NOVEMBER 25th.—We have an unintelligible dispatch from Gen. Bragg, saying he had, yesterday, a prolonged contest with the enemy for the possession of Lookout Mountain, during which one of his divisions suffered severely, and that the manœuvring of the hostile army was for position. This was the purport, and the language, as well as I [...]

NOVEMBER 24th.—The President is expected back today. A letter from Gen. Lee indicates that the Commissary-General has been suggesting that he (the general) should impress supplies for his army. This the general deprecates, and suggests that if supplies cannot be purchased, they should be impressed by the agents of the Commissary Department; and that the [...]

NOVEMBER 23d.—Nothing of moment from the armies, although great events are anticipated soon. On Saturday, Gen. Winder’s or Major Griswold’s head of the passport office, Lieut. Kirk, was arrested on the charge of selling passports at $100 per man to a Mr. Wolf and a Mr. Head, who transported passengers to the Potomac. W. and [...]

NOVEMBER 22d.—We have nothing additional to-day, except another attempt to take Fort Sumter by assault, which was discovered before the crews of the boats landed, and of course it was defeated. Since then some shells have been thrown into the city of Charleston, doing little damage. This morning was bright and warm, the clouds having [...]

NOVEMBER 21st.—We have further reports from the West, confirming the success of Longstreet. It is said he has taken 2200 prisoners, and is probably at Knoxville. The President left the city this morning for Orange Court House, on a visit to Gen. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia. We are a shabby-looking people now—gaunt, [...]

NOVEMBER 20th.—We have reports of some successes to-day. Gen. Hampton, it appears, surprised and captured several companies of the enemy’s cavalry, a day or two since, near Culpepper Court House. And Gen. Wheeler has captured several hundred of the enemy in East Tennessee, driving the rest into the fortifications of Knoxville. Gen. Longstreet, at last [...]

NOVEMBER 19th.—Miss Harriet H. Fort, of Baltimore, has arrived via Accomac and Northampton Counties, with a complete drawing of all the defenses of Baltimore. The Medical Purveyor’s Guards have petitioned the Secretary for higher pay. They get now $1500 per annum, and say the city watchmen get $2300. Gens. Banks and Taylor in the West [...]

NOVEMBER 18th.—We have no news whatever, except some damage reported at Charleston, done to two monitors yesterday. The bombardment has assumed no new phase. A letter from Gen. J. E. Johnston, Meridian, Miss., indicates that the Secretary has been writing him and saying that he was responsible for the outrages of the impressing agents in [...]

NOVEMBER 17th.—A cold, dark day. No news. It was a mistake about the enemy crossing the Rapidan—only one brigade (cavalry) came over, and it was beaten back without delay. Vice-President Stephens writes a long letter to the Secretary, opposing the routine policy of furloughs, and extension of furloughs; suggesting that in each district some one [...]

NOVEMBER 16th.—Governor Brown, Georgia, writes the Secretary that he is opposed to impressments, and that the government should pay the market price—whatever that is. And the Rhett politicians of South Carolina are opposed to raising funds to pay with, by taxing land and negroes. So indicates the Mercury. We have news to-day of the crossing [...]

NOVEMBER 15th.—After a fine rain all night, it cleared away beautifully this morning, cool, but not unseasonable. There is no news of importance. The Governor of Georgia recommends, in his message, that the Legislature instruct their representatives in Congress to vote for a repeal of the law allowing substitutes, and also to put the enrolling [...]

NOVEMBER 14th.—Some skirmishing between Chattanooga and Knoxville. From prisoners we learn that the enemy at both those places are on half rations, and that Grant intends to attack Bragg soon at Lookout Mountain. Either Grant or Bragg must retire, as the present relative positions cannot long be held. Mr. A. Moseley, formerly editor of the [...]

NOVEMBER 13th.—No news of battles yet. But we have a rumor of the burning of the fine government steamer R. E. Lee, chased by the blockaders. That makes two this week. Gen. Lee dispatched the President, yesterday, as follows: “Orange C. H., Nov. 12th.—For the last five days we have only received three pounds of [...]

NOVEMBER 12th.—No accounts of any fighting, but plenty of battles looked for. A. A. Little writes to the Secretary of War from Fredericksburg, that the attempt to remove the iron from the Aquia Railroad by the government having failed, now is the time for private enterprise to effect it. If the Secretary “will say the [...]

NOVEMBER 11th.—NO news. I saw, to-day, Gen. Lee’s letter of the 7th instant, simply announcing the capture of Hoke’s and Haye’s brigades. They were on the north side of the river, guarding the pont de tete. There is no excuse, no palliation. He said it was likely Meade’s entire army would cross. This had been [...]

NOVEMBER 10th.—It is supposed our loss in the surprise on Saturday did not exceed 1500, killed, wounded, and taken. It is thought that a battle will occur immediately, if it be not already in progress. There is no news of moment from any quarter, except the loss of our steamer Cornubia, taken by the blockaders [...]

NOVEMBER 9th.—The President returned Saturday evening, looking pretty well. Yesterday, Sunday, he was under the necestity of reading a dispatch from Gen. Lee, announcing the surprise and capture of two brigades on the Rappahannock! This is a dark and gloomy day, spitting snow; while not a few are despondent from the recent disasters to our [...]

NOVEMBER 8th.—At this late day the Secretary of War is informed by Col. Gorgas that, in consequence of the enemy’s possessing the coal mines in Tennessee, he shall not be able to supply orders for heavy shot, etc., for the defense of Charleston harbor, if the fleet of monitors were to pass the forts. Why, [...]

NOVEMBER 7th.—No news from any quarter, except the continued bombardment of the debris of Fort Sumter, and the killing and wounding of some 10 or 12 men there—but that is not news. There is a pause,—a sort of holding of the breath of the people, as if some event of note was expected. The prices [...]

NOVEMBER 6th.—The President was to have returned to-day, but did not. Various conjectures are made as to the object of his month’s tour of speech-making. Some deem the cause very desperate, others that the President’s condition is desperate. If the first, they say his purpose was to reanimate the people by his presence, and to [...]

NOVEMBER 5th.—The President has not yet returned, but was inspecting the defenses of Charleston. The Legislature has adjourned without fixing a maximum of prices. Every night troops from Lee’s army are passing through the city. Probably they have been ordered to Bragg. Yesterday flour sold at auction at $100 per barrel; to-day it sells for [...]

NOVEMBER 4th.—Mr. M_______, Major Ruffin’s commissary agent, denies selling government beef to the butchers; of course it was his own. But he has been ordered not to sell any more, while buying for the government. Mr. Rouss, of Winchester, merchant, has succeeded in getting some brown cotton from the manufacturer, in Georgia, at cost, which [...]

NOVEMBER 3d.—Gen. Lee writes that he will endeavor to protect the workmen while removing the iron at Aquia Creek, but he fears the work has been too long delayed. The government has been too slow. Gen. Sam Jones writes from Abingdon that his cavalry was at Jonesborough on the 30th ult., although the enemy’s raiding [...]

NOVEMBER 2d.—A refugee from Portsmouth reports the arrival of 6000 Federal troops at Newport News, and that Richmond is to be menaced again. Brig.-Gen. H. W. Allen, Alexandria, La., reports 8000 deserters and skulking conscripts in that vicinity, and a bad state of things generally. Gen. Lee has written three letters to the department, dated [...]