AMERICA.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 2026, 23 February 1864, Page 3

AMERICA.

New York,, December 16. President Lincoln is reported convalescent, i although unable to leave his chamber. Both Houses of Congress met on the 7th De« | cember. ', President Davis speaks despondingly of the loss ofVicksburg, Fort Hudson, and other positions. His message characterised the conduct of the European Nations as positively unfriendly, aud says the partiality of England for i the Federals has been strongly marked in the decisions regarding the Blockade. He recommends taxation, the abolition of the substitute system, and modification of the Exemption Law fnv the purpose of vapidly and largely increasing the army. President Lincoln's Message is warlike in tone. He holds out no hope of a speedy termination of the war, aad pledges himself to continue it. He says tin; rebellion is pressed within the narrowest limits. He offers an amnesty to all the people of the South, excepting: the heads of Government and the higher ranks of the army, and it was on condition that they swear to support the Constitution and Union, the Acts of Congress, and all the proclamations of the President made during the war. He says the chief care of the Government must be the army. Mr Chase estimates the Government expenditure forthe ensuing year at nearly 752,000.000 dollars. The receipts will be nearly 208,000,000 dollars. He proposes that the deficiencies should be supplied through loan. j On the 23rd November, Grant made a reconnoisance and discovered Bragg's army falling | back on Chickamanga. On the 26th he ad- j vanced his whole lines, and attacked the right and left of the Confederates simultaneously. I Two Federal divisions were twice repulsed, but eventually Confederates abandoned their position. The Federals took 6000 prisoners, aud 60 cannons. ! The Confederates rallied at Dalton, and the | Fedeials showed an indispositiou to attack them | there. The Southern despatches from Dalton say that the Federal cavalry have beeu driven back beyond RinggoldTh« Federal troops were routed at Soinerville, Kentucky, with the loss of numerous prisoners. General Morgan, the Confederate Guerilla chief, and six officers, have escaped from Ohio Penitentiary, having by two weeks "patient laboi dug through the floor of their cells with pocket knives. Federal reinforcements from Chattanooga arrived at Knoxville on the 6th December, compelling Longstreet to retiie. The Federal army has gone iuto winter quarters. The bombardment of Charleston has little effect. Over two hundred vessels are engaged in raising the blockade of Wilmington. The Confederate raid in Kentucky resulted iv the capture of horses aad 10,000 dols iv greenbacks. Geneml Wasbburn reports the capture of Fort Esperanza in Texas. The Confederates spiked the guns, blew up the magazine, aud evacuated the fort before the Federals occupied it. The Federal Government still refused to exchange prisoners until the Confederate Government agree to exchange the colored troops. The merchant steamer Chesapeake was seized while on a voyage from New York to Portland by 16 Confederate pu&sengers. An engineer was killed, and the chief mate severely wounded. After gaining possession the Confederates started to St. John's, New Brunswiok, and landed alt but the captain and chief engi* i neer ; they then sailed eastward. Several Fedederalsteumers have been sent in pursuit. The Confederate General, Dick Tay lor, with 10,000 men, was patrolling the Mississippi banks, causing an almost entire cessation of traffic. /, ' ■

Not a steamer passes without being attacked at some point, and the vessel rarely escupes without disaster. 1 The steamer Fanny M'Brirle, valued at 30,000 dollars, was sunk-below Fovt Pilion, The Confederates have made a raid on Memphis and Charleston Railroad, at Pocahontas, capturing 400 and killing 300 Federals.