The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1865-04-15
SUMMARY OF NEWS.

Lee attempting 10 strike across the country
from Amelia Court House to Farmvlle, a
station on the Lynchburg railroad, seventeen
miles beyond Burlesvlle Junction, and fifty
six from Lynchburg. Our left was pushed
forward to meet this movement and became
engaged with the enemy at Deatonsville, in
Amelia county. The Second and Sixth
Corps. with the cavalry, bore the brunt of
the Tight The Rebels were completely
routed and driven back across Sailors creek
in the direction of the Appomattox. Gen
Meade describes the days work ''as one of
the most important of the recent brilliant
operations We captured the Rebel Gen
erals Ewell, kershaw, Corse, many other
general officers, several thousand prisoners.
with cannon, wagons, &c. The result of
this battle appears to have fully satisfied Lee
that all hope for the Army of Northern Vir-
ginia was gone, and at the very first oppor-
tunity he surrendered the whole concern,
bag and baggage, into the hands of General
Grant.
The news of the capture of Selma, Ala,
comes by way of Huntsville, and is trans
mitted from Nashville by Mai Gen. Thomas
to the War Department. He says he is in
clined to believe it, notwithstanding it comes
to MIN in a roundabout way. The report
says our cavalry, under Gen. Wilson, cap
tured he city on the I'd inst, capturing the
, entire Rebel force and its commanders,
Generals Roddy and Forrest, two of the
most notorious of the guerrilla leaders dur
ing the war, the last named being the author
of the fearful massacre at Fort Pillow, where
our soldiers-both white and black-were
murdered in cold blood after they had sur
rendered as prisoners of war. Selma is on
the right bank of the Alabama river, in one
of the most rich and fertile districts in Ala
| bama 1t is the terminus of the Alabama
and Tennessee River Railroad, and it is also
connected with Montgomery by railroad.
| from which it is distant about seventy miles.
The same despatch that announces the
occupation of Selma reports the capture of
Montgomery, thu city which the fleeing trait
ors and conspirators first called their 'scapi-
| tai, ~ and in which they launched forth their
threats against the National Government
Although no particulars are given we believe
that the report is correct, as few days since
we published details from Montgomery pa
pers of raid by our forces in the vicinity of
| that place.
-Lynchburg surrendered on Tuesday,
without resistance, to scouting party of the
Fifth Corps, and brigade of cavalry have
since occupied the town. We have no fur
| Their particulars of the affair, but suppose
the force defending the place was embraced
in the s. Army of Northern Nirgin;an SIR.
rendered BY Lee to General Grant, and in
, Wow of the capture of the main army, the
officer in command at Lynchburg deemed
resistance useless. Lynchburg is situated on
the right bank of the James river, and is
about one hundred and thirty miles from
Richmond. 1t is one of the most important
railroad centers in the South, and its capture
a fin frap Of
The Southside Railroad, running from Rich
mond and Petersburg, connects at this point
with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad,
which is the most direct route to Knoxville
Tennessee, and points in the Southwest =
Since the rebellion it has attained great i'm
portance as manufacturing town. and the
Rebels obtained a vast amount of supplies
through the railroads converging there No
doubt our captures in Lynchburg have been
immense. Large quantities of tobacco have
been collected there at different times. The
force left by General Sheridan in the Valley,
under the command of General Hancock,
started down the Valley nearly two weeks
ago, with Lynchburg as their reported ohiec-
tive point. but we have heard nothing of
their movements since their departure.
Now that the rebellion is almost crush
ports reoccupied, and the Rebel navy de-
stroyed, the Government is preparing to
assert its rights abroad. President Lincoln,
in one of his plain and matter of.fact pro-
carnations, issued on Tuesday. gives notice
that the insult of placing the flag of the trail
tors on footing wi that of the Govern
ment of the United States must be dscon-
tlnued. 1t is known that since the com
mencement of the operations of the Rebel
piratical cruisers that when any of them
chose to accept the friendly shelter of an
English or French port, with Federal yes
sci in pursuit, the neutral " feelings of the
authorities would not permit the Union YES
sci to leave the port at the same time as the
pirate, but compelled it to stay behind for
time sufficient to allow the enemy to escape.
The course pursued has been in violation of
treaties, public law and the courtesy of ma
tons, as the vessels of the countries who
have pursued the course complained of have
enjoyed fully and uninterruptedly in the
ports of the United States the privileges
which they debarred the vessels of this Gov
eminent from exercising. The President
puts his foot down" and says that lin the
view of the United States no condition any
longer exists which can be claimed to Justify
the denial to them, by any one of said ma
tons, of customary naval rights, such as
heretofore have been unnecessarily persisted
in" and gives notice that if the countries
offending shall refuse to recognize and grant
our rights, then and thenceforth TIE same
privileges and immunities shall be refused to
the vessels ofwar of that country in the ports
of the United States,' and shall continue
until our vessels are placed upon an entire
equality with those of other nations. The
President concludes this very important pro-
clamaton, which will no doubt, create some
excitement on the other side of the ocean,
with the remark, that "the United States,
whatever claim or pretense may have hereto
fore existed, are nOU, at least, entitled 10
claim and cOnrede an entire and friendlv
equality Of rights and hospitalities ,oith all
maritime nations"
Mr.. G. G. Fulton, one of the editors of
the Baltimore American, writing from
Charleston, on the 1st instant, says: 81
have talked to day with number of old
citizens in various sections of the city in re-
lation to the Dupont attack on Fort Sumter
and all agree that it was the greatest fright
the city has had. The panic was so great
that the evacuation had already commenced, |
and the dreaded Monitors were momentarily
expected to be seen moving up towards the
city. In the midst of the excitement Gen.
Ripley telegraphed from the fort that the |
shells had penetrated through the walls, and |
had knocked off the doors of the magazine. |
An explosion was momentariIy expected, |
and it is confidently believed by the citizens |
that had he kept up the attack ten minutes |
longer q surrender would have become NO.