The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-08-12
WHAT WAS NEWS
FIFTY YEARS AGO

Nothing new from Petersburg yesterday or
last night. except the report of another cxplo-
sion within the encmy's lines. This time IL took
place the City Point Road and Is supposed
TO nave been an accidental and premature eNplo
sion of some of Grants mining materials
There great sea rc!ty OF war news all dav
yesterday War talk ON the streets con-
hncd almost entirely to discussion Of the dis-
graceful surrender OF Fort Gaines on Mobile
Bay. the character OF the officer who eurrend-
cred IL and tho effects Of the whole affair Col
onel {. d. Anderson was the commnndcr in
charge who made the surrender. H;s hosie is In
Mobile. and his family lives there AT the out
break of the war he was in tho United States
army at post In tho Far Northwest but he
elected 10 come South and align himself with the
South. He was first major in the Confederate
service. and when the Twenty-irst Alabama
regiment was formed 10 do duty only In tho
State he was made the colonel The regiment
was made up very largely Of MOBILE young mon
a portion OF the regiment Choctaw
Bluff and the other portion was assigned to
duty at Fort Gaines and they went there spoil-
ng for fight This latter portion OF the ,4rt-
ment has. by this disgracctul surrender be- n
simply handed the enemy and nobody
knows why. Confederate officials arc at a loss
to account for Andcrson's conduct, except on the
ground OF high treason.
There Is absolutely truth In the wild rumors
that General McCausand and mis- entire force
had been totally destroyed. fie has returned to
Romney. after having accomplished Cham
bersburg and other points all that he was sent
out TO accomplish.
AS the War Department understands II ~.
object Of the invasion OF Pennsylvania TO
obtain 100000 in gold In retaliation for the
properly destroyed by the Federal raider Hunter
In the Valley and along other lines his ma rch
and in the failure TO get that 10 burn ana de-
stroy in Pennsylvania many towns as Hunter
had burned and destroyed In Virginia. Cham
bersburg did not come down with the gold and
so there was nothing left for McCausland 10 do
but apply tho torch. which he did in good STYLE
ana Cham bersburS was right much burned out
The Federals have burned twenty Confedcrate
towns and tho Confederates have burned ONLY
one. and that was Cham hersburG Pa There are
nineteen others 10 be burned unless the Fed
erals discontinue the torch, and General Grant
who knows a thing or two, says they shall dis
continue Its He no occasion for the
torch on either side. General Lee is or the same
opinion Sherman, in Georgia. be of a
different notion.
An Official dispatch yesterday says General
McCausland and Bradley Johnson with
slight reverses at Moorefcld. in the extreme
western part of Virginia. last Sunday. They
rallied their forces, however and at last &C
counts were holding their own Particulars Of
the engagement at Moorefeid missing
Four hundred and thirty prisoners ca ptured
by Early In the Valley and in Maryland arrived
AT Lynchburg yesterday Early is still pressing
forward in the Valley.
Colonel william Z. Peters, OF the Twenty "A rst
Virginia Cavalry, was ca ptured by the enemy in
tho Maryland campaign. and is now a prisoner
of war ut Fort Delaware
General William B. Bates of Tennessee was
slightly wounded in front OF Atlanta. but II Is
understood that he will he in the saddle
again In the meantime. his brigade is in
command of Adjutant e. c. Woodson of the
Twenty-h Arkansas Regiment.
There Is of Hunter, tho raider He
has been superseded by General Phil sheridan
as commander of the Army OF tho Upper Poto-
mac. Hunter retires somewhat In disgrace
having been reprimanded by President Lincoln
The further publication OF the Baltimore Even
ing Bulletin has been suspended by order OF
General Lew Wallace, commanding the Middle
Department, the charge being the publication in
the Bulletin of reasonable matter, whatever
that may be.