The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-03-28
War News of the Week.

There is scarcely line III TIE uesP"'She>
dur;nc the last week in reference to the
army of Gen. Hooker 1t still remains
mud bound at Falmouth, and will not be
able to move before the middle of April
All refugees from the enemys lines about
Fredericksburg persist in the statement
that Lee Is falling back on Richmond, and
that there are not over 5000 rebel troops
now at Fredericksburg. The Secretary OF
War even asserts that he has information
that Richmond is 10 be abandoned-tha'
all the gun making and ordnance machin'
ery is being removed further south, ana
that families by hundreds are leaving
The Richmond papers agree that provisions
there are at famine prices. Nevertheless,
the rebels manage to have cavalry scatter,
al IN al, directions in trout of Washington,
and to gobble up squads OF our PlcKe's
every dav or two. The Richmond papers
also speak mysteriously OF crushing
blow" Hooker is soon to receive, while
other Washington dispatches say the re-
bells OH the Rappahannock are feeling
our lines" i'm a way that looks as if they
wished to bring on general engagement
There has been no more fighting on the
Back Water near Norfolk and Suffolk
and the rebel force in that vicinity seem
TO have fallen back for reinforcements
Gen. Foster has returned to North Caro-
lima, while his troops remain with Hunter.
lie has only force enough at present to
remain with safety at Newborn.
All the high sounding promises of great
events at hand near Charleston have
ended IN apparent utter stagnation IN
that region. Our fleet is said to have
wholly Withdrawn from the vicinity of
Savannah, while nothing indicates move
mcnt towards Charleston. The only news
from that region is, that the negro reSl-
ment. instead of having been gobbled up,
have taken Jacksonville, Fla. Their des-
tination appears to be Baldwin, an impor-
tant railroad center in Florida
We have, in Port Royal despatch, n
hint explaining why all the political reso-
buttons sent home from the army have
such violent abolition tone. 1t Colonel
Gardner, of Conn, seeing string of such
resolutions circulated among the strap
gentlemen at Hilton Head for use in the
Connecticut election, got up series on
the other side and circulated them among
the rank and file He was instantly ar
rested The army is allowed to pass only
radical abolition resolutions.
There are renewed reports OF rebel
invasion of Kentucky, this time with ap
parent foundation On the 10Th about
1000 rebels under Cluke took Mt Sterling,
with about 200 federa!s stationed there.
They also burnt most of the town. 300
federals were then sent to Mt. Sterling on
whose approach Cluke retired. But another
force. from 10000 to 1900, said to be
Loncstreet's division, is South of the Ken
lucky river. advancing g towards Lexington.
Burnsides old army corps (the 9th) passed
through Cincinnati into Kentucky yester-
day, and stirring news may shortly be ex-
pected from that quarter Gen. Burnside
has SUPERSEDED Gen. Wright in the COM
mand of that department.
There was quite sharp little fight near
Murfreesboro on the 18th between fede>
raj force of about 800 under Col. Hall,
and 25GO rebels under John Morgan -
Hall had gone on the road to Liberty, and
meeting good many rebel squads, cons
cluded to push no further in that direction
bat to return. On his way back, near
Milton, he wa, attaked by John Morgan
He succeeded in getting his command
on an eminence from which Morgan work
ed hard for three hours to dislodge him,
failing completely, and sustaining heavy
loss in the effort.
There has been considerable picket Skin.
mi.hing during the week all along the
front of Roseccans' lines, but the rebels do
general engagement.
The favorable reports, apparently justi>
flying the most favorable expectations, from
down the Mississippi at the beginning of
the week, are cut down by every new arri-
val The successes of the Yazoo expedition
is on the contrary more nearly a failure.
After overcoming so many tremendous
obstacles, and finally reaching the very
edge of the Iazoo river, the great point
aimed at, it meets an obstacle in a small
Fort-Pcmberton-be which the fleet
has come 10 i dead halt The fort is diff
cult to assail effectually by the gunboats,
and, on account OF high water, cannot be
reached by land. The danger now is, that
the fleet having got into the Tallahatchie.
will be unable TO get out again. 10 avert this,
Gen. Grant is now trying to force 4 passage
with half a dozen of gunhoats by short
route through Deer Creek into the Yazoo
between Halnes' Bluff and Yazoo City.
The exciting reports from below Vicks-
burg arc also simmering down. Instead
of the whole of Farragut's fleet having
passed Port Hudson, it is doubtful whether
more than one or two vessels have passed.
We fear that the report that Faragut has
re captured the Indianola is of the same
doubtful character.
The lake Providence canal is open. and
the water is doing great damage in that
region but no boats have yet gone through.
Promotions In the 10Th Ill. Regiment.
rhe following promotions IN the 10th
regiment are announced in the Chicago
Journal of Wednesday
Company B.-Liout. Samuel A. Porter to
be lst Lieutenant, rice NJ. NJ Randolph
killed in action Sergt VIM G. Ross 10 be
I'd Lieutenant, rice S A Porter, promoted
(om,.o,u B-Serut Thos ct,rk 70 T.,