Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-02-21
CHARLESTON EVACUATED.
admiral Dahlgren on his way to the City.
RICHMOND DATES TO FEBRUARY 90.

RICHMOND DATES TO FEBRUARY 20.
Beauregard's M OVEN ents-From Whining
ton, N. C.-Fort Anderson Again Bonn
perted-Heavy Union Force Moving from
Newbern-A Fight with Rebel Deserters-
Returned r ebel Soldiers Robbed in Rich.
mond, &c.
The following details of military operations
and Southern news were forwarded by General
Grant yesterday by telegraph:
CITY POINT, VA, Feb. 20.-Hon Edscin Ii.
Stanton. Secretary of Var: The following para
graphs are extracted from the Richmond papers
OF day:
Wenow know that Charleston was ev vacuated
on Tues day last, and that on Friday the enemy
took Possession of Columbia.
1t is reported that our forces under General
Beauregard are moving in the direction of
Charlotte.
Official intelligence was received at the War
Office last night that General Sherman was, on
| yesterday morning, advancing toward and
| leading to Charlotte and thirty miles north of
| Columbia. Charlotte is thronged with refugees
from Columbia, who report that some of
| Wheeler's cavalry plundered the city before
| the evacuation. Up to Tuesday last it was an
| certain whether Columbia would come within
the immediate range OF Sherman's purposes,
| and consequently the public mind was not pre-
| pared for such an early solution OF the great
question. The Governmen had, however, Just
two weeks ago, taken the precaution to remove
| Its specie deposited there, amounting to several
millions of dollars, and within the past few
days all OF the dies and plates belonging to the
Treasury Department. together with the sup
plies OF Treasury notes on hand, were safely
conveyed away
The enemy being in possession Of Branch.
ville Orangeburg, and Kingsville. precluded
movements on the roads leading to Charleston,
and an unfortunate accident upon the Char
lotte road, cutting off nearly all the rolling
stock OF the road from Columbia prevented the
authorities from making use OF that avenue to
save other valuable materials IN the city. A
large quantity of medical stores belonging to
the Government were there, one.half OF which
were saved, and the rest, for want Of time and
transportation, destroyed.
The presses and fixtures for printing treasury
notes in the establishments of Evans i Coge.
well and Keating & Ball, were necessarily
abandoned, together with the other extensive
machinery Of those well known firms. The first
named establishment had one hundred and two
printing presses, and was unquesuonably the
largest and best equipped publishing house in
the South,
The enemy IS forces operating west Of Colum-
bia reached the banks of the Congaree, opposite
the city, on Thursday evening, and threw in q
number Of shells, to which our batteries re.
sponded. A portion Of this column moved up
the river during the night, and crossed the Sa-
luda and Broad rivers, the main tributaries of
the CoDgaree, which meet near Columbia, a
few miles above the city. During the move
ment General Beauregard evacuated the city,
and on Friday morning the enemy entered and
took possession without opposition. Our troops
were Withdrawn to position some twenty
miles from Columbia, where they remained on
yesterday.
The enemy's force entering Columbia con-
sisted Of Sherman's main army, a large portion
OF which Immediately moved up the Charlotte
road, while another portion has moved down
in the direction OF Charleston. The latter city
has doubtless ere this been evacuated.
From Charleston
CHARLESTON, Feb 1.-THE enemys gun.
boats and one monitor have been Smelling our
MI Hk a Ia RI q a of
in our immediate front. Nothing definite from
above The enemy keep up steady Smelling
CHARLESTON, Feb. 15-All quiet along our
lines. The enemy this morning are reported
to be moving in force near Columbia, on the
Lexington road. 1tfs reported that they crossed
the Congaree to-day.
From Wilmington-Furious Cannonading
of Fort Anderson.
WILMINGTON, Feb. 1S.-The enemy shelled
Fort Anderson furiously yesterday afternoon,
orted that land force also attacked our
forces at Anderson. but were repulsed. Can
nonading is still going on at l p. NJ. We have
A despatch has been received here, stating
that force Of the enemy four thousand strong
two thousand of it cavalry, are ad vancing from
Knoxville, and had reached Greenville, which
| is ffty-four miles from Bristol. This expedi-
| tion is supposed 10 be another raid on the VIr-
giDia and Tennessee railroad.
The telegraph operator at Weldon reported
on yesterday, that raid from Washington or
Newbern, N. o., was in progress, the sup.
posed destination of the raiders being Rickv
| Mount Station, on the Wilmington road, in
Edgecombe county. The wires contin ued
| to work during yesterday evening through
| to Wilmington, however, from which it
| would appear that they had not then struck
the road.
a movement of the enemy was reported yes
| terday in heavy force upon Kinston, N. O., and
it was supposed in official quarters that Fosters
| forces had been moved up to New bern. A cav
| airy raid was also reported in the direction of
Tarboro.
Colonel Hatch, one Of our commissioners OF
exchange, has gone to Wilmington, at which
| place he will, during the week, exchange 10000
prisoners.
Wemay remark here that the exchange of
prisoners on James river will, at the same time,
| go on uninterrupted.
A desperate affair occurred last Tuesday in
Lynchburg county between some deserters
from the Confederate army and some OF the
| 9th Va. cavalry, aided by citizens. Several On
| both sides were wounded. The deserters were
finally captured.
General Ewell, commanding Department Of
| Henrico, reports a wholesale robbery of nearly
| 100 returned paroied prisoners, on Saturday
night, between Camp Lee and the city. Other
rObberies of returned prisoners are reported as
occurring in the streets Of Richmond.