ating to the transports_. This is regarded
as confirmation of Lee's victory.

Several dispatches from Gen. Stuart state that the raiders have been
severely beaten in several combats this morning, and are flying toward
Dover Mills. They may come back, for _they_ have not heard of Grant's
defeat.

Mr. Memminger is said to have been frightened terribly, and arrangements
were made for flight.

MAY 12TH.--Thunder, lightning, and rain all day.

The report of Gen. Lee's victory was premature, and Butler has not gone,
nor the raiders vanished. On the contrary, the latter were engaged in
battle with Stuart's division late in the afternoon, and recommenced it
this morning at 3 o'clock, the enemy remaining on the ground, and still
remain, some five miles from where I write. Major-Gen. J. E. B. Stuart
was wounded last evening, through the kidney, and now lies in the city,
in a dying condition! Our best generals thus fall around us.

The battle raged furiously; every gun distinctly heard at our house
until 1 P.M.--the enemy being intrenched between our middle and outer
line of works. Meantime our ambulances are arriving every hour with the
wounded, coming in by the Brooke Turnpike.

The battalion my sons are in lost none of its men, though shelled by the
enemy early in the morning; nor do we know that our battery did any
execution. Capt. Warner delivered the provisions their mother cooked
for them yesterday. He saw only Custis, who gladly received the bread,
and meat, and eggs; but he and Tom were both drenched with rain, as they
had no shelter yesterday. But a comrade, and one of Custis's Latin
pupils, whom I saw, returned on sick leave, says Thomas stands the
fatigue and exposure better than Custis, who was complaining.

About 11 A.M. to-day there was very heavy reports of cannon heard in the
direction of Drewry's Bluff, supposed to be our battery shelling the
country below, for some purpose.

I understand one or more of our iron-clads will certainly go out this
evening, or to-night; we shall know it when it occurs, for the firing
will soon follow.

Worked in my garden; set out corn and (yellow) tomatoes; the former
given me by my neighbor, to whom I had given lettuce and beet plants.

My wife spent a miserable day, some one having reported that the
Departmental Battalion was cut to pieces in the battle. When I came in,
she asked me if Custis and Thomas were alive, and was exceedingly glad
to know not a man in the comp