AMERICA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 290, 24 November 1862, Page 5

AMERICA.

i VICTORIES OF THE CONFEDERATES. From the Home News. There has "been a second battle of Bull's Run, which I ended in the disastrous defeat of the Federals. In less than a month, the whole of Virginia has heen recovered by the Confederates, and the tide of Southern invasion turned back 150 miles. The Con- • federate officers have shoisn thera^plves thoroughly capable of not only planning but carrying to a successful issue operations of the utmost difficulty and of gigantic dimensions. In last accounts it was conjectured that M'Clellan, whose position on the James River was one of extreme peril, would probobly endeavor to make good his retreat northwards and join General Pope, who had been slowly moving along the Virgiaia Valley with a large army; And thiswas so. The Northern /general managed.to evacuate the peninsula without molestation, embarking most of his army from Yorktown for the North, and it is certain that it failed in effecting a junction with Pope, Pope's army was, in, .j fact, routed before M'Clellan could come to his assistance. Though the Confederates appear to have been Inform«d of M'Clellan's intended retreat, they left him to get his army transpprte,d northward as rapidly as he might, and issued forth from Richmond with their whole army a.gainat Pope. This ojncer .hwTiaadft some »liqw 9f Utftfttefliag'Eicbjuoad by

advancing towards the Rapidan, but this advance was exactly what the Confederates wanted. They came up with him at Gordonsville. Here Pope niadea stand, but ha was soon compelled to retire. His retreat jvas_ continued for several days, the Confederates following all the while close upon his rear. During this time there were continual skirmishes and artillery eiicraKements, and, indeed, the Confederates pressed the Fe.-.erals so hard that the comniander-in-cluct's baggage, maps, despatches, and most valuable papers relating to the campaign, were captured on one occasion, ihe line of Pope's retreat was by Fairfax to W arrenton, which is l«ss than 50 miles from Washington. At W arrenton, the Federal commander aoain made a brief stand on the 24th August. At this time he thought he had the whole of the Confederate army m his front. While General Lee was keepi^ Pope 'occupied aJong his front, Jackson had been marching- witli his usual rapidity, with some 30,000 men, towards the North, intending to turn eastward to Manassas Junction, and cut off the Federal army from. Washington. Pope's right flank was thus turned. In this predicament he moved forward the whole of his force immediately against Jackson. He joiued battle with him at a place called Grovetown on the 29th August. The conflict lasted-fhe whole day. In a despatch written at the close of it Pope admitted that he had lost B,GOO men, and was tiioroughly exhausted, although he expected fc-> compete what he called his victory in the morning of the 3OU.^ According to all accounts Jackson had had considerable diinculty in maintaining- his ground. Hoy.ever, hi managed to do so, and it was absolutely essential that he should. Like Wellington at Waterloo, who reckoned upnn the arrival of Blucher. Jackson was reckoning- upon the arrival of General Lee with ths main body of the Confederate army. Lee arrived on the evening*of the-,29th, and before nooa on Saturday, the 30th, Pope saw how coinp.etely he had been oat manoeuvred. The scene o action was to tha west of Bull Run, between Msn-is-sas Junction and 'the turnpike road which runs parallel- to the railway. The Federals faced to the *Vest, and the Confederates to the East. While still laboring under the delusion that the whole Confederate army li d been present in the fieM the day before, x'ope began the attack. His generals, Ilcintzelmann and Porter, were met by "inuneusp morses'' of Confederate iufantry, and fell bi'ck in disorder. TJie fact was soon apparent that the'entire .Southern army was in the field. General Leo for-m.-rly qaartermaskr-gem-rd of the United Suites' army was in comuianJ. The Confederates advanced their oattenes.nnd opened a fierce lire upon the retreating army. In vain Al'Dou^U endeavored to hold the b ederal centre j Leo anticipated his movement, a-nd al Dowe;l, as well as Sige!, was enveloped by overwiicJming nuiv.birs. At five p.m. the battle was zoinz decidedly against the Federals. Pope ordered up all his reserves, but in vain, for the day was lost. TV right of the Federals, however, stood comparatively farm, and projected their comrades as they puss Hull Kun stream about eight o'clock in ihe evening. That night the defeated army encamped at Centreville This position is said to be strong, and it scetns to nave been hoped that the Federal army might be able to maintain itself there, and might, perhaps, after obtainiug reinforcements, resume the offensive But the da-hmg calvalry of the Confederates got into the roar, and a train of waggons filled with commissary stores was seized by them, and carried off. Nor did any reinforcements arrive.' M'CJcllan is a.»cu?ed of not having- sent assistance. But it may be that there were no men in a fit condition to send into the field, and the fact that M'Ciellan has since the disasters resumed the command-in-chief of the army, tends to prove that he was not to blain ■ However, this may be, the Federals abandoned the position of Centreviile, and were r.re long within the line of forts which protect Washington. Instead of casting their time before the forts about Washington, General Lee at once despatched " Stonewall" Jackson up the Potomac to Leesburg, Harper's Ferry, and Poiut of Rocks, which lies between those places on the Potomac. Point of Rocks is the place where the Ohio and Baltimore Railway leaves the Potomac. According to the New York telegrams of the Bth of September, Stonewall Jackson had crossed the Potomac, and was in possession cf Frederick City where he was received with acclamation, whilst his pickets extended for seven miles-towards Hagerstown. T! • importance of this is obvious. If there were any Federal troops south of the Potomac, at Winchester, Martinsburg. or Strasburg, they were out off. Moreover, no reinforcements could reach Washington from the north-west and \ 'enusylvania. As Maryland is strongly Secessionist, hundreds of recruits will be obtained, and the inhabitants will not only supply the Confederate troops with provisions and accommodation, but with most accurate information as to their enemies. Moreover, Baltimore, the most Secessionist city in America, is only 40 miles from Frederick City, and is held down merely by force of arms. Should " StonewaH" Jackson make an attack upon that city, aided by the rebellious citizens,it is net impossible that his attack might succeed. If it did, it is obvious that Washington would be completely isolated, so that it could hold no communication either with the North or with the. South, except by the Potomac and the Chesaneke. Frederick City, Baltimore, and Washington form a triatig'e—each side being about 40 miles in length. The whole of this district is in favor of the South, nor is there anything but a defeated army within the lines of Washington, to prevent the Marylanders putting themselves under • their choice. The only mode by which the Federals can restore their authority is by leaving their entrenchments and defeating the Confederates.

In the West, the situation is more serious for the North than ever. The evacuation by the Federals of Baton Rouge, Lousiana seems to have been successfully effected but the results have proved most prejudicial to the Federal interests in Louisiana. The Confederates, both in New Orleans and the surrounding country, have become much bolder since they have detected the weakness of their adversaries. The banks of the Mississipi are lined with guerillas, who fire on the transports when unprotected by accompanying gunboats. Except on the waters of the Mississini, and in the tev/n of New Orleans, the Federal Government can be sail to exercise no jurisdiction in the State of Louisiana.

A proposal which has been hinted at, from the Southern States, to make separate peace with the North-West, on the basis of the free navigation of the Missi?sipi, points to one of the greatest dangers now besetting the Federal Union.

The Confederates call for a new levy of 300,000 men. Jefferson Davis has ordered a day of thanksgiving for the victories of the South.

The cannonading during- the battles was distinctly heard at Washington, and created indescribable excitement.

The special correspondent of the Times, in a letter dated Baltimore, 9th September, says : --"-We learn that, the Southern loss in the battles of the 29th and 30th is officially reported by President Davis to have been 3000 men killed, wouuded, and missing. On the same field which received ths Southern slain, were buried by Southern hands no Jess than 30,000 Federal soldiers. Some inference as to what was actually the Northern loss may thence be gained."

An important piece of information recently received is that five negro regiments a«-e to be raised by ths Northern Government at Hilton Head, and that 50,000 negroes, in addition, are to be enrolled in the Federal army in. the quartermaster's department.

On the 14th August President Lincoln had an interview with a deputation of free colored men, who attended iipon him at his own request. He stated to them his wish to persuade a few enlightened men of color to go with their families as pioneers of the emancipated negroes to Central Africa, and promised that if he would get 100, 50, or even 20 free able-bodied men, with their; families, to lead the van, he should devote to them some of the money voted by Congress for the purpose.

The New York correspondent of the Times, (Dr Charles Mackay) refers in a letter dated the sfch September, to the feeble response of the Northern public to the call for 600,000 men.

The system of airestsand imprisonments without any form of charge or trial is beginning to provoke counter-manifestations amongst the people which will, in all probability, lead to important results.

From the latest intelligence brought down by the City of New York, it is difficult to say what is the precise position of the Confederate and Federal forces. The Confederates are stated to have occupied Frederick and Hagrerstown, and to have advanced to Green Castle, Pennsylvania. It is also reported, however, that both Hager-stown and Frederick have been evacuated by them, and occupied by General M'Clellan. According to news telegraphed to Cape Raps on. the 16th, a battle was going on thai day between Sharpsburg and Middlesburg—a spot noi*hwesfc of Harper's Ferry and south of Green Castle, It was also said that the Federal force at Harper's Ferry had been surrounded, 1600 cavalry had escaped, but the remainder of the troops would be compelled to surrender. •■•'■■:.;' At Cincinnati a battle was hourly expected, but 'twas believed the < place was strong enough to resist attack; ! . The following private telegram has been received at Liverpool by the mail which arrived yesterday :— ; ;:■■■• •'. ■? •■ -. .^ .. " . New York, 17th Sept., via Cape Race. There has been a terrible battle between M'Clellan and Lee at Hagerstown. M'Clellan reports that the. Confederates, retired across the Poiaraab, The Federals : surrou.aded at Harper's Ferry. 2600 ( cavalry escaped; the remainder," it is supposed, would surrmder. The Confederates are advancing on Cincinnati j .they are two miles north of Morence.