We have received New York papers of Tuesday, the 29th instant.
Gold had gone up to 232 under the fears about
Sherman and the intelligence of
Beauregard's movements in
Tennessee.
A correspondent of the New York
Times, writing from
Nashville on the 25th, gives some interesting news about the movements of
General Beauregard's army.
He says:
‘
On Saturday last,
Beauregard's advance was at
Waynesboro', Tennessee, as you will recollect, under
General Frank Cheatham, of this city.
This advance comprised one corps.
The other two corps, respectively commanded by
General Stewart and
Lee, were at
Florence, Alabama, and
Corinth, Mississippi.
Beauregard's headquarters being at the latter place, and
Hood's at
Florence.
’
On Tuesday, the whole rebel army, reinforced by
Dick Taylor, with nine thousand men, was in motion.
Almost the entire force having reached
Tennessee,
Frank Cheatham, with his corps and about three thousand of
Forrest's cavalry, moved toward
Pulaski, and were encamped, on the night of the 22d, within twenty miles of that place.
This is quite correct, and is known at all headquarters.
In the way of receiving information, the rebel leaders have very little advantage of us in this section of the country, as our officers and soldiers know every foot of the ground hereabouts; while, in addition, we are surfeited with news brought in by reliable Union men, who are quite numerous in
Middle Tennessee,
Northern Alabama and
Northern Mississippi.
The movement is a formidable one, by the way, and, evidently,
Beauregard means business.
He has, no doubt, left
Corinth, as
Hood's illness requires his presence in the field.
Hood is suffering with rheumatism, it is said, but still remains at
Florence.
From a multiplicity of sources, we learn that the rebel officers boast of striking
Nashville.
By a glance at the map it will be seen that they menace us to no inconsiderable degree; and, had our army remained at
Pulaski, a flank movement on their part could have been easily performed — our line of communication would have been threatened and
Nashville placed in imminent danger.
As it is. everything is all right on our side, as will be seen.
Learning the movements of the enemy, on Tuesday night
General Thomas issued orders for his army to fall back from
Pulaski to
Columbia, Tennessee, the commencement of which took place on Wednesday morning; and while I write, nearly our whole army is this side of
Duck river, which passes
Columbia about a mile to the north.
Thus, you see, it draws the rebel army from its base, and places a great obstacle, in the shape of a river, between our own and
Beauregard's army.
As most any one would naturally conjecture, matters cannot remain this way long; and, in all probability, a great battle will occur in a short time upon the soil of
Tennessee, the thunders of which will echo along the banks of
Stone river, and die away reverberating among the cedar forests and mountain spurs of the old battle-field itself.
There are various opinions rife regarding the enemy's intentions.
Some think that
Beauregard is going to pitch right in and whip
Thomas and take
Nashville.
Others think that he is going to pitch right in and
not whip
Thomas and
not take
Nashville.
Some think that, at this late day, he will make an attempt,
via Huntsville and the
Cherokee country, to catch
Sherman; while others think that he will pass to our left and attempt to place his army upon the Chattanooga railroad, between our forces here and those at
Bridgeport.
The most serious aspect presented thus far is the loss to us again of
North Alabama and portions of
Middle Tennessee, where a great many true men reside, and where a great deal of work by Government has been expended.
Very little Government property, however, will be abandoned, as no supplies or anything of that sort have been accumulated directly south of
Nashville since the
Forrest raid some six weeks ago.
From all that I can learn, especially since the junction formed by
Dick Taylor's army,
Beauregard's forces are numerically stronger than has generally been reported.
We must not deceive ourselves; and I think I about hit the exact number when I put it at forty three thousand.
The following dispatch, which is the latest news from
Thomas, is dated
Louisville, the 28th:
General Thomas is reported to have fallen back to
Franklin, Tennessee.
The military authorities here say that, if the report is correct,
General Thomas must be preparing to receive the large-re-enforcements now on their way to him before giving battle to
Hood, and that he has fallen back for no other purpose.
[
Franklin, Tennessee, to which
General Thomas is reported to have retreated, is situated twenty miles south of
Nashville, on the Tennessee and Alabama railroad.
Like
Columbia and
Pulaski, both of which have doubtless been abandoned by the
Yankee troops,
Franklin is important as an outpost of the great fortified camp at
Nashville.
Thomas will not be likely to abandon
Nashville unless defeated by
Hood, though the New York
Herald thinks it is more than probable that he may evacuate
Franklin.]
A correspondent of the New York
Herald, writing from in front of
Richmond, says:
‘
There is nothing occurring to disturb the quiet of the armies before
Richmond and
Petersburg, save the continued picket and battery firing along the lines, which has now become such an every day affair that it is not regarded as a disturbance at all.
General Hancock has relinquished the command of the Second corps, to assume new duties, to which we allude in another paragraph.
He issued his fare well address to his troops on Saturday last, and during that day was called upon by a large number of the officers of the army, who parted with him in the most respectful and affectionate manner.
He left for
Washington the same evening.
A shell from a rebel battery recently exploded on board the steam dredging machine in
General Butler's canal, and sunk it. Fortunately the canal is so near completion that this loss will not be seriously felt.
All the negro troops in the two armies of the
James and the
Potomac are to be united in one corps, to be commanded by
General Weitzel.
’
The organization of a new corps, to be styled the First army corps, has been ordered by the War Department.
Major-General Hancock, lately the gallant and able commander of the Second corps, in the Army of the Potomac, is to take charge of it, and it will be composed of at least twenty thousand infantry.
Its formation will commence on the 1st of December proximo, and be continued till the 1st of January next.
The privates admitted to it are all to be able-bodied men, who have served honorably not less than two years in the army, and are to be enlisted for one year's service.
Of the burning of the
Greyhound, a letter says:
‘
The
Greyhound had been up to
City Point, and was on her return when the accident took place.
General Butler and his friends were at dinner at the time.--Suddenly the furnace doors flew open and scattered the coals all over the floor, driving the firemen and engineers from their rooms.
The
Greyhound was almost immediately enveloped in flames; and notwithstanding every effort to save her, she was burned to the water's edge.
Ten horses, belonging to
General Butler and staff, were burned to death.
Shortly before the accident the
Greyhound had received from the steamer
Cossack the army mail for
General Butler's department, which left
Washington yesterday morning, and it is supposed to be lost.
’
The
Herald has the following about the situation of affairs in
Western Virginia:
‘
From
Martinsburg, Virginia, we have a report that there was a small engagement between Union and rebel troops at
Moorefield, Western Virginia, on Sunday, in which the former lost about twenty men. We have also a report, which needs confirmation, that fifteen hundred rebels made their appearance yesterday morning at
New creek, on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, and took possession of the place.
A Union force has been sent to drive them aways, if found there.
The Government railroad is now completed to within four miles of
Winchester, thus ensuring speedy transportation through to that place from
Washington and stringent military orders for its preservation have been issued.
’
Miscellaneous.
Frauds, to the extent of one million dollars, have been discovered in the
Philadelphia navy- yard.
The
Florida is
not to be sent back to
Brazil, nor are her officers.
They have been sent to
Fort Warren.
A jubilee was held by about two thousand colored people — men, women and children — in Cooper Institute, on Monday evening, to celebrate the emancipation in
Maryland and the re-election of
Mr. Lincoln.
There were addresses by several well-known negroes and one female mulatto.
General McClellan has received an appointment to the important and lucrative position of engineer-in-chief of the Morris and Essex railroad.
His salary, if he accepts the offer, will be twenty-five thousand dollars a year — the same that he would have received had he been elected
President of the
United States.
Admiral Franklin Buchanan, captured in
Mobile bay, arrived at
Fortress Monroe on Sunday, on board the
United States steamer
Fort Morgan.
Twenty-seven Confederates were recently captured while attempting to cross from the east to the west side of the
Mississippi river, and were sent to New Orleans.
One of the number was
a Captain Montgomery, from whom was taken two hundred thousand dollars in sterling exchange and a large amount of stock, which he had with him.
Major-General Pope has been ordered to report to
Washington.
General Couch has been sent to
Thomas.
The fire at
Newborn,
North Carolina, on the 19th instant, consumed twenty buildings, in the business portion of the town, and destroyed a large amount of valuable merchandise.
The progress of the flames was stopped by blowing up two buildings.
