The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-12-19
The gatest alews.
By LAST NIGHTS MAIL.

On Monday afternoon there was = fight
at Bear Station, in Tennessee, between
our cavalEEy under General Shackleford
and Longstreet in which our loss was
about seventy-five. Our forces were
driven back half mile. The fight was
expected to be renewed on Tuesday.
Bear Station is north of the Holston river,
| % miles south of the Cumberland Gap,
and As miles northwest from Knoxville,
aud twenty five miles southwest from
Rogersville, at which place are Long
streets headquarters. The aim of the
rebel general was to capture Shackleford,
and to this end be crossed fnrce to tee
south side Of the Holster river, which
proceeded westward and attempted 10
re-cross in our rear west of Bear Station.
In this, however, they were defeated.
/ II re-inforcements could be moved up in
time, battle would be given to Long
street, and from the tenor of our dis
patches we infer that this is the inten-
tion. Longstreet has all bis forces con.
centrated between Rogersville and the
point st which Mondays fight took
place. he may be easily reinforced from
Lees army over the East Tennessee, and
| Virginia Railroad, aud probably will be
as the lattsr does not now fear any az
gressive movement on the part of Meade
1t is possible, therefore, that q battle
will be fought in the Holster Valley.
OF course our forces at Knoxville and
Cumberland Gap can speedily be moved
forward, in case of an engagement being
considered probable or desirable. The
question Of battle will be decided by
Gen. Sherman, as the rebels are not like
ly to move forward.
NEwBERN. n. c., Dec. II --Refugees
reached here this morning from Will
mington, who state that Gen. Whitney,
commanding the rebel forces at that point,
had left with brigade for Tennessee.
Gen. Martins command at Whining
ton consists of one small brigade.
The running Of the blockade into Will
mingtoD continues to increase. II is
estimated that half q million dollars
worth of goods arrive every twenty -four
hours.
As North Caro- ina is nearly abandoned
by rebel troops, there being but two bril-
gades in the State, it has been decided
by her banks, as 3 matter of safety, 10
dispose of their specie, which they are
now paying out as fast as possible to
citizens of the State, giving one dollar in
gold for four in North Carolina money.
Gen. Butler is raising an army of col
ored troops in this department. Three
black regiments of cavalry, recently
started, are rapidly filling up.
HEADoARTERs .. s. FORCES,
WESTERN VIRGINIA Dec. ID
We have information from a detach-
ment of the 20 Pennsylvania cavalry.
ry. While out on a scout ordered by
General Kelley they destroyed founde-
ry at Edinburg, in the Shenandoah VAL |
ley. The rebels used the foundery for |
the preparation Of iron TO be sent to
Richmond, and as reported, used in the
construction of gunboats.
A portion of the troops under COM
mand of Col Wells, and from General
SulliVan's column, had severe skirmish-
ing yesterday near Stratsbulg, Col. |
Wells, taking some thirty prisoners, .
portion of these belonging TO EwelPs |
corps. The indications are that the /
enemy has or is trying TO reinforce In.
boden in the Shenandoah Valley. The
reasons for this will soon be apparent.
CAIRO, Dec. 16-The steamer Julis,
just arrived, reports that the steamer Bra
I'll was fred into below Rodney on the |
18th inst. Three women and one man
were killed and several wounded. The I
Julia reports that the steamer Tecumseh |
was burned on the 18th OF November.
NEW YORK, Dec. 1.-THE steamer CITY |
of Cork has arrived from Liverpool, the |
18th, via Queenstown the 30tb, with one
days later news.
The Paris Constitutional attacks the
English Government for declining to en-
ter the proposed Congress, and says if
trouble and cOnhsgratiOn should ensue,
as is probable, the entire responsibility |
will fall on those who rejected the work
of peace and Cancellation.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16-The proba-
bilities are that Congress will repeal the
$500 clause of the enrolment sc'. The
military committee of the Senate is be-
lieved to be in favor of doing SO, and it
is not unlikely they will attach q section
to that effect to the amendatory bill in
troduced by Senator Wilson.
A special to the Times says that eff )rts
are being made to give Gen. Butler full
authority to negotiate for the exchange
of prisoners now languishing in rebel
prisons. 1t is understood here that he
has expressed his willingness to under
take il, and there is confidence in his
ability to accomplish it.
- - h. L.
abe to the Richmond authorities as ne
gOtiator, and that they will be disposed
to treat on the basis of considering all
our captured negro soldiers not claimed
as slaves by their owners on the same
footing as our white soldiers.
A demand was made To- day upon the
State Department to claim the surrender
of the captured Chesapeake from the
Nova Scotia authorities under the extra.
dition law. The afidavits upon which
the claim was based were received last
evening.
FoRTREss MONROE, Dec. 16
The Richmond Wing, in an editorial,
says 'that the Atlanta Confederacy as
serts that our cavalry advanced on the
10th above RingOld. Finding the country
clear of the enemy, they proceeded thence
to Lookout Mountain and Missionary
Ridge. There they found nothing but
the debris of the enemy's camp. The
position seemed to have been deserted on
faturday last.
"In the town of Chattanooga and be-
low the enemy had visibly decreased
his force. The presumption is that
q heavy column has gone after LoDgstreet
and that an expedition has started into
West Tennessee TO look after Forest, who
has taken advantage of the absence of
Shermon's corps"
WAsHINeToS, Dec. 1.-THE Tribune
has accounts from Texas from prominent
gentlemen from that Sta'e, containing,
among other information, the follow
ing:
1t was rumored, in the early part of
October, that on Colorado river, in Fay
cite and .Bsstrop counties, thirty-four
persons had been hanged, four Americans
and thirty Germans.
Minititlan dates Of the 18th ult. state
that place was closely besieged by the
French uerrillas. All supplies from the
inferior are cut off and the naonle are