Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-02-16

report of the evacuation of that place, bui
it is evident from the tenor Of their ad
vices and editorials that they do not anti
cipste any resistance being made to his sd
vance. 97s n-sF3 9 et' -i
They also state that g large number oi
Yankee troops had landed st Smithfeld on
the North Carolins coast, and had brought
locomotives with them, evidently intend
ing to use the railroad to facilitate their
military operations, after they shall have
csptured Wilmington.
The Army Of the Potomac holds its
newly acquired ground at HatcherS Run,
in which very strong earthworks are now
being erected. ggs-r r3 ~ /
There are rumors that the enemy Is mi
ming one Of the Union forts in front Of Pc
tersburg.
Major General Wright returned to the
army Sunday last and resumed command
of the 9Th Corps, from which he had been
absent since the early part Of January.
Desertions from the rebels TO General
Grants lines still continue numerous.
It is now said the rebel General Hind
man, of Arkansas, has gone to the city Of
Mexico, expecting to obtain command in
Maximilian's army, having lost his faith in
JEFF. Davis Confederscy. It is also stated
that several other rebel officers have lately
arrived at Matamoras.
Captain Kennedy, charged with being
one Of the rebels who attempted to burn
this city, is now being tried before the
same military court which convicted Besll.
The Worlds Washington correspondent
reiterated former statement that the reb-
els would soon evscuste Richmond and the
Atlantic coast, and fall back to the noun
tAinous interior. He now says Lee and
Beauregsrd viii command two grand ar
mics, and that preparstins are making for
an overwhelming attack on Sherman.
The Worlds Hilton Head correspondent
of the 9th, says; Reliable information has
been received here that Sherman's army Is
rapidly marching on the line of the Edisto
river, and that portion of his troops were
beyond the Georgia s. South Carolina rail-
road, where they had erected defenses pre-
psrstory to future march.
The enemy have disappeared edrap;dly be-
fere the advance Of our troops, and they have
manifested purpose to eVacuate nesrly all
their strongholds and retreat further North.
This purpose has been the result Of Sher-
mans tactics. That this retrest will be
slowly, but surely, followed up admits of
no question. sf
Our troops are known to extend over q
distance Of forty miles, and for several
days past they have been engaged In de-
stroying all the railroads which connect
South Carolina with the Gulf and the Nor
thern States.
The object of this would seem TO be TO
isolate Branchville, Augusta and Charles
ton from all possible aid or reinforcements,
IN order to capture the garrison Of each
city.
This important work will doubtless be
completed when this letter reaches you.
Some of our troops are north Of Char
lotte, which is cut of from rsinforcements.
The corps are moving simultaneous on
the line of the Edisto, and the towns they
have passed through have been deserted by
q large number of their inhabitants, who
have forced the able-bodied negroes to
leave with them, in order that they may
not aid our army.
Hamburg, Aiken and OrsngebUrg, In
the rear of BrAnchYiIle are reported to have
been captured.