LATER NEWS FROM AMERICA AND GREAT BRITAIN.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 1908, 15 August 1863, Page 3

LATER NEWS FROM AMERICA AND GREAT BRITAIN.

SIEGE OF VICKSBURG.

NEW MOVEMENTS ON THE RAPPA-

HANNOCK.

ADVANCE OF THE FRENCH ON THE

CITY OF MEXICO,

INTERVENTION OF ENGLAND AND FRANCE IN FAVOR OF POLAND.

An American ship, the Lady Young, arrived at Port Chalmers on the 9ih inst, from San Francisco direct, bringing files from that place to the 11th of Jnne.

The Otago Daily Telegraph Jsays : — "The siege of Vicksburg had been commenced in earnest, and was described as a more murderous contest than any the armies of the Federals bad yel been engaged in. From what we can gather from the telegrams, from which we have made the following extracts, this appears to be rather an exaggeration. The array of the Potomac was, according to general belief, once more about to be led into Virginia.

The French had completed the capture of Puebla, and their advance was in sigbj of the walls of Mexico.

The principal interest of the English news is in the attempt of England and France to mediate between Russia and the Poles on the basis of Polish independence.

The Daily limes thus summarises the American intelligence.

By way of California we have nearly a month's later intelligence from the nAtlantic States. The principal item of news is the steady advance — if we may believe the accounts, which are as usual derived exclusively from Northern sources— upon Vicksburg, by General Grant commanding the laud attack. The telegraphic messages contain a daily bulletin of great strides made by the besieging force. Thus, as far back as the 22nd May, news is seat from Vicksburg that Grant's army had been lying four days around the entrenchments; that during that time there had been a daily battle and continued cannonade ; and that the rebel guns had been dismounted and tbe garrison reduced to silence. Commenting on news of subsequent date to this, the Alta Cali' fornia speaks of its being " pretty well settled | that Grant has given up all idea of takiug Vicksburg by storm," and that he was proceeding regularly by the parallels. The same journal, writing at a still later date, says — "The siege of Vicksburg is still progressing. We must not allow our wishes for the reduction or the place to run away witb our judgment." . It was reported that on the Ist June, Grant's army was within fifty yards of the rebel works;

■ but, although we have California!) papers of a 1 week later than those containing this item, they " furnish us with no intelligence of further pro- '■ gress. In the meantime, everything indicates that the besieged are bent on a desperate defence, and have strong hopes that the siege Trill > be raised. Some skirmishing and military movements bad taken place on the Rappahannock, but not on a large scale, or with any decisive result; and in this direction the war may be regarded as at present held in suspense, so far as the relative positions of the two belligerents are concerned. A portion of Hooker's force appeals to have crossed the Rappahannockand engaged a party of the Confederate ? army, succeedingin making good their ground. This movement was occasioned, it is said, by 1 the discovery by balloon reconnaisance of Lee's design to send a force westward. On the 9th June, the New York Times contained a special despatch from the head quarters of the army of the Potomac, written after this '''skirmishing" exploit, as it is spoken of, which says, " the enemy is in plain sight, about a mile directly in our front. . . . There is abundant evidence that the enemy is closely watching our movements, evidently hoping that we may continue our advance, and meet him on his chosen ground." The date of this despatch is the evening of (the 7th June. Another special despatch from Washington says, "The skirmishers thrown forward suffered the asual casualties inflicted by the enemy. A visit to the front discloses the enemy in unusually stroag force in their old position to the right and left of the front of our advanced line." On the 9th it ap. pears, according to the latest telegrams pub. lished in the New York and Washington papers, a " severe engagement ** took place between Hooker's cavalry and a party of " rebels," who were dislodged from a belt of wood and some rifle-pits which they occupied. The rebels fell back on their artillery, and were ultimately driven back six miles,in the direction of Culpepper, " when our forces returned, and re-crossed in good order." This is variously described " as a sadden and brilliant dash into the enemy's lines," a brilliant exploit," &c ; and it is deemed of importance, as " preventing the intended raid of Stuart's forces." But] after all it was plainly a mere skirmish. It is not claimed as anything more. We have endeavored thus to extract the real significance of the fragmentary intelligence at hand. And it is evident that no 4 general engagement; no decisive battle ; has been fought since the bloody conflict of which we received particulars by the last mail. As far as great military movements are concerned, the campaign halts. The confused mass of telegrams quoted from the Northern papers do not repay perusal as a whole. We make a few extracts of the mast interesting and important. THE FEDERAL REPULSE AT VICKSBCBGH. Chicago, June 2. — The following is the only connected account of the Federal repulse at Vicksburgh, on May 22nd, yet published :— By two o'clock in the morning of the 22nd, our ar- ' tillery fired and destroyed three service magazines in the rebel force, one on the centre and two on the left of the centre. The first and third brigades of Logan's division, commanded by Generals Smith and Stevenson, advanced at half-past 11 o'clock. Two regiments of Stevenson's brigade were provided with scaling ladders 40 feet long, but had no opportunity to use them, being driven back before reaching the rifle pits. Logan's men went on bravely, but were met by overwhelming numbers of the entrenched foe. Hundreds of them jumped into the ditches, but the number who reached the parapet was small. Nearly two companies rushed into the fort and were captured. The flag of the 7th Missouri regiment was planted on the parapet after seven color-bearers had been shot down, amid a terrific storm of bullets and grape shot. The Third Brigade maintained its position until they rallied. They advanced holding their fire to pour into the" rifle pits. After their ascent of the parapet, the enemy gave| them volley after volley as they approached, sendiug terrible devastation among their rank 3. The loss of Stevenson's brigade will reach nearly 300. To the left of Logan, in the centre, Gen. Quimhy's division joined the assault. Like their brave comrades under Stevenson and Smith, their valor and courage were great, but they could not accomplish the work assigned to them. We were driven back with heavy loss.

On the left McClernand commenced bis assault earlier than any other commander. The first advance was made by McClernand's centre — Smith's division of two brigades under Colonel La d chum and General Burbridge. As early as eleven o'clock, Landrum's men took the fort, and were in actual possession of it. General Osterhaus, on their left, made a breach on the south side of their works with Lee's artillery. There were two companies of rebel soldiers in it all the time ; one ran away, end the other surrendered. Landrum on obtaining possession of the fort, put a force at work to throw up earthworks in the rear, so as to bring the guns of the fort to bear upon the rebels. In constructing their fortifications, the rebels left the rear of all their forts opened, to give opportunity to assail our men in the event of our success in driving them out. The flags of the 48th Ohio, the 77th Illinois, and the 19th Kentucky, floated from the inner slope of the parapet from half-past 1 1 a.m. till 4 p.m. At the latter hour the rebels were seen preparing for a charge to retake the fort. Our men did not receive the support which had been promised, and were compelled to fall back, leaving the enemy again in possession of the fort. MOVEMENTS AT THE BAPPAHANNOCK. The Daily Alia California of the 11th June thus summarises the latest intelligence: — There is sharp fighting going on again on the Rappahannock. For some time past we have had several rumours about Lee's movements. Balloon reconnaissances established that a portion of his forces were moving westward, but whether for operations in the Southwest or for a dash into Maryland could not be divined. Hooker, it appears, came to the determination that Lee should not have au opportunity to carry out his plans without molestation. He sent a portion of bis fore* down the Rappahannock from Fredericksburg. These troops have crossed the river, and, after some fighting, succeeded in taking possession of the road to Bowling Green. This admonished Lee to recall the troops which he had been moving westward towards Gordons* ille. In the meantime Hooker sent out his cavalry to the extreme right of his line, and they had quite a sharp contest with Stuart in the vicinity of Culpepper. From the southwest there is nothing definite. | The sieges of Port Hudson and Vicksburg are progressing, and, it is reported, to the satisfaction of the authorities at Washington. It will be seen that General Banks speaks in the highest terms of the efficiency of his negro troops.