We take from our latest Northern files some additional intelligence of interest:
The Red river expedition — the Federal losses
In the partial list of the wounded of the Yankees at Red river we find killed Cols. Benedict, 162d New York; Webb, 77th Illinois, and Mix, and about twenty field officers, among whom Colonels Emerson and Vance fell into the hands of the Confederates. The loss of twenty pieces of artillery, but subsequent recapture of three, is admitted. The Philadelphia Inquirer has a letter de scribing the skirmishing and fighting from the 7th to the 9th, and including that day. It is the last attempt to cover up the defeat.
The first day of the battle.
The first battle took place on the 7th, in which the Union cavalry, after skirmishing with the enemy and driving them for fourteen miles, until they got two miles beyond Pleasant Hill, came upon twenty-five hundred rebel cavalry, posted in a strong position, under General Greene. They were charged upon by the Federal cavalry, and after a spirited contest driven off the field. Our losses were about forty killed and wounded; that of the enemy about as heavy.
The second day's battle.
On the 8th Col. Gandrum's brigade of infantry, with the cavalry, pressed forward, and finally met the rebels in strong force under Kirby Smith, Dick Taylor, Mouton, Greene, and Price, with from eighteen to twenty two thousand men. There was brisk skirmishing, and final the rebels came on in force, Gens. Banks and Ransom being upon the field. Franklin was sent for, but before he came up the rebel successes had been great. They made desperate charges in mass, and were desperately resisted The losses on both sides were frightful. Finally, after Franklin had come up, the Federal force was driven back three and a half miles, but the enemy were checked with fearful slaughter by two brigades under Gen. Emory.--Night put an end to the contest. The Federals were under Banks, Ransom, Stone, and Lee.--Many guns were lost On the rebel side it is known that General Mouton was killed.
The third day's battle a Union victory.
By falling back Gen. Banks had effected a junction with Gen A J Smith, and arrangements were made to receive the enemy with effect. General Emory had charge of the first line of battle, with Gens McMillan, Dwight, and others Behind Emory posted in a hollow, was Gen Smith's forces. Skirmishing was kept up until about five o'clock in the afternoon, when the rebels came up in their old style in masses, in three lines of battle. Our batteries opened upon them with terrible effect.--The Nineteenth army corps was gradually forced back. The first line of the rebels had been entirely broken up by Emory's resistance, but the remaining two pressed on.
The final charge.
Now came the grand coup de main. The Nineteenth, on arriving at the top of the hill, suddenly filed over the hill and passed through the lines of Gen Smith. We must here mention that the rebels were now in but two lines of battle, the first having been almost annihilated by Gen Emory, what remained having been forced back into the second line. But these two lines came on exultant and sure of victory.The first passed over the knoll, and all heedless of the long line of cannons and crouching forms of as brave men as ever trod mother earth, pressed on. The second line appeared on the crest, and the death signal was sounded. Words cannot describe the awful effects of this discharge. Seven thousand rifles and several batteries of artillery, loaded to the muzzle with grape and cannister, were fired simultaneously, and the whole centre of the rebel line was crushed down as a field of ripe wheat through which a tornado had passed. It is estimated that one thousand men were hurried into eternity or frightfully mangled by this one discharge.
No time was given them to recover their good order, but General Smith ordered a charge, and his men dashed rapidly forward, the boys of the Nineteenth joining in The rebels fought boldly and desperately back to the timber, on reaching which a large portion broke and fled, fully two thousand throwing aside their rams. In this charge Taylor's battery was retaken, as were also two of the guns of Sim's battery, the Parrott gun taken from us at Carrion Crow last fall, and one or two others belonging to the rebels one of which was considerably shattered, besides seven hundred prisoners. A pursuit and desultory fight was kept up for three miles, when our men returned to the field of battle.
The above not very smooth story does not impose on the Yankee public. The New York Tribune, speaking of the disaster, frankly admits it, and gives the following dispassionate statement of it:
Gen Banks, during the week following the 7th instant, advanced 43 miles, fought two battles, lost abut 3,500 men, 20 guns, two of which were afterwards retaken, and 300 wagons, and returned to the point whence he started. These events are important in themselves and in their probable consequences; they require, therefore, to be examined more in detail. The fight on the 7th may be dismissed without remark; it was simply a skirmish. The serious work begins on the 8th, and begins in this way:
Gen Banks's advance consisted wholly of cavalry, whereof there were three brigades, numbering five thousand men. Aware that they had an enemy in their immediate front — they had been engaged the day before — Gen Banks allowed them to push on without an infantry support and with the whole of their train, consisting of 300 wagons.--There was but one road. In response to a report, on the the morning of the 8th, that the cavalry had been checked and were hard pressed by an infantry force in front, Gen Banks sent forward two divisions of the 13th army corps. These two divisions — being less than one third of the whole army — were precipitated eight miles beyond the nearest portion of the main body, and arriving in front of the enemy were vigorously attacked.
The cavalry, in whose support they had came up, fled. The infantry were outnumbered, flanked, beaten, and attempted to retreat. The road by which alone the artillery could move was blocked by the wagon train of the cavalry. A scene of wild confusion, panic, and finally litter rout, followed. Twenty guns were captured by the enemy. "The roads were so blocked up, " says an artillery officer, "that the order was given to cut the traces and save themselves. The retreat by this time had become a rout" When it had continued for a long distance, the pursuit of the enemy was checked by the arrival of the 19th corps and of night From the ground on which the 19th corps had taken its stand, Gen Banks ordered a retreat to Pleasant Hill, which was effected during the darkness.
The causes of this disaster were that Gen Banks suffered the cavalry to advance beyond easy supporting distance; that the cavalry train was suffered to get in front of the whole infantry force, and so prevented the use of the only road for troops or artillery to advance or retreat; and that when Gen Banks decided to deliver battle, instead of withdrawing his cavalry, he committed to that engagement against the whole body of the enemy but a small part of his own force, and sent that, as he had previously done the cavalry, out of reach of the remaining infantry, by whose aid the battle could have been won. It is remarkable that he here committed exactly the error by which, in August, 1862, he lost the battle of Cedar Mountain in Virginia.
On the 9th Gen Banks, having concentrated his army near Pleasant Bill, by bringing up a part from the rear and by withdrawing a part from the front, and the enemy having continued his pursuit of that part which was withdrawn from the front, the engagement was resumed. Skirmishing occupied the greater part of the day About 5 o'clock in the afternoon, the enemy attacked. The force of his onset was received by the Sixteenth Army Corps, under Gen Andrew Jackson Smith. Partially successful at some points, the enemy captured the whole of a battery, and pressed on. Received at close quarters, with a very deadly discharge of artillery and musketry their final charge along the line was repulsed; the battery was retaken, and the rebels were driven from the field. It appears, however, that the 13th Army Corps, of which two divisions had been sacrificed the day before, was able to take no part in this battle, and that the losses of the 19th Army Corps had also been heavy on the 8th, and that the 16th Army Corps now, although victorious, suffered heavily from the desperate fighting of the enemy.
So that, upon the whole, Gen Banks, on the morning of the 10th of April, found his army in that condition in which it seemed to him advisable to decline further contest with the rebel force under Gen Kirby Smith, and to retreat He fell back from Pleasant Hill to Grand Encore, a distance of thirty-five miles The enemy had been so severely repulsed on the evening of the 9th that they seemed to have been unable — or possibly, for another reason, unwilling — to pursue the retiring forces of Gen Banks; and the march to Grand Encore was accomplished without molestation.
It is reported that Gen Steele, who when last heard from was at Camden, Arkansas, and whose force was meant to have effected a junction with the force of Gen Banks at Shreveport, Louisiana, was within sixty miles of the latter place. The misfortune of Gen Banks's retreat is that it leaves the enemy at liberty to turn all his forces against the advance of Gen Steels. The safety of the latter is perhaps compromised, and if he is attacked and beaten, his defeat will add one more to the many examples of the impolicy of seeking to unite in the face of the enemy two columns marching from different points by converging lines.
Financial matters — the Grand Crash coming — Chase Stops the sale of his gold certificates.
On the 16th inst. gold went as high in New York as 100, and stood there about half an hour. The Herald, of the next day, tries to bully "the situation" with this statement:Gold is publicly stated to have gone up yesterday to 189; but the people ought to understand very clearly that this statement is not true. The prise of gold to 165, as Government is setting it at Any question of gold above that point is fictitious and not in any sense feel. But how does it happen that these statements of the high price of gold are made? As answer to this question above that the newspapers must necessarily connive at the deception. They must give the operations in gold on the street, at whatever prison, though the operations are mere nations Every operation in gold in which the ostensible price is 24 cents higher than gold can be bought for obviously has not the purchase of gold for its objects; and such operations of gold are of exactly the same nature as the bets made between the thimblerig ger and his accomplice to inveigh the green ones who stand by. Such are the operations in which gold goes to 189--operations between gold ramblers to catch third parties, and such operations are made to any extent without a dollar changing hands or being ever seen by either party All this would do comparatively small harm if it stayed in Wall street; but the news goes abroad that gold has gone up to these high figures, and the retail dealer in the necessaries of life, even if he known such a rise to be unreal, makes it the pretext for adding five or ten per cent, to the price of the articles he deals in and thus the people are cheated Their only remedy in to know the truth, and not be imposed upon with such a reason for a rise in prices.
On the 20th, however, the Herald gives the matter up, and says:
‘ These recent furries in Wall street are quite natural, and must only be regarded as the premonitory symptoms of the grand, final financial break down which will come, sooner or later, as the fortunes of war vary, but which must inevitably and the brief, eventful history of this new era of speculation. The experience of the past fifty years shows us that such flurries happen at intervals of two or three months during periods of great financial excitement, and experience shows us that the final flurry — what the the death flurry — is beyond all comparison the worst of all We advise those interested to look out for that flurry; for there will be weeping and walling and guashing of teeth in Wall street then, and failures will be as plentiful as paving stones in that famous thoroughfare.
’ Chase has stopped the sale of his gold certificates. He couldn't humbug the public with them. In a letter to Cisco he explains the reasons for discontinuing the issue of gold certificates:
Treasury Department, April 13, 1864.
Sir
--Much complaint is made by a number of the leading merchants of New York, and by many of Boston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, about the instructions of the Department for the temporary issue of coin certificates from your office, receivable for duties in lieu of gold.
Sir
This instruction was given partly, indeed, with reference to general public interest, but mainly for the purpose of relieving, as far as possible under the law, the importing merchants from the hardships occasioned by the necessary accumulation of coin in the Treasury. As the complaints referred to sufficiently show that the main object of the instruction is not accomplished, the issue of such certificates will be discontinued after the current week, and duties will be collected uniformly in coin, as heretofore.
S P chase,
Secretary of the Treasury.
John J Cisco, Esq, Assistant Treasurer, New York.
The New York Sanitary Fair--close of the Yankee Device — Incidents in the Fair.
the Sanitary Commission Fair has closed in New York, and the two swords have gone to Grant and Rowan, two New men, who defeated McClellan and Farragut, two of the used up heroes. The New York, times, in a sketch of one day's proceedings, says:
the interest in the sword contest is steadily increasing. The total number of votes cast at both the Fourteenth street and Union square buildings at the close of the Fair last evening was 16,156, of which
| McClellan received | 8,209 |
| Grant | 7,824 |
| Scattering | 123 |
| McClellan's maj | 385 |
The highest number of votes cast by one person was by Mrs James Gordon Bennett, who gave three hundred for Gen McClellan.
Among the visitors, in the forenoon, was Mrs General Grant. Before she left the hall she went up to the "sword" registry, paid her dollar, and modestly put down her name for Gen McClellan, who stood, at 3 P M, three hundred and eighty ahead. General Grant's friends, however, are said to have a powerful reserve, which, if brought up to night, may turn the scales.
Among the contributions recently arrived from Europe should be mentioned one that is of the highest interest. It is an original pen and ink sketch, by Victor Huge of the house occupied by Franklin, in Passy, near Paris, in 1778. The sketch is accompanied by an autograph letter from the donor, or which the following is a literal translation:
"In the year 1836 I happened to be at Passy, at the house of Mr Raynard, the author of the tragedy of the 'Knight Templars.' His white hair was flowing on his shoulders, and I said to him 'You wear your hair as Franklin used to do, and you look like him.' He answered me, smiling, 'This may be on account of the neighborhood, ' and he pointed out to me a house which could be seen from his garden. 'It is there,' said he to me, 'that Franklin lived in 1778.' I sketched that house, which is now pulled down. This is this drawing. I think that this picture of Franklin's house at Passy is the only one in existence. I offer it to the United States Sanitary Commission.
"I am happy that the Sanitary Commission, in doing me the honor to call upon me should have afforded me the occasion to renew the expression of my deeply felt sympathies with the gallant men who struggle so gloriously to rid the great American republic from that sinful stain, slavery.
"Hauteville House, March 15, 1864."
The sale of photographs and engravings took place last evening in the Art Gallery. There was but little excitement, and the prices were comparatively small A proof of Washington Crossing the Delaware brought $30; a portrait of Rev. Dr. Bellows, $15; portrait of Richard Grant White, $14; portrait of Thomas Acton, President of the Board of Police Commissioners, $10; portrait of Gen. Fitz John Porter, $1 The prices generally were rather small. A bronze statue of Rembrande brought $250
The admission to-day and to morrow will be 25 cents, in order to afford everybody, who has not yet been, an opportunity of visiting the fair in order to accommodate the crowd that will be present, it is requested and expected that season tickets shall not be used on these days.
Charge of correspondence with the rebels — Yankee Quartermasters Recommended for the rebel service.
In the Yankee Congress, on Tuesday, Mr Garfield, (Rep) of Ohio, said: In my response to my colleague (Mr Long) a few days since, I asserted that many leaders of the Democratic party in the North were in correspondence with the rebel leaders, and I promised to produce the letters to which I then referred. We found that some of our regiments in the Army of the Cumberland were being corrupted and induced to desert by politicians at home, and sent secret service North to find out who was doing it. One young man went to Indiana, and by representing himself as friendly to the rebels, obtained these letters and brought them to me. I did not know the writers, but called several Indiana officers to examine them, and found out from them, who knew the handwriting, the history of the writers. I took tracings of the letters and sent the scout with the originals through the lines. Mr Garfield then read the following letters.
--I take great pleasure in recommending to your favorable acquaintance the bearer, Mr--, of Greencastle, in this State. He wishes to visit the South, and not be subject to any danger from such a visit. Mr — was connected with the army for some months as a quartermaster of the — the Indiana volunteers but resigned immediately after the evacuation of Corinth by our forces, and has had no sympathy or connection with the army since. Any duty he may agree to perform you may rely upon it that it will be faithfully done. Any favor shown him will be reciprocated by me whenever any opportunity offers.
--I take this method of introducing to your favorable consideration Mr--, a resident of this place. Mr — wishes to enter the service of the South in some capacity, so that he can be of some assistance to your cause. I can safety recommend him to you as an energetic and faithful man in any capacity you may place him, and I know that he can be of valuable assistance to you. Mr — was for some time connected with the Union army, but became disgusted with the party in power and resigned in consequence thereof.--Any favor that may be shown him will, I am satisfied, never be betrayed.
D R Eckles.
To Gen J C Breckinridge, C S A.
Eckles was a Judge in Utah under Buchanan.--Davis was a member of the 32d, 33d, 35th and 36th Congresses, and the predecessor of the member from the Terre Hanto district (Mr Voorhees.) Both were his constituents and leading lights in the Democratic party.
Mr Voorhees, (opp,) of Ind, replied: What the gentleman from Ohio (Mr Garfield) had produced were not original letters, but only what purported to be copies. He would say to Mr Garfield that Mr Davis is one of the most distinguished men in Indiana, and perhaps at this time is dying on a bed of sickness. There was nothing traitorous about him. He (Mr Voorhees) might pronounce those letters false and spurious.
A Washington telegram says:
‘ A dispatch from ex-Congressman Davis, of Ind, was read in the House on Saturday, denying the authenticity of the letter which he is charged by Mr Garfield with having written, recommending a young man to John C. Breckinridge, for employment in the rebel ranks, will no doubt lead to considerable discussion. Mr Garfield reports that he did write the letter, and that the original can be produced. Nothing has been heard from Judge Eckles, the other party implanted in the subject
’
The Federal troops an and South Carolina.
A letter from Jacksonville, Fla., April 17th, says:‘ The withdrawal of many troops from Florida has led to the abandonment of Pilarks as a Federal outpool. All the troops stationed there were withdrawn last week. The guns in the redoubts were brought off, the battle destroyed, as also the signal tower and everything else of value to the rebels. Several Union sentiments come away with the troops, fearing to remain after the abandonment of the place The policy of occupying posts in the Confederacy, persuading the inhabitants to take the oath of allegiance and then leaving them to rebel mercy, is rather questionable.
From the most reliable negroes of information to be obtained at headquarters and elsewhere, there is no doubt of the confederate army in our front being large, quite as formidable as at any time since the expedition first landed in the State.--They have from eight to ten thousand infantry and four thousand cavalry, within a dozen miles of here, and another large camp at Baldwin, at the junction of the Florida Central and Fernandina and Cedar Keys Railroad. It was supposed that the pending campaign in Virginia would draw this force to the North, but such is not the fact. The rebels must have much larger armies in the field than we credit them, or else they consider Florida immensely valuable to them.
’ The New Haven Journal publishes the following extract from a letter, dater States ship Vermont, off Port Royal article:
‘ A large force sails to morrow for Fortress Monroe, I think Gen Vodgen, and Terry are attached to it; also, the 6th and 7th Connecticut, and the 1st Connecticut battery The 29th Connecticut, Col W C Wooster, have just passed our ships in transports for Beaufort, S C. Our fleet lies quietly at anchor, and we fear nothing but torpedoes, which abound in this vicinity. News has just reached us that the steamer South Carolina has captured a valuable prize down at Tybee, near the entrance to Savannah, Ga. The prize is a fine English iron steamer, well loaded with stores — There is nothing doing in this department very warlike.
’
Miscellaneous.
Gen Rosecrans promptly crushed the attempt of the proprietors of the Metropolitan Record, published in New York, to supply its St Louis subscribers with their traitorous sheet, under the title of "Vindicator" The General sent for a copy, when the Vindicator arrived, and when he was satisfied that it was the same paper as the Record, he issued an order to suppress its circulation in his department."Straws show how the wind blows" At a McClellan mass meeting in the Eighth Ward, New York, Monday night, resolutions were passed censuring Congress for censuring Hon Alexander Long, of Ohio, for his recent speech in favor of recognizing, as an alternative, independence of the Southern Confederacy.
The 9th Maryland (U S) regiment, late at Belle Isle, is being reorganized by Gov Bradford for the war.
Maj Gen Peck has assumed command at Point Lookout, Md.
