Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1863-02-13
ABMY ITEMS.

W MS Ioops'
HBADaUARrBRs SIXTH CoRFs, IN CANr MAR
WHtR OAK CHURcH, Thursday, Feb. s.
To the o6ices and soldiers Of the SSth Army Cops
roinqush command over you 10 obedience TO orders
Your soldiety qualities makes II high honor TO com
mand you aud long months u associations with you
makes regret the separation.
10 my old division would say more in memory Of
our past and longer association. You will not forget
that you in the advance from Fortress Monroe TO
within sight Of the spires Of Richmond that in front OF
the line near yorktown you took and held FOR days po
sion within three hundred yards Of the enemy that
Jour Valor decided the day at WihAnsbufgh; that in
three consecutive days the 27h 2Sh 29ih Of June last
you, met and repused the foe that the th of sep
TENDER you came on the battle field to find the enemy
advancing upon unsupported artillery. and that, rushing
upon their lines, you drove them back in confusion and
saved the right wing at "The AntetAm." With such
memories your future is easily forrtold.
WILLIAM F. sNilu.
Gen. Smith was appointed to the command
Of the Sixth Corps at Warrenton, when Gen.
Mcclellan was relieved Of his command -
Maj. Gen. Sedgwick is transferred from the
Ninth to the Sixth Corps.
The Sunday Transcript has dispatch from
Washington which says:
There is no enemy in force at Fredericks-
burg. Most of the rebel soldiers have been
sent to the Blackwater or TO Nicksburg, the
only force left behind being about IS 900
men-an ample number to prevent the pas
sage Of the kappahannock at the present time
From deserters and other sources it has been
ascertained that the rebel railroad commune
cations are perfect. In seyenty-two hours
the entire army of the enemy can be trans
ported from any point in the South to Fred
ercksburg, so that they can well afford TO
spare great body Of their army from our
front
During last week number of rebels have
been taken prisoners, and others have deser-
ted and come within our lines at this place
Last Saturday five rebel deserters came in
and reported sixteen others waiting an OPP
portunity to come. Maj. kim ordered out
Capt. Faith, Co. NJ, 5th Penn cavalry, and
Capt. Hagarmaster, Go. l., on an expedition.
They reached the six mile Ordinary without
opposition. The enemy's piekets there re-
tired before them, and Capt. Faith without
orders push forward after them. just this
side OF the nine mile Ordinary, he with his
command was drawn into an ambuscade and
fred upon. He was brought back, supposed
to be mortally wounded
Capt Hagamaster, upon whom the com
mand devolved, fought like hero. He
charged upon and broke through the enemy's
liue, but got separated from his command and
was taken prisoner. Lieutenants Williams
aud Smith, who had volunteered for the ex-
petition, and Little were captured. Lieut..
Rhudmiller was seen to fall from his horse.
1t is supposed he was killed. Loss 80 killed,
wounded aud missing. The enemy's loss is
unknown.
The enemy is reported in some force at
Burnt Ordinary, IL miles from williamsburg
A few days before the steamer North Star
sailed from Key West, a communication was
received by Rear Admiral Bailey from our
Consul General in Havana, in which he stated
that he had Just received telegraphic dis
patch from the U. s. Consul at Trinidad de
Cuba, that an English brig had just arrived
from Kingston, Jamaica, with information
that the Alabama reached that port on the
goth ult. and had landed the remaining off
GERS and crew Of the U. S. steamer Hatteras,
sunk of Galveston, over one hnnured in num-
Der. It was further reported that the AlAba-
ma had suffered severely in her fight with
the Haperas that she had received five shots
in her hull, one Of which went through her
stern post and was a very bad one. She put
into Kingston to repair damages and expect
ed to be ready for sea in tour pays. No men
ton was made in the dispatch OF the number
killed and wounded on either side conse-
quently we are as much in the dark as ever
as TO who the survivors are.
A Key West correspondent says the United
States steamers Sunset and Port Royal are at
Appalachicola and Capt. Morris of the latter
vessel has made all necessary preparations to
receive the iron-clad steamer known to be up
the river, and ready for sea.
He has information that the rebels have also
fitted up four large steamers after the plan Of
those that captured the Harriet Lane and
and have heightened a schooner and put a
propeller in her, making formidable steam
gunboat.
All the above feet are nearly ready to make
the attack and ! am expecting hourly to hear
of precisely such another affair at Appaach-
icola as has been witnessed at Galveston and
Sabine Pass, unless heavily reinforced soon.
The affair is bound to come off, and the re-
suit will be as at Galveston, for Capts. Nor
ris and Crossman know no such word as run
Information is brought by the Princess
Royal of the attack by the iron-clad Mon
tauk on Fort McAlister, on the 2Sth ult.--
She was not at all disabled. She received
seventeen shots in her side and twelve on her
turrett, without receiving any injury what
ever, although engaged for five hours. She
returned to her anchorage for want of shells.
1t being foggy next morning she did not re-
turn 10 the attack.
The Princes Royal has aboard, besides a
large amount of arms and ammunition, COM
pete machinery for the construction of an
iron-clad ram, also as passenger an intel
igent English mechanic, who is wen versed
in tho process of making projectilos. Her
value is yariously estimated. but she is
doubtless worth a million dollars.
From what is said in well-informed circles,
Capt. Worden's object in proceeding to Fort
McAllster with the Montauk, was not with
view to reduce the works, but merely to
test the effect of shot upon the turret Of his
vessel, upon which the rebel steel pointed
shut had no effect. His proceeding to that
quat,er TO demoish the rebel works, &C.,
was not specified in the original programme 4
Key West advices of the 4tb, state that
Col. Morgan and the goth N Y. regiment,
had arrived there.
One Of the new iron-clads is on shipboard
on il way to San Francisco, where it will be
used for harnor defense. Another, the Sag
amore, is TO take the place at Hampton Roads.
of the Nahant, which is to join the South
Garplina iron.c1aI Haat Tho Nayy nanast