The Daily Dispatch: March 8, 1862., [Electronic resource]

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Southern accounts.
[from the Van Burea press, Extra.]

We have news from Fayetteville that Gen. Price has been attacked by the enemy with a much larger force than he has at his command, and has been forced to retreat toward the Arkansas line — fighting as he falls back. A dispatch from Fayetteville, Sunday evening, says that Gen. Price has fallen back to Cassville, and that the second brigade of General McCulloch's division were marching to his assistance.

An express rider who came in last night, says that Price has been making a running fight for two days, and that his baggage train is now at Cross Hollows, in a place of safety; he would continue to fall back, as necessity might require, until reinforced by General McCulloch.

Orders were sent from here last night to all the regiments of the first brigade of Gen. McCulloch's division, to march immediately to the assistance of Gen. Price.

Later.--Dispatches, this morning, say that Price is still falling back, and had reached Keatsville, four miles from the State line, and was gallantly contesting every foot of the ground. Price is supposed to have not more than 8,000 effective men — while the Federals have from 17,000 to 20,000.

We find the following in the Little Rock Democrat, of the 27th ult:

‘ It is pretty certain that Price's command, or a portion of it, has fallen back to the Arkansas line, and effected a junction with McCulloch. Fifty thousand Federals are near the line; ten thousand of them in Benton county. In addition to this formidable force, others are coming down through Missouri. Their advance through Arkansas will be contested step by step, inch by inch. A battle was expected before this time, but the enemy are moving slowly and cautiously.--When the conflict comes it will be a dreadful one, and unless overborne by numbers, the sons of liberty on Boston Mountain will make that eminence as famous in history as Bunker's Hill. Our volunteers should hurry at once to the rescue, and not wait for forms of organization or full complements of men.

From Pocahontas we learn that there is a Federal force at Greenville, Missouri, of two or three hundred cavalry, that scour the country, steal provisions, and act the Yanko-Hessian soldier generally. The people of Fort Smith and Van Buren are alarmed, and some are moving off. The majority rely confidently upon our whipping them at Boston Mountain. General Price is in the Indian country with a small force, and we hope he will soon be reinforced. The greatest anxiety is felt for the approaching conflict, for it will be a terrible one.

Just as we go to press we have received letters from the West, which state the Federals in Benton county make a show of retreating. If so, McCulloch and Price will start in pursuit of them to-day. The enemy may attempt to reach Arkansas by a detour through the Indian country.

Our telegraphic dispatches this morning, report that Price has met and defeated the enemy; and though it comes to us in rather questionable shape, we may be permitted to express the hope that it will yet be confirmed.

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The Federal Bath up the Tennessee.

The Memphis Argus, of the 2d inst., says:

‘ Tishomingo county, Miss., has already been the scene of a brisk little skirmish, between the Southern forces and Lincoln's marau

ders. On Saturday last a portion of a Louisiana regiment, stationed at Corluth, attacked a party of Federals who had just landed from their gunboats on the Mississippi side of the Tennessee river, in the Northeastern portion of Tishomingo county, 18 miles from Corinth. After a sharp engagement of a few minutes the Federals were driven back to their gunboats with considerable loss, the exact extent of which we have not ascertained. Our loss was five or six men. The relative strength of the forces engaged our informant could not learn.

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