THE WAR IN AMERICA.

Otago Witness, Issue 567, 11 October 1862, Page 6

THE WAR IN AMERICA.

Sneaking of the battle on tho 23th of June, the repoiter of ih' A r i m Y^rk Tribune says :—: — ,

Superabwinn? in r. ahnents, as brave and reso- c % lvie us ti'.'Ci^. llio rebels rolled their fresh men in <!iiccc<-'hv Mici inon Suninei. a - id fiercely carrio ! the general ,^i ilt t « th. 1 lines of Hooker and Ktai- j, nev. The tvoinid is .1 s>v.,uupy ]wil lomes 1 -, dotted Q with ol"a'ing-> ii corn, :uul wheat, and oat=. 4 r liai tlo .ill ali 11? 1 lie front" ive occupy cnnint be seen j eion fi'oin a Inllooi. {'he woni's v/ill h'de the most v or" it. They will in:.sk newly all of a battle in front j of the ivr/M iVurmCe or of the divisions either. Tin-, right <if t»-Jay, th'ieforf, cannot,!)^ described, s:ivt' j by a mtmor.induni ;of the positions nspectivelv he'd y by the oppo.-iu" 1 pnilies at it--. do^e. and by the list of v k'illul and v.imn.'lel. Oa the r< bel side, howeur. f ir was eharacteii c 1 by the steadfast old policy, for which thi i" If adeis are to bo so much homuiel. oi* c pom in^in fresh andean r troops upon our weaiy r men, a, id < julca\tirini; to tus'i us with snp-iior ( weight of fire, and vastly superior exhibition oi" force. c Twice all a 1 111- the front did t'io blo-vlv and do- 1 to mined attack c'i;u to our line', of hittle, and our , rifle pits an 1 relo'ibt*. Porter t'nndorcd on the in 'J uiih fifty cinno'i. Humnci's, HookcrV, nid Ayiu's , giiiis rcr.j e<l them v.illi a \erv death I) u'vest. Their j lo<r, in killed and \> juii'lhl \\ is lioniWe. We but di - ] bi f e poa if <>iii dii dead, uoundel, and missing , 0 iiiiil tho^e of the Seven I'lnoi— or u\eced thciis. In ( the miM'iti'no, ' otw.thstindinj; t lk* dispio^orlion of numbers, the Ui.ini line is at every pj'nt about where it \\.is in the morning, and fie heroes belaud it are in h n ait. ! The cowsird-i behind it weie never in heart. Mali-soi-8 be on thorn ! Of the d, the -—- th, the the tb, that lin like lucked curs, and of Maj. , who, overtaken in hi- shameless bcamper away from the lebel fire, had his sword taken away by a brother officer, and u.sed to beat him in the face wit'i, before lie wn hooted and booted awn- from Irs reaimcnl. Of the conduct of -but. what is the n^e ? Let it all t;o. 'Die morrow is clce at hand, and its promise does not inwte lo elimination or recrimination. Lc-tusbra.ce ouis^lves. Bcfoie I go to the necessarily imperfect census of the dead and wounded of the battle of Chie.kahominy, let me ; Me, in view of what nny happen to-iaonovr. v/ho it> to aiiunic Mic nfiporiiibilitv of the ciimo of neglecting or resisting the reinfoi cements of M'Jlellaii? Tbj train dola\s a little, * Colonel Black, of Pens\lvania, is killrd — liis Ipart blown off by a 'hell. When we lest Eaton's liattory vu lo^t its' valuable cuuiiuan.ier besMe. Ten jaiusw ere taken av.aj fiom us by a sud 'en fhnk attack, coveied by the thick smoke which hung around fie place and slow'y diil'ted to l-'euard. 11 p. ia — There v a council of the thrcp or four be t miniK in tli^ ra-m/ at thi-* latp houi of the nislit. If they decide fiat wearo not stronu: oii<)'i»ii fo mnintaisi our pusition aeainst the lon numb"is of tlu enemy, and that we inu'.t lelruifc to-inor-r«, on whom shall re^t the urievous responsibility of icsi'Mnsr or refuting JM'Cleliau'& appeals ibr reinforcement.,? THE I'MGUT FROM WIHTH lIOI'SE. Writing on the 27tb, the same repoiterhajs: — Rumours of the wildcat description commenced flyin" loun 1 this place la-^t evening, and a general panio was pievalent. Miinvpor.ious staid up all nifjhf, fearing an immediate attack. Reports of I'irjje bodies of rebels on cur ricjif, on our left, und on our rear, t!iu order of the nisht. Tlii-> morning" niatfers looked even worse. The mail boat, John G. Warner, was under steam all night, d'anefs of men from t!ie prnnboa'i.s were on sboie, felliatr d)wn the trees which line the banks of the livi-r to tlie ri^lit and left ot White Iliuifce. She in ciowded with safes, hurrau^, cbests, &c. v cnnttiining all the money, public do:umenta, othoial papeis, «c, belonging to the Government, while every b.ujro, canal boat, schooner, and craft of e\ery kind, has been towed down the river, laden with all the they could carry. The barge Walkill, wiiluh \\as looked i;j)on as a permanent fixture, being a ricci'vinG; hunt for ipiartermaster's stores, is aiso {(one. All my trap.-, were onboard. I piesuniQ I nhall ne\er f-ec them nsxain. All the inhabitants of White Ilouse are running to and fro in the wildest manner, with ( iciy bit of propeitythey can carry, to some mo\eable structuie afloat. The contraband'! in hundreds, with bundles of every description, are doinn likewise. All is fri»ht and terror. Report '•ays that the enemy in strong force Ins p ; crced M'Clellan's line--, and flanked us on the rfcht. This is believed by all. That theie is a dreadful battle latrine; tbere can be no doubt. I have this from wh.it i> considered the best authority here. The streets of ienf.i so lately occupied by the numerous officer" aio now all empty, and White House looks d'iPei'al. Officers who arrived clown from the lines this nioiuinp; report that a general order Mas read la^t ni^hl at the Jiead of every rejriment that the army was to move on Richmond to-da.y. Several state that the bands of all the regiments sti"uck up the national airs along the whole line, and that the spirits of our troops were enthusiastic to the highest decree. Mon and officers to>sed their hats into the air, cheer after cheer rose up from the hosts of brave spirits who are panting to meet the foe. An officer riding by just now asked me, " Aint you goinsto leave- ?'' I said, " No, sir, not jet." " You are the only man I have heard say so to-day," said lie, 1 * and he rode off. I I now leave my tent. lam about the last inliabitanf who has not moved anything a^ \ct. lam going I to have a look round. , . . . I've been aiouud. Everything I have stated is more than correct. The e>aciintion of White He use in complete. Two batteries ] (one of them Wilson's New Yoik) are arrayed in line of battle, supported by the ( J3rd New York, under Colonel C. B. Butler, and the punboats are in position 1 and ready, The last few barges, •with steam tugs ; attached, are waiting the signal to move, when the I last few stragglers will run for them. An Innocust Amusejifnt.— A comt-maitial, ■ held at A«ra, o u the 2ith of April la^t, presents, one or two no\el points. Lieutenant Glover, desirous of testing tho penctiant poner of clay bullets, com- [ pel led one Meet- Khan to stand taipet, invested only whhaooai-se quilt. Ofcouise Meer Khan ccme to grief, but the Court-martial recommenced that Lieutenant Glover be dealt leniently with ou the ground of i indi-.-cietion and youthful folly. This has piven occasion to the (Jommaiuler-in-cliief to read a sharp lecture to the officers composing the court, refusing 1 their request, and winding up characteristically by observing that " bia Excellency cannot believe 'that i if the act bad been committed on any friend or relai, five of any member of the court, they would have , come to the same conclusion." And so the frolic lieutenant is consigned for three months to the fort of Agra— a punishment wliieli Sir Ilugb Rose pronounces by far too lenient.— Homeward Mail. 1 Raising the Wind —As a means of rai-ing ar 1 . • ditional revenue to meet the expenses of the war, it [ is suggested that Congress impose a tax of one dol- . lnr upon every man under sixty who canies a cane; a tax of two dolla'S upon ladies owning poodles ; a tax of one dollar upon gentlemen under thhty who ■ wear eye glasses : a tax upon ladies who wear three t flounces, and for every additional flounce above three, two shillings ; a tax of three dollars upon ladies who wear hoops more than ten feet in diameter ; a tax of t, five dollars upon all pretty women who wear veils, * and ten dollars upon all ugly ones who doa't. — 1 American Paper.

AN IiNTEItVIKW WITH THE MOIITARA

riHL:). The Si'rlc eonlai' a a ij"or from Rome, of the 7fch June, id which tho 'vrico. 1 1'escri'jps the particulars of an interview which he has had with the Alcrtara child

or rather with his tutor, for nearly an hour. The w riter lud heard that the unfortunate chdd was at a particular convent in the city, where once a week he appears as one of the elnris'ers at the mas-;, mid, with some ingenuity, mviag-d to got <i im'.sainn into the cloister where the c'dld, with five or si\; others, wis taking exercise niter the service. The other children were arebacd in white, the little Mortora in a black co^fiock. He de^ciibes the child, who is t<m ye.'.rs and four months old, as timid, bislifnl, and almost mel.rielio'y, and having quite the Jewish cast of features. The writer Contrived to get into conversation with tho tutor on the subject of a fre>co on the wall, and, luing mi't'iken i.ir an Italian, soon succdcded in tnniiiig the conversation on the pupils. He coutinues — " vVho, 3 ' saiil I, "ii tliat child sitting there upon the cilgc of the well 1 "Oh \ou have i lten h"anl of him : it is the little Jew J\loita<"a, bapti-ed at Koloana." " Indeed !" "Comphrre, Hd<;ar." Tin child rose Blowly, took off his cap, and blood before us with his e_\es on the ground. " Ilns he go'nl health?" " Fxceilent, although a little delicate. In the three years that he has been here h" Ins only had one slit>ht illness." "He has a low forehead— that i. not a priori a .sign of int< Il'gence." " Nuverthrle^s, ho is very intelligent; lie learns all that he liko^ and especially Latin, for v.hieh ho sterns to have a marked inclination.'' I did not wish to play in any thing the part of a false brother, therefore I limited myself to putting one question to the child, while drawing hi-n towards me and taking him hv tl.e hands. " Well," said I, '' are you content to be hei'e ? Are you w^'ll ?" " Yes, said the cliil-L This is all tint it was pjssihlc to extract from him. As s^on as he could get away he leinrned, and re-seated himself with a sa! expression ou the edge ef the well, under the shade of an enormous fig tieo. "How is it,'" slid I to the canon, ' that the name of Edi;ar was given to him in baptism !" "We did not give him that name ; it is the one that ho had bcfoie beinor baptised. '' "And his patents, do they often come to see him ?" "Once, in lf^.^iJ. The father c:it;c without the mother in 18(ji), but lie did not a-k to &cc him. He enteied the church, and we were warned to keep ourselves on guard, for ho intcifled, it was s aid,to cairy him away." " Wl.en will lie have the power ofleaving ?" "At seventeen ; but he has a marked calling t'rr the ecclesiastical stat' 1 ." " Docs h" oft-eu &peak of his father and mother]" "No; he appears to have forgotten them. However.hu writes to them twice a-\ear, imploring them to become converted. The parents make no reply to his letter.s." (I thought to myself that su'.h letters, written by this unhappy child from a copy miide by tha priests, could pjjily sntisfy the parents. Moreover, they knew very well that a leply would not reach the child.) '< The mother, they tell me," said he ''is a good woman, wlis would willinuly become converted, but the father is a h.udeut'd .sinner. It was lie who went to C.ivour at Tuiiu, and was tlie caiue I of all the fuss thau was made on account of the carrying aw.iy of this child. Henceforth the child belongs to CJoi!. IFo'v, ill have his nVt, communion next week, and will rcce've thy Iloty Sacrament fiom ihe hands of i V ranch bi'hop." I could re[;oro to you .several other details of this interesting convcrs-ation, but myspvc fiils me. I will only &'iy t!i;a I fsiiciU nevtr forget the accent with which the p.ieat to whom the \\ T (vi g Moitaru is confided, said to me these wmds, '"They talk mucli of the rights of tie father and of natuie iv«pectitif> the c.rrjuig iivv.iv of the child, but divine iiuhts, Mipernatiunal liuhts, overri le the lights of the fnther— of the fanulv. A b.iuti-ed child is cur propei iv.' I was loth to le.ivo. Slowly i de-^tnded the steps of tin: cloister which led to the church, und took a last liiolv at that jjoor Lsraclit I',1 ', p.issinjr his ii.fiucv . amidst tho-e bl .jk rob s. E.iteiing the cliurcli, 1 e-ime aeio-s a ijro'ip of di-votje-, who were kissing tho chains oi S' I'e.'er. Tin y oll'ered thorn to me t> k'ss : but thudviu? of the pi-or child, I tmne.l my luadauay, s,i\ nuto mvsjlr tint resignation couid never reach f-iu-h a dc;>;h with in as to embrace the emblems of .such a houible .servitude.