, 1864-03-27
Qbitago Iril,,1nt.
SUNDAY, MARCH 81, 1864.


THE NEWS. 81.
The lull Ia military affairs has been broken
In startling. manner. Forrest, at the head
Of ahout 1000 troops, and without artillery,
suddenly appears before Onion City, Tenn,
AID demands surrender. Col. Hawkins, Of
the 9Th Tenn. cavalry, with 100 men, garri-
soning the p1ace, and behind Qualifications,
without making any apparent resistance,
complied with the demand b.! sutrendering-
Had this Colonel held out but few hours,
relrforcements =. would - Iaye reached
him, rs General Brayunn with 2,000 men
from Cairo, was hunying to his relief and
reached The vicinity Of Union City just after
Hawkins had surrendered, =, and the rebels had
left with theiE prisoners and booty. There
docs not seem TO bea paliiating circumstance
to this shameful and outrageous proceeding.
The men were ready and willing TO fight, but
were tamely given mp. The whole: nfiair
emacks strongly Of treason or consummatc
cowardicc. We hope twill be cleared up,
but at present it has very black look
Proceeding East from Union City, the
rcbc1s formed . junction with another force
which swcled their numbers tot 500. This.
largely augmented force. made l. sudden
dash at Paducah, and occupied the town
Col Hicks, commanding the Union forces,
numbering only $50, retired to his fortihca-
dons, and aided by-two gunboats made
desperate fight, which lasted from l p. N.
until midnight, md -eEnlted In the repulse
of the rebels with hea1y loss, and the burning
of The town The little garrison fought like
Spartan heroes, and their conduct stands ont
in magnificent contrast with the shameful
scene Mt Union City. In the meantime how
long is Forrest to run at lasgee Hemmed in
the West Kentucky corner, with the Ohio and
Tennessee rivers commanded By our gun:
boats, it will be disgrac9ful It he is allowed
to escape.
All looks we'll in Louisiana. Gen. Banks
troops are. in motion In the western part Of
the State cooperating With Admiral Porter
who IS at Alexandria, ore hundred and forty
miles up the Red River. Gen Lee. Of Fan
sas, has Whipped the rebels at New Iberia
and Bntc a Ia Rose, and everything looks en-
couraging for the rnpid expulsion Of Taylors
forces from Louisiana .., e.
A French war fleet is reported at the
mouth Of the Rio Grande, taet which gunis
additional Significance from the report that
the Secretary Of State is understood to be in
favor Of IN Immediate demonstration against
the designs OF the MEXICAN Empire anu lts
French friends In connection with the rebel
Lion. ......'.
hon: Owen Loyejoy, member Of: Congress
from the Fifth District in this State, died at
Brooklyn, n. r. yesterday, Of IN affection
of the heart, at. the age Of ffty-three. We
defer a biographical notice OF the lamcnted
deceased until another Issue.
The President has issued proclamation
snpplcmentary:to that OF amnesty, explaining
that the latter does not apply to persons who
are In confinement or under bonds or parole
when they desire to take the oath, but to
those at large, who voluntarily come forward
to take 1t with the desire for peace and obe-
4aience to the laws. At the same time pris-
<oncrs of war can apply to tie President for
-clemency, and their cases will be considered
Lis a significant announcement in dis
patch from Washington that ambulanccs are
going to the front, There is work ahead for
the army Of the Poromac.