Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1863-12-18
News Of the War.

Col- W atkins, commanding The kentucky
brigade, returned to-day from a cavalry re-
connoissance as far as Lafayette lie ciptur-
ed rebel signal station, SIX officers and 10
priyates. The balance of the large rebel force
lied.
The Richmond Eny-irer of the 10th has
dispatches from Bristol which say Gen.
Giltrier's brigade encountered the advance
of Wilcox's corps, 1000 strong, near Nav
nardsville, Tenn, routing them and cap,ur-
ing number of prisoners. Wilcox's COM
mand was composed of raw troops.
Longstreet's forces are in line Of battle at
Rutledgc. His rear is diminishing with the
enemy, whose pursuit has not been vigorous
since our forces left MorrIstOwn.
Our cavalry were skirmishing all day
Monday with the advance Of Wilcox's forces
on Clinch river.
| Capt. Eyeretts Riding party returned to
Abingdon, attacked the enemy at Mount
Sterling, Ky, and routed them after stub
! born resistance. The court house and iail
were burned.
Capt. Everett captured number of horses
and Sl0O 900 in greenbacks. The enemy be-
ing heavily reinforced, he returned rapidly
through Pound Gap, closely pursued by
200 cavalry, who are now at Gladesville,
| Va
The NAVY Department has information of
the following captures On the 9th Of Nov
the steamer Two Sisters, Acting Master
| Rockwell, captured the English schooner
Maria Alberta She was cleared from Hav-
ana tor Matamoras, but was trying to run
the blockade ol Bayport, Fla
Acting Vol. Lieut.. Eaton, commanding
the steamer Circassian, reports that on the
morning OF the 9th she captured the English
steamer Minna She was taken without a
chase, as she was under the Circassan' 5
/ guns before she knew It. She is OF English
build, 300 tons burden, and was rated \
No. for ten years at LlOyd's. Her cargo
visible consists OF pig and hoop iron, yitriul.
hardware, borax, powder, also a propeller
and shafts and other parts OF a marine en-
gine. Her papers could not be found They
probably had been thrown overheard Sufi-
cient has been found out, however, u prove
that she Is from Nassau for some southern
port, Charleston, probably. as she had
man on board who is believed to he Char
lesion pilot. She was towed 10 Hampton
Roads
The L. 5. gunboat Kanawha captured on
the 29th Nov. the schooner Alesta, or Vino
ma, of Mobile Bay. She has been waiting
an opportunity tor many weeks 10 escape
from Mobile, and was captured soon alter
crossing the bar. She had neither log book
or custom house Iapers. The supposed own
er, Boyd, was passenger. Her cargo CON
slsts OF cotton, rOsIn ami turpentine, and D,
very valuable. About $3.50 10 specie wa,
/ found on the Passengers, also large amount
Of railroad bonds
/ The following dispatches were received
/ from Fortress Monroe TUESDAY
FORTRESS MoNRoE. Dee Il. l>6S
/ Gen Nistar with my APPRECIATION sent
out an expedition 10 Charles Uity Court
/ House, On the james River, o. capture the
enemys force stationed there, ana baye
the pleasure u forward his report Of its e1u.-
Ilete success. What adds 10 the brillmncy
of its achievement Is that it has been accom-
pllshed during terrible storm.
B. F. BU TIER. Mai Gen.
YORKTOWN, Va, Dec. "a.
To Ma Gen. Butler
have the satisfaction 70 announce tho
complete success Of the expedition sent out
under Col. West All worked "a successful
combination. Our cavalry carried td, enc
my camp at Charles City Court House after
sharp fighting, the enemy firing from the
houses. We captured eight officers AMI
eighty-two enlisted men, being the whole
command Of the companies. f.tv FIVE horses
and mules, besides many shot. &c. left on
the ground. The envmys camp with it,
equipments, arms, ammunition AMI proyi-
siuns were all thoroughly DESTROYED Oar
ioss Il Capt. Gregory severely wounded. one
Sergeant and one Corporal killed and four
men wounded. The New York mounted
rltes, iJrty-ijur horses marched scycnty-si1 .
miles; the 1881 New York infantry in h.tv .
iour hour march, ed siXty-sne miles. mostly
IN severe storm. moving DAY and night.
aud walking their shoes of, which should
bc made god by the government.
All are entitled d high cpmmendati0n flr
gsllantry and unfincling endurance: Col +.
West especially, for his precise execution of
difficult combination by which alone he
could have accomplished my object
j. J. WISTAR.
Brig Gen.
kilograms were received in Washington
from Knoxville up to Monday morning.
Gen. Foster had assumed the command OF
the troops lately under Burnside. and the
latter had departed from that city for Gin
cinnati- All was quiet in the vicinity OF
Knoxville. IL was stated there on the
Of scouts and messengers thatmuch
Of General Longstreet's artillery and trains
had fallen into the hands Of our pursuing
force but these accounts lacked confrina-
ton. The region in which the pursuit is
now being made Is So far distant from the
telegraph as to make it difficult to verify
such statements as promptly as possible.
The steamer Chesapeake is reported to he
near "'Lahave." about eighty miles west Of
Halifax. She was lying four miles south Of
the town Of Bridgewater on Lahavc river !
The |. ). steamer Ella and Anna was at a
Halifax and would leave as soon as coaled.
Though ten. Butler and member Of the
sanitary Commission now at Fortrcs, Monroe ..
nave telesraphcd 10 the government that the !
rebel authorities have stopped the di,trihu- y
ion If supplies sent from the loyal states !,
o the Union prisoners IN their hands. We n
Ire notified that up 10 this time no informa- g
ion had reached Washington Indicating that il
Inything ike an official rebel dispatch has il
zen communicated 10 either MAJ. zen But d
er or Brig. Gen. Meredith The fact that Y
Robert Ould, the rebel commissioner Of ex- d
hanCe, promptly replied yesterday or the e
inc matter 10 be used among the Union pris- o
ners confined at Richmond, Lynchburs. and ?
Their points in rebeldom. that it would he \
isposed of promptly as requested, leads Us :
} hope that there may he after all a mistake n
D attributing To the rebel authorities tie n
trocious purpose Of denying to the Union W
risoners IN their hands the articles necess- in
y TO their proper sustenance forwarded al
um the North "
The following Dispatches are from Rich q
ondpapers Of the 10Th N
CHARLESTON, Dee. l5.-No firing last y.
ght. All quiet this morning. an
The enemy fired II shots at the city this m
buildings were struck. No M
'rsons were injured. Our batteries replied. ed
0 firing on Sumter.
The city has been shcllei at intervals dur
the day. About 9 O'Clock this morning do
inter took fire from some unknown cause. su
he hre communicated 70 the outer timber ~