LATER NEWS FROM AMERICA AND GREAT BRITAIN.

Hawke's Bay Times, 17 August 1863, Page 1 (Supplement)

LATER NEWS FROM AMERICA AND GREAT BRITAIN.

SIEGE OF VICKSBURG. NEW MOVEMENTS ON THE RAPPAHANNOCK. ADVANCE OF THE FRENCH ON THE CITY OF MEXICO. INTERVENTION OF ENGLAND AND FRANCE IN oF POLANH Ax American ship, the Lady Young, arrived at Port Chalmers on the 9th instant, from San Francisco direct, bringing files from that place to the 11th of June. The Otago Daily Telegraph says :—“ The siege of Vicksburg had been commenced in earnest, and was described as a more murderous contest than any the armies of the Federals had yet 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 army 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 sight 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 Otago Daily Times thus summarises the American intelligence : By way of California we have nearly a months later intelligence from the Atlantic 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 land 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 sent 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 the garrison reduced to silence. Commenting on news of subsequent date to this, the Alta California speaks of its being “ pretty well settled that Grant has given up all idea of taking 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 of the place to run away with 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 Californian papers of a week later than those containing this item, they furnish us with no intelligence of further progress. In the meantime, everything indicates that the besieged are bent on a desperate defence, and have strong hopes that the siege will be raised. Some skirmishing and military movements had taken place on the Rappahannock, but not on a large scale, or with any decisive result ; and in this direction the war may bo regarded as at present in suspense, so far as the relative positions of the two belligerents are concerned. A portion of Hooker’s force appears to have crossed the Rappahannock and engaged a portion of the Confederate army, succeeding in making good their ground. This movement was occasioned, it is said, by the discovery by balloon reconnaisance of Lee's design to send a force westward. On the 9th Juno, the New\ork 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 mag 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 usual casualties inflicted by the enemy. A visit to the front discloses the enemy in unusually strong force in their old position to the right and left of our advanced line.” On the 9th it appears, according to the latest telegrams published 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 sudden 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 endeavoured thus to extract the real significance of the fragmentary intelligence at hand. And it is evident that no 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. Ve make a few extracts of most interesting and important. THE FEDERAL REPULSE AT VICKSBURGH. 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 artillery 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 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 Missouri regiment was planted on the parapet after seven colorbeares had been shot down, amid a terrific storm of bullets and grapeshot. The Third Brigade maintained its position until 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, sending terrible devastation among their ranks. The loss of Stevenson’s brigade will reach nearly 300. To the left of Logan, in the centre, Gen. Quimby’s division joined the assault. Like their brave comrades under Stevenson and Smith, their valor and courage were great, hut they could not accomplish the work assigned to them. We were drivenfhack with heavy loss. On the left McClernand commenced his assault earlier than any other commander. The first advance was made by McClernand’s centre —Smith’s division of two brigades under Colonel Landrum 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, and 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 hear 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 11 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 hack, leaving the enemy again in possession of the fort.