The news, as will be seen by reference to another column, is of a most
exciting character. The forced
retreat of Gen. Banks from his positions in the Valley of Virginia back to the
banks of the Potomac, has taken the country completely by surprise.
We have not yet received the full details of this unlooked for reverse,
but enough is known to warrant the belief that the movement has been a
disastrous one, and that large quantities of provisions and military stores,
besides the lives of a number of soldiers have been sacrificed in the retreat.
Col. Kenley’s First Maryland Regiment, in which there are a large
number of Pennsylvanias, made the first stand against the Rebels at Front Royal,
on the Manassas Gap Railroad but were overpowered and finally compelled to
retreat. – Front Royal is the County seat of Warren County, one hundred and
forty miles northwest from Richmond. Gen.
Banks it appears abandoned his forward positions on Saturday and fell back,
before a superior force to Winchester, and finally to Martinsburg, Va.
The latest dispatch says that he crossed the Potomac, with all his
baggage trains on the 25th and is now in Maryland.
The President has issued the following order taking possession of all the
Railroads in the United States:
Washington, May 25. -
Ordered. – By virtue of the authority vested by act of Congress, the
President takes military possession of all the railroads in the United States,
from and after this date, until further order, and directs that the respective
railroad companies, their officers and servants, shall hold themselves in
readiness for the transportation of troops and munitions of war as may be
ordered by the military authorities to the exclusion of all other business.
By order of the
Secretary of War.
Brig. Gen. Nagle’s Brigade of McClellan’s Army had a skirmish with
the Rebels at Ellison’s Mills and succeeded in driving them back with
considerable loss. He is encamped
five miles beyond Bottom Bridge and within five miles of Richmond.
A dispatch from Gen McClellan, under date of 24th. Inst.,
says: " We had three skirmishes to-day.
We drove the Rebels from Mechanicsville, which is seven miles from New
Bridge. The Fourth Michigan Regiment
about finished the Louisiana Tigers, fifty of whom were taken prisoners and
fifty killed. Our loss was ten
killed and wounded."
A dispatch from Corinth, dated May 25, says:
A reconnoitering party from (?) Key’s command had a skirmish with three
Rebel regiments with the loss of their blankets, knapsacks and haversacks.
Several were killed and wounded, and six prisoners taken.
The regiments fled in confusion across the creek.
Our loss was four wounded.
General Halleck has been joined by General Curtiss, with the force under
his command.
In Western Virginia an important engagement occurred on the 23d.
The rebel Col. Heath, with 3000 men, attacked our forces under Colonel
Crook, at Lewisburg. After a severe
fight, the enemy was driven back and completely routed.
Colonel Crook’s force numbered 1300.
Our loss was 10 killed, 80 wounded and missing.
We captured four cannons, two of which were rifled pieces, 200 stands of
arms, and about one hundred prisoners, including a Lieut. Col., a Major and
several Captains and Lieutenants.
A Washington dispatch, dated May 26 says:
No advices have been received
at the War Department to-day from General Halleck.
General McClellan telegraphs that his troops have cut the Virginia
Central Railroad at three points between Hanover Court-House and the
Chickahominy.
Source: The
Indiana Democrat, May 28, 1862 issue
