AMERICA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 140, 25 April 1864, Page 3

AMERICA.

(KEPORTKD KXriiKSSI.Y FDR LOTA!. I>ArKUS.) CI.OIUOI S NEWS-CUKAT I'.NIOX VICTORV—LKK DKrKATKD—I IHKI.IHVI Kll.l.KU -t'.M'AKAI.I.F.I) SI,AIIiIITEIt THK I'IITOMAC UL'XS KKI) WITH HI,(MIU—TUB CO.NKKDKKATK Alt lIV AXM lIII.ATKD .1X1) THK, HAC'KIId.NK O> THK RK1i1.1,1.10.\ FIX.VIiI.YAXD lIIUKI'AUA--IILY BROKtN'. AVASiHNCiTON, Feb. 28. —A special dispatch from Gen. Mcade lias just arrived, bringing news of a terrible battle on the Potomac. Lee lias been com- . plerelv defeated. A few scattered fugitives are all thai remain of the once formidable Confederate army. An enormoui amount of provisions and war materials has been captured, which will go far towards reimbursing the Federal outlay. An eye-witness describes the battle-lield as horrible hcyohd description ; mountains of mutilated men and oceans of human yore cover miles and miles of land. This is a terrible price we are paying for liberty, but it must be purcliused lit any cost- This, we need hardly assure our readers, is a* fatal blow to the South. It signs the dsiiih warrant of seccssien. Our brave soldiers have ,-,,vere;l themselves with ii m:iiilL- ..f imperishable glory- have triumphantly vindicated 1 he supremacy of our glorious l.'nioti, which is again destined to came forth arnned in new power and glory to astonish and (la/.zle mankind. W'asHISION, Feb. It appears yesterday's dispatch was it little premature. Our victory has not been of the decisive character which we had hoped, and which was at first reported. l.ce has been enabled to collect it few thousand wretched fugitives with some pieces of light artillery, and rendered desperate bv despair, is preparing to renew the battle, but bis "dent met ion is inevitable. " The Gods make mud those whom thev wish to destroy." WA.-.HINHTOS, -Miirch 1.--To-day's dispatches arc not. of the jubilant diameter we had expected. Lee bus been la'rsjclv reinforced. Our advance guard was driven buck io-ilay with some loss, having l>een overwhelmed with superior number*. The enemy have j succeeded in occupying the late battle ground, and it ir feared that bv an unexpected mameiivre, they have ontlhiuked ihe rijjht of our army, thereby threatening our communications. STII.I, LATF.It. MIDNIIiHT, Wash INTO*, March I.—Gen. Meade has been supcrceded and cashiered. Our army is on the retreat. Gen. Hooker (lighting Joe) again m command. Wasiuxotox, March 2.—Ucn. Hioker reports our armv in a very critical position, but anticipates making some brilliant strategic movements that will change his base of operations, thereby deceiving the eneinV. Jf this movement, is successful—mid who can doubt its success when Joe Hooker is in command—it will amount practicallv to a victory. Wasuixutos, March 3.—The army, if their legs don't give out will soon be in a. position of comparative safety. Lee has repossessed himself of all las stores anil war material, it is feared that a few ol our guns and commissary stores have also been captured. Our loss has been variously estimated at from 10 to 50.000. Some prisoners are in the enemy's hands, but. they will probably not, exceed 5,000. Sew York March (ith.—Tho steamer 'Allen P. Pirry,' from Newborn, the, Ist, has arrived. A Newbern" letter states that JetV Davis has suppressed the Raleigh Standard, thus insulin- it editor's election, as Governor, next fall. The rebels are removing the obstructions in the Neuso liivor, below Kingston, in order to allow an iron-plated rain to come, down to assist in tli(i contemplated attack on Xewbern, \\ nshingtou and Plymouth, for which the rebels are making groat preparations. Tho Releigh Cuitjeiler<«•»/stales that the recent attack on Newborn was only a diversion, soon to be followed by a demonstration. It urges the necessity ol a change in thebattlo ■••round from Virginia to North Carolina. OiKciiil intelligence coiilirins the report th.it Jell. Davis had onlercl the immediate sei/.uro ot all the points now hold by the Federals in North Carolina. General Peck has'made all tho preparations m lm power, unil all tho citizens ami firemen an; mi< er orders to iro into the fortifications. The hanging by the rebels", of twenty-three men of the- sjeeor.d Nortn Carolina Regiment," has exasperated the loyal North Carolina troops beyond all bounds, and they have revolved to take no more prisoners. The sUauncr Ovean Queen, from Aspmwall, villi .jOK.OOO dol. in specie, had arrived. The steamer .SI. Louix leit Panama for San Francisco, at midnight, on the 2:Srd February. New Orleans advices to tho 27th, state that l<arragut cjiitinued hi.i attack on the forts below MoA letter from *he tleet, dated the 23rd, says; " AVhile the mortar tleet keej. up an incessant fire on Fort. Powell, which commands Grant's Pass, since davlight, tho rebel ram 'Tennessee' was oil l'orl Morgan, and -was expected to attack o'ir floot. bho

is said to bo mojtj lormidiblo than tho Morrimsw, Fort Powell will not hold out long against our borabrtidineiit. Adiuinil F.iiragut waa onboord'the " Calhoun,' near tho Fort. Our regiments from Tocho wore daily arriving at I\ew Orleans, and were being sent in transports to cooperate with Farragut. An extensive (ire occurred atPonsacola on tho 19th the town is believed to have been bumod by tho rebels, under the impression that our forces designed to occupy it soon. Richmond papers of tho Ist and 2nd admit that hupatnek penetrated within three miles of tho city, snd adds how narrowly General Leo escaped capture. General Wise, also, had a narrow caeape. Fortysix luilos of tho Mobile and Ohio Railroad wore destroyed. Tho Southern road was also destroyed from Meridian to Jackson. Eight hundered negroes ■were carried off. Rebel accounts of tho battlo of Olustoe, Florida, sliow that their force consisted of eleven regiments of infantry, four battalions of cavalry, and three hattaries of artillery. Their loss was eight hundred killed and wounded. Tho Times' special despatch from "Washington has the following additional statements as to the results, etc., of Kilpatriok's raid : miles of railroad track on tho two principal roads.over which Leo transports supplies for the iiorthorii arinyof Virginia, havo boon so thoroughly destroyed, that some time must elapse before the roads can be put in running order again. The deports of Commissary, Ordnance and Quartermaster stores wcro bumod. Six canal boats loaded with grain, several locks in the James Kiver Canal, and almost invaluable coal pits at Millikon's Bend, were destroyed. Nearly three, hundred prisoners wero captured, several hundred hor.ses pressed into the service, uud hundreds of negi os availed themselves of the opportunity to come within- our lines Alter lc(ivin.i» Kiehmond, the-expedition liad several skirmishes with tho enemy, the latlor being repulsed every time. A despatch from Knoxville, the -tth, says scouts report that Lougstreet shipped his waggons per train to Kiehmond, and is mounting his men upon horses and mules, and i.s pressing nil the animals that can be found. Uebel cavalry are still scouring the country i,, Hu; NuiHi itl ,a East of the U.cS. lines. Jiaitin's cavalry appeared yesterday on the French 11r..<«1. near Hig Pigeon, and some apprehensions are entertained of a raid by llorgan on our r;iilro;id communiuiliun with Ohattiinooga. General Meade appeared before tho Coinmitte on the Conduct of tho War yesterday, to answer the charges preferred against "him by'Goneral's Sickle* and Doubleday respecting tho order which they allege, he issued for the recall of the army from Gettysburg. He denied emphatically that any such order, bearing the const rue. i. >i t put on it by these ollieers, had ever been issued. Tho order which he issued, but which was not carried out, related to another subject, which ho fully explained to the Committee. It is understood that the explanations wen. not satisfactory, and the Committee, intend to pursue the investigation. General Butler, who wrote the order, has I*ien sent for.

The Committee will ahortly take up tho Florida affair, with. l-ho view of aacortuinmg who waa reeponsiblo for (Jiiit dieastar. Geueifil Seymour, who comuiaudod the expedition, and who is now undor u-reat, had Loon boul for. Mr. Hays, fcho Froeideut'e Private■Seerutury, who carriod iiwh-uctions to Gtunertu Gilmore, will be examined by the Oomniittoe. Botb Slaiitoi) and UaJlouk, it. is said, atwh Lheir hjindfl of the. aii'air. Baltiuork, March 6lh. —An excitiiii; rumour ie in circulation of an eNteusive rebel raid on the Chesapeake. Three boats have been captured—one of them is a sitlewheel steamer that has been running to Fortress Monroe and Cherry Stone Inlet. The other two were tugß. emplcye I between the same points. The party making ill- capture wore in n schooner, which is supposed to have come out of the Rappahannock River. The t-teumer was bonded in the amount of §20,000, and then released. St. Loui.s, March 7th. —Captain Hopkins well known here before, the war, as a river captain, arrived on Saturday from Mobile, which he left on the ISth. lie says about S.OUO troops were, at Mobile, and thougli the fortifications in the rear of the city wore good, could be carried by a large force. Sherman's movements frightened the people terribly, but desperate efforts would be made if the city was attacked. Kverv male resident, between the ages of 18 and IT. is a well-drilled soldier. There is no distress in the South, but 11...• people would willingly accept peace on any terms. The leaders, however, are determined tolight to the last. Four non-dad gunboats wore in Mobile bay, the ■ Tennessee being the must formidable. General Pembertom was on the shelf at Columbia. Oen. Price had not gone to .Mexico, and still commands his Missourians in Arkansas. Cincinnati, March 7th. —General Grant passed through this city to-diiy,c» route to Washington. New Yoi-k, March 7th.— The Trll.iim'n correspondent announces the arrival at Fortress Monroe, of Colonel Dahlgron and one hundred of his command. Tin; Richmond tt'hbj of the 'M fully confirms the telegraphic accounts oi' the destruction of property by Kilpatlick's command. The Meinei- Anjo, from Hilton Head, the 4th, rej)(irts nothingnew. The Clmrlerton bombarilnieiit was still bdiig continued with gooil effect. The, rebels replied at intervals, but rarely d<'ing injury. The supply sti-amers Jliriiiin/n is reported to have e.q.tiiitd ii rebel privateer in tiyiit ol Fort l'ickons, al'li'i- an exciting chase. All was quit at JackMUiville, Fla., mi the second. Reinforcements were rapidly arrivim;, and our position thoio was mflicieiitly fonninaiile to repel any attack. (hir troops arcoutside the town, tl.ousih .-.yme aiv distant eight miles. Fhurs of truco coiimumieated with the rebels for the purpose of endeavouring to recover our wouned in their hitiuls, which they relu.-ed. The main body of the rebels were encamped betwicn Teu-milc Run and Jialdwin, in considerable force. Some estimate their loss in the recent batlleas :ls two thousand. The hank statement show an nicna.-e in loans of seventy-thive hundred thousand dollars ; and a dccrease'in specie oi'a million; and an increase in de-jio.-its of four millions. An Havana letter of tho Ist, says,the f{iinboat 'De Soto • i- in the dry dock there, and that thu blockade runners and tccessiouistsoi" Havana threatened to bunt the, vessel. As they had threatened the ollicers with violence, the. Spanish authorities have given the ollicers of the ' De Soto ' permission to wear sido-iirms, end they now visit, the city fully armed.

A New Orleans' loiter says, it is reporkvl that 20,000 men are marching through Western Toiiisiuiui. General Jianks lms sent a large cavalry and infantry force into Tech county. The nuvtil attack on .Mobile is said by Hie'same correspondent to be a mere demonstration against the L-'orts, to prevent tlio rebels sending assUtauee to I'olk. It is rumoured that one or two vessels have been crippled, and that the lleet has put out of range. The ' Callioun' is said to have been sunk. Our troops are rapidly returning tVom J'ass Cnvallns, Texas. Those already arrived had gone to Teche, where soi-.ie 12,000 of our meii are coneentrated. The Kiehmond Seiiliiiel of the Ist claims the capture of 20 !• of lulpatrick's wen, with live oilieers. The Herald's special from Washington save it is rumoured that Grant is to take Halleck's plaee immediately, and that Hooker will command the Army of the Potomac. The Tribunes special snvs that rumour assigns lialleck to the rank of Acting Assistant Adjutant General, which is, practically, a higher position than the one he is to vacate. The World's special asserts that Grant. s visit does not atleet llalleek's position, but is for a general consultation. It is thought that a bill will beiutrodueed into the House next Monday, increasing the pay of soldiers to eighteen dollars per month. One or two more ships of war are to go to the Facilic. The business of the blockade is to he resumed at Charleston, as hardly a week passes without a couple of vessels gelling in. A Joint S-toelc Company is organized there for the purpose, and two swift steamers are now employed between there and Nassau. Two successful trips are reported within a month. The Herald's Hilton Head letter says it is rumoured that Admiral Dupout is to again command the Atlantic squadron. The Vorlil'x special says that our relations with France are in a very critical condition. Persons from the South report a strong force sent from Atlanta and Macon lo Montgomery, on the advance of Sherman becoming known. Ten thousand slaves were at work on the fortifications, and a large quantity of guns were sent there from Augusta. It wa> thought that General Polk, who was encamped on the eastern side of the Tombigbee Kiver, would have no trouble in repulsing Sherman. The banks of the river furnish him a splendid liue of defence.

HUMILIATING EXPOSTTBE OF THE 2TA*TIOXAL ADMINISTRATION. Two months ago the .Taoobin press was quite■• jubilant over the succctie of the Administration in intimidating the Britisli Government, and compelling tho detention of the rame said to iiave been built for the Confederates by the Liiirtle. A letter said to • have been written by President Lincoln to Minister Adams was also published. These falsehoods concocted to deceive the American pacn/.a as to'iha conduct of the Lincoln Administration, v.nfortunately for all connected with them, have- bestf ruthlessly overthrown by Lord John Russell. In * ne telegraphic dispatcb.es of March Ist, we find the , follow--ing :— ■ " in the House- of Lords Earl Enssell proved, "J oomparison of dates, that the Government decision, so far as related to the iron rams, was not influenced by anyropresentation of Minister Adams." The boasting of the Jacobins turns out to have no foundation in fact. Lincoln and Seaward had neither lot nor part in the detention of the iron rams. The Jacobin press have also recently been extolling Lincoln and st-award for their boldness in demanding redress from the English Government for the depredations of the Alabama upon American vessels and American commerce. In relaton to the case of theAlabama, an extract of a letter said to have been written to our Minister in London by Mr. Seward, has olso been published, and the people assured that Johnny Bu!J would be compelled to pay even to the last furthiii. In the first place we doubt -whether such letter was written by Mr. Seward, and in the second we have no confidence in the assurances uiven by the Administration that Great Britain will be compelled to act justly. In the telegraphia diepatches of .March Ist we have the following : — "ism-l Russell s:iid, in the House of Lords, 'as toclaims for damages done by the Alabama, the Government considers itself in no way responsible for i hem, and no hope is hold out for a change of policy respecting this.' " The British Goeermncnt having taken its po ition, and declared that it it no way responsible for the depredations of the Alabama," and th:it as to this matter, no hope of eli'injxe ar 10 its policy has been hold out. Lincoln and Sewjird wil ; now have to show their hands—they can no longer deceive tho American people as to their past or future sction by the by the publication of eNtracts of letters said to have been written to our Mini>terin London. m The people here have been deceived a3 to the ecmJuct o( the Administration in the matter of the invasion and subjugation of Mexico by the French. The American people were toll that the Administration hud in verv i-trong lnnsnup* protested against the t'stublishineiit of a moiiim-hial government in Mexico. This carefully eoiuocted tale, as soon aa noticed by the French Government, was pronounced untrue, the French Government having received no such communication. These eitorts at deception cannot fail to lower the American Government io the estimation of all European Powers.