The War News.
The Armies of the
Potomac and
James still keep within their lines.
Grant is quietly awaiting the results of military operations elsewhere.
The Attempted raid on Gordonsville — the enemy repulsed and pursued.
The following, from
General Lee, received on Saturday, is supplementary to his dispatch published in our last issue:
"Headquarters army of Northern Virginia
"
General Fitz Lee reports that the force which attacked
General Lomax on yesterday consisted of two divisions of the enemy's cavalry, under
General Torbert.
"
Lomax was posted across the
Madison turnpike, two and a half miles from
Gordonsville.
"The enemy was handsomely repulsed, and retired about 3 P. M., leaving some of his dead on the field.
He traveled too rapidly last night for our troops to engage his rear, having passed
Jack's shop, twelve miles from
Gordonsville, one hour after dark.
"Thirty-two prisoners, captured by the enemy at
Liberty Mills on the 22d, being unable to keep up on the retreat, were liberated.
"
Lomax's loss was slight.
From Southwestern Virginia--the enemy driven out of the country — the salt works little damaged.
The following official dispatch, which was received on Saturday, explains the situation of affairs in
Southwestern Virginia, and conveys the gratifying intelligence that the enemy has at length been driven out of that country.
"
General Breckinridge reports that the enemy, after having been roughly handled in the engagements of Saturday and Sunday; near
Marion, many having been killed and wounded, gained possession of
Saltville during the night of the 20th.
"The garrison [of
Saltville] retreated up
Rich Valley.
"
General Breckinridge's advance arrived at daylight on the 21st, and the enemy retired that night and on the morning of the 22d towards
Hector's gap.
"The enemy is being pursued; our troops bearing the fatigue and exposure with great cheerfulness.
"The damage to the salt works can soon be repaired.
"Many depots and bridges on the Virginia and Tennessee railroad have been burned.
From official intelligence received here late Friday night, we learn that
Savannah, in pursuance of a plan sometime previously decided upon, was evacuated on the morning of the 21st instant.--The evacuation was effected without other loss than of such materials as, from their bulk and weight, could not be conveniently removed.
The last of our troops crossed the
Savannah river at 3 o'clock A. M. on the 21st, and marched in the direction of
Charleston.
At 5 o'clock A. M., the enemy entered the city, which was surrendered by the
Mayor.
Our engineer troops held the bridges by which our troops had crossed until 6 o'clock A. M., and then destroyed them, and followed our main column.--The evacuation was conducted in perfect good order and without an accident.
Sherman was not aware of the movement until it had been accomplished.
An official dispatch from
General Beauregard, dated December 25, and received yesterday, states that
General Hardee reports that a force of the enemy — infantry, artillery and cavalry — has moved from
Savannah towards the
Altamaha river.
General Hardee has made proper dispositions to check the column.
The object of this column is probably to destroy the
Savannah, Albany and Gulf railroad, its depots, etc.
No report has been received from
General Hood since the 28th of November.
From our
Wilmington telegrams, it will be seen that the
Yankee fleet attacked
Fort Fisher about 1 o'clock P. M. on Saturday, and bombarded it heavily till nightfall, renewing the bombardment at 10 o'clock A. M. on Sunday, and continuing it throughout the day; that, under cover of the fire of the fleet, the enemy landed an infantry force above
Fort Fisher, which attacked the fort on Sunday night, and were repulsed.
Fort Fisher is situated on a sand-spit on the right bank of the
Cape Fear river at its mouth, twenty miles below
Wilmington.
The enemy, we presume, reached their position above the fort not by passing up the river, where they would have been obliged to run the gauntlet of the guns both of
Fisher and
Fort Caswell, on the left bank, but by landing on the beach west of the mouth of the
Cape Fear river.
The enemy's having effected a lodgment above the fort is a serious matter.
It will cost double the force to dislodge him that would have prevented his landing.
It was reported on the streets yesterday that the daring and distinguished guerrilla chief,
Colonel John S. Mosby, had been killed by the enemy.
The story was that he had been surrounded while dining at the house of a friend in
Culpeper and ordered to surrender; that he drew his pistol and fired upon the enemy, when he was shot dead.
But a telegram from
Fredericksburg, dated the 25th, was received yesterday morning, which contradicted the report of his death, stating that he had been shot, but not mortally wounded, and was in the hands of his friends.
The question of his condition is, however, not yet definitely ascertained.
A gentleman who reached here yesterday from
Fredericksburg, learned there, from two of
Colonel Mosby's men, that their chief was shot through the abdomen while scouting in
Prince William county.
They further stated that the surgeon did not consider the wound mortal, though they themselves though differently.
This, we are disposed to believe, is the correct rumor of the lamentable casualty; but it will be observed that the New York
Tribune, quoted elsewhere, locates the shooting in the neighborhood of
Piedmont, on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad.
We heard last night that
Colonel Mosby had been carried to
Charlottesville.
