Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-08-17
WAR NEWS.


principal point Of interest The news from that
quarter is unpleasant
MOBILE August Friday night Lieut. Col:
Williams commanding Fort Pow ell, evacuated and
blew up the Fort The enemy yesterday and to-
day are shelling Fort Gaines. The people Of Mobile
are all ready for the fray. Great confidence pre:
walls. The people satisfied with the conduct OF
Buchanan, Murphy and Burnett, of the Navy.
SECOND DISPATCH.
MOBILE, August 81 am painfully humiliated to
announce the shameful surrender of Fort Gaines at
half past nine oclodk this morning. by Col Charles
Anderson, of the 2lst Alabama
This powerful work was provisioned for six
months and had a garrison Of six hundred men. He
communicated with the enemy's fleet by flag Of
truce without the sanction of Gen. Page. Page en-
quired by signal what his purpose was and received
no answer.
His attention was attracted by signal guns.
Page repeatedly telegraphed-"Hold on to your
Fort" The same night Page visited Fort Gaines
and found Anderson on board the Yankee feet,
arranging the terms of capitulation. Page left
peremptory order for Anderson, on bis return, not
to surrender, and relieving him of his command.
Although Fort Morgan signaled this morning, no
. answer was received except the hosting of Yam
kee flag over the raEparts. Andersons conduct is
officially pronounced inexplicable and shameful.
Mobile bay is an estuary, or more properly, the
mouth of the Alabama and Apalache rivers. 1t is
30 miles long opening into the Gulf of Mexico by
two channes-one, the eastern and main ship chan
mel, drawing 18 feet water, and the other, or wes-
tern channel, only or 6 feet Between the two
channels is Dauphin island, upon which Fort
Gaines is located, bearing upon the main channel.
Fort Morgan is opposite Fort Gaines upon narrow
neck of main land running out some distance be-
tween the Gulf and Bay. The main channel is not
more than two or three miles wide and vessels are
forced to run very near both these forts. The bay
is on an average ID miles broad and filled with ob
structions of various kinds, and although II of the
enemys vessels have succeeded IN passing Fort
Morgan and perhaps the same number are beyond
Fort Gaines also nevertheless the vessels will have
to pass all Instructions and another bar at the head
of the bay, besides encountering works Of great
defensive strength Mobile itself situated at the
head of the bay at the immediate mouth of the
Alabama, and 80 miles from the outer forts. With
in Mobile bay is another smaller bay, called Bon
Secours. Vessels drawing more than 8 feet water
cannot traverse the main bay nor Approach the city
Choctaw Point is point of land about mile be-
low the city extending into the bay. There are sew
era little villages upon its shores-the principal Of
them, Alabama City is on the Eastern side. Dog
river nearly opposite is q small stream, entering
from the west The bay itself is pear shaped
These the chief peculia:ties of this now inter.
esting sheet of water.
Official Account of the Mine.
HEADQUARTERS, &C., August 9Th.
-. j. de0oT8l.
An experimental mine was fred successfully last
night, IN front of Gracies line. The enemy ap.
peared much alarmed All quiet to-day.
G. 7. BEAUREGARD, General
From the Peninsula.
We learn from the Peninsula that Grant is re-
moving all the Federal forces from Yorktown and
Williamsburg.
It is said that Hancock, in the affair of the soth
OF July lost very heavily.
Great numbers Of sick and wounded are collect
| ed at City Point
Great activity prevails in the enemy's shipping
in the James river and it is believed Grant is
ding troops to Washington, as a large number of
transports are passing down the river.
From East Tennessee.
Private accounts from East Tennessee, represent
the country between Bristol and Knoxvilleto be in
deplorable condition. Deserters from both ar
mics, and desperadoes of every kind, are indscrim-
inately robbng and numbering the helpless citizens,
beth Uuion and Confederate, the notorious Kirk
being the chief actor in most of the notorious
committed.
| From the Valley.
| Tt was reported on the street yesterday that
General Early had again defeated the enemy near
Winchester. Nothing is more probable, though we
were unable to trace the rumor to any authentic
source. That our victorious forces arc entirely
able to hold the Valley from which they have driven
the enemy, we have no doubt. The news from that
quarter will be looked for with great interest, as
the last accounts represented the enemy, thirty five
thousand strong, marching to attack General Early
Sentinel
From the United States.
PIrTsBURG, Aug. GA dispatch has been receiv.
yesterday, at P. NJ, with the raiders, at New
Creek, on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad twelve
miles east of Piedmont, towards Cumberland. The
fight was desperate
P1rrsBuKG, Aug 5-Gen. Kelley telegraphs Of.
fcially to this city: "My forces repalsed the ene
my yesterday at New Creek, under McCausland
and Bradley johnson. The enemy attacked our
post TO day 1T o'clock P. NJ. The 6ght continued
until late in the evening. The enemy then retreat.
ed leaving their killed and wounded.
Their loss was severe Ours light-not exceed
ng 25 killed and so wounded. The garrison made
gallant resistance"
Gov. Curtain has called for thirty thousad mi
| litia. In his proclamation he says
81 cannot too earnestly urge upon the people of
this State the necessity for the immediate presence
| of this force"
Gen. Couch has issued an appeal to the people
of Pennsylvania He urges them to prepare them
selves for defence, to put their guns in order get
in the of their cornfelds, forests buildings,
&C., as a rebel raid is not impossible at any time
during the summer.
| HARRISBURG, Aug. 5.-Five messengers from
Gen. Averill have reached McConnelsvile, and re-
port that the rebels three thousand strong, were
crossing the Potomac at Hancock They further
state that our pckets were being driven in towards
| Cumberland.
LArER-Inte!ligence just received, confirms the
fact that the rebels occupied Hagerstown in force
at nine o'clock this morning.
The greatest CONSERVATION once more prevails
along the Southern portion. Of the Cumberland
| Valley. The farmers are hurrying from their
homes with their stock, and the population in gen.
eral is panic stricken by this sudden, and to them
unexpected, occupation by the rebels.
| Later from Europe.
| The Saxis, with dates to the 26th ult, has ar.
rived. Cotton was unchanged. Breadstuffs de.
clining
Lord Palmerston in the House of Commons in