AMERICA.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1900, 28 July 1863, Page 3

AMERICA.

(From the Home News.) Since the repulse of the Federals from before Charleston, the mails bring little news that is not either confirmatory of Southern successes, or explanatory of previous accounts. Fight ing still continues. Here the Federals announce a victory ; there the Confederates make a sinnilar claim ; but with a single exception, no grand encounter has taken place since that wonderful tempest of artillery in Charleston harbor. The exception to which we allude occurred in the neighbourhood of the Potomac. Geueral Hooker commenced a forward movement oo April 27, Heavy masses of artillery and other troops crossed the Rappahannock at sunrise. It was supposed that General Hooker's design was to make a flank movement upon Fredericksburg, which would probably bring on a general engagement. Tliis expectation was abundantly fulfilled, as the following details will show : — On the afternoon of Saturday, the 2nd of May, General " Stonewall" Jackson, by a flank movement, made a vigorous attack upon the right wing of the Federals near Chancellorsville. General Sckuiz's divisiou, composed principally of Gsrraans, was the first to feel the shock, and immediately gave way. No efforts of the officers to rally their men were of any avail, and the retreat became a vout ; whole regiments threw down their arms and fled towards headquarters. The panic soou extended to General Devon's division, which also broke and ran. Two brigades of General Howard s division alone retired in order, to the support of whom General Hooker sent his own division, commanded by General Berry. The united and desperate exertions of these troops, $ftet a

most sanguinary struggle, succeeded in checking the Confederate advance, and prevented General Jackson from completing his victory. At daybreak on Sunday the Confederates again advanced and renewed the battle. This tinie they were met upon the extreme right by General Berry. The battle raged for three hours and a half, during which General Berry was killed. The Federals then fell back, the enemy in full pursuit. The fighting continued four hours longer, when, tbe Federals having succeeded in getting the Confederates in their front, the conflict was suspended. The carnage on both sides is described as being awful. We extract the following additional details from other sources: — The problem which Hooker had to solve was to dislodge Lee from the fortified position which be has occupied for the last four months on the heights above Freclericksburg, without either attacking him in front or endangering tbe Federal communications with Acquia Creek. He had violently opposed Burnside's plan last December, and his vaticination* about it were justified by the event. He matured his plans with greatsecresy, and at last perfoimed a feat unprecedented in the Union army, by actually putting bis whole force in motion without asking anybody's advice, or giving anybody tbe least inklitig of what he was going to do. Ha accordingly threw between 70,000 and 80,000 men across the river at Kelly's Ford and tbe United States Ford, 10 and 16 miles above Frederieksburg, and about 30,000 near Port Royal, about four miles below. Thi9 done, he for the first time communicated his intention to the subordinate generals: Upon referring to the map it will be seen that the Rappahannock, which above Fredericksburg runs nearly due east, makes, when near the town, a sweep southward, and in the curve lies the Confederate position. By crossing above, therefore, Hooter would face southward, aud by pushing forward a few miles from the river, he would find himself in the rear of Frederieksburg, and would leave Lee the alternative of either coming down off the heights, and fighting and winning a battle, or else of retreating along the Richmond Railroad with 80,000 men on one of his flanks and 30,000 on the other. This is precisely what Hooker did. On Wednesday, April 29, he crossed both the Rapidan and Rappahanuock, and pushed his centre forward as far as ChanceHorsville, a hamlet in the rear of Frederieksburg, and about 10 miles from it west by south, aud occupied it, his left and right resting on the United States and Kelly's Ford, and there prepared to stand his ground. The crossing below Frederfcksburg was effected with equal success and t* a s also a surprise, the enemy's pickets being captured. On the following moruing it was clear that Lee had either to come down and fig-bt Hooker on ground chosen by the latter, or attempt to fly. On May 1, it was evident that Lee bad wakeued up to " a sense of his situation." He had been clearly out-generalled, but he met the crisis promptly and ably. He changed bis front very rapidly, and on May 1 the two armies were face to face, the Federals having passed the day in fortifying their position and skirmishing. On Saturday, May 2, the ball was opened in real ernesL Jackson, on the right, threw himself headlong, with 40,003 of the best troops of the Confederates, on the Federal right, held by the IHh Corps, composed almost entirely of Germans. Th c rascals broke and fled at the first onset, and rushed to the rear in mad con fusion. All attempts to rally them were vain, and Jackson, pushing furiously on, had turned the Federal flank, and bid fair to be «oun in their rear. Hooker's peculiar qualities now shone out resplendency. He was on tbe spot in an instant, brought up bis own old corps, now commanded by General Berry, and ordered them not to fire but to. go in with the bayonet, and ordered up masses of artillery to support them. Jackson was slowly driven back, but tbe success af Sickles, who had broken tbe enemy's centre, was neutralised by this disaster. Tbe day closed without any material change in the position of either party. The Federals had held their ground with comparatively small lons, and this of course, was success. The Con. federates had lost terribly, owiner to the reckless bravery of their onslaughts. The rushed tete baissee on the batteries, and were mowed down with the same terrible carnage as at Malvern* hill. The action was renewed on Sunday, May 3, with similar results. Tbe Federal right never completely recovered its lost ground, but this has effected no material change in its position. The centre is still at Chancellorsville, and the whole line is now strongly fortified, and the relations of the combatants may be said to remain unchanged. But there are 400) Confederate prisoners in the hands of the Federals. The losses of the former in the three days'fighting are known to have been enormous; and Sedgwick attacked and stormed the famous heights} of Frederieksburg, against which so many brave fellows beat their brains out, last winter, on Sunday evening, capturing a thousand prisoners and eight pieces of artillery. Up to the morning of May 7, tbe battle had not beon renewed, owing to two days' heavy rain. Sedgwick's division was stated to hare crossed the Rappahannock, by which, we presume, " re-crossed " is meant, and joined Hooker's column, wbieh had also been reinforced from Washington by Heintzelmann's division, 30 000 strong. In the late engagements, General Hooker js reported have captured 6000 to 15,000 prisoners, and to have lost 6000 men. Three thousand Confederate prisoners are stated to have arrired at Washington. The Confederate Generals " Stonewall" Jackson and Hill are reported dangerously wounded, and General Ransom killed.