Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-01-18


States papers to the 18Th inclusive, from which make
the following synopsis;
MosBY's TIGHT.
At early dawn on the lO.h Mosbys "rebel' battalion,
himself leading them, attacked Msj Coles Maryland
battalion, enc4mped on Loudoun heights, and after
avoiding the pickes dashed into the camp with 6cnd
like SELL and poured voley of bullets inc the tents
where the officers and men lay sleeping, and sounding
many at the frs FIRE. Many of the tents were sur
rounded by dismounted cavalry, and demand for IN
conditional surrender made. rough-aad tGmbe fight
tor ffeen mBu es ensued when Aosby sang out, Re-
treat boys they TOO many tor Us and the rebels
made precpitAte retreat after fighting with the
desperate viud itivene A. the first nssau!t Captain
Wm Smith called cut to his men "Gve the damned
Yankees qua,ter, but the arms and horses,
when bule. went through hs heart and he fell liieess
from his saddle.
Lieut.. Oolson, of Gen. Tlimbe's staff With a pass
from Lee on his person. was killed Three other rebe"
we're killed. and three prisoners severely wounded one
Of whom is Lieut. Won. Turner oil Baltimore, aud the
other named Paxton who liyes Deag Lee sburg. Four
Yankees we're killed aud fifteen wounded.
GIN. EARLI's RAID.
The Baltimore American says:
The recent attempt of General Early, with the bri-
gades of Lee Walker and Rosser under the immediate
command OF Fizhugh Lee 10 Capture tho Union gA4i-
son Petersburg and take possession Of Cumberland
and New Greek, has proved failure. few eRpy
wagons-thlrty five in aI-of Colonel TLOOuFhs force
we're cap ued b. the reb is their route from Peters
burg General Kelley gives briet account of the dis
oomhture OF the enemy, IN a dlsya ca TO Governor
BOFenan The Baltimore and Oaio Railroad is SAFE
and the ts-s are running rtgu,zry. Al official docu
ment Of the rebels, laying down the plans OF General
Early IN West Virgins has fallen into the hands OF
tro7ps- Ii appears from this paper that General Early
was 10 cut the Baltimore and Oalo Railroad at Martins
burg ana by a combination OF movements stemp. The
capture Of such Union forces between Martins
burg aud NV Creek aud at the latter placS General
Enly havug heard thai we we're concentrating troops
az hartinsbug and having been informed that General
AYerill there with strong cavalry force, deter
mined 10 alter his plan. He therefore dispatched GEN
of the garrison at Petersburg. Rosser try and
get into GumbeIhnd aOd capture destroy the
there They both failed, because General Early could
Coz reinforce them with artillery aud supplies.
IRON TKxAs.
The steamship Columbia, arrived at New York
brings NeE Orleans advces to Sd inst There were
considerable in progress among the troops
in Genersl ,nks Department, but they we're not OF
character TO be made public. II is quite likely there
FORE that the brought last week of expedition
hAviig left, probably for Mobile, is correct Ii was be-
lisYed in New Orleans that all the rebel troops which
have been operang in Western Lou sians supposed to
number 10000 me1, were gathering in Central Texas
wit the ooj of attacking the points along the
now occupied by the Union troops. Preparations have
been made by US to meet this threatened movement
TRoM CHARLESTON.
correspondent with Gilmores army, says Charles
ton is now at the mercy of the Yankees. The New
YORK Times, per contra, says, e1torally:
"The country has ceased 70 look for the capture of
Charleston, either by General Gilmore's army by
the iron clad navy The many months that have passed
since the last serious attempt by the monitors, have
brought with them many promises, and left behind
them equal number OF disappointment $; and those
who anticipated that General Gllmors's reduction OF
Fort Wagner would instantly be followed by the seizure
of Sumiers site, of Fort Aoutrie, James Island and
all the works in the harbor have waited in for
realization Of their hopes"
The Times says further that the few thousand tro ps
there could be expected to capture Charleston but
only to execute this part of the plan ofont operations
Gilmore has executed his partof the pan but that of
the vessels of war TO the obs;rucioas 10 the
harbor and reach the city by running by the works
Snlivans Island las not been accomplished. The
sequence is that the shores of the inner hsrbor and
the Wharves of the city brstle With guns that did
! exist at the time Gilmore took Wagner, aud military
assert that what was feasible for the monitors 10
do hel is very dicuh if not impo;s BILE, nov; that if
they reached the inner harbor they could not hoe
TO remsn there. The permanent occupation Of Sun
ter by cur troops, while the enemy holds James and
SullVaus Islands, TO be mpracicabe, neither is
It all necessary. The enemy hiss cotcsntric fire
Sumter II would appear therefore. if it possible
gel possession Of IT, il would not only be possible,
- easy, for the enemy TO get it back again.