The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-07-23
were Withdrawal, and this game speedily ended BY
q few shells from our batteries.

lew shells from our batteries.
On rns LEFr. Jaiy l6, 1854.
Everything has been 1aiet aions our lines sinct
| last wrote you W ith The exceptt.n OF the nsua
amount Ut sheiiine and skirmts.ins, and an nj
tempt 10 make faid on the Auanta and West Point
railroad. In fact the she.'ing and sairmishtng has
been unusually light don't thisk have heard
half dozen cannon per day, and tiae skirmishlns
ON picket iring has only lasted short portion ol
each day, and has been very slow. A day or two
ago, however, while this sort or pastlnla was 90
Ing on along Sievenson's front confederate pick
ct challenged Yankee 90 c0ese out IN open ground
and fight duel across the fsver 1ntil one Or the
other should fall. The Yankee accepted the chaI-
!cnge, and they both stepped out aud the duel
commenced At distance vt nvc or six hundred
yards, aud il Is compliment TO tue sxiii Of either
as marksman that they fred at each other some
fifteen twenty times, till iGaiy the Confederate
fell with bullet through his forehead.
Two brigades Of cavalry Crossed the river be
low here lay or twy ago with the intention, no
doubt OF striking the Atlanta aud West Point rail-
road Red. Jackson started out In pursuit of
them. and they were OveTtaken and driven back
across the river by Gen Frank Armstrong, of Jack
sons division, and Moore's bridge burned. Since
tina. time they have remained pretty qaiet. They
evidently have a hankerIag after the W,s Point
road, however, and we may catch them there
yet,
HOW GEN JOHNSTON CROSSED Tua aHATTAHoOcuss
The public, who believed that the chlttahoo g.
chee river was the point at which q IN Johnston
was TO makea stand against Sherman, esIi read
with interest the folio siag aeeeHht Of big ,osains
that liver, given Jaly l0thl BY the Savannah Re-
Pattican's correspondent with the Array OF Ten
nessee. lie dates ffom "Behiad the Chaltahoo-
che, }" and says:
Events have taken place within he iasttwenty
four hours which have distufbed the equilibrium
OF everybody put the army 10 pOndeTing and fer
mented Atlanta until Il is absolutely eGervescing.
Falling back hom MMietta, Gen Johnston estab
iished mis- long chosen line along the Cbatiahoo
chce, entered The entertainments In 1t had been pre-
viOusiy prepared, and erected Others which gave
additional strength 10 his position, and led 10 the
belief that he had made hts last step bac xwarGs
Subsequently, two corps were Withdrawn to this
side OF the river, to defend the crossings on either
wing, should any attempt be made to that end, and
II srdee was LETT two miles In front on the other
side to defend The railroad bridge, an. Iold the
enemy In check on our centre lIardee's line ex
tended, perhaps three OF four miles, and Yesterday
(Saturday) heavy skirInishing en-ueL. The Fed
erals advanced and drove In our pickets Ia font Of
the division OF Gan French, but feiRfofcements
being sent forward the enemy were in turn driven
back hear'y 10 their works, and our line was re-
established. D;monstratiOns were likewise made
| on our tight and left several miles distant, but
with what effect am not informed. fhey may
have beea OF character snihciently threatening
10 justify the movements which followed or the
latter may have been made In accordance with
new ne OF policy adopted by Gen Johnston. The
commander In chief had determined to Withdraw
his forces still further to the rear. Gen Hardce,
during The night retr0atcd the south side of the
Chattahoochee, burning the bridge behind him.
and this morning we are all In line of battle two
miles or more from the river banks. The enemy
have followed rapidly but cautiously, and while
write skirmishing Is going on In front.
Gen Johnston has established his headquarters
only two and halt miles from the city. Mean
white the several railroads are bearing a way Gov
ernment property with all haste, and ih9 town Is
in iurore. Citizens are packing up 'lieir tarni-
tuic; merchants are rushing around eager 10 have
their goods impressed, and thus removed; the sick
aud wounded arc leaving Ia all direc ions; hospi
tois, cOna nissafy and quarterm tsfer departments
have changed their base; machine shops are
moving machinery the newspaper Offices are all
la a hub bub, ready TO 70 by the first train; the
streets are crowded with drays and piivile vehi
cler, containing ladies, babes and baadb1 Yes
while anxious looking men are hurryiBg 10 and
lro In almost futile efforts To escape with their
families and property from their hated invaders.
NJ nging In lite air are sounds of the \ sbbaih
bells, The siriek5 Of q score of locomotives, the
iumbling Of cars aud carts, the shouts of drivers
aud the uneeasing hum of an excited city. The
tpectacle Is more melancholy than Interesting. -
Every one has given up the city, and save those
who cannot gel away all are preparing to leave in
the general evacuation.
| must confess myselfat loss what to say in
the premises. Qen Johnston Is stern, severe and
feticent Oae can only draw conclusions from his
actions, and those may prove to be only precati
tionary aud strategic Possibly before aa0iher n
shines, Sherman will have the Chattaho0che at his
back, aud the fierce tide of battle long aought for
will be wagiag In bloody fury. Ii is not less ptOba
be that Gen Johnston will still continue his re-
treat 10 some other point. Ii Is not less probable
that he has received orders from Iii chmond to
egacuate Atlanta after cmptying II of vaIuabies
and decline "A general engagement until events
elsewhere shall be decided; aud among all these
supposilOns 1t Is useless 10 anlic ipate. One can
only hope; and this l do abundanily, with the
knowledge that our army Is still unde mo ralize
8; co nitent and de fiant, and satisfied, In theiI
ignorance of the future, that G N Johnston viii I'm
due time work out his own plan ana secure sue