Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-12-29
The War News
AvERILL's VIRGINIA RAID.

ANEBlLL virginia RAlD.
The brilliant exploits OF General Averill in
southwestern Virginia, astonished and alarm
ed the rebels at Richmond greatly. The in
tention was to cut pff Longstreet from commu-
nication with Richmond The troops suffered
from hunger and cold. The country through
which they had to pass, even in the times Of
| peace, was an inhospitable one. The men
suffered the most from the cold. The nights
were bitter. Each chilly blast seemed preg-
nant with thousands of cold, prickly points,
| that pierced their way, and seemed to be
seeking for shelter beneath the very skin. 1t
raned, showed and hailed. Few persons
| know what tempest in the mountains Is like.
! AT the crossing Of jackson river, the enemy
| had made much preparation to cut them OIL.
| The crossing was made in darkness. The
| flashes of the muskets of the cOntending par
| ties, who fought at random and in the dark,
| the rapid and mysterious movements of both
| parties, especially the swimming OF the river
by regiment that was cut off through the de-
struction of the bridges, will not soon be for
gotten. The water was bitterly cold, ice cakes
tloated in it close and heavily, and the wind
was enough in itself to chill, without any adj
ditions of ice and wafer. But the troops were
completely successful and did much damage
to the rebels, besides destroying the railroad
for 10 miles
Letters FROM 1KHf nSoX4ElIeN 2GGL IL, state ina.
| L0ngstreet, vino was escaping into Virginia
being annoyed by federal cavalry that had
gained his front, retraced his steps towards
| Rutledge, with view OF retreating by way of
| North Carolina The defeated rebel will
| probably scour Watuga and Holstein valleys
Tor forage and food, and eventually make good
| his escape, as our war worn soldiers Of the
| 23d and 9th corps are too much exhausted by
| their forced marches, short ratiO-s, and UNI
| PARALLEL rigOrS OF their late campaign, to press
forward in Il winter chase The present bust
ness of Gen Foster is to clOthe, feed, and re-
cruit his army. The hospitals are full, and
writer says-"All the hotels, public buildings,
churches, asylums, colleges, and several pri-
vate houses,Olre filled with our suffering boys.
In the vicinity lie hundreds of the rebel sick
and wounded. We are short OF medical
stores, and in the sorest need of the merciful
administrations of the sanitary commissions"
IN TEXAS
Affairs in Texas are very encouraging.
Large numbers OF the people are giving in
their adhesion to the Union. Gen. WASH
burne is moving upon Indiannla and Lavacca,
and will probably occupy them without re-
sistance. 1t is believed that our troops will
soon concentrate at San Antonio for the final
attack upon Magruder. The health Of the
troops is good
NAVAL FORCE ON THE MISSISSIPPI.
The naval fleet on the Mississippi river
comprises fourteen iron-clad steamers, six
rams, thirty steamers plated with sheet
iron, called ''tin-c lads," and designed espe-
cially for chasing guerrilla bands from the
river, seven tugs, four dispatch steamers two
ordnance steamers, and about twenty auxila-
ry vessels, making in the aggregate about one
hundred vessels constituting the squadron. In
addition to this, sixteen ir0n-cladS, including
ten monitors, five tugs, and one large river
steamer, are in course of construction for the
service. The force employed on the vessels
now on duty embraces 1890 officers and about
81 900 men.
HALE OF ALL GONE.
The Richmond Examiner, in demanding a
change of the cabinet. says Here, at last,
is practical opportunity to curtail that reign
OF imbecility which has caused the subuga-
ton and enslavement of half the territory,
and half the population of the confederate
states daring the past two years. ana which
will consign the remaining half to the same
fate, if continued during the two years to
come. We began this struggle with resources
nearly equal to those of the enemy-in many
things superior, namely, in the possession Of
cotton and tobacco, which were gold, and in
the extent of territory. Where are we now?
What has been dnne with these resources?
The present administration has had unlimited
control of them, and half our store is gone.
THE EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS.
Gen. Butler, who succeeds Gen. Meredith
in the negotiations for the exchange of prison
ars, is authorized by government to conduct
the exchange man for man, and officer for
officer. The object is to make an even eX-
change as far as the prisoners in the rebel
possession will permit, and governed by hu-
name motives, the effort will be made to pro-
cure the release of those who have for the
longest time been held as prisoners. Coored
troops and their officers, IN conducting the
exchange, will be placed on an equality with
all other troops, and so of colured men in civil
employment This is one of the points here
after to be adjusted.
VARIOUS MATTERS.
A large contraband mail for Richmond has
just been captured in Baltimore, and several
prominent copperheads are implicated. The
confscation act is executed with vigor in
Baltimore, and new seizures of property are
made daily.
A Morris Island correspondent of the New
Bedford Mercury says that Col. L. N. Hal
lowell of the Massachusetts 54th, while riding
up to Fort Putnam, week or two since, had
his horse shot from under him, but was not
touched himself.
The rebels have been carrying bags OF sand
to fort Sumter, and have constructed in the
river a sand fort quite as formidable as ever
Sumter was. The prospect Of capturing
Charleston by sea is not very promising.
Two hundred negro cavalry recruits, happy
in their new uniforms, left Newbern last week