CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 55, 17 July 1862, Page 3

CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA.

(From the Sydney Morning Herald's own Correspondent.) Washington, April 10. Since the date of ray previous letter the events of the “ war for the Union,” or of “the slaveowners’ rebellion,” as it is sometimes called, have continued rapidly ascending in importance, and a month’s review of them appears formidable for condensation in a letter; and becomes particularly so when each new act of the terrible drama, now following each other in quick succession, presents special and absorbing points of interest, all bearing now happily upon the inevitable denouement —the speedy and complete suppression of the rebellion. Perhaps the item of news in my last relating to the engagement of the Mcrrimac, rebel iron-clad vessel, with the Federal war frigates A Minnesota, Cumberland, and Congress, in Hampton Roads, and the destruction of the latter vessels after a few passes of the terrible rain, forms a chapter to-day in the history of naval warfare of the greatest interest to maritime nations, and of more importance to some than even the fate of the war. Rut how fatal to this people and Government would have been the first proofs of the destructiveness of the armed vessel of war, when only opposed by wooden ships, might be easily conjectured, had not the little Monitor come providentially to the rescue. You know- the result. Since the return of the Merrimac to Norfolk, disabled that Sunday afternoon, she has not made her appearance in Hampton Roads, for there anxiously watching her coming awaits the Monitor and a number of vessels of war. There also, to bo spectators of the light for the information of their Governments, are the French and English war steamers the Itinaldo and Guerriere, whoso commanders are on this special duty. The Merrimac, a few days ago, left Norfolk, and now- lies under the friendly guns of Crancy Island, one of the defences of Norfolk. Whether she will essay another trial of strength with her reinforced opponents, remains to be seen. Follow ing up the victories of the army of the South-west at Forts Henry and Donclson, the evacuation of Columbu. and Nashville, and the retreat of the enemy from many of their best strongholds, came the news from the more distant army of operations of a groat and decisive victory over the rebels at Pea Ridge. The enemy was commanded by General ' Price, who but a month or two previously had overrun and occupied three-fourths of Missouri. The plan of the compaign was so lain down that the several divisions of the grand army of the the South-west commenced their inarch at the same time. On their approach, the enemy’s scattered forces began to fall back upon their selected line of defence upon the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers, and there concentrated. The strongest point was Columbus, which they were compelled to abandon after the fall of Fort Donclson. Price subsequently defeated at Pea Ridge, commanded the whole of the force in the interior of the State, keeping possession of the route to the faithful districts, from which he provisioned his army. Rut as ho could not cope against the press of Federal? under Generals Curtis and Franz Sigol, he sought and succeeded in forming a junction with the forces under M'Culloch, a famed guerilla chief, w-ith the forces under the Arkansas General MTntosh, and those of Tan Dom. This done, the battle was in turn pressed upon the pursuers, at the moment scattered, for they had to divide the army into three divisions on account of the scarcity of supplies, and there was much reason to fear that they would bo cut off in detail. This had been all along the object of the wily General Price, and now when he had got his foe on the distant and sterile wilds of Arkansas he f thought his opportunity had come. This battle of Pea Ridge, or Sugar Creek, will be long remembered as connected with the most atrocious net of the war—the employment of some three thousand Ci-eck Choctaw, Cherokee, and Seminole Indians, who, after the first few- hours fighting, commenced their horrid practice of scalping the fallen, not always those who had been opposed to them, but friends and foes indiscriminately. The rebel army was 30,000 strong, the Union army not more than 12,000. The fight raged for three days, and ended in the defeat and dispersion of the rebels, Sigel, in the first day’s fight, was cut off with some 800 men and all the army’s baggage train from the main body, but with superhuman efforts and resistless energy, the brave German extricated his command and joined his friends. Bullets whistled round Sigol, carrying off cap and spectacles, and yet he was unhurt. The first day’s battle lasted till late in the afternoon—so far a victory that the Unionists had successfully joined forces, and Sigel had saved the train. The close of the second day’s fight saw- the Union army terribly cut up, and almost to a man prostrated with the fatigue of two days’ fighting against great odds. During the night the troops lay upon their arms, ami at six o’clock the battle was renewed. For three hours the whole rebel force battled for the mastery and there was little hope that the Unionists could longer hold out. At this time six Union batteries took up most advantageous positions, and began to play with deadly effect upon the enemy. This gave time to the national troops to rally again ; the line of battle, extending ten miles, was formed, and volley after volley was fired into the Secession ranks. The contest, raged fiercely, but at last the endurance of the Western men prevailed. The

foe winced, they faltered, they broke, and ran, leaving the victory with the defenders of freedom. They lost 3000 men in the fight. General MTntosh, theu- leader, was among the slain. The Union loss was about 2000, between killed and wounded. Simultaneously, and immediately preceding and following the battle of Pea Ridge, or Sugar Creeek, w-ere and have been minor conflicts, between the defenders of the Union, and those who w-ould overthrow it, in every instance favourable to the Union. It is most interesting to be here in the House of Representatives (Congress being in session,) when a despatcli from the War department arrives, announcing the triumphant result of some important movement. Should it emanate from (he War Department, the despatch is generally read by the Chairman of Committee on military affairs; if from the Secretary of the Navy, it is read by the Chairman of the Committee on naval affairs. A general clapping of hands follows on the floor, and from the galleries patriotic cheers. On the right of the Speaker, formerly the Southern fire-eaters’ and pro-slavery democratic pride of the House, there are members who do not join in such demonstrations. These are the members of the slave border States, and the dough faces of the North who gloried with the rebels in their first triumphs, and now- sympathise with them in their defeats. The strength and invincibility of the Government sustained by the loyalty of the free States is every day being manifested. The days of seeming inaction are passed. The vast preparations deemed necessary by the Government after the reverse at Bull’s Run are completed, and not only the friends of the Union, whom delay and reverses began to discourage, but its foes will wander at the rapidity w-ith which the rebel? shall be swept from every city and fort and stronghold they possess. Never was there such scope given to unfriendly criticism and strictures against a peaceful and benificent Government battling for the integrity of its free and popular institutions than in the ease of this civil war, in every instance the emanation of ignorance, hatred, or bloated egotism. The dimensions of the rebellion in certain parts yet formidable give no longer any apprehension. The events of tire past few days proclaim its fate. Battle has followed battle, and success crowded on success, and each day the telegraph has borne to the Federal capital the resistless progress of the Union arms. Though a little out of chronological order, I will say here that these successes have culminated in the great victory achieved at Pitsburgh Landing, on Sundaylast, without exaggeration and making allowance lor hurried despatches, one of the most sanguinarybattles of modern times. I should say that Pitsburgh Landing is a steam-boat landing on the Tenucsu'e river, where the Union Forces were concentrating for an attack upon Corinth, where was assembled a large rebel army, under Johnston and Beauregard, the victors at Manassas or Bull’s Run. To resume, in order, the successes on the south-west (under Commodore Foote, on his gunboats, on the rivers, and General llalleck and Assistant-Generals Grant and Buel, with the land forces) were followed by- the successes of Commodore Dupont and General Sherman, along the Gulph coast, and those of the General Burnside expedition along the coast and inland waters of North Carolina. In Eastern Florida the people all proclaim for the Union, anil ask for arms to protect themselves against the rebels. In this distant State little was done by the Confederate Government to resist Union operations, under the impression that before the old Government would turn its attention to that quarter their independence would be achieved. But in North Carolina t he forts and towns along the coast and the mouths of the rivers and creeks -were strengthened and fortified. After the capture of Roanoke Island, reported in my previous letter, Burnside pushed on into the interior unresisted till he came to Newborn, the people of which had enjoyed a profitable smuggling business from the blockade of the coast. At this place formidable obstructions stood in the way of further advance. Extensive outworks and flanking batteries, with breastworks rifle pits, and redans, constructed with engineering skill, and defended by- determined men, confronted them. The march from the place of disembarkation was very fatiguing ; and after some skirmishing with the hostile scouts and picquets, the small invading army bivouacked for the night. On .Friday-, 11th March, very early, the contending forces were marshalled for the conflict, and at 7 p.m. the Union columns were advancing to the attack. The 21st Massachusetts (Irish regiment, and in Boston what (he GUth Irish is in New York) led, and first exchanged compliments with the enemy. Then was formed the Union line of battle, extending according to the course of the batteries and some advanced works, two miles. The first cannon shot, fired killed a lieutenant-col-one! Merritt on the Union side. The boys of New York, L’cnnsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, played well their part in the subsequent struggle —the cannoniers especially, for in more than one instance volunteers had to take the place of the brave fellows shot down at their guns The contest was unusually fatal to officers, and many of the bravest in the army fell early. So deadly was the fire from the batteries, and so well protected the men, it was determined to displace (hem with the bayonet. A charge was made, and after a deadly struggle the stars and stripes were about being raised inside the works when fresh troops repelled the assailants, who were driven back with loss. The main battery was protected on the right flank by redans, and tlies must first be taken, and taken quickly, or else (he day is lost. Again the charge that was to deride the day was made. The men knew what the stake was —defeat or victory! With desperate coin-age the bravo Rhode Islanders carried the pits, turned the battery, cleared the way in front and in rushed the before repulsed and maddened foe. The bayonet then did the work, and ere many minutes the whole defenders of Newborn were in precipitate flight. Between the victorious troops and the town of Newborn was a splendid and costly bridge, seven hundred and fifty yards long. This tlie rebels burned in their flight, and afterwards set fire to the (own, but the Unionists crossed over in boats, and, by their timely arrival, prevented the destruction of the place. The first act of the Provost Guard was to destroy all the liquor in the town, and that first night of hostile occupation

the streets were as quiet as if one army had not just fled from it, and another taken possession. An enormous amount of property was captured ; shty-four heavy cannon, and field-pieces, ammunition, commissary stores, camp equipage, horses, transportation and naval stores, cotton, &o. The town of Beaufort has been since seized, and Fort Macon is invested, and must speedily fall. People are returning to their homes, from which the lying and improbable tales of Yankee vengeance had driven them, and are already beginning to realize the benefits to be derived from a treaty which returns them Uncle Sam’s money, to which tiny had been so long strangers, instead of Jeff Davis shin plasters, redeemable on the signing of a treaty of peace between the Confederate states of America and the United States. So much for the results of the Burnside expedition. After the fall of Fort Douelson and the evacuation of Columbus, the enemy fell back upon their entrenchments on the Mississipi River, on Island No. 10. The islands on this river are named after numerals, commencing at No. 1, and increasing as you proceed South. All that art and ingenuity could do, had strengthened the natural defences of the place. A large force had collected at the island, and at New Madrid on the Missouri side. A last appeal had been made to the chivalry on the high saluting style of the South, and accessions were being daily made to the reserve army of which Beauregard had been despatched from Richmond to command. The name of this general was all potent, and confidence was again restored to the vaunting foe. On the part of the Government most extensive preparations were made, not onlv to reduce Island No. 10 by investment by land and water, but at the same time to assail Beauroguard on whatever ground be might select. The flotilla of gun-boats opened the canonnade upon the island about the 12th or 13th March, and for nearly a whole month with various intermissions was it kept up. The land forces were placed under the command of General Pope, The success of the plan of attack was, in a great measure, due to the daring and successful attempt of a Union gun-boat running the blockade of the batteries on the island, and getting above the island, to the point reached by the land force on the Missouri side. This force the gunboat transported across the river to the Tennessee shore, where wore erected stone batteries supporting the islands, which was quite close to the Tennessee and distant from the Missouri side, the channel on either side being guarded by their gunboats. Three batteries were suddenly attacked and taken by General Pope, who captured 6000 prisoners. This sealed the fate of the island, and it was surrendered unconditionally, to the surprise of the whole country. The bulk of the rebels fled to Memphis and Corinth to the redoubtable Beauregard, upon whom Grant, as I said before, with a largo force, is advancing, and expecting to be joined by Buell. The day of fate was hastened by the rebel commander himself, and upon the Held of his own choice. The star of Beauregard, which rose over the battered wall of Fort Sumpter, and glared fiery red about the plains of Manassas, went down in blood in the disastrous conflict at Pittsburgh Landing. But again I must go back, and this time I start from Washington. The grand army of the Potomac, of which you have read so much in the English papers, has at last moved from its position. My last letter informed you of this fact but no more. It went forth to meet the foe, at (Jeiitrcville it might be ; if not, surely at Bull Run, or Manassas. The Times correspondent has spoken of the magnificent array of troops which at M'Clellan’s call abandoned their numerous camps overlooking the Potomac, to seek the foe, and I will not attempt a description, for words would fail me. An immense host they were, armed and supplied with the most deadly enginery of war ; their physical condition and discipline most perfect, and there whole aspiration to wipe out the disgrace of Bull Run, and to put a finishing stroke to the rebellion by the ovorthrowjof the army at Manassas. Fairfax was found abandoned, (lie extensive fortifications at Centrevillo evacuated, and that evidently some time ; for there were no signs of late occupation, and on the works were harmless logs of wood painted and mounted to represent cannon. What a disappointment! Well, the enemy will be found surely at Bull Run and Manassas. The advance is cautiously made, but nowhere do scouts observe the sign of an enemy. At last the disagreeable information is given them that the enemy had vamosed. On dash a regiment of cavalry over the Bull Run, on to Manassas, that terrible buggaboo which had so long held our commander-in-chief in check, and (hero they found a peaceful civilian, a curious prying Massachusetts man, wlio, having been the first to lake possession, formally surrendered his command to the advance cavalry of the great Union army. The escape of the enemy has drawn severe comments upon General M’Clellan, and is a subject for the caricaturists. The enemy had made a masterly retreat to a much stronger position, which they bad been some time strongly fortifying. They are now much nearer to Richmond, and their position protected by (belong line of defences, the work of the first months of the war, extending from James River, which (lows into the Hampton Roads for several miles inland, till they again meet on the Rappahannock, the principal lino of defence of the new rebel encampment. This stampede being discovered, there was nothing for it but to alter the programme, and to commence by clearing the whole open region of Virginia bordering upon the Potomac. To tin's end a corps de armeo , under General Banks, moved from tile Maryland side, and again some of the regiments trod the fatal ground of Bull’s Bluff, the scene of the bloodiest disaster of the war, where the gallant colonel and senator Baker fell, as he cheered on his brave Californians to the charge. General Stone, [charged with betraying his men into the bands of the enemy on that occasion, awaits his trial in prison. There was no resistance at Lcesburgh, and no enemy save dissolving views of the scouts of the Black II orse Cavalry. II avper’s Ferry, the scone of the John Brown tragedy, was again occupied by the Unionists, who stretched on to Charlestown, and concentrated for an attack upon Winchester. This was a large and very flourishing town before the war. Mason, of the Trent affair, had his home near here. The whole

of his slaves have sought freedom and refuge within the Union lines ; and it is said Miss Mason, his daughter, has become insane through the troubles the times have brought upon her father’s house. Winchester was found to havebeen sullenly, though hastily abandoned. A good deal of Union feeling was found existing in the people, but that for Secession largely predominated. The town was then taken possession of, and after a few days General Banks proceeded with the main portion of the army to join General M’Clellan, leaving the occupation force in command of General Shields, who had come from California’to lead the Irish brigade, now led by Meagher. The Secessionists of the place, thinking the force thus left much smaller than it really was, despatched mounted messengers after the retreating rebel, General Jackson, informing him of the state of affairs at Winchester. He retraced his steps with a large force of artillery, cavalry, and infantry, and on Saturday evening, but a few days after they had entered the place the Union army were called to defend themselves against superior numbers. The best disposition was made of his command by General Shields that evening, the battle ground, being some four miles beyond Winchester, on the road the retreating army had previously taken in their flight; couriers were iu the meantime sent after General Banks. On Saturday evening, as Shields was making his dispositions for the coming struggle of the morrow, he was struck by a piece of shell on the arm, causing a very painful wound, He proceeded calmly with his operations till night falling rendered a close encounter out of the question. The next day (Sunday) a very severe and protracted battle was fought, the Unionists finally driving the enemy off the field, and turning upon them their own abandoned guns. For a considerable time tlie issue was doubtful, but 1 leaned in favor of the rebels. The gallantry of the Union officers in heading repeated charges against the fatal batteries, at last turned the scale, by the capture of a flank battery, which was immediately turned against the rebels, and threw them into consternation. The retreat w as a rout, and a great carnage ensued, as Banks, with fresh troops, came upon the field as the rebels broke, and pursued them until night fell. The operations of this wing of the Potomac army Lave been pushed on through the whole valley of the Shanandoak, the most fertile region in all Virginia, and which I traversed in peace eighteen months ago. The valley will bo strongly occupied, or rather the valley towns will cut off retreat by that route of any portion of the forces on the Rappahannock, and hold the people in check. The evacuation of Manassas changed of course the order of the campaign. Again the immense army was' put in motion, and again the great highway of Washington, Pennsylvania avenue, was filled by soldiers,.not inarching in single regiments as in the days after Bull’s Run, when they hurried from their homes in the Northern and Eastern States to the defence of the capitol, but brigades after (brigades of splendidly disciplined men, equipped and accoutred in a style for which no parallel can be found in European armies. Tho Potomac near Washington and Alexandria was tilled with steamers, for the army must now be conveyed by water to another part of Virginia. It required some time for this, but finally the whole fleet of transports rendezvoused at Fortress Monroe, and tho next clav the army disembarked at Hampton, an old British town, and took up the line of march to Richmond, one hundred thousand strong and upwards. On the march they passed Big Bethel, the battle-field of June last, when a Union force sent out from Fortress Monroe was defeated hero. 1 n those days the successes were with the Secessionists, but the time which all men the temper of the people, their devotion to the Union, and tho great element of invincibility the country possessed in the ardent love for the Union which directs the hone and sinew for the foreign and naturalized’citizen, 'has come, and there shall bo no more of Big Bethel or Bull’s Bluff reverses or blunders. Saturday last the army encamped before the fortifications at York Town, which arc of great extent, and defended by gnus of the heaviest calibre, taken from tho Norfolk Navy Yard, after treachery or cowardice bad surrendered that important post into the hands of the rebels. These fortifications were commenced at the time of tho Big Bethel allair, and for months and months a large military and slave force have been incessantly employed in (heir construction. They extend over nine miles. This is the York Town celebrated in the revolutionary history as the scene of Cornwallis’s surrender to (be Continentals in 1781. The advance bad a eoi p'e of hours warm walk with tho batteries on Saturday, but it was a mere exchange of compliments, a friendly spar, preparatory to (he bloody struggle that will give fresh celebrity to the field of Yorktown. Tho sharpshooters of the army gave the enemy here a foretaste of the banquet of death that lies within their deadly telescope rifles. The enemy were compelled the fire whole showers of grape and canister along the ground, and against every' clump of trees, in the hope of killing off the skirmishers whose aim from stone, and hollow, and shrub was so fatal to their gunners. Sunday was passed in quiet, with (ho exception of a few shots now and then by way of practice. And as nothing can bo done till our siege guns come up there, I will leave (he grand army, with its chief M‘Clellan. This brings me to the glorious victory of Pittsburgh Landing referred to before. Tho only intelligence yet received is by telegraph.