But the raids in the West don’t seem to flourish so well. We have an official dispatch from Gen. Bragg, stating that Gen. Forrest has captured 1600 of the enemy’s cavalry in a body, near Rome, Georgia.
There are amusing scenes among the horrors of war, as the following, taken from a paper to-day, shows:
“Taking the Oath under Protest.—A few weeks ago a laughable incident occurred in the neighborhood of Nashville, which is worthy of record. A saucy, dashing young girl, of the Southern persuasion, was, with a number of other ladies, brought into the presence of Gen. Rosecrans, in order that their Southern ardor might be checked by the administration of the oath of loyalty. The bold, bright-eyed Juno in question, objected to take the oath, saying that her mother had taught her that it was unlady-like to swear; her sense of morality forbid her to swear, and swear she could and would not. The officer insisted that the lady must take an oath before she left his presence.
“‘Well, general,’ said bright eyes, ‘if I must swear, I will; but all sins of the oath must rest on your shoulders, for I swear on your compulsion: “G—d d—m every Yankee to h—l!’”
“And the defiant beauty tossed her dark curls and swept out of the presence unmolested.”—Nashville Union.
7 o’clock p.m. The report that the bridge over the Mattapony had been burned by the enemy was false—invented probably by a spy or emissary, who has enjoyed the freedom of the city under the Dogberrys and Vergises imported hither to preserve the government. A number of trains containing our wounded men, guarded by a detachment of troops, have arrived at the Fredericksburg depot. An officer just arrived from the army says we have taken 15,000 prisoners. If this be so, the loss of the enemy during the week in Virginia will not be less than 40,000. Our loss in killed and wounded is estimated at from 8 to 10,000—we lost a few hundred prisoners. We have taken, it is said, 53 guns, and lost 14.
I think the reports to-day of squadrons of the enemy’s cavalry seen in the surrounding counties are not reliable—they were probably our own men in quest of the enemy.
May 8th.—To-day the city is in fine spirits. Hooker had merely thrown up defenses to protect his flight across the river. The following dispatch was received last night from Gen. Lee:
“Chancellorville, May 7th, 1863.
“To His Excellency, President Davis.