LATER AMERICAN NEWS VIA CALIFORNIA.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume I, Issue 32, 19 August 1863, Page 6

LATER AMERICAN NEWS VIA CALIFORNIA.

SAN FRANCISCO TO JUNE 11. NEW YORK TO JUNE 10. (From the Daily Times.) By the arrival of the Lady Young, direct from San Francisco, we have later news both from the Pacific and the Atlantic States. The " Daily Alta California" of the 11th June thus summarises the latest intelligence: '—There is sharp fighting going on again on the Rappahannock. For some time past we have had several rumors about Lee's movements. Balloon reconnaissances established that a portion of his forces were moving westward, but whether for operations in the Southwest or for a dash into Maryland could not be divined. Hooker, it appears, came to the determination that Lee should not have an opportunity to carry out his plans without molestation. He sent a portion of his force down the Rappahannock from Fredericksburg. These troops have crossed the river, and, after some fighting, succeeded in taking possession of the road to Bowling Green. This admonished Lee to recall the troops which he had been moving westward towards Gordonsville. In the meantime Hooker sent out his cavalry to the extreme right of his line, and they had quite a sharp contest with Stuart in the vicinity of Culpepper. The same journal of the 6th June summarises the telegraphic news to that dale in the following terms: — The siege of Vicksburg is still progressing. The news we have from there to-day is interesting. On the 25th May, the rebels were throwing up a new line of intrenchments, which looks as if resistance, to the last man, had been determined upon by the rebels. On the 31st of May, twelve men were arrested endeavoring to make their way into the beleaguered city. On them were found 200,000 percussion caps. This fact establishes that the rebels are short of these articles. If they were not, there would be no necessity for such a venture. If the caps give out, the game is up. This is followed by a report on the first of June, that a conflagration was in progress in the city, but whether it was caused by explosive shells from Grant's lines, or was started by the rebels to blow up their munitions before surrendering, cannot be determined. It is stated that our forces at last dates were within fifty yards of the rebel works. The next parallel, then, ought to bring the opposing forces face to face, provided the sod is of such a character as to permit of this construction.

SIEGE OF VICKSBURG. Chicago, Jane 2.—The following is the only connected account of the Federal repulse at Vicksburg on the 22nd, yet published. By two o'clock on the morning of the 22nd, oar artillery fired and destroyed three service magazines in the rebel forts, one on the centre and two on the left or centre of the First and Second Brigades. Logan's division, commanded by Generals Smith ana Stevenson, advanced at half-past 11 o'clock. Two of the regiments of Stevenson's brigade were supplied with scaling ladders forty feet long, but they 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 Two companies rushed into the ford and were captured. The flag of the Seventh Missouri was planted on the parapet, after seven color bearers had been shot down, amid a terrific storm of bullets and grape shot. The Third Brigade maintained its position until they rallied, when 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 the ranks. The losses of Stevenson's brigade reach nearly three hundred. To the left of Logan, in the centre, General Quimby's division joined in the assault, like their brave comrades under Stevenson and Smith. Their valor and courage was great, but they could not accomplish the work assigned them, and were driven back with hervy loss. On the left Al'Clernand commenced the assault earlier than any other commander. The first advance made by Ai 'demand's centre was by Smith's division of the two brigades under Colonel Landrum and General Barbride, and as early as 11 o'clock Landrum's men took the fort, and were in actual possession. General Osterhaus, on their left, had made a breach on the south side of their works with his artillery. There were two companies of rebel soldiers in it at the time ; one ran away, and the other surrendered. Landrum, on obtaining possession of the fort, put a force to work to throw up earthworks in the rear, so as to bring the guns of all the forts to bear upon the rebels. la constructing their fortifications the rebels left the rear of their forts opened, to give them an opportunity to assail our men, in the event of our success in driving them out. The flags of

the Forty-eighth Ohio, Seventy-seventh Illinois and Nineteenth Kentucky, floated from the inner slope of the parapets from half-past eleven a.m., till four p.m. At the latter hour the rebels were seen preparing for a charge to re-take the fort. Our men did not receive the. support which had been promised and were compelled to fall back, leaving the enemy again in possession of the fort. Between twelve and one o'clock, the Sixteenth Indiana, after a desperate charge, succeeded in capturing the fort to the right of one in the possession of Colonel Sanderson, and held it gallantly against a determined assault until relieved by the Forty-eighth Indiana, from whom it was retaken by surprise by a strong force of the enemy. The fighting on the left, done by the divisions of Generals Carr, Osterhaus and Smith, was of a more desperate character and longer duration than that of the right or centre. M'Clernand and his men performed their part with energy and determination, but were unable to dislodge the enemy from their works and gave way temporarily. The assault on the night commenced soon after ten o'clock, by General Thayer's brigade of Steele's division, consisting of the 9th, 4th, 26th, and 30th lowa regiments. General Blair, on the left of the right wing, moved his men forward for the bloody work, soon after its commencement by Steele. A volunteer storming party of 150 men went up to the enemy's works, crossed the ditch and climbed the parapet. The rebels were afraid to show their heads above the riflepits a long enough time to fire at. This little band of a storming party looked in vain for the support promised, but the brigade which had been ordered to follow it hesitated, and finally all but 150 men got discouraged and sought shelter in a deep ravine. William Trogden, a private of Company B, of the Bth Missouri Regiment, refused to retrace a single step. He was the color bearer of the storming party, and when his comrades left him, he dug a hole in the ground with his bayonet, and planted his flagstaff in it, within twenty yards of the enemy's rifle-pits, and sat down by his banner, where he remained all day. Blair's.men finally made a charge, but were repulsed with terrible loss. General Tutler's division joined in the assault on the right, but shared the fate which befel the others. The whole affair proved nothing more than a single charge on the enemy's works, which was unsuccessful and disastrous, whether from bad management or disobedience of orders on the part of those to whom the high commands were entrusted, or from the dreadful character of the work to be performed, we will not attempt to decide. There appears to have been a want of co-operation between subordinate and superior officers. Commands of storming parties went gallantly forward, and were left to perish for want of support. Regiments and brigades advanced nobly, but only to be disappointed in expectations of reaching success. The result of the battle has been disastrous to us in a loss of two thousand brave men. We lost no ground, and the army*is not at all demoralized by its recent failure to take the strongest fortified position in the South. The rebels, no doubt, feel encouraged by their success in keeping us from the works, and this feeling may operate against us in dispelling the gloom and despondency which could not but prevail in our army, routed for the fifth successive time, as the rebels were at Big Black River. The correct estimate of our loss on the twenty-second will place the figures at twenty-five hundred killed and wounded. It is impossible to get an accurate statement so soon after the engagement. The rebel loss is trifling—probably less than one-fourth of ours. Two companies of the Seventh Missouri were taken prisoners. This includes all our captured, except those of our wounded who fell into their hands on the fortifications. No second attempt to take Vicksburg by assault will be made, I think. The place can be reduced in a short time, and at a very small sacrifice of life, bv regular approaches, and that plan will probably be adopted by General Grant. To starve out the garrison would be a long and tedious operation, and the attempt might not be successful in the end. The rebels are reported to have six weeks' full supply in Vicksburg, and by putting their men on short allowance they can last twelve weeks longer. There is not much danger of an attack in the rear. A bearer of rebel dispatches was captured a day or two since, on his way to Jackson, with a message from Pemberton to General Lee, advising him not to attack Grant's rear with a force less than fifty thousand men. The rebels cannot muster any such force within three weeks in the Department. Loring has ten thousand badly frightened men at Hazlehurst, and other small bodies may be collected to make up an aggregate of twenty thousand men, but no large army can be raised outside of Vicksburg, without withdrawing troops from Virginia and Tennessee. New York, June 9th.—The "Tribune" says, "From a gentleman fully conversant with the affairs at Port Hudson, and in the Department of the Gulf, who arrived last night, we learn some interesting facts of the situation of Banks' army. Our informant left Port Hudson on the evening of the 31st, and there had been no fighting of consequence since the assault of the 27th, but General Banks had been industriously and rapidly contracting his lines, and approaching the rebel works. Both wings of our army rested on or very near the river, both above and below. There was no possibility of reinforcements reaching the beleagured garrison. The contest on the 27th was very desperate and very bloody, the rebels fighting with the

most reckless courage, and our men being not a whit behind them in daring or pluck. Our informant corroborates the good account heretofore given of the conduct of the colored soldiers. These sable warriors provoked the most frenzied hatred on the other side, and (he rebels bent all their energy to their annihilation, and since the battle, they have missed no chance to kill negro pickets. In one instance they pounced upon a single black sentry, captured, and hung him. Iheir bloody instruction was quickly improved, for almost within an hour some negroes got hold of a rebel picket, and swung him up in view of their murdered companion. Colonel Grierson was slashing around, and was, at last accounts, between Port Hudson and Vicksburg, tearing up railroads, destroying bridges, hunting up Confederate stores, and canvassing the State generally. Washington, June 10th.—The official report from Admiral Porter, says that after the return of the expedition under Lieutenant Commanding Walker, up the Yazoo, and the destruction of the rams and navy yard, he dispatched the same officer up again with instructions to capture the transports. Beside the steamer mentioned as being burned, he burned the Arcadia and Magenta ; also two of their best transports. The object was to break up transportation on the Yazoo, and, with the exception of a few steamers beyond Fort Pemberton, the rebels can transport nothing by water on that river. Steamers to the value of seventy thousand dollars were destroyed—nine in all. The Star of the West was sunk, completely blockading the Yellow Busha. From what can be ascertained from persons arriving from the Rappahannock, a division of troops went over the river on Monday night, and the rebel rifle pits, foliage, &c, along the banks were destroyed, and earthworks were thrown up in front, with the view of preventing a night attack and to shield our men from the enemy. A severe engagement took place yesterday morning between our cavalry and that of the rebels, under Stuart, at Beverly ford, on the Rappahannock Station, and about the same distance from Sulphur Springs. Twenty men were killed and wounded by an explosion to-day of the magazine of Fort Lyon, near Alexandria, the accident was caused by carelessness. The magazine was totally destroyed. No damage was done to the guns or carriages. New York, June 10th.—The "Post's" special telegram says the fight between Hooker's cavalry and Stuart's force, yesterday, was a very brilliant exploit From officers who participated in the fight we gather the following:—Yesterday morning, two brigades of Pleasanton's cavalry, under Buford, made an important reconnoissance towards Culpepper, and bad one of the most obstinate cavalry fights of the war. At 12 o'clock on Monday night the cavalry bivouacked near Beverly Ford, on the Rappahannock. At 3 o'clock in the morning the men were called, and at 4 o'clock they crossed the ford. Beyond the ford was a semicircular belt of woods, wjth a range of riflepits Near the edge of the timber was a line of,pickets, which guarded the ford and the southern, bank of the river. The Eighth New York cavalry crossed first and drove the rebels back to their rifle pits, and,after a desperate combat cleared the woods, the enemy. falling back upon their artillery,, and maintaining their position until twelve, when our artillery came up. The rebels were then again driven back six miles in the direction of, Culpepper, when our forces returned and recrossed in good order. Nearly all the fighting was done by the cavalry, and it was of the bloodiest character, mostly hand to hand, with sabre and pistol. In the woods the heavy timber was not very dense, so that horses could advance through it, but the undergrowth was thick. Our loss was considerable, and the slaughter of the rebels fearful. The approximate number of casualties on both sides is not reported. Colonel B. Davis was killed. By this sudden and brilliant dash of our cavalry into the enemy's line, their plans have been frustrated, and the intended raid of Stuart's forces prevented.

The steamer Creole, from New Orleans the 24th, has arrived. Dispatches in the New Orleans "Era" of the 24th, dated Port Hudson Plains, May 22, says: —Yesterday, Auger's whole division were engaged in a nine hours' fight in Port Hudson Plains, four miles in the rear of Port Hudson, on the Bayou Sara road. The rebels were thoroughly whipped, and left a large number killed and wounded on the field. The rebel General Gardner sent a flag of truce at midnight, asking permission to bury the dead. We took one thousand prisoners. The enemy was driven three «miles from his first position and Auger bivouacked on the field of battle. Our loss was 12 killed and 56 wounded. Our men fought with great bravery.

Files;of the New Orleans "Era" to the 24th have been received, from, which we glean as follows: An Alexandria letter of the 12th gives the details of the taking of that place by Admiral Porter, and the arrival of General Banks. All our troops had arrived. Banks was planning another movement. It is rumored that seven thousand of reinforcements are coming from Arkansas to the rebel General Taylor., Banks had issued an order offering bounties for reenlistments. The first Texas Cavalry, CoL Davis, made a raid on the Jackson Railroad from Tieckfair Station to Camp Moore, destroying every bridge on the road, including a large one over ihe, Langiajio River; also, a car factory near Independence, a, shoe factory, a tannery, together with saw and grist mills near Lichford. A Baton Rouge letter of the 14th, states that General Dudley, with two brigades, made an expedition to Port Hudson, up the Clinton road reaching Bayou Sara. The rebel pickets were .driven, within two miles of Port Hudson. The raid by Colonel Grierson tore up the railroad between Clinton and Port Hudson, cut the telegraph wires, and burned the rebel camp. Rumors from Pascagoula reached New Orleans on the 21st, that Mobile had been attacked. One rebel stated that a telegraphic dispatch had been received at Pascagoula from Mobile, that Fort Morgan had got under. A letter of the 19th, from Bayou Sara, La., states that Dudley's Brigade made a reconnoissance to within a mile of Port Hudson batteries, and ascertained that the rebels had not been reinforced. Prisoners stated that the garrison had been discontented. A letter of the 22 nd states our army had reached the precincts of Port Hudson, and an attack was in progress. The prospects were favorable for capturing the place and all in it. Rio Janeiro correspondence says that the Brazilian authorities have displaced the commander at Fernando de Haranha, for allowing the pirate Alabama to commit depredations in Brazilian waters. The new commander who was sent to the Island, protested against the Alabama remaining there, and Ordered her to leave in a few hours. Unfortunately, he had no vessel of war to enforce his orders, but every satisfaction in the power of the Brazilian authorities to give, has been tendered the American Consul. It was supposed at Pernambuco that the Alabama sailed south on the 29th of April.

la answer to enquiries made by the Postmaster General of England, the P. and 0. Company have offered to perform a fortnightly postal service between Southampton and Australia instead of the present service, for an additional subsidy of £50,000 per annum. When some time ago, the agent of the Company was in Melbourne, he offered to undertake this extra service for an additional sum of £60,000. The (jroposal now made therefore to the Post Office authorities in London, is a reduction on the .terms qnginally suggested of £IO,OOO. The Company receive at present a subsidy of £134,700 annually for carrying a monthly mail. For a fortnightly mail the sum would be £184,700. ( Of the moiety of the present subsidy which is defrayed by the colonies, Victoria alone pays as much as £49,184, or considerably more than all the other colonies benefited pay together. Nearly £21,000 of this sum is however returned to the treasury in the shape of postage rates and fees. It is contended that the establishment of a fortnightly service would go far towards doubling the present postal revenue, and that thus a saving instead of a loss would be the effect of the transaction. Such is the argument of the Argus, which strongly urges the Government to intimate at once to the Postmaster General the anxiety of the colony of Victoria to avail itself of the offer made by the P. and O. Company. Horrible Scenb.—Children Mutilated by Rats.~-A bnrrible affetir occurred at Kirkheaton during the night of Saturday week, when some children in two separate nouses were, whilst sleeping in their beds, attacked most savagely by rats. Three children of one family were put to bed at the usual time, in their bed on the ground floor, and soon afterwards their parents retired to bed upstairs. During the night the parents were aroused by the screaming of one of the children, who declared that one of the others was biting him. The noise of the children continuing, the mother got up and went down stairs. She was surprised to see blood streaming from all three of them, and, on turning down the bedclothes, was horrified at seeing four large rats jump from the bed, no fewer than twelve of them being in the room. All three children were more or fless severely bitten on the head, arms, and hands. The same night another child, in a house nearly adjoining, was bitten in a similar manner. On Tuesday night, a man living in the same locality, Was also attacked by these ferocious animals while asleep in bed. It is supposed the vermin have been driven from want of food to force themselves up the drains and thus into the houses.— Bali/ax Guardian,