intonations resembling thunder. No doubt the
monitors are engaged with the battery at Drewry's Bluff. It may be a
combined attack.

Gen. Pemberton has resigned his commission; but the President has
conferred on him a lieutenant-colonelcy of artillery. Thus the feelings
of all the armies and most of the people are outraged; for, whether
justly or not, both Pemberton and Bragg, to whom the President clings
with tenacity, are especially obnoxious both to the people and the army.
May Heaven shield us! Yet the President _may_ be right.

MAY 15TH.--Clouds, sunshine, and showers.

The tremendous cannonading all day yesterday at Drewry's Bluff was
merely an artillery duel--brought on by the heavy skirmishing of
pickets. The batteries filled the air with discordant sounds, and shook
the earth with grating vibration. Perhaps 100 on each side were killed
and wounded--"not worth the ammunition," as a member of the government
said.

Gen. Lee's dispatches to the President have been withheld from
publication during the last four days. The loss of two trains of
commissary stores affords the opportunity to censure Lee; but some think
his popularity and power both with the people and the army have inspired
the motive.

I saw to-day some of our slightly wounded men from Lee's army, who were
in the fight of Thursday (12th inst.), and they confirm the reports of
the heavy loss of the enemy. They say there is no suffering yet for
food, and the men are still in good spirits.

Both the Central and the Fredericksburg Roads are repaired, and trains
of provisions are now daily sent to Gen. Lee.

The Danville Road was not materially injured; the raiders being repulsed
before they could destroy the important bridges. Supplies can come to
Petersburg, and may be forwarded by wagons to the Danville Road, and
thence to Lynchburg, etc.

Fresh troops are arriving from the South for Beauregard; but he is still
withheld from decisive operations.

The Departmental Battalion is still out; the enemy still menacing us
from the Chickahominy.

During the last four days correspondence has ceased almost entirely, and
the heads of bureaus, captains, majors, lieutenant-colonels, adjutants,
quartermasters, and commissaries, have nothing to do. They wander about
with hanging heads, ashamed to be safely out of the field--I mean all
under 50 years of age--and look like sheep-stealing dogs. Many sought
their positions, and still retain them, to keep out of