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.
