The Portland daily press., 1863-01-10

and Murfreesboro', Tenn. Another route runs
via Petersburg, Va, and Raleigh, n. c., and
connects with the same line at Greensboro
III the line from Goldsboro' to Wilmington
should have been repaired nearly direct
route is opened from Richmond Va, to
Charleston, S. c., thence to Chattanooga and
Murfreesboro.' Again, by aid of the Savan-
nah branch, another route is opened from the
rebel capital via Weldon, Goldsboro Will
mngton, Charleston and Savannah, thence by
the Central Georgia Railroad to Chattanooga
and Murfreesboro'. Thus 1t plainly appears
that the operations, splendid as they are have
not entirely cut off the supplies from the reb-
els, but will only delay them by forcing them
to go over longer route of travel. However
it has done Its work for the present, and done
it well.
From the Richmond Examiner JAM q
DESTRUCTION OF IMPORTANT BRIDGES ON
THE EAST TENNESSEE AND VIRGINIA RAIL
ROAD BY UNION CAVALRY a DARING
RAID.
A body of Yankee Cavalry numbering, it is
reported some 1900 men, made raid on Mon
day upon the East Tennessee and Virginia
railroad, and destroyed two important bridges
one across the Holston and the other across
the Watauga river. The bsjdgeA across the
Holston at Blountville, was guarded by 200 OF
our cavalry, who were completely surprised
and made prisoners Of without any resistance.
An account of the raid, which we find in yes
terday's Lynchburg Republican, says:
The enemy advanced within six miles of Bris-
tol, the terminus of the Virginia and Tennes-
see railroad, but retired without coming to the
place. They afterwards advanced toward
Jonesboro, and burned the bridge across the
Watauga. At this place a small scouting par
ty of citizens, hastily collected together, came
up with them, and brisk skirmish occurred,
in which one of the enemy was killed and two
captured, who were brought into. Bristol on
Tuesday. They belong to Pennsylvania re-
giment, and we learn, reported their force at
5000.
The enemy first entered Virginia between
Cumberland Gap and Pound Gap, and, pass
ing through Estiville i'm Scott county. to
Blountville, fulfilled their mission of bridge
burning, and made a demonstration as if it
was their intention to visit Bristol This, as
before stated, they failed to do, fearing, doubt
less, to venture so far. They continued in the
direction of Jonesboro. but IL is stated by our
scouts, who came into Bristol Tuesday night,
that they were retreating over nearly the
same route they had advanced.
The distance from the point at which they
entered the State line to Jonesboro. is between
ninety and one hundred miles, and the raid is
certainly most daring one, and dargues an au-
dacty in the enemy which they were not sup
posed to possess. They are reported to have
been piloted by militia colonel of Washing
ton county, Tennessee, by the name of Ward,
who left his home on Friday, and met them at
the mountains.
The damage done to the railroad is serious,
as, besides burning the bridges named, the
track IS torn up in many places, and the sills and
iron burned. The distance between the Wa
tuga and Holston rivers is nine miles, and the
burning of the bridges across these streams
involves a loss of that distance in our rail-
road communications. IL ,riH take sereraI
Ueeks to repair The damages, and they come
at time tchen the road is taxed to its utmost
capacity.
But few OF the citizens along their march
were molested by the Yankees, nor have we
heard of that destruction of private property
usual in their raids.
The citizens of Bristol, we learn, behaved
most nobly on this trying occasion. Old and
young prepared with alacrity to meet the in
raders of their homes, and to protect their
fires,des from pollution by the hireling foe.