The New York Herald, of the 19th, contains some news which is condensed in its "situation" article given below:
The situation.
Mr. Stanton dispatched to Gen. Dix. at a quarter before 11 o'clock last night, that no official intelligence had been received up to that time either from Gen. Grant, Gen. Butler, or Gen. Sherman. The latest reports from Gen. Grant were that the roads were in fine order, that reinforcements were arriving, and that he designed to move against the enemy without delay. Mr. Stanton states further that the Government designs to keep up the national forces until the rebellion is overthrown; and in order to provide against any inopportune reduction when the services of the one hundred days men go out, a draft to fill up their places and all other reductions will be ordered to take place on the 1st of July, by which time the new enrollments will be completed.A forged proclamation, alleged to have come from the President, calling for four hundred thousand men, and appointing a day of humiliation and prayer, was sent from some quarter to all the papers of this city yesterday morning, with the view no doubt of going to Europe by the steamer of yesterday, in order to counteract the intelligence of Gen. Grant's recent successful operations, and afford an opportunity for the rebel schemers to England and France to gain some advantage. Two of the city papers which published the proclamation were suppressed last night by order of Gen. Dix, and a military force put in possession of their offices.
The Baltimore Transcript has also been suspended for publishing a dispatch stating that the loss of the Army of the Potomac was seventy thousand men, and pretending that the same came from the Associated Press.
Our correspondents with Gen. Butler's force give a very perfect account in our columns to day of the late attack and repulse of Gen. Beauregard's forced upon our troops at Proctor's Gen. Heckman and a narrow escape from being captured by the enemy. The rebel loss was between three and four thousand. Our troops were in gallant spirits after the contest.
We have news from New Orleans to the 11th inst. It was reported there that two of our blockading vessels had been captured by the rebels off The army of Gen. Banks was at Alexandria on the 4th inst. Vigorous efforts were then making to clear the river suns to admit the downward passage of the gunboats then above the falls. The army was in excellent spirits, in good fighting condition, and had thirty days rations.
Dispatches from Cairo report the blockade of the Red, the White, and the Arkansas rivers, below Little Rock, completed.
Advices from Little Rock to the 10th report Gen. Price retreating towards Camden. The rebels acknowledge a loss of two thousand the late action with Gen. Steels on Sanine river.
The property renewal of hostilities by Gen. Grant--Butler — Sigel.
Everything that relate to the operations of our armies has the most favorable appearance. As the roads were rapidly improving at the last accounts from Gen. Grant it is probable that he has before this recommence active hostilities Lee.--His necessary suspension of operations has had the most excellent effect upon our men and upon the condition of our army. The soldiers are rested and ready and when they move again it will be with the multiplied vigor and high morale that give the greatest possible momentum to an army. Lee's forces will not much longer be an obstruction in their path.We give to day a full and particular account of the battle on the James river, in which Gen. But for suffered some loss. This battle was simply a desperate de of the rebel garrison to our lines. It was made under cover of a heavy fog, and was nearly as post fere a par to the bat of Inker. In that battle the Russians attacked the English lines in the same way and for the some purpose that the rebels attacked Gen. Smith's lines, and were in the same way repulsed after a hard fight. Gen. Smith's lines were temporarily broken; but at the close of the fight they were drawn exactly the same as they had been before.
We have had a small reverse in Western Virginia and the defeat of the troops under General S get. This ought not to have happened, and would not have happened if all the instructions for the movement find been property earned out. Yet it is a mere feather in the cate. It cannot in any way affect or turn aside the great operations that are to accomplish Grant's prans. As a victory, Gen. rigel's movement would have contributed to the grant result; but as a defeat it must stand alone, and can have no weight at all in the determination of the grand question that Gen. Grant is, we hope, so soon to settle.
There is not a word in the Hereld from Sher man.
Financial.
Monetary circles were considerably excited for a time yesterday over a bogus proclamation which was represented as coming from the President, and gold advanced, under the beller that it was to 184; but it was soon ascertained that it had been published for the purpose of influencing the market, and the premium declined to 82½ --Stocks were buoyant in the morning, and contained strong throughout the day. Government securities were less firm, and a fact on lower. There was no change in the money market.Owing to the large rise in gold there was considerable excitement in commercial circles yesterday, and all kinds of merchandise were unsettled and moody nominal. But higher prices were demanded for everything, and the sales were at advanced fates.
Butler's Comming retired.
A correspondent of the Herald dating Head quarters Eighteenth Army Corps, in the Field, May 16 writes:‘ Gen. Butler's command has retired behind its entrenchments Menny a superior force, and holding their ground throughout the day by desperate fighting, both Smith's and Gillmore's commands retired at nightfall from before the enemy's position, and now are as strongly entrenched as to be able safely to duty any force the rebels may bring against them.
’ Another correspondent writes:
‘ To day we have had the most severe battle that has occurred in this campaign, and we were driven from the position we held last night.
’
Rebel prisoners.
About 800 rebel prisoners were captured. Many of them were taken in the fog, before they were aware that they were in the midst of our troops.
Miscellaneous.
It is said that Gen. Lee has been heavily rein forced from North Carolina and Georgia.General Kaniz with his cavalry had joined Gen. Butler. Be was out six days, but his force not being strong enough to grapple with the enemy, he did not succeed fully in the work he proposed to accomplish.
The iron properties Minnie, a prise steamer of three hundred tens, taken of Wilmington by the gunboat Connecticut, has arrived at Boston. Her cargo consists of two hundred bales of cotton, thirty barrels of turpentine, and a lot of tobacco.
Gen. Steele is said to be sanguine in the that he can bold the line of the Arkansas, but fear are entertained that the enemy will cross and interrupt the General's communication on the White river. Gen. Kirby Smith. is menacing Pine Stuff with a strong force. The place however, is well fortified.
The Fremont men have engaged the Maryland Institute Betiding in in which it was expected that the Union National convention would have been held and have taken all the best rooms in the Baltimore hales. The National Convention will probably be held in the Front street Thearre, with an opposition Framoar convention at the Maryland Institute.
The Confederates having been engaged in placing torpedoes in the Rappahannock and Plankatank rivers, an expedition was sent out on the 11th instant and destroyed four of these engines of death and brought in six more. Several prisoners were taken by the expedition, which was under the command of Col. Draper, of the Camp at Point Lookout. The torpedoes were made of powder enclosed in tin cases, and connected with the shore by tarred strings, communicating with a percussion cap, by which each could be fired.
By request of the President of the United States, Gov. Parker has issued a proclamation for all the militia force he can raise in the State of New Jersey within fifteen days, the troops to be infantry, exclusively; to be mustered into the United States service by regiments, and to serve for one hundred days; to be equipped, armed, subsisted, and transported as other soldiers. They are to receive no bounty, nor are they to be credited to any draft. Individually they are to reactive credit for the service.
