AMERICA.

Bruce Herald, Volume III, Issue 59, 25 May 1865, Page 4

AMERICA.

Admiral Porter's fleet bombarded Fort Anderson, on Cape Fear River, for twenty-four hours on the 17th and 18th February, during which a land force under General Scholefield assaulted the fort, but was repulsed, On the 19th, however, the fort was captured by the army and riavy, but most of the garrison escaped to Wilmington, whither the combined forces immediately followed. The guns of the fort were uninjured. General Lee;had>issued an or"der assuming the chief command,' in which he says he, impressed with the difficulties and responsibilities of his position, humbly invoking God for guidance, relies for success upon the courage and fortitude of the army, sustained by the patriotism and firmness of the people. He is confident that their united efforts will secure peace and independence. His head-quarters for the present will be with the army of Northern Virginia.

The ' Petersburg Express' says that Grant shows no disposition to assume the offensive, and hats rather shortened than extended his line, and has withdrawn to the works on this side of Hatcher's Run. Heavy cannonading was heard at Dutch Gap on February 20th, and an unusual activity was reported in Lee's array. According to deserters' reports, a Confederate attack was threatened. Hill's Corps was under marching orders. A considerable movement took place along the Confederate lines near Petersburg. Grant shelled the town heavily on the 20th February. On the 4th March President Lincoln delivered his inaugural address. It is somewhat of an extraordinary document, full of Scripture quotations, to show, that the nation is being punished for the sin of slavery, and that the stain of it will probably not be obliterated until every drop of blood drawn by the lash shall be paid by another drawn by the sword. Except a firm determination tof continue the war against the South, no policy is indicated, and nothing whatever' is said about foreign 1 relations. The Federal Senate had adopted ■ unanimously a resolution by Mr Sumner, declaring that the Confederates would under no circumstances whatever be recognised by the Federal States* Mr Seward has rescinded his order requiring passports to be obtained by all travellers between the Federal States and Canada. It has also been agreed that for the present the naval force on the Lakes shall not be increased. The proposition to arm 200.000 negroes passed the Confederate House of Representatives on February 22nd, but was indefinitely postponed by the Senate on the following day by a majority of one. The Confederate House of Representatives in secret session had, however, passed a resolution authorising the arming of negroes tendered by their owners, and the Senate of Virginia had authorised the Governor to call for volunteers among the slaves and free negroes for the defence of Richmond and other threatened points. : Captain Semmes has been made a RearAdmiral, with command of the James River squadron. Mr Maculloch has been appointed Secretary of the Federal Treasury. On 16th February the Federals utider Sherman shelled Columbia from the south bank of the Congaree. During the night they moved up the river, and on the following morning forded the Saluda and Broad rivers. During the Federal passage of these rivers, Beauregard evacuated Columbia, The Federals soon aftef took possession. Two -days previously, when it was decided not to attempt the defence of Columbia, a large quantity of medicinal stores was destroyed. Sherman's centre column had already reached Kingsville, twenty -five miles north-east of Columbia, the junction of the Charleston and Columbia and the Wilmington and Columbia Railroads, and thus cut off communication with Charleston. It is admitted by the Southern papers that the fall of Columbia would necessitate the evacuation of Charleston, which, in fact, had j already begun. ; The evacuation took- place on the night of the 17th of February, after destroying two ironclads, and spiking the guns in the fortifications. Six thousand bales of cotton ha the upper part of the city were ordered to be burnt, and the flames communicating to a quantity of ammunition stored • in the Wilmington Railway depot, an explosion took place, spreading the fire in all directions, and killing and injuring several hundred citizens. It is estimated that two-thirds of the city was destroyed. The evacuation was not discovered by tfte 1 Federals until the morning of the 18th, when a force from James Island took possession and occupied the forts at two p.m. on that day Admiral Dahlgren and General Gilmore, on board of gunboa's, steamed up the harbor, and landed at the wharf. They found nobody in the city but negroes and the poorer part of the population, all the richer citizens having left a fortnight or three weeks previously, in anticipation of the evacuation by the troops. The official despatches of General Gilmore report that 200 cannon and a small quantity of ammunition fell into his hands. The following additional details have been received : — It is stated that the operations of the Confederates began at ten o'clock on the evening of the 17th, and in about twelve hours the evacuation was complete. Early on the morn-* ing of the 18th the fleet observed two terrific explosions. Burning fragments filled the air for a great distance. The shock was severely felt by all the federal vessels. Many thousand bales of cotton were burnt by the explosion of the warehouses and the firing of other public buildings. The Confederates who remained to the last are stated not to have been well organised. The majority of them merely remained for plunder. The inhabitants state them to be guilty of many disgraceful acts. Several hundred Confederates, deserters, concealed themselves in the houses when Charleston surrendered, declaring themselves tired of the rebellion and of fighting for it. They were received as prisoners. Crowds of negroes met the Federal troops, and made demonstrations

of joy. They wanted food, and said theY would be glad to work. Sortie proposed t° take aims against their masters. Their condi-, tion is described as nrtiich worse than that qfii the inhabitants of Savannah. The appearance of iihe.city, the lower part of which was uninhabitable and the upper part in flames, is described S3 being dreary ana desolate in the extreme. It is stated that the evacuation of Charleston began nearly three weeks ago. Since that time the Confederates Had been busy reirioving stores. Heavy supplies were,, however, left at the time of the evacuation. The Confederates were said to number 14,100, and took a northerly direction. News of the evacuation was received with great applause in Congress. The War Department ordered a war salute to be fired at every fort and arsenal, arid at the head-quar-ters of the United States, iri honor of the restoration of the Union flag upon Sumter.- Mr Seward ordered the illumination of the depart-' ments and buildings at Washington on Washington's day, in honor of |he recent triumphs. There were great rejoicings throughout the' North, and the Northern press published an exultant account of the recent success. Mr Stanton telegraphed to the Governor of New York the news of Shermati's capture of Columbia. He urges him to b-asien the recruiting, and says that the rebellion must receive a final: blow this spring catapaignf.