Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1863-05-12
PUBLISHED (DAILY) By
EDGAR SNOW DEN, JR
~ OFFICE-No. 104 King street, over
S ones, formerly French's) Book Store:
4 CAPTURED LETTER.
From the New Y ork Herald.

possession of Col Mcmahon, of the Corcoran
Zouaves, l64th n. 7. regiment, who was IN
the expedition, and to whom am indebted for
its perusa was letter written by arebel quar-
termaster TO his mother, III Alexandria, IN
which there are many things which exrla.n the
reason Of the late presence OF the rebel army
in the vicinity of Suffolk The writer is evi-
dently man Of intelligence, and though be
eSagger;tes some points, yet his letter IS gene
rally interesting The letter is dated "Confed
erate Camp, near Suffolk, Va, May 3, 1863. .
lie commences by alludlDg to their 1.-THE rebels)
departure to the ar Ito BlackWater), and then
goes On to write that the rebel army had been
In this vicinity for about three weeks, busily
engaged in toragng the country In their rear,
as we'll as in North Carolina, where they Sc
cured large supplies Of bacon and corn. He
writes that when the rebels entered North Car
oIina, the people were delighted to see the Con-
taderates, whom they entertained in the most
hospitable manner. He was glad to find the
people Of the Old North State so true and
loyal, notwithstanding the Yankees have had
possession of their homes for the past year. -
lie regrets that it will be necessary to again
yield them up, &c. He says they (the rebels)
have received orders to send no more wagons
out as the supplies through the country have
been exhausted SO that he thinks the order
Eor the rebel army to move is indicative of a
change Of base. All the rebel SUPP lies not
wanted for Immediate use have been stored on
the other side Of the Backwater which was
about twenty miles from his camp. He says
the whole movement (of the rebels) has been
nothing more than foraging expedition on a
grand scale, as was also the movement around
Washington, North Carolina. Their object
having been completed, they commenced their
retreat to the Blackwater, and from there to
move anywhere they may be needed-probab|y
70 the Rappahanno;k ;k again. He says the rebel
lines around Suffolk were strong, more sub
stantlal than those Of the Yankees They ex-
tended about one and half miles from the
Town, the right resting on the Dismal Swamp,
and the left on the Nansemond river, formed
IN SEM circular line of fortifcations and rife
pits: He says, several days after our (Corse' s
rebel brlgade) arrival here, his regiment, which
Sas on picket guard, Wassurprised at daybreak
" large force OF cavalry, supported by artll-
E1Fy, ano infantry, numbering about fifteen hun
e!eo men; their pickets were driven back, as
SsG was their reserve; but the men soon raj
iled and repulsed the Yankees, whose loss was
letTeen twenty and thirty killed and wounded,
saptured two horses and killed three; took sew
elai era prisoners and their equipments. Our loss
.he herebels) was five wounded and four prison
IN the affair alluded to by the rebel writer;
HH!e Union force consisted of 200 infantry sol
qTers, under Col. Mcmahon, of the l64th n.
!. regiment. Also small detachment Of cav
4 iTy ii1Ty and one small howitzer. Welost one man
SS1led and few wounded on the expedition
w w much tor the rebel writer's veraclty. The
S9el Writer continues that on the occasion
IooVe alluded to- one of -the,rebels, afellow by
" name OF Walker, belonging. to Alexandra,
I os'ala, deserted to the Union l1ea Dc says