Still later from the North.
We have received through the kindness of a friend Baltimore papers of the 24th inst. The Union people of Prince William county, Va., were running to Washington to avoid the conscription act. The Washington Star claims that Leesburg is in possession of the Federal. A company of Confederate cavalry recently visited Occoquan. Gold was quoted in New York on the 23d (notwithstanding the ‘"great victory"’ claimed) at 118. General Geary having recovered from his wounds has resumed his command. We make up the following news from our files.
M'Clellan crossing into Virginia.
A dispatch, dated Harrisburg, the 23d, says McClellan is rapidly marching into Virginia by way of Williamsport. It adds:‘ Gen. Kenly's brigade in advance went over on Sunday night. It is composed of the following regiments; 1st Maryland, Col. Dushane; 4th, Lieut.-Col. Bowerman; 6th, Col. Howard; 7th, Col. Webster, and 8th, Lieut.-Col. Johannes.
Gen. Comb's division also crossed the Potomac at Williamsport, on Monday.
Gen. Franklin's corps was to follow immediately.
Gen. McClellan and staff were at Williamsport actively engaged in superintending the crossing of troops.
An impression prevailed in the army that Heintzeman and Sigel were now in Virginia and their mission was to stop the rebel retreat.
’
Rebels Concentrating at Winchester.
The Washington Star, of Tuesday, gives the following in relation to affairs on the upper Potomac.‘ Up to noon to-day we have no information that any collision whatever took place yesterday between our army and the rebels now on the upper Potomac, which has certainly been recrossed by all their great army that ventured into Maryland, except those killed, wounded and taken prisoners by Gen. McClellan, and those who deserted, who, by the by, themselves are believed to number a small army.
The different Federal army corps are within supporting distance of each other. Sumner's and Williams's (late Banks's) for the moment at and about Harper's Ferry, Gouch's and Franklin's at Williamsport, and the rest so in position near them as to be instantly available for a movement in any direction.
The enemy are concentrating at Winchester, and every available man in that quarter, from 17 to 65 years old, has been, or is now being, pressed in the service. They (the enemy) report their loss in Maryland at or near 15,000, but consider that, with the capture of Harper's Ferry, they are about even since the last battle of Manassas. There is no considerable force of the enemy on the banks of the Potomac — the main portion of their army having, as explained above, retired to Winchester and the surrounding country.
They are disheartened at the reception they met with on their appearance in Maryland, as, instead of 30,000 recruits they expected to receive, only about 2,000 were obtained, while their losses from desertions alone were above that number.
We presume that it will be some days before movements of both armies — McClellan's and the rebels — commence to develop the plans of the balance of this fall's campaign in Virginia.
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The rebel losses in Maryland--movements of the rebel army.
General Height, of Ga., was wounded in two places; Gen. Branch, of North Carolina was killed; Gen. Longstreet was wounded, Major General Anderson, commanding a division, was wounded, and Gen. Colquit, of Ga., was killed.
The rebels admit their loss to be 20,000 at the battle of Antietam, and 30,000 since they entered Maryland! The Alabama brigade, commanded by Col. Corning, acting Brigadier General has not been able to muster 50 men since the battle!
The residents of this section of Maryland have suffered terribly since its occupation by the two armies, in many cases families who, a few days ago, were in comfortable circumstances, are now wanting the necessaries of life. All forage and fuel, and also subsistence, used by the army, whether in the regular way, by a responsible officer, or taken indiscriminately by those in want, is promptly paid for.
The claims of those whose farms have been laid waste and buildings destroyed during the battle, are referred to the authorities at Washington for settlement. A people so loyal, and who have sacrificed so much for the Union as those of this section of this State, are not only deserving of the sympathy of every lover of the Union, but the Government should take the matter in hand and instantly relieve their wants.
The movements of the rebels are mysterious.--The military authorities here feel satisfied that the whole rebel army is still on the opposite side of the river, information to that effect having been received to-day. Gen. Lee is also there.
Their intentions are not yet developed. An attempt to preoccupy Maryland may be made, but it must be considered impracticable. Without tents, in many cases without shoes or blankets, the present position of the rebel army would be very uncomfortable should a cold rain occur. With present weather overcoats and blankets are almost indispensable at night.
A summary of the late great battles — the rebels not yet Crushed — the Federal army still on the defensive.
A letter to the New York Tribune, dated Sharpsburg, Md., Sept. 21, congratulates the North that not ‘"an armed rebel treads the soil of Maryland."’ The Federal army, however, is represented as still being on the defensive. The correspondent acknowledges that the fighting in Maryland hasn't been very advantageous to the Federal, but still it might have been much worse. He says:‘ True, we have not crushed or annihilated the rebel army, as many have demanded of the commanding General; but we have whipped him upon ground admirably selected by himself, and compelled him to make a precipitate retreat from the State he came to dragoon into the service of his rebel Confederacy.
Perhaps all was not done that could have been done, but we have met with so many reverses of late that we should not only be satisfied with even a crumb, but should rejoice and render thanksgiving when two brilliant victories within one week by our brave soldiers, under the command of their favorite General, have been added to the already long list which are to make forever glorious the history of this Republic.
It is now ascertained from official reports that we captured about 2,000 wounded rebels, who were left behind in the hospitals between Sharpsburg and the river, and also recaptured 150 of our own men who were wounded and taken prisoners during the fight. Since last Saturday we must have more than made up for our loss at Harper's Ferry in prisoners.
Among the rebel wounded we have about 200 officers--three wounded Colonels, and the rest Majors, Captains, and Lieutenants. I have conversed with many of them and have not found one who does not admit a severe defeat to their arms. They say that if Longstreet and Stuart had fought as Jackson they would have completely routed our army. Longstreet promised Gen. Lee to hold the stone bridge at all hazards, but did not do it, and suffered a terrible defeat at the hands of General Burnside. But their successful retreat is the subject of great congratulation among these rebel officers. ‘"When you make retreats,"’ said one of them to me to-day, ‘"we always obtain quartermaster and commissary stores enough to supply us a month, but I doubt if you obtain enough from us to fill the knapsacks of fifty men." ’ I could not reply to this, for, having participated in several retreats, I knew it to be true.
The disaster of yesterday seems to be laid entirely at the door of the General commanding the corps. General McClellan had no intention of crossing the river at that time in force, and was, I understand, surprised to learn that the enterprise had been undertaken. If the attempt is again made, which I much doubt, it will be entirely successful; for movements are on foot at other points which will compel the rebels to abandon, very quickly, the line of the Potomac.
With the rest of the past two or three days, the troops are becoming refreshed and invigorated, and are eager for another battle with General Lee.--The new troops are doing much better than many officers prophesied of them. They are a very superior class of men, and with six months drilling, I predict, if this war continues, they will make the finest soldiers in the world.
Three regiments have been occupied since Thursday morning in burying the dead. It is beyond all question, and I challenge any one who has been upon the battle-field to deny it, that the rebel dead are almost three to our one. On the other hand, we lost more in wounded. This is accounted for by our officers from the superiority of our arms. Many of our soldiers are wounded with buck-shot, which disfigures the body terribly, but seldom produces a fatal wound.
Nearly all the inhabitants of Sharpsburg have returned to their dwellings. The work of removing dead horses from the streets and repairing the damages to the buildings, has commenced. Two churches were nearly destroyed, and will have to be rebuilt.
Fortunately, the mansions of the rich rebels suffered the most severely. The dwelling of a Mr. Grover, a notorious Secessionist, was almost destroyed. During the cannonade, the women and children were huddled together for three days in the cellars; one cellar, under a large stone mansion, contained more than sixty. They entertained themselves with prayer and psalm singing, and cursing the rebels or the Yankees, as their sympathies leaned with one or the other belligerent.
One can imagine how furious the cannonade must have been, from the fact that but five dwellings in a village containing 1,500 inhabitants, escaped uninjured.
’
Another iron-clad out on a "secret Mission."
The Baltimore Clipper says that the iron-clad ‘"New Ironsides"’ has sailed from Philadelphia with sealed orders for nobody knows where. It adds:‘ It is to be hoped that the rebel steamer which was so shamefully permitted to escape the blockade at the South a few days ago will be safely caged by Capt. Turner, who is in command of this noble ship. It is high time our navy was at work again.
It is well known that at the few ports still held by the rebels they are making desperate efforts to fit out iron-clads; and the first we shall hear of them some of these days will be a sudden raid against some of our men of war, the commanders of which, like Capt. Preble, will permit them to outwit and perhaps destroy them.
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The press on Lincoln's proclamation.
The Washington National Intelligencer thinks the proclamation of the President, with regard to the emancipation of slaves in the Confederate States, likely to prove equally void of practical effect with that of Gen. Hunter, and is not ‘"without the suspicion that the President has taken this method to convince the only class of persons likely to be pleased with this proclamation of the utter fallacy of the hopes they have founded upon it"’The Washington Republican is jubilant over the proclamation, believes it ‘"will be received by the loyal States with a perfect furors of acclamation." ’ and says while it will lose to the President a few latter-day friends, ‘"it will restore to the President all his old friends, and unite the sound portion of the people in one solid and impregnable mass in support of the Union and the Constitution."’
The Baltimore Clipper says the proclamation came ‘"very unexpectedly on the country,"’ and adds:
‘ We know not what can have been the prompting motive of the President to have again presented this subject to the attention of the country at this time, except that the sixty days notice of the confiscation act had expired. The remark recently made by him to a distinguished citizen, that the time had not arrived for such a step, had left upon the minds of the people the hope that the negro question, any farther than as it was noticed in Mr. Lincoln's reply to Horace Greeley, would not be soon again urged upon the public attention until the close of the war. The subject is one which the loyal men of the border States cannot but believe is not calculated to aid the Union cause, and therefore regret to find it thrust before the public again. No good, we believe, will come of its reproduction, and we hope no evil may flow from it; but we think it had better been left alone.
’
Negro regiments in Kansas.
A correspondent of the St. Louis Democrat, writing from Kansas City, gives a description of some of Gen. Lane's volunteers, as follows:‘ A detachment of Lane's new negro brigade, numbering 200, arrived to day at Camp Lane, near Wyandotte Bridge, in Kansas, opposite this city. Their departure from Leavenworth yesterday is described by an eye-witness as being novel in the extreme.--The detachment, accompanied by their baggage trains, marched through the principal streets, singing ‘"John Brown's body lies mouldering in the ground."’ On arriving at the levee a most ludicrous and affecting scene occurred in the leave takings of the darkey women, girls and old men. Tears, grimaces, grips, ivory, and ‘"God bless ye's,"’ were commingled in laughable, melancholy, wrathful style. One crippled darkey, in gibbering a general adieu, admonished them thus; "Show your pluck, Africans; never show your back to the sash. "
’
What the Confederates got at Manassas.
From a Union man lately from the vicinity of Manassas we learn that the attempt to destroy the stores and cars at that point by our people, at the time Gen. Banks fell back to Centreville, was a failure. The cars and engines were so little injured by the fire that almost the entire number was got off by the rebels. They got six engines in this way, and a large number of cars. Two of the engines were in sufficiently good order to run at once. The rebels also got a large amount of supplies here, very little damaged; amongst them a car load of harness, and sufficient arms to supply soldiers and citizens with two or three guns apiece.-- Washington Star.
The Federal version of the battle of Iuka.
A dispatch dated Cairo, Sept. 22d, says latest information in regard to the battle of Iuka states that, on Saturday, Price was attacked at three points at the same time, being nearly surrounded. He cut his way through at the point where the 17th Illinois regiment were stationed. ‘"This regiment suffered more severely than any other in the fight."’"An attempt was made an Friday by a band of rebels to burn the hospital, but they were repulsed by our sharpshooters with severe loss. During the fight on Saturday, a body of Texan Rangers made a dash on our batteries, and notwithstanding a determined resistance, succeeded in spiking two guns. Our troops acted throughout with the most unflinching bravery.
Gen. M'Clellan on the Harper's Ferry surrender.
A correspondent of the Baltimore American States, that at Sharpsburg, on Friday, Gen. McClellan met the guide who conducted the cavalry force from Harper's Ferry, and enabled them to escape and capture Longstreet's train. He complimented him for his services, and remarked, that if Colonel Miles had held out 24 hours longer he would have been able to capture a large portion of the rebel army.
