The Daily Evansville Journal

Exploits of the Rebel Marauders!

DESCENT UPON LEBANON AND OTHER POINTS

DESTRUCTION OF GOVERNMENT SUPPLIES.

TWO CITIZENS OF LEBANON MURDERED.

CAPTURE OF COL. JOHNSON AND HIS COMMAND.

REBELS ADVANCING BY WAY OF HARRODSBURG & FRANKFORT.

EXCITING RUMORS,

[From the Louisville Evening Bulletin of Monday, July 14th.]

On Saturday and yesterday the city was full of exciting rumors respecting rebel raids in various localities adjacent to the city. We have already given some of the details of the skirmish between a detachment of the 35th Ohio Regiment and a gang of rebel cavalry under Champ Ferguson, Sack Allen, or some other bushwhacking renegade, at New Hope, near New Haven. In that skirmish the rebels were repulsed, with more or less loss, it is presumed. Maddened by their reverse, the party turned their faces toward Lebanon, Marion county, at the terminus of the Lebanon branch of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, and made a foray upon that place, which had no defences beyond that offered by two incomplete companies of the 28th Kentucky Infantry, under command of Lieut. Col. A. Y. Johnson, of this city.

From the best information we can obtain, we incline to the opinion that the rebel force was composed of one thousand or twelve hundred cavalry, under command, it is thought, of the notorious Champ Ferguson.

The rebels immediately, upon taking possession of Lebanon, threw out their pickets around the place, and attempted to prevent either arrivals or departures.

Before the rebels took possession of the place, they compelled Lieut. Col. A. Y. Johnson and nearly all of his command to surrender, with the exception of Capt. Barth and ten members of his company, who effected their escape.

We are pained to learn that Mr. Moses Rickett, an old and highly respectable citizen, and a worthy man, employed there as a gardener, was killed by the rebels, but the rumors as to the killing of Mr. Campbell, of the Campbell House, and Mr. Foster Ray and others, we are gratified to learn, are unfounded.

A report was circulated here, and generally believed, that a number of the best buildings in Lebanon, including the Campbell House, the Round House, &c., had been destroyed. But we have information to the effect that the destruction of property was mainly confined to the Government warehouse and its contents, involving a loss of fifty or sixty thousand dollars. Contributions were levied upon leading Union men, and thus Uncle Ben Spalding was robbed of two of his finest horses, a buggy, &c., valued at five hundred dollars.

The marauders left Lebanon after satisfying their passions for the destruction of property, and wended their way toward Danville and Bardstown, dividing their forces on the Springfield and Danville roads.

Our citizens were thrown into a high state of excitement last evening by the announcement that a force of sixteen hundred rebel cavalry, with four pieces of artillery, after visiting Danville, Harrodsburg, and Lawrenceburg, were marching on Frankfort, and had arrived at Rough and Ready, within nine miles of Frankfort, at 5 o'clock last evening. The advance guard of the rebel force, consisting of 50 men, were there at eight o'clock. A lady who had left there and arrived at Frankfort last evening, bore a pass from the rebel commandant at that post. If the rebels advanced upon Frankfort last night, they no doubt encountered a sufficient Federal force to repulse them, if not to effectually bag them.

Information was derived from Eminence last evening that a rebel force, we did not learn how strong, was on the road to Louisville, and had advanced seven miles from Shelbyville.

Our citizens need entertain no apprehensions of a successful rebel raid upon Louisville. Gen. Boyle has taken every precaution necessary to the city's defence, and every hour will add to the strength of our local defences.