The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-02-08


ssseck, and what remains of her is In the posses
sion Of the rebels. Nearly all our brave men who
fought go valiantly are now prisoners.
fHE INTENDED ATTACK ON OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
FROM CHARLESTON.
Aietter from New Orleans, dated the 26tli uli :,
III the N Y. World says:
s There is no longer any in Disgusting the fact
from your readers that some important movement,
b about to take place in this Department. As IL Is
Known 10 every one in NewsOricans.
Troops are being hurried across LAKE Ponchar-
lrain and landed ut Madisonvile; vessels are ma
Nnuvring about the mouth of the Pascasoula. Ad-
MtraI Farragu. has not come here with his fleet
Gsf no purpose, and in fact will tell you that nj
pnrties in this city declare that Mobile is about
betng at acked by Farragnf on the water and the
ffOops Of Gen Banks on Iaud. May their prophecy
fGGye true.
Msht last, the Admiral received the public at the
residence of General Banks, In Coliseum street.
VISITORS poured I'm to weicome and shake the old
veteran by the hand, and durin. the whole time
there was q constant stream.
"a letter from Hilton Head, $. c., dated the 9th
NJ, says:
When expectation, inspired by the vision of a
gfand expedition at its height, it was dispeled
before even the moment which promised to be for
midabe was inaugurated. 1t was whispered
tsough the army that one portion of il should win
.tH. in Mobile and another in Savannah, after the
n. i mailed strongholds which guard these rebel
cities had been battered into ruins.
But this programme of trophies was soon bloited
out. Whatever the cause may have been, the
military inactivity here has not been beneficial to
the troops. In fact, the war hore is totally sus
pended.
From an officer who arrived YESTERDAY from Fol
ly Island ascfrtained that the troops remaining
there and at Morris Island continue to erect bate
ries u these points. Their guns, however, are
silent.
The principal vessels of the feet lie in ingiorious
activity near Fort Sumter
A letter from New York, dated the 81 instant,
says:
Something of a sensation was created this after
noon, by an announcement in an afternoon paper,
that the siege of Charleston has been substantially
raised, and that, while Gen Gilmore himself is on
bis way North, a considerable body ot his troops
have been sent OF to another Held OF operations
This intelligence is important f true. 1t IL quite
unexpected The 39th regiment Illinois volun-
teers arrived at this port this morning from Port
Royal, circumstance which seems to give color
To the report above alluded tn IT the statement Is
true, would II net have been prudent to keep il
from the rebels:
POSITION OF AFFAIRS IN TENNESSEE.
That the Yankee Administration Is seriously
alarmed by the aspect of affairs in East Tennessee
is shown by the statement, which has been al
lowed to be made public through Boston paper,
that the 9th corps from the Army of the Potomac,
under Gen. Sedgwick, has been sent post haste to
Knoxville. The New York World says:
The recent withdrawal of the rebels from Dal-
ton, if indeed, that story is true will account tor
the rtiuforc ementS which have been spoken of rs
having reached Lougstreet 5 army. The com
mander at Chattanooga seems To have been tho
roughly deceived by The movements OF the rebels
in his front, and il by mere accident that The
retreat Of Johusion's army was discovered. II, a.
we fear the rebels have been quietly concentrating
the bulk Of their forces under Longsree, i, is not
mLOssibie the ueXt news we may hear Will be Tn.
capture of Knoxville, aud perhaps the taking oi
Cumberland Gap. Should the rebels accomplish
both these feats, aud be able 10 send large force
of cavalry into Kentucky, it would put General
Grant TO his mcttle 10 preserve his cammunca-
tions between Louisville, Nashville, and Chatta-
nooga. His flank 1T Chattanooga at least would
be turned. The nj movement OF Forrest upon
Columbia would now appear To be ieint to Ills
tract the attention Of ihe Federal commanders and
employ their cavalry at n point where they could
not be of use to resist the advance OF targ" rebel
cavalry force into Eastern kentucky.
The rebels have chosen good time for then
purpose 10 strike an ugly blow at the Union armies
A gr. at number of the western regiments are now
on furlougli, and the process of reorganization
with the new recruits Is rapidly going on. Our
army il not in good condition resist the impciu
Gus onset of Il well disciplined Grce. General
Foster, also, is now lying sick in Knoxville, and
his military ability viii not be available TO defend
that city.
While there Is mitch To fear, however, we still
have i well grounded hone thu, the possibility oi i
campaign of this kind has been iureseCn and
guarded against by General Grant. The sending
of another army corps from Virginia looks how
ever, as ii matters in Eastern Tennessee wore a
very serious aspect in the eyes of our military al
thGrites.