Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-02-23

against Fort Anderson ana wilmington
A dispatch from Admiral Dahlgren to
the Secretary Of the Navy, dated ut
Charleston harbOr 18th, says that the
rebels were abandoning Charleston that
morning and he was then on his way TO
the city.
(signei) EDWIN NJ. STANTON,
Secretary of War
Cry PoNr Feb. %,
70 acr. E5,em H. Sta"tOH, Secretary Of |
War:
The following paragraphs are extract |
ed from the Richmond papers Of to-day |
We now know that Charleston was |
evacuated on Tuesday last and that ON |
Friday the enemy took possession Of Co |
lumbia
It Is reported that our forces under
Gen Beauregard az, moving in the di-
rection of Charlotte
Omcial intelligence was received At
the War Office last night that Sherman
was, on YESTERDAY morning, advancing
toward, and was near WinnSb0rO, a
point on the railroad leading to Char
lotte, and thirty miles north Of Column
hia. Charlotte is thIcnged with refu-
gees from NEpluAAott' VIM N h"A" eAAtNN
some of Wbeslers cavalry plundered the
city before the evacuation, Upto Tues
day last it was uncertain wnC,"-, 10
lumhia would come within the immedi-
ate range of Sherman's purposes, ana
consequently the public mind was not
prepared for such an early solution OF
the question.
The Government had, however, just
two weeks ago, taken the precautlon to
remove it's specie deposited there,
amounting to several millions Of dollars,
and within the past few days all of the
dies and plates belonging to the tTeasu-
nv department, together with the sup
plies OF treasury notes on hand were
safely conveyed away.
/ The enemy being in possession q
/ Branchyille, Orsngeburg and Kin2sviIle,
! prccludes all movements on the roads
leading to Charleston, and an untOrtu-
nate accident upon the Charlotte road
/ from Columbia prevented the authori-
ties from making use OF that avenue to
/ save other valuable materials in the
city.
! 4 large quantity Of medical stores be
! longing to the Government were there,
One-balf Of which was saved and the
rest, FOR want OF time and transporta-
ton, were destroyed
The presses and fixtures for printing
treasury notes in the establishments OF
Evans & Coggswell and Heating & 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 un
questionably the largest and best pub
fishing house in the South.
The enemy's forces operating west O.
Columbia had reached the banks of tn
: Con.aree, opposite the city on Thursda,
evening, and threw in a number o
shells, to which our batteries responded
A portion Of this column moved up thu
river during the night, and crossed TIT
Saluda and Broad rivers, the main trib
utaries of the Congaree, which NEE
near Columbia, a few miles above tn
city.
During the movements Gen. Beaure
gard evacuated the city, and on Frida
morning the enemy entered and too
possession without opposition.
Our troops were withdrawn to a posi-
, ton some twenty miles from COlumbis
where they remained yesterday. TIL
q enemy's force entering Columbia con
sisted Of Shcrman's main army, a larg
! portion of which Immediately moved u
: the Charlotte road, while another POI
ton moved down in the direction {
Charleston. The latter city has doubt
less, ere this, been evacuated.
WILMINGTON, Feb. 18.
- The enemy shelled Fort Anderson flu
riously yesterday afternoon and nearl
I all night and this morning 1t is report
c ed that q land force also attacked on
forces at Anderson but were repulseC
q Cannonading is still going on. st 2. II
= We have no particulars.
# A dispatch has been received hei
+ stating that force Of the enemy's, 40C
strong, 1000 OF it cavalry, are adVancin
6 from Knoxville and had reached Greer
!. vile, which is 81 miles from BTisto
n This expedition is supposed to be anOthC
raid on the Virginia and Tennessee raj
road.
The telegraph operator at Weldon n
ported on yesterday that raid frOl
1 Washington or Newbern was In pre-
/ gress the supposed destination of tn
raiders being the Rocky Mount static
on the Wilmington road.
. The wires continued to work durin
a Yesterday evening through to Whining
ton, however, from which it would al
), pear that they had not struck the rOa'
A movement of the enemy was repor'
ed yesterday in heavy force upon KIM
ton, N C., and it was supposed in OffiCi'
quarters that Fosters forces had bee
moved up 10 Newbern.
, A cavalry raid was also reported I
the direction of Tarboro. The fore
. moving from Newbern has between 8
and 60 pieces of artillery. We sha
= hear more of these movements in fe'
4 days. We are quite certain they are
Il progress as we write.
Col. Hatch, one of our exchange con
. mis-ioserS, has gone to Wilmington, =
:, which place he will, during the weel
exchange 10000 prisoners. We may r
mark here that the exchange of prison
. erS on James river Will at the same tin
y go on uninterruptedly.
A desperate affair occurred last Tue
day in Lunenburg County, betwee
| Rone dsSprtPrs from the conf derat