NEWS PROM AMERICA

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume I, Issue 48, 14 October 1863, Page 5

NEWS PROM AMERICA

TO THE 14th AUGUST.

The Hamburg brings Californian papers to the 14th August, from which we compile the fo.lowing particulars:— According to the latest reports the contending armies in Virginia were drawn up —the Confederates on the Rapidan, and the Federals on the Rappahannock. These rivers form two sides of a triangle, the apex of which is at United States Ford, where the two unite and then flow eastwardly in one stream by Fredericksburg. There is a statement, in one dispatch, to the effect that Lee would make another Northern movement shortly. It is said that the leadership of the army of the Potomac is regarded as the steppingstone to the next Presidency. General Meade was reported to have resigned the command of the army, but for what reason is not stated. It was generally expected that Sumter would succumb to the Federals in the next attack, for the defence of which great preparations were being made. The correspondent oi the Tribune reports that Lee's infantry was all south of Rapidan, though his cavalry scout between that river and the upper Rappahnanock. A division had reinforced him from Bragg's army, and an equal number had left him for Charleston. On the Federal side there were but little signs of an advance. Lee was too strongly posted for an attack by the Federal forces. The heat was so great soldiers were not required to drill, much less to march. Correspondence of the Bth say the Confederates had built numerous additional batteries on James' Island, and were also building interior lines of defence near the city. About seven thousand troops from the North had landed on Morris Island during the last week. A letter dated the 10th, say* General Gilmore had notified Admiral Dahlgren that he would be ready to commence an attack on the 13th The navy was ready, and fighting would commence on that day. The greatest confidence was felt of the fall of Sumter, Wagner and f -ummings Point in from two to six hours. A deserter from Wagner reported that two-thirds of the guns h;»d tietu removed from Sumter and mounted on Jaues' Island, and that the full of Sumter was regarded by the Confederates as a certainty—tnc damage done in April by the Monitors rendering it hopeless to hold it. The Federals were shelling night and day. while irom Fort Johnson the Couiederatts

were keeping up a brisk fire upon the Federal gunboats. At the time the Arago left, the Ironsides and three gunboats were shelling Cumming's Point.

A letter from Morris Island, dated the 4th August, states that the Federal lines had advanced under a hot fire from the Confederates. They had advanced within about six hundred yards of Fort Wagner, and their batteries and fleet allowed the enemy but very little rest. Occasionally there had been very sharp and continuous firing, and on one or two occasions Fort Wagner responded vigorously for a few moments. The principal shelling from the Confederate side had been done by Sumter, Johnson, and battery Gregg. General Grant, who succeeds Meade in the command of the army of the Potomac, has claimed five battles from the Confederates fought outside Vicksburg which was attended with a loss to the Confederates of thirty-seven thousand —among whom were fifteen general officers; at least ten thousand killed and wounded —among the killed being Generals Tracy, Tilghman, and Green; and arms and munitions of war for an army of sixty thousand men, besides a large amount of other public property, consisting of railroads, locomotives, cars, steamboats, cotton, &c, and much destroyed to prevent its capture. The loss on the Federal side he states to be—killed, 1242; wounded, 3861; missing, 507. Through Arkansas and Louisiana the slaves were being run off to Texas, and very few were left for a considerable distance back of the Mississippi. Troops continued to be sent down the river from Vicksburg—destination unknown.

PARTICULARS OF THE FALL OF PORT HUDSON. The New York Tribune of the 10th August, gives the fallowing particulars of the fall of Port Hudson:— The steam frigate Hartford and gunboat Albatross, from above Port Hudson, had reached New Orleans.

None of the captured Confederates had been paroled by General Banks to the last accounts. Of the garrison, 4000 were in line when the garrison was surrendered, beside 500 wounded and 1000 sick. The wounds are mainly in the head from the bullets of sharpshooters. The Federal batteries had destroyed an immense amount of stores. A large supply of ammunition fell into the hands of the Federals.

There was a great Union meeting and torchlight procession at New Orleans on the night of the 11th. A large number of residences were also illuminated.

After expressing a hope that the event would hasten the war to an end, the Tribune proceeds to say that—•'The surrender of Port Hudson was tendered to General Banks on the 9th inst. The particulars of this surrender were very interesting. Vicksburg had fallen on the 4th inst. The news soon reached the fleet before Port Hudson, whereupon salutes were fired both on land and water; the bands of the different regiments performed in their best style the different patriotic airs so well known to the American people. It was difficult for the Confederates to believe that Vicksburg had surrendered. Perhap \ this difficulty was strengthened by the fact that the surrender of Port Hudson depended in some measure upon that of Vicksburg. The Confederates are described as having eaten their last crust; they had eaten up their mules and were described as feeding themselves upon dead rats, and would probably have surrendered their position at any rate before many days. At two o'clock the Bth inst., a parley was sounded from the Confederate work?, and an officer came out with a despatch from General Gardner, asking on what terms a surrender would be accepted. An answer was returned to the effect that none but an unconditional surrender would be accepted, which terms were accepted by General Gardner. Twenty-four hours were given to make the necessary arrangements for surrender, and at 12 o'clock, noon, on the Bth of July, the Federals entered into Port Hudson, the No. 2 Gibraltar of the Mississippi. The hungry soldiers of General Gardiner were soon well fed from the Commissariat of the Union Army, from which 6,000 rations were drawn. The number of Confederate soldiers drawn up in line, when the surrender took place, was about 4,000. In addition to this number there were about 1,500 sick and wounded; the wounded numbered about 500.

There had bien terrible sickness in the garrison, and almost total destitution of medicine. On thiir way down the river the Albatross and Estrella were fired upon bj some strangling guerii.as. During the attack and subsequent siege of Port HucUoi), the conduct of the two Louisiana regiments of colored troops is stated to have been of a high chat acter. Jeff'. Davis was reported to be spriously ill.