Affairs in the United States.
We make some further extracts from Northern papers of Friday last. The capture of the steamer J. B. White, on the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal, had caused considerable uneasiness in Norfolk, and Gen. Potter, with a body-guard, had gone to the scene of the occurrence to inspect the ground. Business in the ship-yard at Portsmouth, Va., is very brisk, and there are five United States vessels there being repaired. The following is an extract from
A letter from Norfolk.
Col. Upham, of the 15th Connecticut regiment, with his own command and 500 cavalrymen in addition, left camp near Portsmouth on the 13th inst., and moved through the country in the direction of South Mills, raiding in fine style, but meeting with no force of the enemy en route. At the latter place a junction was made with a proportionate force from North Carolina, and thus strengthened the little army scouted and scoured the country far and near, with no mean success; for near Elizabeth City our men came unexpectedly upon a camp or lurking place of guerillas. The nest was broken up, several captures made, and those who escaped were dispersed in all directions. I believe that but five were captured, the rest escaping by reason of their unprecedented display of agility.Information from the front of our forces gives us knowledge of the fact that Gens. French and Wise, with their troops, have been removed respectively from the Blackwater and the Peninsula to some more important point further South. Gen. Pickett commands the defences of Richmond and the area over which the former two Generals kept surveillance. The rebel force is represented as very weak indeed, owing to the constant drafts toward Rosecrans and Meade.
Fortress Monroe, Oct. 24, 1863. --The propeller Virginia, Captain Snyder, arrived this morning from New York, with about 200 rebel prisoners.--They were captured at the battle of Gettysburg.--Nearly all are wounded, and have lost either an arm or a leg.
The propeller City of Richmond arrived here this morning from Washington, with F. A. Holbrook, the Commissioner of Vermont, who will take all the disabled Vermont soldiers from this place on the City of Richmond to New Haven, Conn., en route to the United States General Hospital at Brattleboro', Vermont.
The intentions of the Confederates in Texas.
The New Orleans correspondent of the New York Herald, writing on the 16th ult., gives the programme adopted by the "rebel" leaders in Texas and the trans-Mississippi districts. He says:‘ The armies now commanded by Holmes, Price, and Parsons, in Arkansas; the forces of Smith, Hobart, and Taylor, in Northern and Central Louisiana; those of Greene, Straight, and Major, in the southern part of the State, and part of the troops of Magruder, in Texas, are to be concentrated at Niblett's Bluffs, on the Sabine river, which, together with the lake of the same name, forms the boundary between Louisiana and Texas. The evacuated regions necessary to be occupied, for military reasons — for instance, demonstration against the advance of our armies — will be held by a mere handful of mounted men, depending upon the co-operation of guerilla bands in cases of a move upon our part.
’ The point of concentration chosen by the enemy exhibits no insignificant sagacity. Sabine Lake lies immediately upon the Gulf coast, being connected with the Gulf by a narrow channel known as Sabine Pass. The lake is formed by the inflow of the waters of the Sabine and Neches rivers. Upon the Louisiana side of the Sabine is situated Niblet's Bluffs; in almost the same latitude, on the west side of the Neches, lies Beaumont — a small town. Between the two points — by land across the peninsula formed by the two rivers — there lies an immense swamp, impassable at some seasons of the year even to local conveyances; but for the passage of an army, its infantry, cavalry, artillery, baggage and supply trains, would be at all times impracticable. However, by running from Niblet's Bluffs down the Sabine river, across the lake, and thence up the Neches to Beaumont, form an excellent water communication between the Bluffs and Beaumont, the distance being but eighty-eight miles. For purposes of navigation by this route the enemy has about twelve light draught steamers.
Upon these excellent considerations Niblett's Bluffs has been chosen as the defensive or offensive positions of their concentrated armies, and Beaumont the base of supplies; for, from that place to Houston, Texas, the communication by road is passable, and at Houston the cattle and entire agricultural resources of Texas can be centred for transportation to Beaumont and thence to their army at the bluffs.
The entire force of the enemy when here centred will not exceed thirty thousand. Their armies in the extreme West have suffered a greater depletion than those of the East, and more from disease than by the casualties of battle or campaign.
The enemy is resolutely determined to hold Texas, for the possession of that State by us will put an end to the existence, as an aggregate, of their armies on the west side of the river.
What Gen. Lee's movements mean.
The Yankees are very much puzzled to know what Gen. Lee's movements mean, though we should think that Meade discovered them pretty plainly in that race to Washington. An army correspondent of the Herald writes on the 26th ult.:‘ General Lee, it is ascertained, came across the river early Saturday morning, and remained a short time inspecting the situation. He then returned, and a short time afterwards the rebels advanced in strong force, variously estimated. I learn from reliable sources that the rebels are strongly fortifying themselves all along the banks of the Rappahannock, and have made quite a strong position of a fortification thrown up by the Union troops to serve to protect the pontoon bridges formerly thrown across near that point. The solution of the cause of these mysterious advances and retreats of Gen. Lee has not yet been positively obtained; but it is fair to presume that he has a motive, which is evidently not to give Meade battle; for it were he has had many fair opportunities ere this. It would appear that he rather fears an advance on Meade's part; for otherwise he would not so diligently destroy the railroad or throw up fortifications. This would indicate weakness on Lee's part, no doubt caused by the loss of troops sent to the reinforcement of Bragg; and his design is now to hide the fact, under a guise of a belligerent attitude, until the truth leaks out from a heavy battle in the Southwest, and then if Meade should advance his fortifications would serve him to check sufficiently long to make good his retreat until under the protecting shield of the fortifications of Richmond. Winter coming on would be to him then a strong ally.
’
Election frauds in Ohio.
A telegram from Hamilton, Ohio, dated October 29th, says revelations regarding the great majorities recently given to Borough are daily coming to light:‘ A Methodist minister was arrested here last week upon charge of Illegal voting. He was brought up before the Mayor to-day for trial, and was bound over in the sum of five hundred dollars to appear at the next session of the Court of Common Pleas. The most gigantic frauds have been perpetrated in Ohio during the recent election.--Highland county alone gives Borough (Lincolnite) a majority of 582 votes more than the male population of the place. It contains a population of 5,582 males, including the unnaturalized and soldiers in the army. The people here, although expecting it, were startled upon the receipt of the frauds, and are now putting their heads together as to the propriety of appointing investigating committees.
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An East campaign for Grant Predicted.
A letter describing the position at Chattanooga gives the following Yankee idea of what Grant's campaign is to be:On our right are the Raccoon, Lookout, Sand, and Cumberland Mountains. These can be crossed. They were by Rosecrans, but after months of special preparation; and should the enemy attempt the same manœuvre he may reasonably expect the same fate that befell Rosecrans at Chickamauga. It is one hundred and twenty miles from Chattanooga to Atlanta, through the same great valley. With his flanks and rear thus protected by Dame Nature, a powerful army to back him, necessitated to establish a short line, without fear of being flanked, Gen. Grant will be enabled to make the campaign to Atlanta without a serious engagement; and the name Atlanta is to be used in the sense of a compound one, signifying and including Rome, with her arsenals; Montgomery, with her great stores of cotton; Mobile, with her splendid advantages, and, indeed, all the country between the valley and the Mississippi river. It will never do to give up Chattanooga.
