ITALY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1734, 24 June 1862, Page 5

ITALY.

Garibaldi pursues his triumphal march through Northern Italy, organizing rifle associations in all the principal towns. He is everywhere received with immense enthusiasm. He intends continuing his tour to Naples and Sicily. Thirty thousand Italians have petitioned the British Government to employ its influence in obtaining the withdrawal of the French troops from Rome. Brigands are again assembled in gieat force on the Neapolitan frontiers. The ex-King of Naples has reviewed them. King Victor Emmanuel has gone to Naples. Lord Pahnen>ton's speech on Italian affairs has caused a profound sensation in Italy. AUSTRIA. Government has decided on the construction of an iron fleet, to be always kept up to the strength of the Italian navy. A great reduction takes place in the army. PEUSSIA. The Government has reduced the army budget. A hard struggle is anticipated at the approaching elections. The Universities of Berlin and Bonn have protested against a Ministerial attempt to influence their votes. Great excitement prevails at Berlin, owing to the surreptitious publication of a confidential letter of the Minister of Finance to the War Minister. The letter contained an exposition of the difficulties of the Government. IONIAN ISLAND. The lonian Parliament has again protested against the English Protectorate, and desired to be united to Greece. The Lord Commissioner's reply declared the protectorate inviolate. GREECE. Insurrection quelled, and authority of Government re-established. MEXICO. Contradictory reports still appear about the Mexican expedition. Nothing official has yet been declared. LATEST NEWS. PER JUBAI rSLAND. Pott Jubal, lied Sea, May 4. London, May 2. — Exhibition opened yesterday, weather tuagnifiuieut; 30,000 pesons present, splendid success. Russian loan introduced; coldly received. Wool sales commenced well. Yorktown beseiged. Mercier at Richmond on special mission. Guyun recalled. Prussia. — Liberal triumphant. Mexican hostilties renewed. Turks defeated by Montenegrins. HOME AFFAIRS. The eountiy is in a posture of expectancy, and is, accoidingly, very quiet and still. Trade and commerce are almost despairingly looking across the Atlantic, for the signal that shall revive their languishing energies and impulse to their pursuits. Hollow-eyed and emaciated labor is intently gazing in the same direction, for some signs of cessation in that horrible and wicked strife which has desolated their homes, impovrished their families, and is threatening them with famine or the workhouse. The fires of our political life are burning very low — smouldering invisibly. Lord Derby has been put hors de combat hy the gout, and, accordingly, has been in no oondition to complete for the Premiership, even if an eligible and tempting opportunity had offered. The session has attained its grand climacteric, and we may luok for a rapid decadence in its powers, and a premature and unieebled old a<re. The Houses are now in recess during the Easter holidays; and as the International Exhibition will open within a few days of their reassembling, there will naturally be great impatience of work, and adroit avoidance of all topics likely to bring on a collision of parties. Lord Palmerston will do and endure anything for an easy life. The Budget rock escaped the navigation of the Government vessel will be comparatively smooth and safe. All troublesome Jonahs will be unhesitatingly thrown overboard — a determatiou of which we had some recent examples. The most notable was the capitulation of Government on the education question. After sereral protracted debates the results of which were generally regarded as eminently favourable to the Ministry, Mr. Lowe was commanded to display the white flag of surrender, to theimsuense jubilation of the clamorous " vested interests," and'the astonishment and disgust of the country at large. Tbe re-revived code is a worthless abortion — the mere ghost of its former self. EUROPEAN NOTABILIA. The condition aud prospects of Italy are just now the most commanding continental question. Brigandage ,in frightful propoitions, is being organized and let loose upon the Southern provinces. The most horrible details of hellish atrocity, perpetrated by the base myrmidons of the Pope and *he ex-Ring of Naples, are furnsihed from time to time, and yet, we are assured, the half is not told. Fresh bands of bloody miscreants are very few days sent forth on their mission of rapine, plunder, and murder; aud thousands of monsters — are still being equipped at llotne and at Trieste, to follow up their savage work. The chronic state of terror and anarchy in which the southern districts of the kingdom are kept by these reactionary onslaughts, is beginning thoroughly to exasperate the Italian people, and deep and angry mutterings of.discoutent are arising 1 in all quarters. The triumphal progress of Garibaldi, too, through most of the cities of Italy, has evoked such a dangerous amount of enthusiasm, that it as been found necessary to put a check upon his movements. He was to have proceeded to Naples ; but the Emperor Napoleon, it is said, got alarmed and insisted that the Govrnment at Turian should decoy him back at Caprera. This arbitrary interference with the spontaneous ebullitions of patriotic feeliug has had the effect of alienating the mines of the Italians mors than ever from their "generous ally. " Few are so blind vow as not to sec through the Imperial selfishness and hypocrisy. For all the agonies and tortures they are enduring, they hold the Enjpeior responsible. His army of occupaton stands between them aud tbe pacification o

their country and the consummation of their \ hopes. He is really the ally of their spoilers, the protectev of cruel tyrants and the patron of brigands. With profession of simpathy and kindness upon his lips, he is bleeding away^ the nations strength at a hundred wounds. Tbe process of disenchantmeut is proceeding rapidly, and gratitude for past services is given place to burning resentment and passionate hatred, which on the occurrence of some unusual provocation, are not unlikely to explode in deeds of rash endeavor : | Owing to the pressure put upon the Emperor by M. Fould, he has consented to a reduction in the army of 32,000 men. The Japanese ambassadors and their suile arrived in Europe early in the month, and on the 13th were received by the Emperor at the Tuileries. The Conrt of Appeal at Douai has reversed the judgmen of the Court of Paris on all points in the case of M. Mires, who has been reinstated. The news sent last month as to the suppression of the insurrection in Greece proves to have been premature. The insurgents atNauplia still hold out, and have no intention of surrendering. Various overtures have been made to them by the King, and a general amnesty promised; but they refuse to lay down their arms unless the following conditions are observed:—the dismissal of the present Ministry, the dissolution of the Chamber, the arming of tbe National Guard, and the appointment of a successor to the throne, English and Freuch ships of war are at Nauplia, to protect British and French subjects. Prussia continues in the paroxysm of a political crisis of the gravest character. It. is feared that the antagonism between Monarchy and Democracy will lead to disastrous results. The King, however, as though afraid of the storm he as raised, seemed disposed to offer conciliation. What he refused to grant to a constitutional Parliament he finds it necessary to concede to his fears that a more radical Assembly will be elected. It is officially announced that the war budget is to be reduced, that the finances are to be submitted in greater detail, and that taxes are to be lightened. THE BATTLE OF PITTSBURG. [From the Akgus Correspondent.] According to latest advices, down to the 11th instant, the death struggle has be^un in terrible earnest. Both from west and east there is ex citing news ; but it is to the great and sanguinary battle near Corinth, where the two piincipal armies of the West have met iv deadly conflict, under Generals Beauregard and Buel), that attention has been most powerfully attracted. The Southern General who had concentrated some 63,000 men near Corinth fat the junction of the Memphis and Charleston Railway and the Mobile and Ohio Railway,) on the Tennessee river, advanced to attack General Grant iv his camp at Pittsburg before tbe arrival of expected reinforcements. This was on Sunday, the 6th. All that day the battle raged between the unequal armies. The Federals were by their own admission thoroughly defeated, and two thirds of their camp captured. On the following day, General Buell came opportunely to their relief, and with his artillery and gunboats drove back the Confederates, and obliged them eventually, though in good order to retire to their stronghold. The Northerners claim a victory, and are about to celebrate it b) a day of thauksgiring ; but, so far as present information goes, it has all the appearance of a drawn battle. According to first accounts, the carnage was appaling, 55,000 being mentioned as the number on both sides killed, wounded, and missing. This however, was a gross exaggeration. The Federal loss has shrunk down to 7,000. Both armies are terribly shattered.

But a crisis of equal, if not more momentous, interest has arrived in the East: the army of the Poiomac, under the personal command of M'Clellao, amounting t0, 100,000 men, hud been safely lauded at Fortress Monroe. Heintzleman, in command of the advanced guard, has proceeded about twenty-eight miles towards .Richmond. The scene of operations is along the toDgue of land which terminates at Fortress Monroe, and is washed on the north by the York river, and on the south by the James river. At present the advance of the Federalists has beeu airested at Yorktown, the very spot where, on October 19, 1781, Lord Coruwallis capitulated to the American rebels. Here General M'Gruder is posted with 52,000 men, and it is obvious that if these men are amply supplied with provisions, and are well protected by entrenchments aud natural obstacles, they may seriously retard the advance of the Federal army. Tbe delay of eight or ten weeks is of the utmost importance to the Confederates j for the peculiar character of the climate, and particularly the excessive heat, almost prevents the possibility of military operations after the beginning of June- The probability, therefore is, that every means will be taken to put off to the very latest period the arrival of the Federal troops before Richmond, in the hope that even if in the American Borodino, which must soon be fought in the neighbourhood of that city, the Federalists succeed, the time of their success may be so late in the year that any further advance into the South shall be rendered practically impossible. A private letter received in Liverpool reports a disaster to M'Clellan's troops, but no reliance is placed upon it. It is, however, admitted on all hands that his position is a perilous oue. A despatch of the Uth reports that the Memmac and Yorktown advanced out of the harbor and captured two or three small craft. The Monitor and Steven's battery were lying in wait for her. The latter fired four shots at the Merrimac, to which she only replied with one shot, and then steamed back to Crauey Island. Just as .Mr. Russell, of the Times, was on the point of starting with M'Clellan, having obtained the full sanction of the authorities, he was peremptorily ordered by Mr. Stanton to disembark. He is on his way home. A full account will be found iv the Times of the 24th. The course of the war in America developes more and more every day the inability of the combatants to a decisive conclusion. Ever since the defeat at Bull's run, fortune has been on the side of the Federals almost without a break. At Fort Donnelsoii 13,000 men surrendered; one by one all tbe strongholds of the Confederates were evacuated ; New Madrid, on the Western bank of the Mississpi, capitulated the whole of the Southern army on the Potomac disappeared, leaving the river and the capital free; Manassas was abandoned without a shot ; and this long truck of easy victories was enriched by considerable captures, of guns, stores, and ammunition. The young general upon whose abilities the nublest eulogies have been pronounced, and who, before he won a battle, was called the Alexander of age, and under his command the largest army America had ever seen, reported to be admirably equipped, and well disciplined. The Potomaa being opened, and the enemy gone, M'Cielland was at last enabled to move this form id able host, and on the 10th March he set out amidst a storm of enthusiasm. An animated address to the fewopß, distinguished by its earnestness rather tftnu Us English, pre-

pared them to look for hardships, but promised * them ultimate victory. Exactly one week after i that brilliant army had started full of life and ( vigour, it was scattered like chaff over the hills and valleys of Virginia, not by the enemy, for there was none, but by dismal torrents of rain, and the consequent impracticable condition of the country. Thus, says an intelligent eyewitness of "this utterly amazing rout, a mighty host, provided lavishly with everytbing which is supposed to constitute efficiency, with an I amount of artillery exceeding that which fought on both sides at Solferino, issues fortb, and iv less than one week recoils, broken aud baffled by twenty-four hours of rain and the vicious slime of Virginia. Reginunti, we are told, which went forth on oue Monday 1000 strong,! dropped in on the following Monday not mustering more than half that uutuber. The roadsides, the woods, the whole surface of tbe country, were covered with prostrate bodie s of soldiers, either dead, disabled, or diunk. Perhaps there never was an army, after such cost and care, such nursing and expenditure, so totally bioken up in such a shoit period of time THE GREAT BATTLE NEAR CORINTH. A graphic account' of the battle before Corinth alluded to above as the battle of Pittsburg, is contained iv the following letter, dated April 9, from the correspondent of the Now York Herald :— One of the greatest and bloodiest battles of modern days has just closed, resulting in the complete rout of the enemy, who attacked us at daybreak on Sunday morning. The battle lasted without intermission duiing the entire day, and was again renewed on Monday morning, and continued uude.oided until 4 o'clock in the afternoon, when Hie enemy ' commenced their retreat, aud are still flying towards Corinth, pursaed by a large force of our cavalry. The slaughter on both sides is immense. We have lost in killed and wounded and missing from 1&,000 to 20,00(( ; that of ■ the enemy is estimated at from 35,000 to : 40,000. The fight was brought on by a body of 300 of the 25th Missouri Regimeat, of General Premiss's division, attacking the advance Guard of the rebels, which were supposed to be the pickets of the enemy in front of our camps. The rebels immediately advanced on General i Prentiss's division on the left wing, pouring volley after volley of musketry, and riddling our camps with grape, canister, and shell. Our i forces soon formed into line and returned the fire vigorously, and by the time we were prepared to receive them, had turned their heaviest fire on the centre, Sherman's division, and drove ouv men back from their camps, and bringing up a fresh force opened fire on our lett wing, under General M" Clelland. This fire was returned with terrible effect aud determined spirit, by both artillery, and infantry along the whole line, for a distance of over four miles. General Hurlburt's division was thrown for- | ward to support the centre, when a .desperate conflict ensued. The rebels were driveu back with terrible slaughter, but soon rallied aud drove our men back iv turn. From about 9 o'clock until night closed on the Woody scene, there was no determination of the result of the struggle. The rebels exhibited remarkably good generalship ; at times engaging the left with apparently their whole strength, they would suddenly open a terrible and destructive fire on the riget or centre. Even our heaviest and j most destructive fire upon the enemy did not appear to discourage their solid columns. The fire of Major Taylor's Chicago artillery raked ; them down in scores, but the smoke would no sooner be dispersed than the breach would agaiu be filled. . The most desperate fighting took place late in the afternoon. The rebels knew that, if they did not succeed in whipping us then, their chances cf success would be extremely doubtful, as a portion of General Buell's forces had by this time arrived on the opposite side of the nyer, and another portion was coming up the river from Savannah. They became aware that we were beiug reiu forced, as they could see General Buell's troops from the river bank, a short , distance above us on the left, to which point they had forced their way. : Af 5 o'clock the rebels had forced our left i whin- back, so as to occupy two-thirds of our camp, and were fighting their way forward with a desperate degree of confidence in their efforts . to drive us into the river, aud at the same time • heavily engaged our right, ! Up to this time we had received no reinforcei ment, Gen. Wallace failiug to come to our support until the day was over, having taken the : wrong road from Crump's lauding, and being i without other transports than those used for quarter-masters' and comrnissiaries stores, which i were too heavily laden to ferry any consideiable , number of General Buell's fotces across the river, those that were here having been sent to s bring up the troops from Savannah. We were I therefore contesting against fearful odds, our i force not exceeding 38,000 men, while that of , the enemy was upwards of 60,000. Our condition at this moment was extremely critical. Large numbers of men, panic struck, , others worn out by hard fighting, with the average per eentage of skulkers, had straggled towards the river, aud could not be rallied. General Grant and staff, who bad been reck- . lessly riding along the lines during ,the entire i day amid the unceasing storm of bullet, grape, and shell, vow rode from right to left, inciting the men to stand firm until ourj reinforcements could cross the river. Colonel Webster, chief of staff, immediately^ got into position the heaviest pieces-^ artillery, pointing on the enemy's right, while a Urge number of the batteries were planted along the entire line, from the rives bank noitu-west to our extreme right some two and a half miles distant. About an hour before dusk, a general cannonading was opened upon the eueray from Along our whole line, with a perpetual crack of musketry. Such a roar of artillery was never heard on this continent. For a short time the rebels replied with vigour and effect, but their return shots grew less frequent and destructive, while ours gresv more rapid and more terrible. The gunboats Lexington and Tyler, which lay a short distuuoe off, kept raiuiug shell on the rebel hordes. Tins last elFort was too much for tbe enemy, and ere dusk had set in the firing had neatly ceased, when night coming on, all the combatants rested from their awful work of blood aud carnage. Our men retired ou their arm? iv the position they had at the close of the night, until the furoes under Major General Wallace arrived, and took position on the right, and General Buell's forces from the opposite side and Savannah vow being couveyed to the battle ground. The entire right of General Nelson's division was ordered to form on the right, and the forces under General Crittendeu were ov- ■ dered to his support early in the morning. General Buell having arrived the previous evening, the the bail opened at daylight, sirnul- ■ taneously !>y Geueral Nelson's division opened 1 a most galling fire on the rebels, and advanced i rapidly as they fell .back. The fire soon be-, i came general along the w bole line, and began I to tell with terrible effect on tbe enemy.

Generals M'Clelland, Sherman, aud Halburt's men, though terribly jaded from the previous clay's fighting, still tnaintained their honors won at Donnelson, but the resistance of the rebels at all points was terrible, aud worthy of a better cause.

But they were not enough for our undannted bravery, and the dreadful desolation produced by our artillery, which was sweeping them away, like chaff before the wind. But knowing that a defeat here would be the death-blow to their hopes, as all depended upon this great struggle, their General still urged them oti in the face of destruction, hoping by flanking' us on the right to turn the tide of battle. 'Ifo^ir success was again for a time cheering, as tSey began to gain grouud on us, appeariug to have been reinforced ; bat our left, under General Nelson, was driving them, and with wonderful rapidity General BtuH's forces had succeeded, by 11 o'clock, in flanking them, and capturing their batteries of artillery. j They, however, again rallied on the left, and reetossed, and the right forced itself forward in another desperate effort. But reinforcements from General Wood and General Thomas were coming in, regiment after regiment, which were sent to General Buell, who had again commenced to drive the enemy. About 3 o'clock in the afternoon, General Grant rode to the left, where the fresh regiments had been ordered and, finding the rebels wavering, sent a portion of bis body guard to the head of -each of five regiments, and then ordered a charge across the field, himself leading, as be brandished his sword and waved them on to the crowuing victory, while cannon balls were falling like hail around him. The men followed with a shout that sounded above the roar and din of the artillery, and the rebels fled in dismay as from a destroying avalanche, and never made anothei stand.

General Buell followed the retreating rebels, driving them in splendid style, and by half-past 6 o'clock the whole rebel army was in full retreat to Corinth, with our cavalry in hot pursuit, with what further result is not known, not having returned up to this hour. We have taken a large amount of their artillery, and also a number of prisoners. We lost a number of our forces, taken prisoners yesterday, among whom is General Prentiss. The numbev of ouv forces taken has not been ascertained. It is reported at several hundreds. General Prentiss was also reported as being wounded. Among the killed on the rebel side was their general in Chief, Albert Sydney Johnston, who was struck by a cannon' ball on the afternoon of the 6th. Of this there is no doubt, as the report is corrobeiated by several rebel officers taken to-day. It is further reported that General Beauregurd had his arm shot off. This afternoon Generals Bragg, Breckenridge and Jackson, were commanding positions of the rebel forces. There has never been a parallel to the gallantry and bearing of our officers, from the sommanding general to the lowest officer.

General Grant and staff were in the field, riding along the lines iv the thickest of the enemy's fire during the entire two days of the battle, and all slept on the ground on Sunday night during a heavy rain. On several occasious General Grant got within range of the enemy's guns, and was discovered and fired upon. Lieutenant Colonel M'Pherson bad bis horse shot under him when alongside of General Grant.

Captain Carson was between General Grant and your correspondent, when a cannon ball took off his head, and killed and wounded several others. General Sherman bad two horses killed under him, and General M'Clelland shared like dangers ; also General Humburt, each of whom received bullet boles through their clothes.

General Buell remained with his troops during the entire day, and with General Crittenden and General Nelson rode continually along their lines encouraging their men. General Beauregard, in his report of tbe first day's battle, says : — "We gained a complete victory. General Albert Sydney Johnston was killed while lead* iug the troops in the thickest of tbe fight." The Cincinnati Times states that after tbe second day's lighting the Confederates fell slowly back, keeping up a fire of artillery as they retreated. The Confederates were driven beyond the Federal lines, and pursued by cavalry. The New York Times says that persons arrived from Nashville report that a fierce civil war was raging in the interior counties of Tennessee between the Union men and the Secessionists. Neighbours were daily killing each other in casual re-eneontres.