Colonel Runkle.
later telegram from Cincinnati states that,
among the rumors in circulation, is one which
asserts that General Breckenridge is advancing
on Lexington with twenty thousand men /;
whilst the Frankfort correspondent of the Gin
cinnah Commercial announces, on the authori-
ty of a gentleman from Richmond, Kentucky,
thai the Federal forces are retreating towards
Lexington, pressed by double their number Of
Confederates.
Disaffectioa in regard to negro soldiers has
spread to Port Royal. General Stevenson has
been put under arrest by order Of General
Hunter, for declaring that " he would rather
be beaten by rebels than fight with negroes
General Hunter has also ordered all the staff
officers Of General Foster out Of the Depart
ment of the South for using language tending
to create disaffecton, characterization and
mutiny. One other incident Of interest we
note Heavy firing was heard in the 0gechee
river, which was supposed to indicate an en-
gagement between the iron-cad PaSsaic and
the Confederate irOn-clad Atlanta
-Four vessels arc said 10 have run the block
ade Of Charleston in one day recently. One
of the four was bound for Liverpool, with j.
b. Clay, of Kentucky, on board
SATURDAY, Feb. notwithstanding the
popular belief that prevails in Kentucky that
formidable body of Confederate troops is
about to enter the State through Cumberland
Gap-of which, the cavalry, now occupying
various central points and pressing upon Lex
ington, are the advance--there is no apparent
evidence as yet to justify such a conclusion
1t is not even certain that Morgan has crossed
the Cumberland at ALL We do, indeed, hear
of the capture by guerilas, which are said to
be part of Morgan's force, Of steamer on
Barren river; but we have no facts that go TO
prove the actual presence Of that redoubtable
partizan leader. The Confederate detachments,
thus far heard from, are said to be under the
command of Colonies Chenault Tucker, Clute
and Pegram, respectively. There is also an in
dependent corps under Humphrey Marshall in
the Eastern section Of the State; but the ope-
rations Of the latter are limited TO that noun
famous region aud the counties adjacent The
cavalry troops under the Colonies already men
toned have been particularly active recently.
They compelled three companies Of Federal
troops to abandon Richmond after DESTROYING
the Government stores collected there They
entered Nicholasyille unopposed, and captured
considerable quantity Of provisions and mu-
nifions Of war. They advanced upon Mount
Sterling which was hastily evacuated by one
hundred and fifty cavalry under Colonel Will
liams who lost nineteen ont Of twenty wa
gons, and was under the necessity of burning
his tents, stores, &C, to prevent them from fall
ing into the hands OF the enemy AT Wood.
burn, on the Nashville and Louisville Railroad,
thirteen miles south of Bowling Green, they
seized twenty freight cars, mostly laden with
individuals" as the writer qanintly expresses
it-but whether these Individuals who
were en- route for Nashville were soldiers or ci-
villains, is not stated. All the cars were burn
ed, but the locomotive was fired up and sent
.ahead-so we are told--at full speed, in the
hope that 1t would come into collision with
passenger train expected from Nashville but
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