Still later.
Northern papers as late as the 16th instant have been received at the office of the Dispatch. We make up the following summary of news, for the truth of which the reader will make due allowance:
From Yorktown.
A fine view was yesterday obtained of the position of the rebels both at Yorktown and Gloucester, from Fair child's house, at the mouth of Wormlith's creek. Twenty-four guns were seen in the water battery at Yorktown, and nine at Gloucester. At the latter place a large number of workmen were engaged in erecting new works.
At Yorktown the old works used during the siege of 17th were still visible, and readily distinguished from those of recent construction. Heavy guns were mounted on the walls, and the rebel flag was flying from its battlements. The principal wharf was covered with commissary stores, while the river was dotted with soils. Every one appeared to be busy, as though the coming struggle depended upon his individual exertions.
Late in the afternoon a schooner, anchored a short distance above the wharf, was burned.
The flotilla was yesterday afternoon engaged in shelling out a body of rebels who were engaged in constructing a shore battery about four miles below Gloucester. The result of the firing was not known.
On Saturday Corporal Walter H. Bean, Company E, Bordan's Sharp shooters, was shot through the neck and back while on picket.
Last night things were remarkably quiet. A slight shower occurred this morning, but the sun soon made its appearance.
Operation of the Yankee flotilla in York river.
The Yankee went about eight miles up the York river on Sunday night, and anchored off Gloucester Point, where the steamers Penobscot, Marblehead, and Wachusett were already lying. The rebel batteries at the Point, which are said to be very extensive, mounting mostly 100-pound rifled guns, tried the range of their guns on the steamers about 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon, the shot falling very little short of the Marblehead. The vessels then dropped down the river, and about three miles below the Point discovered a party of rebels building a battery on the north bank, on whom the Yankee opened fire at a distance of three-quarters of a mile.--The rebels seemed 10th to abandon their works, and although the shells of the Yankee fail in their midst, they did not leave the vicinity, but took refuge in the woods and behind some neighboring log houses. The Yankee, after firing some sixty or seventy shot and shell during an hour and a half, left the scene, the other boats having come up to do their share.
As the Yankee was leaving, the boats of the Marblehead were on the way to the shore to burn the houses behind which the rebels had taken refuge.
During the engagement a battery up the river fired some eight or ten shot, but they fell far short of them. The guns in the batteries at Gloucester Point are said to be only in a position to reach vessels below them in the middle of the river, and light draught vessels can approach within a short distance of the Point with safety by hugging the shore.
From Fortress Monroe.
Washington, April 15.--Dispatches received from Old Point up to nine o'clock this morning report all quiet. Various rumors were current about the Merrimac, but nothing reliable was known. She had not made her appearance up to the hour above referred to.
Fortress Monroe, April 15--4 P. M. Hon. E. M. Stanton:
Nothing has occurred since my dispatch of this morning to disturb the quiet then represented.
The fine weather is very favorable for the operations at Yorktown, and it is probable that General McClellan will soon be able to open his batteries at the fortifications of the enemy.
The French Minister honored me with a visit this morning. He has gone to Norfolk, and will go to Richmond. On entering the fort I gave him a salute of thirteen guns.
John E. Wool, Major General.
Ex-Secretary Cameron arrested — he is surprised and Mortified.
To-night a hundred citizens, headed by a number of public officers, visited the residence of Mr. Butler and regaled him with the noise of horns, fiddles, and other discordant instruments.
Mr. Cameron had made ready to start for Europe at an early period, and this arrest will materially interfere with his arrangements.
Mr. Wall and friends, of Burlington, N. J., have been in town all day, waiting to castigate Mr. Cameron for the arrest of Mr. Wall last fall.
The ex-Secretary is guarded by the United States Marshal, the District Attorney, and others. For the present Mr. Cameron has declared his intention not to sail for Russia until the case in question is disposed of.
The arrest took him entirely by surprise, and occasioned much mortification.
Operations of Commodore Dupont--negroes must make themselves Useful.
The Yankees destroying bridges.
A cavalry force of one hundred and fifty men was found there, who, after having four killed, ‘"skedaddled"’ in the most approved Southern style. The expedition returned on Sunday night, without having lost a man.
This is one of the most successful operations of its kind during the war, completely cutting off the communication of the main rebel body at Corinth with Alabama and the rest of the Confederacy, except New Orleans.
A flag of truce arrived at the outposts yesterday, with Gov. Johnson's son, of Kentucky, asking for his father.
More Falsehoods.
General Halleck arrived at Pittsburg on Friday, and immediately assumed command of the army.
General Grant, in his official report, estimates our loss at 1,500 killed and 3,500 wounded. The loss of the enemy in killed and left on the field is greater than ours. In waned an estimate cannot be made, as many must have been sent to Corinth and other places.
The loss of artillery was very great, many pieces being disabled by the enemy's shot, some losing all their horses and many men. Not less than 200 horses were killed.
The rebel army has its headquarters at the foot of Pea Ridge, extending two miles from Corinth. The advance of the Union troops is eight miles from Pittsburg Landing, leaving a space of only two miles between the opposing armies. A battle may be fought at any moment. We have the strongest assurance that our army is ready for the encounter.
Cincinnati,April 15.--The Cincinnati Commercial has information from a reliable man, who left the battle ground on Thursday evening. He estimates our loss in killed at from 1,200 to 1,500; wounded, 3,500 to 4,000; missing, 2,500.
The rebels lost more in killed than we did, but not so many wounded. About 1,000 unwounded rebel prisoners were taken and about 1200 wounded. Up to the time he left 2,200 rebels had been buried. Our troops retook on Monday all the batteries lost on Sunday, and captured twelve pieces from the enemy. The rebels were so confident of their ability to hold our camps which they took on Sunday that with a single exception they did not destroy them.
On Tuesday General Beauregard sent a flag of truce, requesting permission to bury his dead, and saying; ‘"Owing to the heavy reinforcements you received Sunday night and Monday, and the fatigue of my men, I deemed it prudent to retire and not renew the battle."’
The permission was not granted.
The bearer of the flag admitted that General Beauregard received a slight wound in the left arm.
Yankee account of Affairs in North Carolina.
The recent news of the investment of Fort Macon increases the public desire to learn more of the operations of Burnside's expedition in North Carolina. Though there is very little value in the statements of Yankee correspondents, we append a few extracts from a letter to the New York Herald, dated Newbern, April 10:‘ The rebels still continue to disturb our lines. On Monday last four horse men made a dash upon our pickets near Newport, and carried off one of them prisoner. A body of three hundred cavalry was soon near the place during the day, and it is supposed that the rebels, having partially recovered from their fright after the late defeat, are extending their pickets along the western edge of the marshes which intervenes between this point and Beaufort.
On the following day a slight skirmish ensued, without injury on either side, between our pickets and those of the enemy, some ten miles up the Trent river. Of course the result was that the later took to their heels after a few shots, and disappeared in the direction of Trenton.
The rebel Generals Gatlin and Branch, who commanded the enemy previous to the fight here, have been arrested by order of the authorities at Richmond, and are now in con- finement at Goldsborough, awaiting trial by court martial. They are charged with cowardice upon that and previous occasions. The rebel prisoners, now in our hands, numbering about one hundred and fifty, including Col. Avery, are to be sent North in a few days, under the recent order of the War Department to release no prisoners until Col. Corcoran is set at liberty. They are on board the transport Cossace, Capt. J. W. Bennett.
’ Another letter of the same date, from Beaufort, N. C., says:
‘ The restrictions of Secretary of War Stanton's order prohibit me from giving any detailed account of the movements of our forces at this point. Suffice it to say, that the investment of Fort Macon is rapidly progressing, and that ere these lines are spread before your readers our shells will be bursting around the rebel flag, which still floats defiantly over its ramparts. No objection can, I think, exist to giving you some information about the enemy.
The writer then proceeds to give the names of the officers at the Fort and the number of companies stationed there, which we may publish hereafter. The following paragraphs are interesting.
Some little excitement was occasioned a few days since by what was thought an attempt to convey dispatches to the rebels in the fort from their friends outside. A sailboat, with one man in it, was discovered under way some distance out in the harbor, which, as it approached the fort, was met by another sent out by the garrison. On his return, the man was arrested and taken before Major Allen, who investigated the matter, and satisfactorily ascertained that he was crazy, and had put off in the boat with the insane desire to go on board the blockading vessels outside the harbor. It is singular that the rebels did not make him a prisoner.
On the same day (the 4th) a miniature boat, two or three feet long, rigged with sails, was set adrift by the soldiers of the fort, and the wind carried it to the wharves here, where it was intercepted by one of the sentinels and taken to Major Allen. It proved to be filled with letters from the soldiers to their wives, families and friends in Beaufort. Each letter was examined to ascertain if it contained any contraband information; but nothing was found except directions about family matters, statements of health, and the like.--Lest, however, there might be any underhand or symbolic writing, they were sent to Gen. Parker's headquarters, where they will be detained till after the reduction of the fort.
On Saturday last the blockading fleet exchanged some twenty shots with the fort, but without damage on either side. An old lady in town who was watching the firing gave loud utterance to a wish that "the fort would knock them old boats to pieces." She is not the only Secessionist in petticoat who dares to express anti-Union sentiments in so open a manner. As one of our companies was filing through the street on Sunday, a young miss who was standing on a piazza cried out, "Hurrah for Jeff. Davis !" It is threatened to quarter some of the hospital cases in her house if she continues to insult our men. It must not be thought from the above instances that there are few Unionists here. Major Allen, who is the Provost Marshal of Beaufort and vicinity, has administered the oath of allegiance to some three hundred of the male residents. Now, allowing four persons to a family, it will be seen that out of the population of the place, which is about sixteen hundred, three-fourths are loyal to the Union.
The gunboat Ellis, which made her appearance in North river after a run down via Neuse river and Core Sound, has drawn the attention of the rebels towards her, and on Monday last the fort opened fire which was returned shot for shot. The range, however, is too great to permit the fire to be effective. The garrison would do well to save their ammunition for an occasion (which is fast approaching) of testing their marksmanship under better advantages.
The general topic of conversation is the impending bombardment of the fort. The prevalent opinion is that its defence will be either a very short or a very protracted one. The fort is well supplied with ammunition, and as Col. White has the reputation of being a good officer his surrender of the fort without any attempt to hold it will, he knows, disgrace him in the estimation of the rebel Government. He is said also to have eight months provisions, such as they are (almost putrid beef and hard bread) There are no guns in the casemates; they are all en barbette, with six iron howitzers to defend the caponises. The armament of the fort is as follows; Two ten inch columbiads, four eight-inch columbiads, thirty-five thirty-two-pounders, smooth bore, seven thirty-two-pounders, rifled, and six twenty-four-pounders, smooth bore. With the rebels once driven from the ramparts by our shells, the fight is virtually at an end and the fort captured.
’
