AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 160, 5 February 1864, Page 2 (Supplement)

AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

No change of a decisive character has taken place in the situation of affairs in America. The reports that reach us are confused, and the only facts which ?can be extracted from them of a reliable character may be presented in a very short compass.

After throwing Washington into a great state of the utmost alarm, General Lee withdrew in the direction of the Rappahannock, but not until he had broken up the line of railroad by which the capital kept open its communications with the South and West. There were several reasons assigned, or conjectured for this movement. An advance towards Lynchburg of a large body of Bumside’s cavalry no doubt had something to do with it; nor is it improbable that General Lee was in some degree influenced by the difficulty of obtaining supplies along the new line he had taken up. A dim glimpse into the probable aims of the mysterious campaign in Virginia is afforded by the recent movements of the two grand armies. Meade having obtained information that Lee’s strength was much reduced by the despatch of reinforcements against Burnside, crossed the Rappahannock, made a gallant and successful attack on the Confederate pickets, and, advancing to Culpepper, finally forced Lee to retire beyond the Rapidan.