November 4, 1863, The New York Herald
The news from Washington indicates approaching active operations in General Meade’s army. All the able bodied troops under the command of General Martindale, the Military Governor of the capital, are to be relieved from duty and sent to the field. Their place will be supplied by the Invalid corps. The One Hundred and Fifty-seventh Pennsylvania has already been relieved, and was to leave yesterday.
It appears that recent information concerning the movements and strength of the enemy will enable General Meade to take some decisive measures at once.
The arrival of the steamer DeMolay from Hilton Head yesterday — which point she left on the 30th ult. and Folly Island on the morning of the 31st — puts us in possession of our correspondents’accounts of the late bombardment of Fort Sumter. The object of the attack was the prevention of the design of the rebels to construct new batteries and covered ways in the fort at the channel side, by demolishing, if possible, the gorge wall and leveling the foundations to the water’s edge. Three shells from a rifled gun between forts Gregg and Wagner, during the fire on Tuesday last, exploded in the city, but with what effect was not known.
We have some interesting news from the Southern journals today. Jeff. Davis had quite an ovation at different points on his return from the battle field of Chicamauga. In his speech at Mobile he commented upon that fight, saying that Rosecrans’ unwieldy legions would be destroyed or driven for refuge to the Ohio. That the same spirit animated his armies elsewhere, and all they needed was to be properly seconded by the people at home, to send the hordes of Yankees back to their beloved Boston, or any other place from which their return might be more difficult.
The rebel despatches from various points relative to the movements around Chattanooga are particularly interesting.