Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-12-30
THE BLOCKADE OF REBEL PORTS ACKNOW-
LEDGED TO BE EFFECTIVE.
PEOPLE ADVISED TO DEPEND UPON HOME
. INDUSTRY.

We have copy of the Richmond Ssnti,eI of
December ssth, from which we gather the fol-
lowing interesting extracts
A correspondent of the Sentinel, who accom-
panied General Fitz Lee in his lat expedition
against Gen. Averill, writing from Salem, Ro-
anoke county, December 22d, ackno Wedges
that General Ayerill eompIeteIy balked the
Rebels by his superior strategy, and it is in
comprehensive to the CORE spondent show
with Gen. Echols on one side, and Gen limbo
den on the other. Gen. Ayerili should have de-
ceiyed and eluded both till he was entirely be-
yond their reacn and the latter. especially, be-
heEinsAssaL he was actually contrasting hifff,
| q short distance west OF StauntoD, and threat-
| ching hat place, when a telegram from Gen
il E. Lee, brought US the humiliating intelIi--
genCe there, that he was at Salem, three days
ahead OF Gen. !. IS calculations - - -..
The IehelS then marched to i.eyin gtoD, " here
they were Informed that Gen. AverIil had re-
treated by the same road he had come, and was
| arrested In his retreat by high waters. To cut
| of the retreat the rebels then marched 20 Cow
| Ington, but were again fooled by what the cor
respondent terms ''talse and erroneous dis
| patches" that Ayerill would be co!8pe!led
| Oh account Ct swollen streams 10 return 10
| salem. ''Ihese dispatches were accompanied
| BY such instructions Il ON Gen. Lees superior
IN comm and, (iieH. Early as required aim 10
change the line Oh march &ga ain 10 Buch&n an
Lhele We learned, greatly 10 our disappouiL-
mtnt, mat tie dispatches, which seemed en-
tIIeIy credible, were utterly erroneous, ald
that Inc enemy HAD with great difficulty gotten
across Craig 5 cree on kIiday nIg ht, and gone
or TOWARDS sweet Sprngs, ia the direction %
to!inston, and " exc about two days ahead OF
| Gen. Lee. believing that Gen, AveriII bo8
lost his artillery ammunition il Lhe streams,
ard hoping hat i1en. Echols and Col. Jackson
would fetaic hls progress, sill pursned; bat
the correspondent teaIs, however. that this
,'r!aiy severe expedition has been nearly
ruthless"
The correspondent, however, gees on in true
secesh style TO eXaEgera. AYeE.iIs l. sss.-
cia ms tnat the rebels have TecaptHret rlt1y
prisoners and negroes, 9nd that the later were
Cniy too siad 20 get out OF Yankee hands, and
"hlneS over the losses OF the G1ufedrriteE, AMI
Expresses Indignation at the barparities or tile
Yankees. He hopes, however, that & verllI
VIII he overtaken Gen. Lee being but lcLeen
miles behind them when last heard from
SG..,n, the scene OF what Is called i vsrill's
''tepr tauoDs," is acknowledged to b. an i'm
pCTta1 post, as confmissary ana quarter n astrr
supplies were gathered there to meet the d.
LnaEos If the weS tern department
The light before the arrival Of AveriIl at
Salem, the rebel quaTer!naStcr there received
orders ir1m Gen. Jones, commanding the d..
p.rtInent, 10 move all supplies % tue ,ip;ot
Upon this subject the letter from which we
extract says:
- w iIh all the trans spoTtation he possessed.
and addiuunai wagons and teams from the
community, they toiled all night and the next
mOrnIbg, and succeeded in get lug every thing
u The railroad in time 10 have had all ready
for tran sportat1on and un off, but. despits dis
patches, and every effort of the officers Of the
road, cars enough did not arrive IN time The
dE OijS anu ttdlUS were uGldinbQ At the depot
10 the last moment, with the lntsn ton of run
ming oH as@nlueh as possible by that means,
upon the announcement of the near approac ch
OF the enemy. The home guard had been di.
rrCted to barIicade the road by which the en-
envy were advancing, which might have bsau
done SO efectpaliy in the N ountain passes aud
gorges, even q few miles from town. as to have
delayed them TOR hours. Also, to scout the
country for fifteen miles more, so as to give
at Ieaet sufficient notice tC run Off the teams,
&c. And while the Quartermaster and Com
mlSSary, and all their mnlOyppS him
the most strenuous exertions, and relyine
upon theseproper precautions, e every thing else
proved q Cisgracetul failure. No scouts re-
turning, no blockading done, and the enemy
permitted 10 dash in without notice or the
slightest impeachment, and capture the place
with all the stock and supplies, except g few
car loads, while there were empty cars within
few miles, if the company had furnished
them IN time at the depot. to have carried off
everything, and then given time for horses,
&c, to have been run across the river into the
mountains and escaped
Ayerill is believed to have inflicted a loss Of
So oGUO upon the Confederates at Salem.
No considerable damage was done to the
railroad. A few rails were torn up, TWO bridges
burnt, which will be restored in few days.
the depot burned, one unimportant mill and
cGe private stable in the use Of the &c Government
About 5000 pounds Of pork. 5,0Oa bushels OF
corn, 2,C0O bushels OF oats, something over 100
barrels of flour, 7.CO0 pounds of leather soma
wagons broken, some burned and perhaps
about 80 CT 40 government horses captured
Thus are we taught, by another hnmiiiatiag
lesson, me necessity Cl greater vigilance at
posed points, and believe it has had Il whole
some effect upon the community al least and
hope it may have upon others concerned
..Scarcely any damage was doye to nriyata
property or citizens, except those who were
trying to escape with their goods Most OF
these were captured and their goods destroyed,
but the parties afterwards released
The Sentinel, treating OF this rarl. SAYS, edi-
torially: ..
I've publish to-day two Communications,
detailing the operations OF two OF the bodies If
the troops engaged i'll the late attempt to cap
ture Averili. The amount of damage sustained
by Averill is stated in one of these The causes
which led to Averill's escape are two: the one
was the false Intelligence As to the enemy's
movements, which caused Fitz Lee to be or
dered from the very spot where he ought to
have been, and made him lose two DAYS: the
other WAS the failure to burn the bridge over
Jackson river, by the detachment which Jack
son had ordered to that duty"
The Sentinel has the dispatch from the Ran.
idan some points of which were published in
the Star yesterday in the dispatch from Fort
ress Monroe.
ORANGE, Z. H., Dec. 26-Gen. Rosser has
just completed an entire circuit of the YANKEE
army, starting from Fredericksburg and euter:
ing The Valley at Conrad's store He burnt the
bridge over Popes Head Run, near Sang sterrs
Station, just out from Alexandria, captnripy
and dispensing the troops left as a guard
was prevented from doing more damage
Greegs Yankee cavalry pursued but did not |
oIertake hum Gen. Rosssr was forced to WIN |
Bun Run. His loss very slight, if auv.
The enemy. whil. in pursuit, destroyed two |
tannsres aio lot OF leather at Sperryviile, Rap
pahannccS Co; also, two tanneries, a flour |
mill and some Government workshops at |
Luray, In Page Co. They also committed |
many oiher exetsses, including the taking |
away OF negroes, and shot a Confederate AIMED |
SnieGley, at Washington, Rappahannock Co, |
after liz had surrendered.
Parties just out from Culpeper report the en-. |
eny 10 be pulling down all vacant and out |
hCases IN their lime, including all churches, in
order 10 construct winter quarters. They arr |
issuing ralions 10 the citizens in ca peper II |
is said tAey moved sorGe infantry far in this |
direction as Mitehelfs Station on Thursday |
evening, 10 act as front pickets to relieve the |
cavalry o 20 rearwards 70 recruit
The ssptisst also contains The following dis
patches
From the Mobile Register]
ONFoRD, Dec. Northern dates of the 18th |
are received, but are nhifnportant-
An cfhsial letter received here from Genera
Forrest says he has already raised 35,Ge0 troops
and they are rapidly coming in
/ Heavy rains have put q stop 10 military move
ments III this portion of the country.
t,p4 Hatah Commander OF the Federal forces 4