LATER NEWS FROM AMERICA.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 1969, 13 October 1863, Page 1 (Supplement)

LATER NEWS FROM AMERICA.

SURRENDER OF VICKSBURG

FALL OF PORT HUDSON.

f From a Daily Times Extra, September 8.) Daily Times, Office, Thursday Afternoon. By the Hanoverian barque Hamburg, consigned to Messrs Cargill and Co, with grain, we have later news of the progress of the American war. The Hamburg brings Califumian papers to the 14th August, from which we compiled the following particulars : —

According to the latest reports the contending armies iu Virginia, were drawn up — the Confederates on the Rapidan, and the Federals on the Rappahannock. These rivers form two sNes of a triangle, the apex of which is at United States Ford, where the two unite and then flow eastwardly in one stream by Fredericksburg. There i3 a statement, in one dispatch, to the effect that Lee would make another Northern movement shortly. It is said that the leadership of ihe army of the Potomac, is regarded as the stepping-itone to the next Presidency. General Meade was reported to have resigned the command of the army, but for what reason is not stated. It was generally expected that Snmpter would succumb to the federals in the next attack, for the defence of which great preparations were being m«de.

The correspondent of the Tribune reports that Lee's infantry was all south of Rapidan, though his caviilry scout between that river and the Upper Ruppahaunock. A division had reinforced him from Bragg's army, and an equal number had left him for Charleston. On the Federal side there were but little signs of an advance, Lee was too strongly posted for an nttack by the Federal forces. The heat was so great soldiers were not required to drill, much less to march. The steamer Aim go from Port Royal via Charleston, had arrived. Correspondence of the Bth say the Confederates had built numerous additional batteries on James' Island, and were also building interior lines of defence near the city. About seven thousand troops from the North had landed on Morris Island during the past week.

A letter dated the 10th, says General Gilmore had notified Admiral Dahlgren that he would be ready to commence an attack on the I3lh. The navy was ready and fighting would commence that day. The greatest confidence was felt of the fall of Sumter, Wagner and Cummings Point in from two to six hours. A deserter from Wagner reported that two-thirds of the guns hud been removed from Sumter and mouuted on James' Island, and that the fall of Sumter was regarded by the Confederates as a certainty — the damage done in April by the Monitors rendering it hopeless to hold it.

The Federals were shelling night and day, while from Fort Johnson the Confederates were keeping up a bri.sk fire upon the Federal gunboats. At the time tl.e Arago left, the lionsides and three gunboats were shelling Cum* tiling's Point. A letter from Morris Island, dated iha 4th August, states that the Federal lines had advanced under a hot fire from the Confederates. They had advanced within about six hundred yards of Fort Wagner, and their batterie* and fleet allowed the enemy but very little rest. Occasionally there had been very sharp and continuous filing, and on one or two occasions Fort Wagner responded vigorously fora few moments. The principal shelling from the Confederate side had been done by Sumter, Johnson, and battery Gregg.

General Grant, who succeeds Meade in the command of the army of the Potomac, has claimed five battles fiom the Confederates fought outside Vicksburg, and states that the capture of Vicksburg was attended with, a loss to the Confederates of thirty-seven thousand prisoners — .among whom were fifteen general officers ; at least ten thousand killed and wounded— among the§killed being Geuerals Tracy, Tilghman, and Greea ; and anus and munitions of war for an army of sixty thousand

men, besides a huge amount of other puWic property, consisting of railroads, locomotives, cars, steamboats, cotton, &c, and much destroyed to pievent its capture.

The loss o'> the Federal side be states to be — killed, 1242 ;' wounded, 3861 j missing 507.-

Through Arkansas and Louisiana the slaves were being run off 10 Tcxhs, and very few were left for a considerable distance back of the Mississippi. Troops continued to be sent down the river from Vicksburg, their destination unknown.