Macon tri-weekly telegraph. ([Macon, Ga.]) 18??-18??, July 12, 1862, Image 2

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Macon tri-weekly telegraph., July 12, 1862, Image 2

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Newspaper Page TextSATURDAY MORNING, JULY 12,1862. For Major General Mb. Clubt—An election Is ordered onWtd August next for Major General of this Division to Ml the vacan cy of General Armstrong resigned. ' It Is an important crisis with our country; we do not Know what a day or an hour may bring forth. Our Mil itia may soon become an impoi tant branch of the pub lic service and we want men of intrepidity and firmness to command. In view oi these things, and believing hijntheman for the occasion, the friends of Col. Wn. B. HOLT recommend him as a suitable candidate for Major General of this Division. Col. Holt has been reared among us, and Is too well and favorably known throughout the district, to require, we think, any than the announcement of his name. B" May to, 1862. For Major General. Ti e r'ght man in the right place is Col. Jossnr, oi Bibb, for Major General, to fill the occasioned by the resignation of Gen. Armstrong Sib Division, Georgia Militia. Col. Jossey is kno be a high-toned and chivalrous man, and in cv< pact competent to dltcharge the duties of th tible trust - hea’ the right nun in t July 7 From the Gkesh CapL M. R. Rogers, 2 low Richmond, reports tendaya’ almost ii sant fighting. A list of the killed'and wounded in his company, we have already published.— He reports 160 in his regiment then doing ser vice. The wounded were all getting along well. The Yanks had taken to their gunboats and the Captain did not expect any more fighting- idea which facts will not bear out Capt Ro gers was then in command Of the Regiment— the field officers all being wounded, and only two Captains and four Lieutenants remaining of the Company officers—the most of them be ing broken down by hard service. The Cap tain reports that he had been hit twice by halls and onco with a piece of shell, but fortunately all spent missiles. The last one knocked him senseless and he was carried off the field, but soon recovered, and returned. Mails.—Yesterday’s mail brought us one paper North of Augusta—the Charleston Mer cury. The Richmond papers have failed whol- ly or partially for five days in succession. The Confederate Post Office Department is a terri ble failure, hut complaints are useless. Its op eration, so far, has been efficient only in the obstruction of intelligence. The people arc restless under the operation of the iron rules by which they are debarred from knowing the fate of their relatives and friends in the army, and with the lights belore us, we think it would he the part of good sense to loosen the screws a little. — • - rienyane Butler at Baton Rouge. Last Saturday morning Picayune Butler vis ited the city of Baton Rouge, on. board the steamer McClellan. He left again Sunday. He immediately went to work, upon his ar- rival, arresting the citizens of that place. Hon. B. F. Bryan, the Mayor of the city, was called before him, find required to take the oath of allegiance or be consigned to Fort Jackson.— Mr. Bryan very properly viewed the oath as not worth more than the paper it was written on, took it, and is now m our city on his way to Chattanooga to join Scott’s cavalry regiment Mr. B. has kindly furnished us a statement of the conversation which be had with the Picayune, whose whole spite seemed to he di rected against the guerrillas of Louisiana. He boasted that he would put down the guerrilla system of warfare—that he could do it in fif teen minutes, and this is the manner in which he proposes to crush the guerrillas: “What do you say, sir,” says he, “to my is suing a proclamation- offering freedom and a thousand dollars to any regro who will bring me in the bead of a guerrilla. It is true mis* takes will happen but what of that ?' Mistakes of that sort will occur. As, for instance, my men have wrongfully destroyed the property of one man, (George Keeller’s) but I mean to pay for that Ab for CapL Budd’s property, he 'was an officer in the Confederrte army, and left his property where the guerrillas could get hold of it, and for that reason his men were perfect ly justifiable in destroying iL” He stated that the only chance for tho Con federate cause was for foreign intervention.— “But supposing France and England should interfere, we have already whipped England, and as for little Johnny Crapcau, he can’t whip the little Mexicans. But before these States should belong to any other Government than the United States, we can and will make them a second San Domingo.” He took an old Methodist preacher, named Cravens, with him to be consigned to Fort Jackson, because he prayed too ofton and too loud in sccreL ✓ Prof. Magruder T tvas also arrested for having remarked to a gentleman in Baton Rouge who had been very conspicuous in hunting up cot ton for the Yankees, that he ought to be hung. Harry Hymes, ot the “Sugar Planter,” was arrested for having advocated in his joornal the burning of cotton. Various other arrests were made upon simi lar frivolous charges.—Jachon Missmippian. the Battle of Rich, ond. harlcston Mercury, of the r the battlo of Richmond up to tho 80tb, by a correspondent fork Times. It is, of course, a fate attempt to varnish over the dc~ and the truth appears only in faint glimp- lies—incidentally and inferentially. The cor respondent sets out as follows: “Events of the gravest character have transi pired within the last five days touching the condition and prospects of the army on the Peninsula. Acting under the necessity which the Commanding General has long foreseen, the widely extended lines of the army, with its miles of well constructed defences, stretching almost from the James river on the left, to and beyond the Chickahominy on the right, have been abandoned, and the army before Rich' mond has fallen back to a more practicable line of defence and attack upon the James river.” That is very good. The retreat was not a necessity created by the Confederate assault, but a necessity which the Federal “Commanding General had long foreseen /” and the attack and retreat were either mere fortuitous coincidences, or the Federal commander selected the mo meat of attack as the propitious time to con summate a step his judgment had “long fore seen” as necessary. All the boasts of the Northern press about the occupation of Rich mond and tho annihilation of the rebel army were entirely insincere and unmeaning. Mc Clellan's own gasconade that henceforeward there would be no more retreats, and he would soon “drive the rebels the wall,” was idle va poring. He had “long foreseen” the necessity of “falling back” instead of advancing. Eu rope will be still more enlightened by this con fession of Federal hypocrisy. fho judgment of McClellan having deter- the necessity of a retro**-***- move- iiinkr-uo * — men proceeds'to ex- |th how “this manoeuvre—one of ^ult and dangerous to execute in enemy—has been accomplished under circumstances of difficulty would have taxed the genius of ho grand army has been engaged iriTTseriea of conflicts for six days with a force moro than double their own, having every ad vantage of position and knowledge of the coun try and the roads, till finally attaining a place of comparative comfort and repose on the jks of the James, this truthful chronicler of FedefSH^Fories exclaims, from tho very bot tom of bis gizzard: “Heaven grant that here, under the shadow hills, and with the co operation of the pur overtaxed soldiers and officers t brief repose which is so essential ^and to the existence of the army, it self! I” ' Let all the world see and realize wkal to execute “a difficult and dangerous ma vre,” the “necessity of which the Comman General had long foreseen.” Not with gn relief^d the wearied stag, escaped from tEe hounds, throw his tired, tom and bleeding form upon the cool and shaded turf of the mountain stream. He, too, had executed a like “diffi cult, delicate and dangerous manoeuvre" in the face ot an enemy—a manoeuvre, too, the neces sity of which he foresaw as soon as he heard the baying of the hounds, and felt their teeth in bis flanks. We will not pursue with the correspondent the progress of this dangerous manoeuvre, in which, of course, every contest was a Federal victory, till the triumphant legions of black re publicanism attained, alter a long and weary race, a view of the classic old James River.— Mortal Men never saw so glad a sight Not till they reach the portals of Paradise will the Federals ever again hail so beatific a vision;— The correspondent dwells upon that James River—its green fields and venerable and cool ing shade, with all the ardor of a footsore, sick and weary traveler of the desert in full view of the Happy Valley. Hear him again : “When an aid of General McClellan rode up and reported that the way was all open to James river, a thrill of relief ran through the whole line and the sight of the green fields skirting its banks was, indeed, an oasis in the terrible desert of suspense and apprehension through which they had passed. The teams were now put upon a lively trot in order to relieve the pressure upon that portion still in the rear.— General McClellan and staff rode ahead and took possession. * * * Exhausted by long watching and fatigue, and covered thickly with the dust of the road over which we had passed, many of the officers threw themselves upon the shady and grassy lawn to resL The soldiers also, attracted by the shady trees, surrounded the bouso, or bi vouacked in tho fields near by.” . Thus we see that Gen. McClellan, who had “long foreseen” the necessity of this delicate and dangerous manoeuvre, was the very'first man in his army to profit by it He was bles sed with four more heels than most of the pan ting fugitives who followed hitn, and no doubt felt himself four times more blessed in first reaching, under the shadow of the Virginia oaks and the Yankee gunboats, tho happy place of repose and safety. But as no human blessing comes without al loy, so the scent of danger still disturbs the quiet and rest of the recumbent Yanks. The cor. respondent closes up bis narrative with these harrassing doubts and reflections: “The indications are that the enemy will cobJ tinue to barrass our position, and give the troops no rest, day or night, until they have been dislodged or compelled to embark. Should affairs reach the latter crisis, where are the transports to receive such an army on board, with its immense material of war ? There are scarcely vessels enough now in the James river to take on board tho wofinded and sick, to say nothing of the army.” Wo are tempted to ask in conclusion [but the occasion is more one of mirth than moralizing] whether it be possible that this writer could imagine that his account would deceive even Northern vanity into the belief, that,their grand army had met with any thing else than a crush ing defeat, under pressure of which the demand for tho surrender of Richmond, was modified to a prayer for any place of safety, tho more re mote from Richmond the better? Is it possible ho could fancy his thin daub of varnish more respectable than a candid 'acknowledgement of overwhelming defeat and fatal frustration. We think it less so; and if the vast amount of hu man misery resulting from the battle, does not stifle mirth, the wits of Europe will find no more fertile theme for it, than tho Federal ac counts of tho Grand Victory of the Grand Uni on Army, once near Richmond, and sure of cap turing it by the 2d of July, so as to display that grand Massachusetts Banner from the Capitol of Virginia on the 4th—but now a good ways off “acting under the necessity which the Federal commanding General had long fore seen” ol a retrograde movement to the James Rive£ Contrast between White anil BlncV Extor tion. ' One of the soldiers, from an adjoining county, just returned from the bloody field niar Rich mond, who was seriously wounded a?d left by bis comrades, in following the track of his Reg iment barefooted, with feet blistered and torn by the rocks, turned aside to lie do wi and rest, when an old negro, who had taken a pair of shoes from a dead Yankee, came afong. The soldier accosted him and asked what he would take for tl>e shoes ? The negro replied, “Mas- sa, I want to ’comodate a poor soldier who is fighting for us, but massa, you know the block ade is on us heavy, shoes mighty high ; you can’t git ’um ’less you pay high price.” The soldier again asked, “what will you take ?”— “Massa, you must give one dollar and a half, or you can’t git ’um.” The poor wounded, bleeding soldier was only too glad to get them, He handed the money and took the shoes. SPEECH OF MIL RICHARDSON. We copy to-day a speech by Ex-Speaker Wm. A. Richardson, of Illinois, whirl* will show the nature of tho Issues to be taken this fall with Black Republicans by the opposition party. It will be seen that the opposition is getting bold. The extracts we have copied lately from Northern democratic’ papers show that the press is beginning to speak out in spite of the bastiles. All things promise a lively can vass in Lincolndom for the next Congress.— But more than any thing else, the spejlsh of Richardson shows the degradation the South would have had to submit to in the Union un der the Lincoln party. Had she submitted to that administration we think her history might have been summed up in few words. Intoler able insults and oppressions would by this time have driven her into feebly organized insurrec tions, which would have been crushed with an iron hand. Her statesmen would have been hung—her people crushed under foot, and her Situation made that of a subjugated province. The Accident on the State Road. The Atlanta Intelligencer of the 11th pub lished the following Card and summary of evi dence, by which it will be seen that the late collision and wholesale destruction of life and property on the State Road, was due to the in terference of the military passengers on the train with the time of the train, compelling de lay and a departure from the schedule. It is extraordinary that an officer of common sense and prudence enough tn koop out of tho fire, should be guilty of such conduct It is against the law and the express orders of the War De partment and should be punished. A CARD. As soon as I heard of the collision on the Western and Atlantic Railroad, near Johnson, I went by the first train to the scene of disas - ter. After getting up all the testimony, I am well satisfied the down train was on its proper time at Johnson. The up trpin, with soldiers, bad got behind its time before getting to Dal ton, on account of its being ordered to stop by the military. When the train left Dalton it was fifty-five minutes behind the regular leav ing time. The engineer and conductor were both anxious to get away, and blew the whis- tie, but were ordered by the military not to blow again till they ordered it After this the delay was five to ten minutes before they started Two of our most valuable engines were des troyed, and ten or fifteen cars stove into frag ments and others more or less injured. The engineer and fireman, both valuable men, were instantly killed, with seven soldiers, seven ne groes, and fourteen horses. J. S. ROWLAND, Sup’L With this card,'Major Rowland has placed before us a number of certificates from relia ble part.es, obtained during tho investigation, from which we arrive at the conclusion that but for the interference of the military, the trains which collided—and by which so fearful a loss of life and of property have occurred— would each, in all probability, have passed safely on to their respective destinations. One of these certify that, at Adairsville, some of the soldiers on the cars were very unruly, and that the cars were detained at Cartersville by them some fifteen minutes, and were at other points detained also. Another certifies that at Dalton the Conductor of the train to Chatta nooga was ordered by the officer in command of the troops not to move his. train until his men got wafer, and that when ho got ready he would sound his bugle for a start. Here an other detention took place. A third certifies that when the train for Chattanooga arrived at Dalton, it was thirty minutes behind time—that he heard officers of the command on board tell their men to get off and get water, that they had plenty of time— that the Conductor had one car loaded for Knoxville to switch off at Dalton, and when he moved the engine to switch off this car, the of ficers assailed him for moving the engine until their men were on board—and that, through such interferences, the train was detained, leav ing Dalton fifty-five minutes behind time. The certifier asked the Conductor why he was kept behind time ?—tho reply was—ho could do no better; that tho officers would not let them move the engine-until they got ready. It is also certified by the same party, he understood the officer in command at Riggold, stated,if his men had stayed in their places, or where he put them, they would not have been killed, but some were on the tender, and some on the bumpers and platforms, where they went con trary to orders. THE ARMY OF THE WEST. General Bragg 1 is issued a general order as suming the command of the Army of tho West, as successor to General Beauregard, who has been roiievcd. He concludes as follows: “A few more days of needful preparation and organization, and I shall give our banners to the breeze—shall lea l you"to emulato the sol diers of tho Confederacy in tho East, and with the confident trust you will gain additional honors to those you have already won on other fields; but be prepared to undergo privation and labor with cheerfulness and alacrity." THE BATTLE OP WHITE RIVER. A correspondent of the Philadelphia Inquir er gives a terrible picture of the encounter of the Federal fleet with the White River batte ries, on the 22d ult. The accident to the Flag ship, the Mound City, is thus described: A large cylindrical shot, with iron flanges on each side, known among the rebels as the pig eon shot, struck the casement on the port side, in the upper port, near the first gun, at an an gle of about ninety degrees; passing through tEe casement and connecting pipe of the boil ers, killing a gunner on the starboard side, and alighting’in the steward’s pantry- The effect of severing the connecting pipe may bo imagined. All tho steam of the boilers at onco rushed with a shrill, hissing sound into every part of the gunboat, which presented no means for its escape except through the port holes and skylights. It was like injecting steam into an air tight box, and when we remember there were nearly one hundred and eighty hu man beings below the deck, tho ineffable hor ror of their situation may readily be seen. The burning steam fairly mowed them down. They shrieked, and leaped, and writhed in pain. But the steam did not pity their tortures ; it seemed rather to delight in their sufferings, and extended its vaporous torrents to new victims. Horrors upon horrors accumulated to that low square, seething, boiling, fiery enclosure, where man endured all tho fabled agonies of the damn ed, and yet could not die. To some, Fate was merciful; for it slew them at once. As many as forty-five or fifty, who had stood on the gun-deck a tew moments be fore with buoyant hopes and elated spirits, lay therein crimson death, unconscious of the pain of those around them, unhearing. 0 how for tunately !—the terrible moaning and groaning of the wounded sufferers. As soon as the first shock had passed, those who had not been slain from full inhalation of steam were prompted, mad with pain, to leap Into the river to cool their burning bodies. The impulse appeared to seize upon all simultan eously, and out of the open ports plunged one wretch after another, until seventy or eighty were struggling in the water. Some were so badly scalded that they could not swim, and they, most fortunately, were drowned, while others, refreshed and cooled by the river, struck out mournfully to tho shore, as if they had been uninjured. At this crisis, when every principle of hu manity called for aid and succor the rebels proyed themselves worthy of the antecedents that have dishonored and disgraced them from the boginning ot the war. Instead of imitating the example of generos ity and magnanimity set them by a brave and loyal people, struggling for the preservation of a great and glorious country; forgetting the heroic conduct shown by our seaman, who en deavored in the gunboat fight off Memphis, to save the lives of the unfortunate crew of the General LoveH when she went down, the reb els, meanly, mercilessly and dastardly, made every effort to destroy the poor scalded fellows who were seeking to reach the shore or our vessels with their burned and suffering limbs The gunners in the upper battery turned their guns upon the suffering officers and sea men of the Mound-City, and Captain Fry, the commander of the works, ordered his sharp shooters to kill every Yankee before he could reach the shore or succor could be brought The devilish enemy needed no second bid ding. He ran with alacrity down to the boat, and there, under cover of the trees, fired mus kets and rifles at the wounded swimmers, with a cool diabolism that a savage South Sea Island er would have blushed to witness. Many a brave fellow was killed and sunk in the riveri and others were wounded several times before they obtained the needful aid from their loyal friends. The Mound City was powerless and drifting with the current; she could not aid them; and the SL Louis was then opposite tba lower fortification. THE SITUATION OF THE ENEMY. The Richmond Enquirer of Monday says: The fragment of the “Grand Army of tho' Po tomac” is now, with McClellan at its head, entrenching itself on James river, at its conflu ence with the Chickahominy, where reinforce ments are being landed. This position is a pe culiarly safe one, being protected-on two sides by tho Federal gunboats, under which they can at any time withdraw, should they ever find themselves venturing out too far. Correspon dents to the Northern papers of the 4th instant speak of the arrival of large numbers of trans ports laden principally with provisions. On the 2d instant three hundred transports had arri ved at Fortress Monroe for this destination, all, except a few, which contained troops, being filled with supplies and working material. The Petersburg Express says: A gentleman residing in Prince George, and moro widely known in the South probably than any other citizen of Virginia, counted 76 transports and other craft between Berkeley and a point several miles down the river, on Thursday. Another gentleman viewed Berkeley from an* elevated point in Prince George, on Thursday, for two hours. He informs us that he was en abled, by the use of a strong glass, to scan the scene with as much accuracy as though he had been in the enemy’s midst. He estimates the number of tents and wagons there at several hundred—probably a thousand, and thinks there must be a force concentrated there of from 25,000 to 80,000. At the landings the Federals were unusually busy, and seemed to be landing and embarking troops. The im- Tee 2d Battalion.—A private letter dated the 7tb, states that the 2d Battalion were then near Petersburg, in expectation of orders to return to Drury’s Bluff The weather was in tensely hot—never hotter in Georgia, says the writer. From the Vicksburg Whig, July 1st. MORE OF THE BOMBARDMENT. When we went to press, on Sunday morn ing, the shells were falling in every part of the city, and we were therefore compelled to close our paper without any particulars of the un paralleled scene then being enacted before our eyes. A little before four o’clock, about ten of the enemy’s vessels commenced moving up the river towards our guns. As soon as they came in range our lower batteries opened on them, when they commenced replying with all possi ble alacrity. The mortar fleet below the point and one on the opposite side of Burney’s opened upon us and sent the messengers of destruction with lightning speed in all directions. The gunboats and frigates steamed on up the riv er, throwing broadside after broadside of every species of shot, shell, grape, canister and shrapnel, in rapid succession. Our lower bat teries replied as rapidly as'possible, with shot, shell and grape; but soon the fleet camo in range of the guns above the bayou, when Col. Jackson opened bis Dahlgren, Parrott, rifle and Columbians on the boats, and then was such a scene as has never before been witnessed.— Tho steam and two mortar fleets appeared to belch forth with renewed rapidity, until the heavens were covered with burning flames and the air filled with bursting iron hail. Our men continued at their guns, and fired into tho boats steadily. Two of the boats were observed dropping back from the lower batte ries, supposed to be crippled, but the others continued on and soon five of the fleet came up in front of tho upper batteries, and passed by under a terrible lira from our guns. Our men could hear the shots as they went tearing into the boats, and When the fleet got up in the bend, one of their vessels were so disabled that another boat had to take her in tow and carry her around the point They all passed out of range about 7 o’clock, and then the firing ceased above, but the mortar fleets below continued to fill the air with shells for an hour afterwards, when the dreadful noise ceased, the bright globes stopped filling the air with fury, and all was quiet again. None of our guns were damaged in the least, and our loss was only two killed and about three wounded—one of whom has since died. Tho men at tho guns fought bravely, and nevs er flinched from the storm of hail that was fall ing around them. They cer.tainly deserve uni versal praise for their perseverence, indomita ble will, and heroism. While this grand but heart-rending sight was being enacted on the river, the scene in the ci ty beggared all description. Many families were still living in town—some loth to leave their homes, others, who could not find houses to go to, and many who were too poor to move. All were aroused from their slumbers about 4 o’clock, by the shot and shell whistling and bursting around them. Men, women and child- ren, both black and white, went screaming through the streets, seeking some place of safe ty—some dressed, and others almost nude.— Mothers were running, with little babes in their arms, crying, “where shall I go ¥” and some would stop and crouch under the first hill, while the shell was bursting above them. We noticed one man with his wife in his arms—she having fainted with fright at the explosion of a shell within a few yards of her. A shell burst in tbo midst of several children, who were making their way out ol danger, and the dirt thrown up by the explosion knocked three of them down, but fortunately done no injury.— The little ones picked themselves up as quick ly as possible, and wiping the dust from their eyes hastened on. In a short time the hills, three or four miles east of the city, were covered with people who had fled from danger. When the firing was over, some few returned to the city, but the majority sought quarters at a respectable dis tance from town. Even the stock, and almost every living thing in the city was panic strick en and fled. Horses, mules, cows, dogs, Ac., could be seen speeding on through the town, out of reach of the missiles. Such a scene we have never before witnessed, and we hope we never shall again. The damage done in tho city was pretty se vere—a great many of the houses being struck and more or less injured. Although the streets were thronged during the bombardment with tho terrified inmates of the town, flying to places of safety and roluge, thcro was but one loss of life—the estimable Mrs. Gamble. The enemy must have suflered severely, as our shots told with fearful effect upon their vessels. On Sunday forenoon three guns were fired from our lower batteries, in honor of the glori ous netvs from Virginia, which they construed iuto an attack, and immediately opened upon us. They kept up tho fire for several hours, doing considerable damage. About 9 o’clock that night they opened again on the city, and for about an hour and a half the shells from the mortar fleet fell into the city. A few houses wero damaged by them. BY TELEGRAPH. Private Despatch. Richmond, July 10th.—Col. Jack Brown.— Publish in the Daily Telegraph and send word, if possible, to John L. Smith, that his son Jack is dangerously, and I think, mortally wound ed. T. Oliver. FROM THE WEST. Mobile, 11th.—A special despatch to the Mobile Daily Register & Advertiser, dated Jackson, Mississippi, the 10th, says that Gen. Van Dorn issued general orders on the 9 th, placing fifteen counties contiguous to Vicks burg and all Eastern Louisiana under martial law. Disloyalty will not be countenanced— the credit of the government must be sustain ed—the seeds of discontent must not be sown among the troops—speculators will not be tol erated, but be arrested and fined. Newspapers will not publish the movements of troops un der penalty of suspension fine and imprison ment. Passengers from Memphis say Hindman has captured Curtis, and that this was believed in Memphis. THE CONTEST BEFORE RICHMOND. We take the following from the Richmond Examiner of Tuesday morning: SITUATION OP AFFAIRS ON MONDAY. We have intelligence from our line3 yester day which, coupled with the impressions that arc eivon in official circles, leave but little doubt oe lanuing aim emeuramg truups. auc uu- [ that it is intended to assault the enemy’s posi- pression of those who have inspected the p ace . Th rcDOrts of movements oft™. from this side of the river is, that McClellan hopes to make a stand there until ho can re ceive reinforcements in sufficient numbers to enable him to make another forward movement. It has been suggested by several that McClel lan is endeavoring to rendezvous at Berkeley only temporarily, hoping under cover of his gunboats, to embark tho remainder of his army for Fortress Monroe, and thus save the harrass- ment and annoyance of a long and fatiguing retreat by land. Whatever may bo his inten tions, wo think his movements at] Berkeley should and doubtless will command the close attention of our Generals. —Old Tom's prayer, at tho African church, in the city of Memphis, Sunday evening, Juno 15, 1862, at tho conclusion of religious servi ces on that occasion:—Avalanche O, Lord, hab mercy on us all! Bless our land and country. Grant us rain, that we hab good crops and blessed with plenty in this time of trouble. O, Lord, bless our masters and mistresses and their children. They have been kind and good to us; bless them in these troublesome times. O, Lord, bless massa Jeff Davis I O, Lord, bless our army and our brave soldiers that aro fighting the battles of our country against our enemies that are invading our country. O, Lord, give them success. O, Lord, bless our sick and wounded soldiers, and grant that they may be restored to health and enabled to go and join their brothers in fight ing tho battle of our country against our ene mies. Bless us all as thou seest we need, and take care of us and protect us and save us, is my prayer. Amen I , tion. There are reports of movements of troops, to which, of course, we are not at liberty to re> fer; but we are led to believo that the rumors which were circulated in the streets yesterday of a fight are premature, and that some consid erable elaboration will be necessary before tho enemy is again assaulted. On Sunday afternoon the first company, CapL Squires, of the Louisiana Artillery, suc ceeded in passing around the enemy’s position and getting in his rear, and opened fire upon his transports in the river, at a distance some eight miles below our lines. Out of thirty shots fired six took effect, badly injuring a large pas senger transport This exploit has demonstra ted the fact of passages to the enemy’s flank and rear and the possibility of his communica tion with the river below being.cut off A Severe Reflection.—A letter from a gal lant soldier in the army at Tupelo, speaking of the operations of tho enemy after our troops left Corinth, says: “A large force of the ene my followed us as far as Baldwin, but they took good care not to come up with us. On their return they suffered terribly for water and provisions. Large numbers threw away their guns, accoutrements, etc.; and had we follow ed and attacked them, their entire army would have been routed. Why we did not do this is asked on all sides. I believo that this move ment of the enemy was not known to our Gen eral until it was too late. tojtako advantage of iL Was it not bad management and worse Generalship ? Oh! for live Generals ! and Shi loh would have ended the campaign in Missis sippi, cleared Tennessee, and carried the war into Kentucky.”-—Memphis Appeal. THE ACCIDENT ON THE STATE ROAD. We publish below a letter from Major Ca pers relative to the serious accident on the State road; and add the hope that a thorough investi gation of the circumstance will be had. It would be well for the Legislature to enact a law by which engineers and conductors would be held responsible for accidents resulting in loss of life and limb, and held for trial without delay. It might have the effect of lessening tho number and severity of such accidents: Ringgold, Ga., July 7th, 1862. James Gardner, Editor Constitutionalist— Mr Dear Sir : Yesterday at Si o’clock, P. M., tho train of cars bearing my command from Atlanta to Chattanooga, came in collision with a hoavy train of empty freight cars near this station. This sad accident occasioned the death of five men, four from CapL Hanvey’s company, “Newnan Artillery,” and one from Capt. Johnson’s company, “Stephens Battery." Nineteen are wounded nnd twenty-four bruised The fortunate circumstanee of having my hor ses in advance of the cars bearing the men, has saved me the pain of reporting a more terrible tragedy. Of my horses, but seventeen remain living, and of these but three are unhurL The cause of the collision is yet to be defi nitely ascertained, but that gross negligence on the part of some official on the road will be de veloped, I feel perfectly assured. We left Atlanta following the passenger train on Sunday morning at 4 o’clock. Upon arriv- iug at a station this side of McDonough, the engine of the passenger train was detached for some reason, and our train backed down and coupled to the passe^er cars. This threw us behind time an hourand ten minutes, and, I believe, was the principal cause of our misfor tune. I enclose a list ot the killed and wounded, which you will please insert in your paper. The command is comfortably bivouacked at this place, and will remain until the road 13 made passable. Very respecfully, Your ob’t serv’t, H. D. Capers, Major Commanding 12th Georgia Battaiion. LIST OP KILLED AND WOUNDED. CapL Allen’s company—Oglethorpe Artille ry. Co. A.—Privates C. W. Battey, L. F. Flemming, W. D. Patton, J. C. Pierson, R. F. Thompkins, slightly wounded. Two negroes killed, and wounded badly. Company B.—CapL Hanvey’s command— Newnan Artillery.—Killed—Privates L. A. Bullard, W. R. Lane, W. Y. Martin, and Z. Phillips. Dangerously Wounded—Lieutenant Beedles, Corporal J. N. Goodwin, and Dr. M. H. Davis. Slightly Wounded—Privates J. C. Attaway, Beardin, W. G. Orr, Ranney, and P. L. Ward. Two negroes mortally wounded. Company C.—Capt. Rudisill commanding Rudioill Artillery.—Private Durden, slightly wounded. Company D.—CapL G. W. Johnson comman ding Stephens’ Battery.—Killed-Private Giles. Dangerously Wounded—Thomas Johnson and Benj. Smith. Slightly Wounded—Privates Braswell, Ar nold, Ranney and Scudder. “Coffee Mills.”—A correspondent of the Philadelphia Press, with McClellan’s advance, says, in one of the brigades of the army they had guns of a new construction, and terribly effective. We have not yet learned their names. The men designate them “coffee mills." It is a heavy rifle barrel, mounted on wheels. At the breach is a kind of clock-work machinery, surrounded by a hopper, similar to the hopper of a coffee mill; at the side is a crank. One man turns the crank, while another supplies the hopper with cartridges, and a third sights tho gun. By means of a lever he moves it lat erally, or raises or depresses it at pleasure.— Its effective range is miles, It throws 240 balls per minute, of the size of an ordinary minie ball. One of these guns, properly work ed and well supplied with cartridges, is estima ted to be equal to about three hundred men.— The Milwaukee Sentinel says there are, or was a few weeks ago, three of these coffee mills at Pittsburg Landing among the reserve artillery. [Special despatch to the Savannah Republican.] Knoxville, July 9.—Information was re ceived to-day that Buell’s army is crossing the Tennessee river, at Law’s Landing, eight miles from Gunterville, in Jackson county. Wheth er they are on their way to Rome, Georgia, or intend to turn Chattanooga in the rear, by way of Will’s Valley, is a matter of conjecture. It is reported that Morgan’s Federal forces are leaving Cumberland Gap and falling back into Kentucky. BY ELLIS & LIVINGSTON. 63 Cases Womens, Misses, Boys and Youths’ SHOES! (ORIGINAL PACKAGES,) SUGAR, TOBACCO, *C., AT AUCTION. O NThnrsday, 17th July, commencing at 10 o’clock, at our AucUon Room, we will sell without reserve, 63 Cases Womens, Boys, Misses and Youth’s Shoes, (tn original cases,) 29 hhds. choice N. O. Sugar, 162 boxes Tobacco, (all grades. Large lot or READY MADE CLOTHING, in lots to suit the trade. Terms Cash on delivery. July 18—td*) * ELLIS & LIVINGSTON, Auc'rs. SALT, SALT! 5 BBLS. Ground Allum Salt, extra article. 5 Bales tine Kerseys. Just received at W. M. DUNN'S. July 12—3t TOBACCO* i /Art BOXL-. A superior lot of different gr-a JLUU beautiful order, for *alo by July 12—tf BOWDRE & ANDERSON. For Sale. A SPLENDID SEWING MACHINEiuperfectorder. Apply to H. HORNE. Jnne 6—tr.