GENERAL SUMMARY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 61, 28 August 1862, Page 2

GENERAL SUMMARY.

(From the Home Heirs, June 26.) The narrative of the civil war in America during the last month is, upon the whole, favourable to the South; but it leaves the problem of the future as difficult of solution as ever. The first incident is a very complete victory by water. The Federal ironclad squadron was completely beaten by the Confederates at a point about seven miles below, Ilichraond. The ilotilla consisted of the redoubted Monitor ; the Nant/aluck, which is not exactly a sister ship to the Monitor, although constructed on a somewhat similar principal; the Galena, a steamsloop, which had been hastily equipped to match the Mcrrirnac ; and two other ironclad ships carrying, we are told, long guns.” These vessels proceeded up the James River for the purpose of co-operating with General M‘Clcllau’s army; and their ascent up the stream appears to have been unimpeded till they arrived at Fort Darling. At that place the navigation was artificially closed by chains and sunken vessels and piles and a strong battery had been thrown up on a precipitous blutf. It was here that the Federals were defeated. After four hours’ lighting, and a loss of more than 1000 men, they were forced to retreat. The Monitor, it appears, could not elevate her guns in the cupola to hit the high battery. The 100pounder of the Nanfjatuch exploded at the first fire, and she too was rendered useless. The Galena was pierced by no fewer than eighteen shots, —a fact which shows that the vertical fire from the fort must have found out some weak points in her armor. The whole squadron thus disabled drowned down to Jamestown Island, off Williamsburg. The next success of the Confederates was on land, and in another direction. Confident in their power of overrunning Virginia, and with their forces close upon the capital of the South, the Fedorals appear to have concentrated their whole attention upon Richmond, and to have thought it advisable, and, strange to say, not unsafe, to strengthen M‘Dowell by drawing off large bodies of troops from the division under General Banks,

who was in possession of Winchester, upon which he had fallen back after' his recent repulse. By this movement General Banks’s command was reduced to 4000 men, the Federals never dreaming of a likelihood of the attack in that quarter. The opportunity, however, was too good to be lost; and the Confederates advanced upon him fifteen thousand strong. Against such odds there was nothing left but llight. Winchester was accordingly precipitately abandoned, and the flying general never slacked rein till he put the Potomac between him and his pursuers. Along the whole of their route the slaughter was heavy and incessant. The loss of the Federals is not known, but it must have been considerable ; and at Winchester a vast amount of military stores fell into the hands of the Confederates. The bare prospect of the Southern troops entering Maryland, and following up their triumph by an advance upon Washington—which would have been quite easy—produced a panic in the capital. It never witnessed such a scene of terror before. The people, however, were soon reassured. The President took immediate possession of all the lines of railroad for military purposes, recruiting began afresh, with as much alacrity as of old, and Banks’s division was speedilj' reinforced. Several regiments hastened to the protection of Washington; but in the meanwhile the threatened danger had passed away. The Confederates, having driven the enemy off the soil, had quietly returned to Winchester. Banks, being reinforced, speedily retrieved his misfortune by re-crossing the Potomac. At the same time. General Fremont executed a rapid march of a hundred miles through the mountains of Western Virginia for the purpose of effecting a junction with him, Jackson’s army abandoning Strasbourg as he approached, according to the tactics now almost universally adopted by the Confederate generals. The Valley of the Shenandoah is, therefore, again occupied by Federals. At Corinth, General Beauregard has pursued a similar course, quietly evacuating the tqwii, and carrying away with him everythingjhe required. It is suspected that this noise|ess and mysterious retreat —for nobody’knows in what direction he has retired —is merely the screen of ulterior designs. It is very likely that the Confederates are playing this Parthian game simply to gain time. Summer is. coming ; and summer their mos powerful ally. At New Orleans the spirit of resistance to the new powers continues to manifest itself in all posible shapes short of open violation of the law. General Butler has allowed himself to be so much incensed by the prtriotism oi the ladies, tlrat he has issued a proclamation against them which has the merit of being the most disgraceful military order that ever appeared in the civilised world. It is decreed by this order that ladies who offer any offence to the soldiers shall he treated as women of the town “ plying their vocation!” The effect produced by this announcement upon the people of every country in Europe may readily be conceived ; and the burst of indignation which broke out from the whole press of the Continent at once drew a marked and shuddering line between the moral sense of the new world and the old. The subject has been alluded to in both Houses of Parliament, any Ministers have not hesitated to speak of it in those terms of manly indignation which it is peculiarly calculated to provoke. It is by no means clear that the American government has thought it necessary to visit this monstrous act with any mark of displeasure. A Washington paper announces that General Butler has been succeeded as military commandment of New Orleans by General Shepley; but in fact General Shepley was appointed to that subordinate function by General Butler himself, who, for all we know to the contrary, still holds the supreme appointment of general commanding the department of the Gulf. We shall be ready to acknowledge that the American government has purified itself of this infamy, when we hear that General Butler has been dismissed the service, and declared incapable of carrying arms under the Federal flag for .the rest of his life. Returning to Richmond, the present centre of interest in this war, we find the Federals, moving slowly forward towards the capital, taking possession of Hanover Court-house, which stands between Richmond and Fredericksburg, and establishing their lines almost within sight of the town. This position excited the most intense anxiety, and the universal hush of expectation was soon followed by the roar of battle. The conflict took place almost under the walls of Richmond, and although in no sense decisive, the engage, ment was fierce and sanguinary. In order

that the action may be properly understood, it is necessary to indicate the nature of the ground on which it occurred. LATEST INTELLIGENCE. New York, June 14. The Federal troops are closing round Pdchmond, A decisive battle is daily expected. The Federals occupy James Island, in front of Charleston. No attack has yet taken place. It is rumoured that at the last moment Beauregard will evacuate Richmond. The Federal forces are reported to be suffering much from sickness. ■ SEVEN DAY'S LATER NEWS. Suez, July 2. The Federals have sustained a reverse before Richmond. A detachment of the Confederates jiassed round i.RClelian’s right Hank unobserved, attacked and destroyed the camp, took numerous prisoners, safely. LONDON WOOL REPORT. June 24, ISu2. The sales closed with the same animation as mentioned in our last report, the only exception being faulty Sydneys, which, from the very large quantity of this description offered during the series, were taken by the buyers witii indifference, and during the last three or four days another slight decline was established. The dedline at this series may he thus quoted ; —Prime ami good Hocks, l-Rl peril). ; average to good, IRI. to 2d. per lb.""; ordinary and faulty,. 2d. to cnl. per lb. ; scoured, very fine, Id. to per lb.; ditto average to fair, LLI. to 2d. per lb.