New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-02-18

l9cn
direction of Augusta This doubt has a: length been
solved II seems tia; while his main army advanced
toward Branchyie and Charleston. be sent Fitzpatrick
and his cavalry to demonstrate against Augusta and TO
break up tho Charleston and Augusta Railroad. From
official dispatches received at the War Department, We
learn that on last Friday Gen. Wheeler attacked Xii
patrick at Aiken, on the Charleston and Augusta Rail
road twenty miles north OF Augusta, and, after
considerable engagement drove him Eve miles in the
direction Of Hranchyille
AN Official dispatch, received from Columbia yes
teray stat IS that in consequence OF the enemy having
occupied Orangeburg in force srOol~ have ADAM
doaed Eranchyile tbs is il effect, The same state
ment as made bv us yesterday. Cur troops nave DIV
this tine no doubt flen back 10 the CongaTee river
Which with The Wareree forms the Santce. Colombia
is sitnaed Immediately on tie right bank o. the Conga
rec 30 miles above its confluence with the WateTce
II our troops fail back behind the Congaree the enemy
will he able TO stel Columbia from Tho south bank 81
that stream We also learn that The Congaree AID its
tributary The SauGo are both easily foydabc above The
city. This dsposes US to believe that troops VII
seek TO give battle before crossing toe Congaree"
The EIGm;ncr has this:
among the multitude Of reports attaching 20 Sher
mans movement IN South Carolina are as yet car'
tain Of only few general facts. According 10 Official
avicos last received at the War Department Sherman
wa moving on the upper branches Of the Ed4sto eyi
dcrtly intending to flank BraHchyjDe and strike the
rairoad 10 Columbia north Of its junction with the
South Caroline Raj road and since the date o these
adyces several days ago. there las been no news Of any
interruption OF this movement il is concluded thai
Gen Beauregard has fallen back rom Branoh'ille to
take up new line 20 cover Columbia, AID ono better
calculated for defensive purposes.
III. IN Of O. l.uo
that battle is imminent; that Beauro gard viii fight it
us GROUND Of his own selection and with a force adj
eqrate for Offensive defensive purposes, as either
may become necessary; and that the general situation
is encouraging for Us.
1T was currently roported yesterday that column
OF the enemy was moving on Augusta But the War
Department has no confirmation Of this further than
dispatch received days ago referring 10 the ap
pcarancc Of force % the enemy near Aiken, Which
is eighteen miles from Augnsta."
Tie ERqpjrcr has the following: The cortin-
ned absence Of official from The Soa.h leaves open
field for ory extent Of runner and conjecture now that
il is well known that Sherman is actively Initiating the
campaign for the Spring His rnaneuyers fr Branch
VILE and his icints dpon Augusta and Columbia. and
his demonstration in force James Island. below
Charleston loTm the basis Of very entertaining
military criticisms and anticipauonsi which however,
nay as well be taken infallbc guides 20 certain
conclusions, CT tie result may tam Out agrccaby or
disanecsbly disappointing.
"Tha; Eranchvie and ultimately, Charleston arc in
The designs Of sherman there be little doubt bat
whether be will get either the one or The other appears
by no Ireaus imminent. Rumor says that Branchvile
is evacuated and that the enemy having crossed the
Edisto 20 miles above that place marching upon IT,
This IS not confirmed by any official intelligence %be
last that has been heard from the enemy auhoTitatively
lett them al various points the Augusta branch Of
the South Carolina Railroad west Of Branchyic, as
announced several days ago. In due time no doo5t
zen Dcauregard vii Inform where they wlh have
turned up nexJ.'
PROM NORTH CAROLIEA.
We have heard nothing further OF the eEcmys
movements at Newbern.
By telegraph from Wilmington, we learn that on sat
nrday there was considerable diminishing near Sugar
loaf and that three attacks in force were made on Our
lines all Of which repusec with loss to the enemy
During the attack tie enemys whole feet opened on
Gen Hokes lines Our casualties number about twenty.
On Saturday one Of the eneny's monitors sheled Fort
Anderson killing aud wounding another
Ihereport of moyemento Yankees, twenty thousand
strong. upon Raleigh comes from country paper in
North Carolina. and has obtained confirmation from
my other source
RU&DRS ABOUT HOSAs.
RnmOrs are numerous al time when there is
little real information of the movements and designs Of
the enemy Within the past fo might Ihornas's army
has been reported moving il almost many directions
as there are points the compass. There has been
persistent rumor that portion Of his army designs TO
coaoerate with Grant around Richmond either by di
rect reinforcement Of lis lines by movement in
Northern Virginia. All that is officially or positively
known of such n design is that portion OF Thomass
army has undoubtedly been transported to Washington
or the lines OF the Potomac ard that Gen. Early re-
ports that one of his lad captured papers show
ING an arrangement with the Blltimore and Ohio Rail
road Company for the transportation over iheT ROAD o.
'twelye thousand men'
TIE PETERSBURG LINES.
report from Petersburg that the enemy was mass
INC heavy force on left in the vicinity Of Tayors
is discredited Tie Peerst4g ElPrsss says that our
works are 50 strong cas-; Of that city that the combined
Yankee army could not fully storm them though
defended by a comparatively small force.
THE NEGROES AIMING.
The bin TO put a number of negroes IN the
military service TO be used in such cmpoyments rs the
Commander in Chief may determine, VIII oe TAKEN UP
in tLe House Of Representatives this morning.
Some local interest has been manifested IN this meas
ure since il was known yesterday that quite military
fever had broken out among negroes employed at the
various hospitals here and that they already organ
ling volunteer companies 10 tao the field against the
Yankees Several hundred Of them have prO:essed an
anxiety TO volunteer; and at Of the hospitals yes