The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1864-12-17
War News of the Week.

4 movement, by part OF Uen. Oraht ;
army. commenced on the eth. under command
of Gen. Warren, and was directed southwark,
AGAINST the Weldon Railroad. The force con.
sisted of the 9th and part of the 9TH corps,
and rSo fbrigades of cavalry. The force pro,
eeeded some " miles down the Weldon road,
had some fighting with the rebels, tore UP
Is mile. Of the Weldon railroad, and then, on
the 18th returned to its former position Inc
loss Of this road. it is said will result IN great
Inconvenience to Lee. and may compel nm
TO eyacuate Petersburg. This Is the 'e's'o'.
nm onr side Lee. on the other hand, says oi
this expedition, that the rebels were success
f,l in the fighting that occurred, driVihs 'le
federaIs in TWO instances.
Gu Saturday last. four regiments advanced
.yaius. the federal lines on the north SIDE OF
the James. driving our forces back short
distance. The federals. being reinforced, at
tackled In turn. and drove the rebels beyond
their original picket li@e. The losses IN the
affair were small.
The Dutch gap canal IS said to be about
completed, and the federal fleet i'll the james
river has been reinforced, with the view, 1t IS
presumed, of cooperating with Grant n an
attack upon Ric,,n,ond, which is expected to
take place almost Immediately.
The news from Sherman grows exciting
1t is evident that in his passage through
Georgia he met with no serious opposition
anywhere and had 10 FIGHTING except sL;T-
mishing between his own. and Whee.ers cav
alrv Operating on his TANKS. On the 9TH he
was within % miles Of Savannah, and about
the same time, by way of assisting him Hrobil-
bly, joint naval and land expedition under
Dahlgren and Gen. Foster proceeded TO the
Charleston and Savannah L. Rand distrOyed
the Pocotaligo bridge. and the telegraph wires.
thus completely seyerirg communication be
tween Charleston and Savannah. Commun.-
cation was also opened between Foster
and Sherman 5 scouts. On the oth Sherman
was reported TO be IN line Of battle within
FIVE miles of Savannah. and on the 10Th. the
report is that he fought great hs,i'le with
the rebels drivin" them out OF thclrlntrenci:-
ments and back into the works immediately
around the CITY. In tits engagement Shcr-
mans loss is stated at 200, while the rebe.
los. is put at 1000 among whom were 1920
prisoners. On the ll,h, the latest rUmor
s.ates. Gen. Sherman captured Savannah, but
the rumor is,said from Washington to be based
rather on possibilities than on positive reports.
/ a-,.l tot
ing tha. he has had communication with
Sherman, and details his movements TO the
Sth substantially the same as the reports by
way of Richmond, by which the accounts Of
the battle come. Sherman army Is stated
TO have reached the 9icini;y Of Savannah in
excellent condition.
Affairs around Nashville grow exciting. \
despatch from Secretary Stanton, dated
Washington, Dec. I'LL P. NJ, says:
"The department has just received unotfi-
cial dispatches from Nashville, announcing
that Gen. Thomas viii! the forces under his
command attacked !ioels army in front Of
Nashville at clock this morning, and, al
though the battle is not yet decided, the whole
action to-day is described as spendidly sue
miles. The enemy were driven from the rlv-
er, from their intrenchmcntS. from the range
of hills on which their left rested, and forced
back upon their right and centre from one to
three miles. with the Joss Of Il guns and
about 800 prisoners, and TIE whole line OF
his extreme right, where serious ATTEMPT
was made to disloIge him. Our casualties
are reported to be light. Hoods whole army,
except cavalry and q small force near Muir
freeSbOrO, was engaged.
The federals achieved success in fight
near Murfrcesboro'. on Wednesday last The
federal loss was 80 killed and rs wounded,
the rebel loss being much greater. The vic
tors captured two cannon and over two hu!-
dred prisoners. Communications between
Louisville and Nashville are reported cut.
The federal loss in the battle of Franklin
is put by official reports at 10 officers and
1906 men.
Breckenridge is reported at Sparta. Tenn,
with 10000 men. The Indications that
ne intended to reinforce Hood, which inten-
ton will be frustrated, il possible, by Stone
man and Burbridee.
The rebel Gen. Lyon has passed down the
Cumberland river 10 Idyyille. near which
place he had erected 4 battery tc blockade
the stream. On his route lie entirely Ge
stroyed the town Of Princeton. Lyons force
is variously reported at from $500 20 1900
men.
A federal cavalry force. numbering 5,00G,
is on an expedition from Baton Rouge into
the rebel territory. Mobile is said to be their
point of destination.
Price crossed the Arkan,a. river twenty-siz
miles above Fort Smith. He had with him
at the time about 10000 men. 900 Of whom
were unarmed. Magruder has withdrawn his
fo.ces to ;hc lane of the Red river.
a recent expedition from Nichsburg de-
s.royed thirty miles Of the Mississippi Central
railroad and 200 bales of cotton. The
f-dcral casualties numbered Ii, mostly IN the
ID Wisconsin regiment.
On Sunday last the federal prisoners at
Danville. Va, made an attempt to escape,
which resulted intellectually. They were fred
upon by the guard, and = Now York colonel
was killed.
The exchange Of prisoners is proceeding
at Charleston. the bonbarimert of the city
having been temporarily suspended to Permit
q Il. accomplishment; Of that object. ii is
expected that TWO or three week vii be occu-
pied in tie transfer.
Cabbage plants NAV be raised easily from
sprouts thrown out by the old stumps. They
merely require to be cut from the stump with
portion Of its bark pertaining to them. and
to be planted in rows like rooted seedlings
and 10 have the usual watering. 1t Is the