AMERICA.

Otago Witness, Issue 608, 25 July 1863, Page 5

AMERICA.

Since the repulse of the Federals from before Charleston, the mails bring little news that is not either confirmatory ot Southern successes, orexplanatory of previous accounts. Fijjhtinp still contimrs. Here the Federals announce a victory ; there the <.Vnfcde:atis inakc a similiir claim; but, with a single exception, no giand encounter has taken place since that wonderful tempest of artillery ia Chnrle&ton hubor. Tbe exception to which we allvule occurred in tho nnghu'iihood of the Potomac. Gen. Hooker commenped a forward movement on > pril 3 7 • Heavy masses of artillery aud other troop? crossed the llappahinnt'ok at .■urn iso. It was supposed that General Uookei 's <!e igu was to make a flank movement upon Fred-Micksbiuv, which would probably bring on a general cn-vigeiuvt. Thid expecfcition was abuudatit y fulfilled, as ihe following details will show : —

On tue afternoon of Saturday, the 2nd of May General '• e-t:newaU" Jaeksou, by a flank movement, made a vkoruiis attack upon the right win;r of the Federals lua- Chaue llorville. General Sohurz's division, com] os d ptinpipally of Gtrmans, was the h\st to kel tho shock, a.iici iiaiiiei(i:itoly c w.iy, Nn effoit3 of the oliicfrs to rally the m.-n wd-e ot any avail, an \ the retnat became a rout : while regiments threw down Ihf ir aims and fled tow rOs head-puarters. The panic soo!'. extPii'le'i to General Dcven's divi-ijn, which iisi broke nnd run. Two brigiries of General Howr.v I*. ■.;•. i.loa ;.lore retired in order, to the support of vlkohi Genej-al Hooker sent lit** own division, CjlDii at'dtd by General Berry. 'J be united and desperate txtitions of these troops, after a ino>t sanguinary -uu:g'e, 3t:'3C-3e<led iti checking the '"'on federate advance, an 1 prevented General Jackson from CQmp'ttiiu his victory.

it cUybreak ua Sunchy the Confederates aga'n alxancqJ, aud yenewed the battle. This time they v,oic met upoa the extieme iip,'ht by Gener.il Berry, 'tt'.c b.i t!e rißed for three bouts and a half, during which General Berry was killed. The Federals then fell hack, the enemy in full pursuit. The fiuhtiii" continued four hours longer, when, the Federals having sivcocded in Getting the Uonfeduutes in their iV^iit, the (oiiiiict was <.urpende'l The carnage on both sid*s i? described as bein n ' awful.

wew c collect the following additional details from other sou ices ; —

" Tho problem 'nhich Honker had to solve was to di-lodae Leu fioui the fortified position whioh helms I. t!d for the last (our months ou the heights above Pre-lenckj,bui'jr, without either attacking hi<n in front or t-rdangeiing the Federal communications with Acqa'.a Livt-k. He had vieleutly opposed Buru^ide's pLi'i hibt December, and his vaticinations about it woip justihed by the event. He {matured his plans with }rre.it secrecy, and at laijt, performed a feat unprecedented in the Unrn army, by actually putting hi*, whole lorce in motion without* asking anybody's a, Ivice, or giving anybody the le.'st inkling of what he was go}iig to r'o Hp a -eordingly threw between 70,00 D and 80,00 1 men across the river at Kelly's Ford and the United Stages Ford, 10 and 1G miles above Fredcricksbu ff, and about 30,000 near For! Royal, about four milrs below. This done, ho for the fiist time, communicated his intentions to the subordinate Uenerals.

Upon refeiring to the map it will be seen tint the itappahaunock, which above Vie lerieksburg runs nearly due east, makes, when near the town, asleep southward, t\n\ in the curve lies the Confederate position. By crossing above, therefore, Hooker would face southward, and by pushing forward a few miles from the river, he would find himself in the rear of Fmlericksbure, and would leave Lee the alternative of either roming down off tb,e heights, and fighting and winning a battle, or olso of retreating along the Richmond rniiroad with 80,000 men on one of his flauks and 30,000 011 the other. This is precisely wh,,t Hooker did. On AVedne'day, April 29, lie crossed both the liapidau and Kappnhannrck, and pushed his centre forward as far as Chancelloißvi!le,.n lunilut in the rear of Frtderkkaburg, and about 10 mill's fiom it west by south, and occupied it, his left and light resting on the United States and Kelly's Ford, nnd there prepared to stiud hi 9 ground. The crossing below I'ralerkk»burg was effected with equal success and was also a surprise, the enemy's pickets being captured. On the following morning was clear that Lee had either io con\e down and fight Hooker ou ground chosen by the latter, or attempt to flyon May 1 It was evident that Lee had wakened up to " a sonse of his situation." lie had been clearly ouf-genr railed, but he met the crisis promptly and ably. He changed his front veiy rapi-lly, and 011 (May 1 th° two armies v/eio face to fa.' c, the Federals laving passed the day in fortifying their position and tkirmjshiug-

Ou Saturday, May 2, the ball was opened in real earnest. Jackson, on the light, tlnew himeelf headlong, with 40,()C0 of the best troops of the Gontederates, on the Federal light, held by the llth GYps, compos^ I almost entirely of Germans. The rascals broke ai.d fled at the firsf onset, and rushed ty the rear in uiad confusion. Ail attempts to rally tl'.ern were vain, and Jackson, pushing furiously on, had turned ths Fudernl Hank, and bid fair to. be soon iv their rear. Hooker's peculiar f|ualitira now shone out rf splendidly. He was on the spot in nn instant, brought up his own old corpd t q\v commanded by Wcneial Berry, and orJeiMd them not to fire, but to go m with iho h yonct, and ordered up masses of arUiloiy t> Hi'ijuit .(-hiiii, Jacksou was t>low)y iliiv<!n back, bat iho stooass of Sickles, who ha I broken the enemy's ceut^e, was neutralised by this disaster. The day closed without any material chan re in the position of either party. The Federals had held their ground with comparatively small loss, and this, of course, was success, The Confederates had lost terribly, owing to the reckless bravery of their oaalutiguta. They rushed tiie bulstee oa

the batteries, and were mowed down wifh the s-atu" tcrible carnage as at Malvem-hill. Tne a«'t ; on was renewed on Sunday, May 3, with similar rpsults. The Federal rignt never comp etely recovered its lost ground, but this has effected no uifttf ral change in its position. The centre is still ;-.t Chfincellorvil'e, uud the whole line is now str mgly fort i fie 1, and the relations of the combatants mry by said to remain unchanged. But there are 4003 Confederate prisoners in the hands of the Fedeia'<. _ The losses of the former in the three days' fighting are known to have been enormous ; and f-'pil^wck attacked aad stormed the famous heights of Frederiokgburg, aoraiast which so many brave fellows beit their brains out last winter, on Sunday evening, cqituring a thousand prisoners and eight pieces of artillery.

Up to tin morning of May 7 the battle had not been renoweJ, owins; to two da^s' heavy rain. S.dsjwiuk's division was stated ta have crossed the ;{-p;> ihannock, by which, v>e presu ne, "re-crosse I " is infant, ,'md j )ined Hooknr'a column, which had a'^) b^en re ; nforced from Washington by Heinizeluruiu's divi-ion, 30,0 0 >tror,g. In the lateenpaicment. General Hooker is reported to bnyp captmed 60C0 to 15/00 prisoners and to have lost o'OOO men. Three thousand Confederate prisoners aro stated to have arrived at Washington. Th° O'onte icate piisonotM are stafcxl to Ivwe as-rived at WaMiiji^ton. The Confederate Generals " Stonewall" Jackson and Hill are reported dangerously wounded, an I General Hamsom killed.

The Confederate force which recently occupied Mi.r^antown, on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, cultured four companies of miliiia belonging to the t-.wn ; it then proceeded to Fair.-nount, and engaged UlO Federals under Colonel Mulligan, who were defending the railroad-bridge which spans the Monongahela near that place. After a short conflict the Federals were beaten, anl the bridge the finest ou tu'iroad, was totally dostroyel. 'Ihe Confederates took 250 of Colonel Mulligan-, men prisoners, but the low in killel and wounded on either side is not known.

It is reported, via Memphis on the 30th, that a body of Confederate cavalry and made a raide into Centra' Mississippi and destroyed 20 miles of the Mississippi Central KaiJroad and a Urge quantity of aran and stores.

News from the Mi«hsippi brings details of the capture of Grand Gulf by the Fe lends under Admiral I'erter. On the 3rd ?»lay Admiral Porter's gunboats—the Lafayette, Oarondtlat, Mound City and Piitsburg— proceeded to make a second attack, when the worhs were found to be e\ acuated, the enemy haviug blown up their ammunition, and spiked their large gun's. The works were found to be very ex tensive and sirong, but were literally torn topie-es by the fire of the gunboats. Colonel Wade, the commander of the batteries, was killed ; also bis chief of st ff and a number of others. Admiral Porter conskleis Grand Gulf a stronger position thau either Vicksburg or Port Hudson, and thinks it could not lnvfbeen captured had ihe fortifications been completed.

Semi-ofilcnl despatches say that General Bwks's expedition has not only destroyed the army and navy of the enemy, but captured his materials for re-organ-i«ation, Ills ablesffc seamen and land officers, and between 1000 and 2000 prisoners, (rcnml Bmks's lo«s in the last two battlei was from (jOCO to 7000 killedand wounded. Ou 21 ,t April. General Banks ceoupiad Opeleitsas aud Washington, in Lou'siana. General Bauki' intention is to proceed northward, to fjim a junction with the forces muLr Admirals Farrag ut and Porter, and General Grant, designing thereby the complete severance of the ConfVderate line of eouimunicition for supplies from Texas to Port Hudson. The New Orleans papors think that General Bnnks ha* dealt tbe heaviest blow yet against Vicksburg, as, wi<h Fa-ragut at the mouth of th 1 * Hed "River, and a powerful Federal army in Western Virginia, the greaa highway lo Texas U closed.

News fiorn Vicksburjr, to April 20, states that the whole of General Grant's army had marched across the peninsular in front of the city. A. portion of a raft which had baen cut up having iloated out of the Yazoo into the Mississippi, it was thought that the Confederates were preparing an exit through the obstructions they had placei in the Yazoo f>r their reins, with the intention of making a raid upon General Porter's fleet.

The cas-e of the Peterhoff was resumed on April 22, after tho sailing of the Liverpool steamer. The com t decided, in compliance with the obvious wish ot ths Government, to deliver up unopened the mails found on board, whioh were forthwith transferr- d to Mr Archibald, the British consul. The question of the legality of the capture ot the ship and cargo was reserved.

The overdue mail from New York brings intelligence entirely confirmatory of previous telegrap! ic -counts.

General Hooker has retreated to his camp on the north of the Kappahaunock. It is plain from whit we now know of the terrib'e battle in Virginia that no other course was onen to him. TheNewYoik papers explain the movement by the rising of the river, confined position into which he had baen driven, and other local circumstances. But the tr»i» h seems to be that he retreated because he was fairly overpovered.

The Times has the following telegram from its New York cotrespondent, dated May 9 :— The government is said to feel anxious feu- the safety of Washington, in ca c General Lee should feel disposed to follow up his victory over General Ho <ker by an attack upon the capital. It is not generally thought that Hooker can Le retained in command of the army of the Potomac. The Democratic puty urge the renppointment of General M'Cleilan, while the Republicans support the olainis of Geueial Fremont.

The following semi-official statement Is from the Washington National Intelligencer of the Bth M'iy :-

Official information received last evening at the Wnr Department authorises us to state that Generd Hooi-er, after waiting in «ijn- near Chaneellorsvl !e on Tuesday last for a renewal of the battle by the enemy, recivssed the Rnppahannook on the evening ot thm day, influenced by prudential motives, springing doubtless iv pn«t, from the great • and sudden ri c of the Virginia rivers ; in consequence of the recjnfc heavy rains. We do not learn that General Hooker was apprised, before makinc this retrograde movement, of the success which is alleged to have attended the operations of General iSfcneman in brtaking t m enemy's communio itjon with Richmond. If tLJi fact bad been known to him (assuming it to be a fact) it may be doubted wh ther Gji 0.-al Hooker would lnve deeme 1 it necessary to tak * a step which must tjndto depiue him of some, at least, of the advantages resulting from Genet al Stoneman's co-operative expadition. Among event' whicli have not transpired ofti.cia.lly, but of whioh there are ruinoura having the appearance of truth, it may be stated that General Sedjj.-viok, in endeavoring ou Monday last, with the gi-culer part of his command, to eifect a junction with General Hooker's army near Chuncelloraville, encountered the eaemy in fa.o^ and ntet with v serious reverse, the partioujais of which are not yet known. The fillowingfc the ofSchl despatch of Genenl Lee, the Confederate comman er-in chuf, to President Davis : -

" Milford, 3rd May. " Yesterday General Jackson penetrated to the rear of the eaemy, and drove him from all his positions from the Wilderness to within 0110 mild of Chancellorsville. He was engagd at the same tine in^ front by two cf Longstreet's divisions.* M;tuy prisoners were taken, and the enemy's loss in killed and woqnded is large. This morning the battle was renewed. He was dislodged from all his positions "wound Chancellorsville, and driven back towa-ds the Ucppahanuock, over which he ia now relreating We have again to thank AlsaightyGol for a 51 eat victory. I 1 egret to state that General Paxton was killed, General Jcokson severely, and Generals Heth and A. P, Hill sightly, wounded." General Burnsiije, who is now commanding in Cincinnati, i>sued a general order, says tbe New York correspondent of tin Times, in which he declared it to be lm intention to banish to the South j all persons who should express or show sympathy with the rebellion ; and, in pursuauoe of his declared will, he forcibly removed from Cincinnati, whsre sho had for some time resided, Mrs tiemmes, tha wife of Captain Semuies, of the Confederate war- j ship Alabama togi ther with a consi ierable mtm- | ber of citizens, whose business will ba entirely ruined by their deportation. A fctll more "vigorous" ait on his part is reported by telegraph on May 5th — no less than the forcible seizure, in his own house, by a company of soldiers sent 60 miles by railway for the purpose, of the Uon C L. Vallaudigham, late member of Congress, and candidate for the governoiship of Ohio. This is flying at high game, and in the present temper of the Western people is exceedingly [ dangerous. The charge against Mr VaJlnndigham is his publio disapproval of General Burnsi le's 1 order before an audience of 20,000 persons and his sympathy with the South. Mr Vallaudigham has been transferred to prison in Cincinnati, preparatory, the reports allege, to being sent under military escort to the South. It lemains to be seen whether the government will support General Burn*' side in this daring outrage. Gyeatriola have taken place in consequence Of Mr Vallandigham'a arrest, telegraphic communication has been interrupted, and tho military called out 1 It is supposed government intends to euforoe the conscription forthwith. A list of prdvost marshals for different districts is published. , '- The Federals aie reported to have cut* the Con- I federate railroad communication between Vicjcshurg j and Richmond, Charlestbns&lnd "JuilithongiJ- ,r, r •-, • .■> j ' " ''' i' *&w4«LJ