Progress of the War.
late and interesting news.
The latest advices from the North are contained in New York and Philadelphia papers of May 16th. We make some extracts, from which it will be seen that the Yankee correspondents continue to misrepresent the facts in regard to the battle of Williamsburg, not withstanding their admission of a loss of 1,000 killed, 2,500 wounded, and 900 prisoners. There are some incidents mentioned by the writer from New Kent Court-House which, the reader will perceive, are grossly false.
From M'Clellan's army.
Among the prisoners is Dr. Maury, a son of ex-Mayor Maury, of Washington, a surgeon in the rebel army.
A Lieutenant of the 14th Louisiana regiment, (New Orleans Tigers,) is also a prisoner, with a large number of other commissioned officers.
It was currently reported here before the fight that the battle would take place in the town, and it was on this account that many of the inhabitants fled who would not otherwise have left. They are beginning to return, but show their secession feelings. Two Union men of the town have held out throughout the whole reign of secessionism as Union men.--For this they have been subjected to indignities of every kind, from insulting words to personal attacks upon them in their houses. Mr. Lemuel J. Bowden, the prominent lawyer of the town and county, is one of them. He says the outrages committed by a single rebel regiment, while quartered here, were daily far greater than that of our whole army.
The prisoners taken are representatives of over forty rebel regiments of infantry, besides independent volunteer corps, batteries, cavalry, &c. The 6th and 13th North Carolina, and 24th Virginia, are largely represented.
The wounded remaining in the hospitals are doing well generally.
Private Thorne, of the 11th Alabama regiment, died in the hospital last night of his wounds.
From Barhamsville.
During all that time our cavalry has been almost entirely in sight of their rear guard, and prisoners have been constantly falling into our hands. We are now within five miler of West Point, which lies to the North, and it is understood that three divisions of the army which went to West Point by water, have effected a junction with our advanced division; six miles west of that place, and twelve miles north of this, so that our whole army is now together. It is understood that the enemy has made a stand on the opposite side of a swamp, (Chickahominy,) about fifteen miles South of Richmond, a short distauce above City Point on the James river.
If the Navy Department had done its duty, it would have had gunboats up at City Point long ago, which could throw shells into that portion of the enemy. Its failure to do so, will make the work of the army harder, but the work will be cheerfully and thoroughly done. There is no army in all rebeldom, nor all the armies combined that can stand for a moment before the invincible legions of the Army of the Potomac. I say this with a full knowledge of the officers and men composing the army.
During the march from Williamsburg here, I have collected the following facts respecting the battle at that place:
The Excelsior brigade, commanded by Col. Nelson Taylor, Acting-Brigadier-General, all fought gallantly, and lost more men than any others.
Some of the newspapers have very wrongly attributed the victory at Williamsburg to Hancock's troops. This is a great mistake.--Hancock's conduct was, as General McClellan observes in his dispatches, brilliant and superb, but, compared to the bulk of the hard fighting of the day, it was a mere dash of a few minutes. The hard fighting was done by the divisions of General Philip Kearney and General Hocker. They began to fight at seven o'clock in the morning, and were engaged until half past 2 o'clock P. M. Their loss, as is shown by the official reports, is over 2,000 killed and wounded. General Kearney's division, too, was the first to enter Williamsburg. His division alone lost 470 killed and wounded. While quartered at Williamsburg, General McClelian rode out on Wednesday, while the troops were on dress parade. He rode along the lines of Hocker's division until he reached the brigade in which the Fifth Wisconsin regiment was drawn up, and near where I was standing. Then raising his cap, he pronounced in clear and sonorous tones the following:
‘ "My lads, I have come to thank you for your gallant conduct the other day. By your bravery and steady discipline you saved the day. You have gained honor for the army, for yourselves, and for the States which are proud to own you as their sons. You shall have Williamsburg emblazoned on your banners. You have stood by me faithfully. Continue to do so, and you grateful country will never forget you."
’ I need not say that this is stirring little speech called forth the ulmost enthustasm. --The whole army indelizes McClellan, and to be thus comolimented by him was felt to be an honor indeed.
The army began to move forward from Williamsburg immediately after the battle. The roads are better now. We are here only with our arms and our rations.
New Kent C. H., May 11.
The 6th regiment of regular cavalry had quite a spirited skirmish on Friday with a cavalry regiment of the enemy, under Colonel Stewart.
They were out, in advance of our army, scouting, and had approached within five miles of New Kent Court-House when the encounter took place.
Only a squadron of our men charged upon a whole regiment of the enemy, capturing two, killing some twelve or fourteen, and wounding a large number.
Our loss is only five killed and nine wounded, a list of whom I enclose.
Our 6th regiment is the finest in the service, and has been on duty constantly since we have been in this part of Virginia.
It is commanded by Mejor Williams, of the regular army.
The wounded are all doing well at the house of a Mr. Thos. S. Morris, near there the engagement took place, which is being used as a hospital for these men, and is under the immediate care of Dr. Pooley, of the regular army.
Before the engagement was ended Capt. Gibson arrived upon the ground with his battery, and quickly dispersed what remained of the enemy.
Our men subsequently found the body of Charles O'Hara, of Columbus, Ohio, in the woods.
A private in the 2d Rhode Island regiment, Company A, was wounded in a very singular manue. during the engagement. He had gone into a directed house in the neighborhood, and was investigating the contents of a flour barrel, when he was shot through the leg by a gun that had been placed there purposely as a trap. His name is Owen Martin. He will probably be careful in future how he enters rebel houses.
Headq'rs New Kent C. H., May 13.
We have advanced thus far into the bowels of the land without particular incident, except the coming into our lines of numerous deserters from the enemy and negroes from the surrounding delectable country.
The news brought by these individuals to interesting, and, if true, important.
The deserter's represent the enemy as entrenching in front of Richmond, and between that city and the swamps that lie between it and our advance.
The entrenchments, however, are represented to be of quite recent construction and to be far inforior, both in actual strength and position to those of Yorktown and Williamsburg.
But it is the unanimous opinion of our officers that it makes no difference at all whether these entrenchments are extensive and formidable, or the contrary — whether strong or weak, they cannot stand before our troops.
Indeed, my experience with the army, both in battle, on the march, and in the encampment, has led me to the deliberate conviction that there are
no obstacles, whether formed of armies of men or the most formidable entrenchments, that can withstand their progress. With General McClellan at its head, the Army of the Potomac could march victoriously from one and of the continent to the other. These deserters like wise say that the Confederate army is completely demoralized; that there is no hears left in it; that the soldiers long ago were tired of the war, are now utterly sick of their leaders and are watching for an opportunity to desert the unworthy cause for which they have been fighting. They say that the officers are still willing to fight, but there is not one man in three of the rank and die who will willingly pull a trigger again. They say, further, that the defences of Richmond are very poorly supplied with cannon, and that many of those which they have are suspected by artillery officers of being made of such inferior materials that it will be unsafe to fire them, and that their supply of gunpowder for the cannon is exceedingly small — so much so that none can be used for experimental firing.
All our stores are now with us, and as our water communication by two rivers is perfect, we shall want for nothing.
Besides, the battle of Williamsburg was fought and won by men who had lived on hard crackers for forty-eight hours, and had been all the time in the rain and mud. Men who can go through that are invincible.
I have just learned of a brisk little skirmish which took place at Slatersville, two miles from here, on Friday last, between the 6th regiment of cavalry, the 2d Rhode Island regiment, the 98th Pensylvania, and Major Robinson's battery of six pieces on our side, and ten regiments of infantry, two regiments of cavalry, and three batteries of artillery on the part of the rebels. Our force engaged at that time was ten miles in advance of any supports, yet it gallantly attacked and utterly routed the rebels.
A negro, a very desperate character, was hung at West Point, on the river, last Friday, for the cold-blooded murder of two Massach usetts soldiers. He had caught them asleep alone, and murdered them for their money.--He was caught the next day, and was made to jump off the limb of a tree with a rope around his neck. This murder, and other instance of atrocity, cruelty, deceit, and ingratitude, on the part of negroes in camp, have completely cured the Massachusetts soldiers of that negro worshipping mania of which they have hitherto been possessed. They have repeatedly declared, in my hearing, that they wished that the war could be conducted in such a manner as would leave the status of slavery just as it was before the war; for the slaves have proved themselves utterly unworthy of freedout, and utterly unfit to be free. And such, too, has been my experience in regard to them. I omitted to state above that our advanced troops up the Pamunkey found a saw mill at a convenient point up that stream, with plenty of lumber sawed, and a large quantity of sawings all ready for the saw.
Jeff. Thompson's fleet on the Mississippi.
Telegraphic advices from Cairo, of May 14, state that in the naval engagement on Saturday with Jeff. Thompson's fleet, the gunboat Cincinnati was more seriously damaged by the frequent buttings she received from the rebel rams than was at first reported. She was compelled to run into shoal water on the Tennessee shore, where she grounded, and had, according to the accounts received by the last arrival from the fleet, four feet of water on her gun deck.The Government wrecking derrick has gone down to raise her, and it is supposed she would be afloat again by to-day.
The U. S. gunboat Mound City did excellent service during the engagement. She was struck in a similar manner to the Cincinnati, but was not so badly damaged. She was run into shoal water, when she settled to the bottom. She was afterwards pumped out, and arrived here to-day in tow for repairs. During the heat of the engagement, one of the rebel gunboats got hold of one of the United States bomb-ketchers and was towing it away, when the Benton bore down upon her, and after a brief skirmish, compelled the rebel to leave the prize.
The following are the casualties on the Cincinnati:
Capt. Stemble was shot through the neck, but the wound is not expectted to prove serious.
Fourth master Reynolds was shot through the abdomen, and has since died.
Two seamen, whose names are not known, were slighly wounded in the hands.
There have been no arrivals here from Pittsburg Landing since Sunday.
The naval engagement near Fort Pillow--our Cotton-clad Boats Victorious.
The Memphis Avalanche, of May 12, gives the following account of the recent naval engagement on the Mississippi:‘ The steamer Golden Age arrived at our wharf yesterday afternoon from Fert Pillow, and from an officer in the engagement we gather some interesting particulars of the grand naval battle which took place there on Saturday.
Gen. Jeff. Thompson, who is in command of the gunboat fleet at Fort Pillow, on hearing that it was the intention of the enemy to come down to attack that place on Saturday, concluded that he would go up and anticipate their movements. Accordingly, about six o'clock on Saturday morning the fleet was put in readiness, and about 7 o'clock the fight commenced. The steamer Bragg, Captain Wm. Leonard, led in the attack. She steamed up amid a shower of balls to the St. Louis gunboat, which was coming down, and struck her on the starboard side; the Sumter, Captain Wallace Lamb, followed next, and butted the St. Louis near the stern; the Gen. Price, Captain T. Hawthorne, followed next, and also butted the St. Louis in the stern, knocking away her rudder and stern post. The Van-Dorn, Captain Fulkerson, came up lost.
The Bragg had her chain shot away, and dropped back. The Sumter was surrounded by three gunboats, which, for the space of fifteen minutes, poured a most deadly fire upon her. Some of the enemy's boats were almost alongside the Sumter in the engagement, yet she was not seriously disabled, though her cabin was almost riddled. The Van-Dorn had a special engegement with the mortar boat, and it is believed seriously damaged her. Indeed, it is reported that the mortar boat has since sunk. Some of the enemy's balls penetrated as much as six feet into our boats, yet so far as their serviceable capacity is concerned, they were uninjured — The Van- Dorn's upper works were almost riddled. A spy glass was shot out of the hands of her Captain.
There was no damage done to the hulls or machinery of our boats. Gen. Thompson was on board the Bragg, which made the first attack. All did their duty nobly, though special mention is made of Capt. Fulkerson, of the Van-Dorn.
The St. Louis was seriously damaged, and was run on a bar opposite Plumb Point. --Yesterday, at noon, she was still on the bar, with a transport alongside, supposed to be in a sinking condition.
The fight was brought to a close by the Federal gunboats withdrawing into shoal water, where ours could not go. They then opened broadside after broadside at us, throwing some three hundred shot, but with no damage.
The Benton gunboat, Com. Foote's flagship, did not leave the shore, but all the time poured a most destructive fire upon our boats.
The Federals made an attempt to board the Sumter, but the boarding party were all dispersed by a shower of balls and hot water.--Several of the Federals were killed at their guns, and others at the forecastle. We fired from our big gun not exceeding twenty shots, mostly from the Jeff. Thompson.
Our loss in the engagement is two--the cook on the Bragg and the steward on the Van-Dorn. The former had his leg shot off at the thigh, and the latter had his head shot off.--We also had four slightly injured. The Federal loss is known to be at least twenty five.
The engagement took place at Plumb Point, and lasted an hour and a half, when our boats returned to the fort.
The impregnability of our cotton-clad fleet is considered now to be fully demonstrated — the enemy's shot penetrating into the cotton only a few inches, and none passing through. Therefore there is now no danger of the enemy reaching Memphis via Fort Pillow.
’
From Gen. Halleck's army.
On Tuesday, Gen. Pope moved forward his column to retake possession of Farmington, which was lost in the skirmish on Friday.
The result of the expedition has not transspired up to the time the steamer left Pittsburg.
As the steamer Gladiator, with the Fourth Minnesota Regiment aboard, was passing Paris Landing, on the Tennessee river, on route for Pittsburg, her upper works gave way, killing six of the troops outright, and injuring several others.
The destruction of the Merrimac.
The Yankee description of the destruction of our iron-clad steamer Virginia (Merrimac) presents a strange inconsistency in one respect. We make an extract from the Newport News correspondence of the New York Herald:‘ Some officers who witnessed the burning and explosion of the Merrimac yesterday morning from the point on which our signal station is located, say that it was the grandest eight imaginable. For nearly an hour before the explosion, the roof was red hot, and at short intervals the guns would discharge themselves, solemnly breaking in upon the stilliness of the night. Just at the first dawn of daylight, the whole black mass was heaved up; then came the report; so terrific as to shake houses at a distance of eight miles. The flash, an unearthly hissing sound, and the great monster, the Merrimac, ceased to exist in that form it which she has been such a terror to us for long, weary, watchful months.
’ After this admission, the writer makes the following extra ordinary statement:
‘ These seems to be no doubt that she was totally disabled in her engagement with the
Monitor, because every time she has appeared since that day, her pumps have been constantly going. The damage has probably been of such a nature as to make repairs out of the question; and consequently, she could only do service as a scarecrow.
’
From Norfolk.
Abe Lincoln has lately been in Norfolk, but from all we can hear he met with a chilling reception. He concluded not to extend his visit to Richmond, and has doubtless returned to the Federal Capital are this. The Petersburg Express has received the following statement from gentlemen who left Norfolk last Saturday afternoon:‘ They represent the city as filled with Lincoln soldiers, but arrangements had been made which will reduce the number to 3,000, the balance advancing as far as Suffolk, where they will remain until a junction with Burnside can be effected. Among the soldiers at Norfolk is a regiment composed entirely of Dutch, from the Colonel down to the drummer boys. The orders are all given in the Dutch language, and one sees and hears nothing but Dutch while in their presence.
The people of Norfolk keep aloof from the Federals, having no intercourse with them whatever. The stores are all closed, and it is a rare sight to see a male citizen on the streets — the ladies never.
All the flags among the ships, and on the Custom-House and Atlantic Hotel, were flying at half- mast Saturday. Some distinguished Lincolnite had been gathered to the grave, but the circulation of Northern papers was suppressed, and it was impossible to ascertain who the noted dead could be.
The Yankee journals, received during the week, confessed to a heavy loss at Williamsburg — none estimating the casualties below 1,000 killed, 2,500 wounded, and 900 prisoners. They contended, however, that it was a great victory for Yankee arms, because we retired and left our dead and wounded on the field.
The officers of the Yankee army had visited all the fortifications around Norfolk, and expressed their utter amazement that we should have evacuated the place. Gen. Wool still maintains that with 5,000 men behind such works be could have put ten times their number to flight. A great many common-sense Confederates fully concur with Gen. Wool in this opinion.
’ The following paragraph is from the Norfolk Day Book of Saturday:
‘ We learn that the Military Governor, Viele, has turned the city over to the Mayor and municipal corps, and that the night police, as far as the citizens are concerned, will resume the functions of their office.
’
The capture and killing of Yankees at City Point.
We find in the Petersburg Express of yesterday the annexed details of the exploit at City Point, which differs in some respcts from the brief account sent by telegraph and published in the Richmond papers:‘ Quite a brilliant little affair occurred at City Point yesterday afternoon, by which nine Yankee officers and men were taken prisoners, and seven or eight killed. About 8 o'clock a small boat from one of the war vessels lying in the James river approached the wharf at City Point, from which nine men were seen to land and proceed up to the town, while seven or eight remained behind in the boat. Stationed near at hand and completely hidden from view was a detachment of fifteen men, belonging to Company "I," Capt. Willis, of the Fourth Georgia regiment. The commanding officer of this detachment immediately divided his men into two parties, one of which he dispatched to the boat and the other in the direction of the Yankees who had approached the town. As soon as our men were seen double quicking towards them, the Yankees on land endeavored to make their escape, but were fortunately cut off and made to surrender. The command to surrender was also given to those in the boat, and several times repeated without success. It being very evident to our men that they were endeavoring to get away without positively refusing to surrender they raised their rifles and fired. One man was seen to fall overboard, and all the balance except one, to fall in the boat, leaving no doubt whatever that but one man of them all was left to tell the fate of his comrades. The survivor was seen to paddle off with one hand, and the inference is that the other was too much injured to be used. Our men then quickly returned to a train of cars stationed a little way off, put their prisoners aboard and brought them to town, whence they were immediately carried to Gen. Huger's headquarters.
Their arrival here created quite a stir on the streets, and men, women, and boys followed them to the Custom-House. We present below the names and positions of the officers captured:
Charles H. Baker, Chief Engineer.
1st Lieut. J W. DeFord, Signal Corps.
Levis S. Stockwell, Assistant Paymaster.
George D. Slocum, Assistant Surgeon, and five seamen of the steam sloop-of-war Massachusetts.
We understand the immediate cause of the Surgeon's visit to City Point was in obedience to the request of a lady there, that he should give her medical advice What truth there is in this we do not know, but from what we hear are inclined to credit it.
The prisoners were all comfortably cared for last night by order of Gen. Huger.
The officers are young men of fine appearance and intelligent countenances. The seamen are ordinary looking, and are mostly foreigners. They expressed themselves as not at all expecting an attack from the Confederates at City Point. But for orders to the contrary, we understand, a large number of officers and men might have been bagged at the Point day before yesterday, and among them the commander of the fleet, Commodore Rogers.
’
