The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1864-05-07
war News OF the Week.

War News OF the Week.
The note Of preparation along the nap
;d,n ba. been sounding sll week. and the
heavy tramp IF men has been heard IA al
sir-ction.. indicating important move.
nents in progress and = great battle close
at hand On Sunday tue federal army
changed snositioa." On .Tas.eays. asails
communication with the array was pr"hI"
ted. and since tEen there is really. no su !
thentic news from that quarter, although
the Chicago Times Of yesterday has the
following despatch from Cincinnati;
ClxcIxxA1I, Nay S.
The greatest battles OF the campaisn
commenced tins morning. ooth on h tne
Rapidsn aad in Georgia. Meade mas
crossed the RaIidan, and the lighting TO-
dav was of the most terrific character-
Heavy skirmisbing on the KaPidan mas
baen goiny ON for several DAYS, ana our
lo..iu Killed. wounded. and taken priseh-
ers. I'M to Tuesday night, was 5.OVo men.
.,b,. results of to-days battle are not
given ALTHOUGH there is considerable UNI
sasiness ut Warrington.
t.exur~yard Is combating Glimore ara
other corps on the Peninsula gunooats
are ascending the James River to attack
Fort Darling; Sigel is moving down the
valley of Western Virginia viii be met
by Len:sireet and Lee and Gran. are
meeting each other with immense armies
of men. a-c
Several Surgeons leave here tonight
for Washington.
By request cannot send yo. naore- 1t
would be declared contraband.
Tho Tribune Of yesterday gives part of
the above report, but nothing as to the
fshtin. actually in progress. This news
must have come through Washington, and
if ID is contratand there for the New York
and Chicago pspers, how did the Cincin>
natl correspondent get 1t?
There is no doubt. however, that Meade
has crossed tie Rapidan, and as Lees
army il on the opposite side, it can hardly
be that there was no fighting.
AS to the rebels, they appear to be per-
fectly conscious that the great battle is to
be fought in Virginia, and are coneentra-
ting all their availibls forces in front OF
Grant and meade. Lees army last week
was reported by deserters at 100000 men,
and all the Southern Railroads are ems
ployed in conveying reinfOrements to hiH
appears. soon after the fall Of Ply
meuth, in North Caroliua. Little Wash
ingtsn was also evacuated by the federals,
and soon after the town was burned. Some
say rebel guer Has did it and others that
it was done by strasglers of the federal
army. The inhabitants were principally
Union people, as are most of the people
left in that vicinity; and in view Of the
fact that they are now left, through the
Encouragement of Gen. Butler, as they
allege, to the tender mercles of the rebels,
their Indignation against the beast is
said to know no bounds Newbern is no.
about the emily federal stronghold left in
North Carolina.
simultaneously with the movement ef
the army of Virginia, it is understood
that Shernan's army would move in Geor-
gia, and a report from Nashville. a few
days ago, stated that Gen. Sherman had
moved on the LIST INST. Then it was said
to have been ascertained that large por-
lions of Johnstons army had gone TO
Richmond upon which the order for
Sherman to move on the lst was counter
mandei Yesterdays dispatches say
fighting has com nenced bstw cen She's
man and Johnston in Georgia, but no
particulars are given. !
On Monday the following dispatch in
reference to Gen. Banks was sent e1t
from, Washington:
"OficiAl dispatches from Gen Banks
have been received to the-2lst. stating
that his army was in excellent condition
and would Immediately. resume its march
upon Shreveport.
Banks was then supposed to be at
Grand Ecore. fortifyiHg A few days az
forwards, however dispatches came di-
rect from Red River, tina, Gen. Banks has
fallen back to Alexandria As he left
Grand Ecore, the rebels attacked his rear
at Cain River, but were repulsea with q
loss of 500 TO 400 men on both sides. The
reason given for falling back was, that
Red River was falling SO fast that Banks
was in danger of losing his communica-
ton. The truth Of the matter, however,
is, that after his terrible defeat, 1T has
been decided at Wasi ington, to abandon
the whole Red River cotton catching
scheme, and Banks with the main part Of
his army is now actually on the way to
New Orleans. Gen. Smith and one army
corps only remaining at Alexandra, for
the safety IF Admiral Porter, whose whole
iron clad feet is still above the falls and
unable to come down on account of low
water.
The movement eff Gen Steel from
Little Rock in aid Of Gen. Banks was bet
ter managed, and but for the failure of
Banks would have been complete sue
cess After leaving Arkadelphia, he
movedto Elkins Ferry, on the Little Mi
ami, upon a road which goes to both Cam
den and Washington. The former place
is situated on the south bank Of the Wash-
ita River, and is said to be strongly forth
fed; the latter place is on the road to
Shreveport. Price, who was at Camden,
misled relative to Steele's intentions, and
suPposihs that be was going direct 10
Shreveport. rig Washington, the rebel
chief left his werks at Camden and struck
across to Washington to ut himself in
S,eele's front No sooner, however. had
Price got we'll under way" than Steele
suddenly changed his line Of march for
Camden and reaching there before Price
could become advised Of hi. movement,
took the town without opposition Ga q