From the North.
We have been placed in possession of a number of late Northern papers, from which we make some extracts relative to the movements of the war. It will be seen that the determination never to acknowledge a defeat is adhered to with tenacity.The late battle in the Valley.
Gen. Fremont's Headquarters, 8 miles beyond Harrisonburg, Va., June 8th.
General Fremont has overtaken the enemy, of whom he has been in pursuit for a week, and has forced him to fight and driven him, with heavy loss, from his chosen position.
He left Harrisonburg this morning at 6 o'clock, and advanced in pursuit of Jackson by the road leading to Port Republic.
On the left of the turnpike to Staunton, seven miles beyond Harrisonburg, the advanced guard discovered the enemy posted in the woods to the left and front, apparently in force.
Artillery was sent to the front, and commenced shelling without eliciting any reply.
Jackson having at last been forced to make a stand with his whole army, had completely masked his position in the woods, and various skirmishers and cavalry were sent forward.
The whole column came rapidly up, and a line of battle extending nearly two miles was promptly formed under the direction of Col. Albert, Chief of the Staff.
Before it was completed Gen. Stahl, with the Garibaldi Guards, became engaged with the enemy on the extreme right, and forced him to fall back.
At half-past 12 o'clock a grand advance was ordered, and the whole line moved forward.
General Milroy had the centre, Gen. Schenck the right, and Gen. Stahl, with all his brigade except the Garibaldi Guards, the front.
Gen. Blenker, Gen. Bohlen, and Col. Steinweicker's brigades composed the reserves.
The line moved down the slopes of three bills into the valley and up the opposite ascents, which, at the summits, were covered with woods.
In these woods, and in the belts and heavy timber beyond, the enemy were posted.
General Stahl, on the left, was first engaged.
Gen. Milroy and Gen. Schenck found the enemy soon after, and the battle almost immediately became general.
Gen. Stahl, after Scrivener's battery had shelled the rebel position, advanced the Eighth and Forty-fifth New York regiments through the woods into an open field, on the other side of which the enemy's right wing was concealed in the woods.
The 8th advanced gallantly under a heavy fire, but being so long unsupported by the 45th, and largely outnumbered, were finally forced to retire.
Col. Wietshel was severely wounded, and the whole regiment badly cut up, losing not less than three hundred, more than half of its strength.
The enemy's pursuit was checked by the artillery.
Gen. Stahl finally withdrew his brigade to a strong position, repulsing a flank movement and holding his wing firmly.
Gen. Milroy advanced his centre, the artillery fire compelling the enemy to give ground.
Gen. Schenck, on the right, twice drove back the rebels, who attempted to turn his position.
Along the whole line the artillery, under Colonel Pilson's direction, was served with great vigor and precision, and our final success was largely due to its effect.
The enemy suffered most severely.
One rebel regiment lost two-thirds of its number in an attempt to capture Widrich's battery, which cut them to pieces with canister at fifty paces.
The rebel batteries were repeatedly silenced and forced to abandon their positions.
Colonel Cluzret; with his weak brigade, took and held the centre of the enemy's position, and has his encampment there to-night.
Our forces were outnumbered at all points, but have occupied the rebel lines and forced them to retreat.
The loss is heavy on both sides, the enemy suffering especially from our artillery.
The Garibaldi Guards lost nearly 200, and the Twenty-fifth Ohio 60.
The total loss is estimated at from 600 to 800 killed, wounded, and missing. Col. Van Gilsa, of the De Kalb regiment, Capt. Paul, of the Eighth New York, Capt. Miesner, of the Twenty-ninth New York, Capt. Bisbute, of the Thirty-ninth New York, Capt. Charles Worth, of the Twenty-fifth Ohio, and Surgeon Courtwell, of the Eighty-second Ohio, are all wounded.
Many other officers are wounded or killed.
The rebels fought wholly under cover, while our troops were forced to advance through open fields.
The enemy's advantages of position and numbers were counterbalanced by General Fremont's skillful handling of his troops and the coolness and determination with which he pressed his success.
The fight was furious for three hours and continued till nearly dark.
Our army sleeps on the field of battle.
[Beyond doubt a considerable portion of the army did sleep on the field of battle, to wake no more forever.]
A correspondent of the Philadelphia Inquirer, writing from the Valley, June 5th, says: ‘
During the retreat of General Banks from here, immense supplies of sutlers' and commissary stores were not only captured by Jackson's army, but were stolen by, and secreted in the cellars of citizens.
A large quantity of these goods have been discovered and seized by Provost Marshal Brown.--One old fellow in particular pretended to be a strong Union man, and solicited the care of some of Banks's fat cattle.
After the precipitate retreat of General Banks he sold the cattle to Jackson, pocketed the funds, and hurrahs for Jeff. Davis as loud as anybody.
Some of the storekeepers had the audacity to sell goods, groceries, &c., captured from Banks, to our soldiers.
But under the strong hand of the Provost Marshal these things have been stopped.--The streets are filled with relics of the miserable retreat of Gen. Banks, and also we see the marks of Jackson's hasty flight.
An old printing press, belonging to the rebel army, together with the cases and type, lie piled and scattered, in inextricable confusion, on a sidewalk.
Hosts of prisoners are not only confined in Strasburg, but in Woodstock, Edinburg and Mount Jackson.
Our advance guard is now slightly beyond the last-named place.
It is rumored that Jackson has ceased his retreat, thrown out his pickets, and intends to give us battle.
Prisoners state that he expects reinforcements at Staunton, from Richmond, which can easily be given him, as there are complete railroad connections between the two places.
We shall know in a short time what will be done.
The pontoon bridge has been completed again over the Shenandoah river.
It was laid down yesterday, but the floods partly washed it away.
Some three hundred infantry, attached to Gen. Stahl's brigade, and three hundred of the first New Jersey cavalry, had passed it before the accident took place.
For awhile their capture was deemed inevitable, but the bridge was soon repaired, and they were quickly placed in a position of safety.
Large reinforcements are stated to be on their way to us by way of Winchester. ’
Another letter, dated June 8th, has the following:
Having had occasion to go to Martinsburg, I add as follows: "The country through which we passed is not the finest in the world, though it is not a fair representation of the valley through which we were passing.
The soil is good, rich, and well watered.
The tedium of the journey was greatly relieved by the presence in our hack of the wife of a celebrated Virginian ex-Congressman.
She was strongly Southern in her sentiments, but well educated and very intelligent; a New Jersey lady by birth, bitter, but disposed to do justice.
She was in Winchester when our retreat began, and solemnly declares that not a shot was fired from a house in the town, and that the ladies of the place contributed their supplies and delicacies as freely to Union prisoners, sick, and wounded, as to the Confederates.
Many fugitives, men, women, and children, were met on the way, returning to homes which in many instances had been robbed of everything valuable by Jackson's mob, for that is what his army consisted of. The Union sentiment in this place (Martinsburg) is great, and increasing daily.
From M'Clellan's army.
Under the heading of ‘"Our On-to-Richmond Letter,"’ a Northern paper has the following: Gaines's Hill, June 8, 1862. Still here! Not yet in the ‘"sacred city!"’ but be patient. We take no step backwards. When we strike, they fall as the leaves before the winter's blasts. A Richmond paper of Friday contains no news of mention of the fall Corinth. The loss in General Casey's division, in killed, wounded and missing, has been reduced to 1,700, or about 33 per cent. of the men he had in camp. Major Smith, of the Sixty-first Pennsylvania, (of West Chester, Pa.,) reported killed, is taken prisoner, though wounded. He acted bravely, and was last seen at the head of his regiment. As the rebels cried out to surrender, he waved his sword to the decimated regiment, and urged them to fire again, but it was useless. He was not seriously wounded, and will no doubt soon be heard from in Richmond. The Lieutenant of Johnston's staff, who was taken prisoner by the Twentieth Massachusetts, last Saturday, is still at headquarters. He had his photograph taken by Messrs. Barnard and Gibeon, the Government photographers. Crouching at his feet, by his own request, is a little ragged darkle, and by his side a Lieutenant who was with him at West Point. General Pettigrew, who was taken, is with the rebel Dr. Gaines in his fine mansion near camp, a guard keeping our men off the premises and him from escaping. His name is James Johnson Pettigrew. He was born in North Carolina, but was in command of a South Carolina brigade. He declines to give any information about their forces, but seems confident of our defeat. He says he was surprised while on a reconnaissance, and did not know we were so close until he was shot and our men fought for his body. He will recover, though he has a serious flesh wound in the neck.The occupation of Memphis.
Washington, June 10.
--The following dispatches from Col. Rilett were received this morning at the War Department.
Sir: Yesterday, after the engagement with the rebel fleet had nearly terminated, and the gunboats and one of my rams had passed below, I was informed that a white flag had been raised in the city.
I immediately sent my son, a medical cadet, Chat.
R. Rilett, ashore, with a flag of truce and the following note to the authorities.
Gentlemen: I understand that the city of Memphis has surrendered.
I therefore send my son with two United States flags with instructions to raise one upon the Custom-House and the other upon the Court-House, on an evidence of the return of your city in the care and protection of the Constitution. (Signed,) Charles Ellett, Jr. The bearing of the flag and the above note was accompanied by Lieutenant Cranhell, of the Fifty-ninth regiment, and two men of the boatguard.
The following is the reply of the Mayor of this city:-- Sir: Your note of this date is received, and the contents noted. The civil authorities of this city are not advised of its surrender to the forces of the United States Government, and our repel to you is simply to State, respectfully, that we have no forces to oppose the raising of the flags you have directed to be raised over the Custom-House and Post-Office. On receiving this reply, the small party proceeded to the Post-Office to raise the national flag, and were then joined by the Mayor. It is proper to state that the conduct of the Mayor and some of the citizens was unexceptionable; but the party was surrounded by an excited crowd, using angry and threatening language. They ascended to the top of the Post-Office and planted the flag, though fired upon several times and stoned by the mob below. Still I believe that this conduct was repudiated by the people of standing in the place. Evidences reach me of an extensive Union sentiment at Memphis.
(Signed,) Chas. Ellet, Jr.
----There are several facts touching the Naval engagement of the 6th, at this place, which I wish to place on record.
Approaching Memphis, the gunboats were in the advance.
I had received no notice that a fight was expected, but was informed, on landing within sight of Memphis, that the enemy's gunboats had retreated down the river.
My first information of the presence of the enemy was a shot which passed over my boat.
I had four of my most powerful rams in the advance and ready for any emergency.
The others were towing the barge.
On advancing to the attack, I expected, of course, to be followed by the Monarch, the Lancaster, and the Switzerland.
The Monarch came in gallantly.
Some of the officers of the Lancaster, which now held the next place in the line, became excited and confused, but the engineers behaved well.
The pilot erred in signals, and backed the boat ashore and disabled her rudders.
The Captain of the Switzerland construed the general signal order — to keep hold a mile in the rear of the Lancaster — to mean that he was to keep half a mile behind her in the engagement, and therefore failed to participate; hence the whole brunt of the fight fell upon the Queen and Monarch.
Had either the Lancaster or the Switzerland followed me as the Monarch did, the rebel gunboat Van-Dorn would not have escaped, and my flag-ship would not have been disabled.
Three of the rebel rams and gunboats which were struck by my two rams sunk outright, and were lost.
Another, called the Gen. Price, was but slightly injured, and I am now raising her, and purpose to send her to my fleet.
Further from Memphis.
Memphis, June 8.
--The casualties during the late fight are estimated at from one hundred to one hundred and fifty, including thirty to forty wounded.
Jeff. Thompson witnessed the naval battle sitting on horseback in front of the Gayoso House.
The remnant of his army, with the stampeding citizens, were in the cars, not far from the city, when one after another of the rebel boats were sunk, and on the flag-ship taking to flight, Jeff.
left.
Two of our mortar boatmen managed to elude our guard, and get on shore on Friday night. They were killed in a row of their own getting up.
The citizens, to the number of 2,000, reported themselves, armed and equipped, to the Provost Marshal the same evening, to prevent the destruction of property by the mob, which, it seems, they feared more than the Unionists.
It was expected that the city would be fired, but the prompt action of the peaceable citizens and the Colonel commanding, with a strong Provost guard, prevented it. As it was, the depot of the Mississippi and Tennessee railroad was broken into by a mob of men and women, but before they could take anything, a detachment of military arriving they were dispersed.
The stores in the depot were yesterday removed to a place of safety.
Capt. Gould, the Provost Marshal, has established his headquarters in the Planters' Bank building.
Col. Fitch, the commander of the post, issued a notice that evening that the purpose of the United States, in taking possession of the city, was to assert the supremacy of the law, the protection of public and private property.
Residents who may have fled are exhorted to return.
Merchants and others are requested to open their stores and shops, except those dealing in intoxicating liquors, who are forbidden to resume the traffic, under the penalty of having their stock destroyed.
The Mayor and Common Council will continue to exercise their functions, the military authorities co-operating in enforcing all the proper ordinances, unless an exigency should arise rendering martial law imperative.
It was hoped and believed, however, that nothing would occur to render the step necessary.
The sale of liquors has been prohibited here since December, except by the druggists on physicians prescriptions.
