Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-02-17


| er's Cavalry ut Aiken, 5. C.-Columbia
within helliDg gDistance-Movements on
James Island-Union Force of 30, 900
Mepacing RaIeigh-Demonstratio To.
ward w Wilminston-Exchange Of Prison
ers, &c.
The Richmond Dispatch of February Ii has
| the following:
"Sherman's sMovements-The Situation in
south Carolna-Officlal Dispatch from
| General Hardee.
"The military operations now gcing on in
| South Carolina are of the first importance to
| our cause, and naturally engross the attention
| Of our people to the exclusion OF movements re-
| ported to be taking place elsewhere. Sherman
| has run through Georgia without meeting with
any obstruction, and 1t is expected, IL he is to
be checked at all, it must be done quickly. 1t
| is only within the past week that his move
ment against Branchville was clearly devel-
| oped. Previous to that time it was not yet
| known certainly that he would not concen-
| trate against Augusta or Charleston 1t is now
| reported by telegraph that he has a column
| moving on Augusta, but this must be received
as an uhconhrmed rumor. We cannot contra
| dict it, though, at the same time, we do not
| know that it is true. For the present all COM
| munication with Augusta is cut off, and we do
not know what is going on there, or in that
neighborhood.
Gas concerns matters at Charleston, ana in
| the direction Of Columbia, our information is
three thousand men, landed at Grimball's, on
| James Island, last Friday, and drove in our
| pickets. Some skirmishing followed, but there
was no general engagement. Grimball's is on
the Stono river, two miles south west OF Charles
| ton, and the Ashley river, wide stream, lies
between it and the city.
"This demonstration of the enemy is believed
| 10 be feint The following despatch, received
late Sunday night, is the official report of this
affair 1t contains also other interesting in
telligence:
,uyH.pIperor Fab 11-t,To cn,s-,1 @
Cooper, Adjt. and ms. Cen The enemy last
evening drove in our pickets on James Island.
The lines have been re- esta blished o-day. The
enemy are still ill strong force on the Island
but the movement is believed to be only q de-
monstratIon. There is an increase day of
eighteen steamers off the bar. A barge attack
made tonight upon Battery Tompkins was
repulsed. w. j. HARDEE,
'sLieutenant General.
"Since the receipt OF the above we are with
out advice frem Charleston.
"On Saturday column of Sherman's in
fantry and cavalry crossed the Edsto to the
west Of and above Branch vile, and advanced
on the Columbia Branch Railroad. Our troops
at Branchvile withdrew towards Columbia.
According to the late official accounts received
some twenty miles north Of Branch viIle and
on the road TO Columbia. During our retreat
there has been continual skirmshing with the
enemy, but no general engagement. It was
to make an attack, but we think, from present
indications, 1t is more likely he will fall back
DeyOnQ the Sd0teo, ana 0e1enO the line OF that
river. He is said to have an adequate force
for either an offensive or defensive policy,
whichever he may find IL expedient to adopt.
Columbia ia on the right bank Of the Santee,
about sixty miles west of north Of Orangeburg.
s.Important from North Ca rolina-A Heavy
Yankee Column Threatening an Advance
on Raleigh.
"Unofh ciai in ntelligence has been received here
that a force OF the enemy, estimated at twenty
ID Sc rsir object to 4 a6Sanes- at ocs
upon Raleigh, or at least upon our lines of
railroad in North Carolina They are said to
have brought with them five locomotives, and
miles of track
siFrom East Tennessee.
"The report reached US yesterday that Stone
man and Burbridge were preparing to make q
raid from Tennessee into North Carolina, in
the direction Of Raleigh, with the hope of CO.
operating with the column now said to be on
foot TO inv wade the state from the Atlantic
coast. We give this for what it may be
From the Whig
From Wilmington.
"WILMIEGTON, Feb. 13.-There has been con-
siderable skirmishing on our lines at Sugar
Loaf. On Saturday the enemy made three
attacks in force, which were handsomely re-
pulsed. During the attack, the enemy's whole
are about twenty men. The same day, one
monitor threw several shells ct Fort Anderson
killing one and wounding one. All quiet
since"
sExchange of Prisoners.
1--WE learn that one thousand and fifty OF our
prisoners have been brought under the Yankee
flag of truce to Aiken's Landing and are
awaiting transportation thence to Richmond,
which could not be effected yesterday, on &C.
count of the ice in the river"
The Richmond Dispatch of February Is has
| the following:
| Affairs in South Carolina-WheeIer Beats
Fitzpatrick near Augusta.
ave have for some days been in doubt as TO
| what force Sherman had sent in the direction
| Of Augusta. This doubt has at length been
| solved It seems that while his main army ad-
vanced towards Branchville and Charleston,h he
| sent Fitzpatrick and his cavalry to demonstrate
| against Augusta, and to break up the Charles
| ton and Augusta railroad. From official des-
| patches received at the War Department, we
| learn that on last Friday General Wheeler at
| tackled Fitzpatrick at Aiken, on the Charleston
| and Augusta railroad, twenty miles northeast of
Augusta, and, after q considerable engagement,
| drove h,m five miles in the direction OF Branch
Vile
IAN OFFICIAL dispatch received from Colum.
| bia yesterday. states that In consequence
| OF the enemy having occupied Orangeburg
| in force, our troops have abandoned Branch.
| Vile
| "Thls is in effect the same statementas made
by us yesterday. Our troops have by this
| time, no doubt, fallen back to the Congaree
| river, which, with the Wateree, forms the
| Santee.
"Columbia is situated Immediately on the
right bank Of the Con garee, thirty miles above
| its confluence with the Wateree. If our troops
| fall back behind the Congaree, the enemy will
be able to she'll Columbia from the south bank
OF tn at stream.
" We also learn that the Congaree and it's
tributary, the Saluda, are both easily forda BILE
above the city. This sposes US to believe that
our troops will seek to give battle before cross.
ing the CoDgaree.'
The Whig says:
We learn upon good authority that our
forces are falling back before Sherman's ad.
v8ncing columns in the direction of Columbia,
! s. g., and will probably make stand on the
Santee
"A Naval Force Captured.
"We learn that naval force, consisting of
IL officers and 100 men, under command OF
Lieut.. lTacony) Read, were recently captured
by the Yankees near Smithfield, Isle of Wight
county.
"Arnopg the party was Assistant Engineer
Tomlinson, of the james River fleet, who was
married the night before his departure. We
do not deem it prudent to give any informa-
tion as TO the object Of this expedition, and