Later from the Notrh.
A flag of truce boat, with 610 exchanged prisoners and dispatches for
Commissioner Ould, arrived at
City Point yesterday.
We have received, through the courtesy of the officers of the
Exchange Bureau, Northern dates of the evening of the 26th inst. There is nothing of importance in them.
We give a summary of the news:
Latest from Charleston — the effect of the Yankee fire.
"C. C. F.," the "Off
Charleston" correspondent of the Baltimore
American, writing Saturday, August 22d, says: -- "Should there be no accidents, to-night the "Old Flag" will wave over
Fort Sumter to-morrow morning." The following are his dispatches to that paper:
August 22, 1863.
A flag of truce was sent to battery Wagner on Friday morning, and the firing ceased during the interval.
When it was reopened again
Gen. Gillmore notified
Gen. Beauregard that he would commence to shell the city of
Charleston within forty-eight hours. requesting him to remove the women and children from the city.
The whole of the monitor fleet went up on Friday night for the purpose of another assault on
Fort Sumter.
The
Passaic golaground, and so much time was lost in getting her off that the expedition was abandoned for the night.
The rebels did not discover the position of the
Passaic, although she was within a half mile from the fort.--The flag of
Fort Sumter was shot away four times on Friday.
A new flag is up this morning.
Weather very hot, no ice to be had, and nothing but warm condensed water.
Friday Noon, August 21.;
Fort Sumter still flies the rebel flag, but its west wall is a mass of ruins.
Shells go into the fort and explode inside, some passing through the east wall, going in one side and coming out the other.
An easterly storm prevailed on Tuesday to Wednesday, but broke away Thursday.
We now have fine weather, and it is expected the monitors will go in force to attack
Sumter this afternoon.
The Ironsides and our wooden vessels have shelled
Wagner and
Gregg every day keeping them quiet, while the shore batteries are hammering
Sumter, Seven
North Carolina deserters from
Sullivan's Island were picked up in a boat last night by the
Montauk.
They say the rebels are preparing to abandon
Sumter and blow it up.
That they have been taking the guns out ever since the attack in April, which demonstrated their inability to hold it. That there are not more than six or eight guns now in the fort, the remainder being quaker.
They also say that the cordon of beer barrels is merely intended to sustain telegraph wires between
Sumter and
Moultrie, and is no part of the obstructions of the harbor.
The
North Carolina troops are anxious to go home, and are almost in a state of mutiny.
The rebel batteries on
James Island throw shells night and day into our lines, but do not cause more than one or two casualties daily.
Admiral Dahlgren is anxious to let the army and navy batteries finish
Sumter, expecting to have plenty of work for the monitors in taking the interior line of defences.
Correspondence between Gens. Beauregard and Gillmore.--civilized Warfare.
The Off
Charleston correspondent of the New York
Times sends that paper a condensation of a recent correspondence between
Gens. Beauregard and
Gillmore.
We copy the correspondent's version of it:
Under date of Headquarters Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and
Florida,
Charleston, S. C., July 4, 1863,
General Beauregard says that it is his duty, in the interests of humanity, to address
Gen. Gillmore, with a view of effecting some understanding as to the future conduct of the war in this quarter.
And then, after alluding to the expedition set on foot by his predecessor,
Major General Hunter, to the
Combahee river, which seized and carried away negro slaves off plantations on its banks, ravaged our plantations, &c., he says he does not propose to enter upon a discussion touching that species of pillaging, but desires to acquaint
General Gillmore formally that more than one plantation was pillaged, buildings burned, and crops destroyed — acts which were not rendered necessary by any military exigency.
He shows, in a manner satisfactory to himself, that this military exigency did not exist, and then enters upon a lengthy elementary treatise on the laws of nations governing the conduct of belligerents, quoting Vattel and
Wheaton to sustain his propositions, and to define the rights of the victor as well in civil as national wars.
The exercise of the right of eminent domain after conquered is admitted, and its boundaries defined.
Then he takes up the question of the employment of negroes, and quotes
Napoleon and "
Abbott"--a new authority — to show the "atrocious consequences which ever resulted in the employment of a merciless, servile race as soldiers; " that
Napoleon refused to employ the serfs in his campaign against
Russia, because he dreaded the results of a civil or intestine war. He characterizes all who call to their aid such material, in the language of the publicists, as barbarians, &c.
In conclusion, he asks whether the acts which resulted in the burning of the villages of
Darien, Ga., and
Bluffton, and the ravages on the
Combahee, are regarded by
Gen. Gillmore as legitimate measures of war, which he will feel authorized to resort to hereafter.
He forwarded accounts taken from Northern papers of the raids on
Darien,
Bluffton,
Combahee, &c.
Gen. Gillmore addresses
Gen. Beauregard from headquarters, in the field,
Morris Island, under date of July 18, and acknowledges the receipt of
Gen. Beauregard's communication of July 4, written with a view of effecting some understanding as to the future conduct of the war in this quarter.
He states that, while he and his Government will scrupulously endeavor to conduct the war upon principles established by usage among civilized nations, he shall expect from the
Commanding General opposed to him full compliance with the same rules, in their unrestricted application, to all the forces under his command.
In conclusion, after expressing his surprise that
General Beauregard should choose the navy as a channel through which he communicates with him, when the opposing pickets on
Morris Island are in speaking distances, he desire that hereafter all communications be sent to him through his own lines, and not by the way of the blockading fleet.
Beauregard Responds.
General Beauregard, under date of July 22, 1863, says he is at a loss to perceive the necessity for the remark that
General Gillmore will expect from him "full compliance with the same rules (established by usages of civilized nations, &c.,) in their unrestricted application to all his forces," inasmuch as he is wholly unaware that any departure from the same has ever been alleged on his part, or by any of his troops, from the established laws and usages between civilized peoples; and then he calls for more specific charges.
As to the channel of communication, he says it need not cause surprise.
Until made acquainted with
Gen. Gillmore's views, he believed he would naturally prefer that route for flags of truce, inasmuch as it was clearly the one least calculated to interrupt his operations for the reductions of battery Wagner; and he is quite unable, he says, to understand the grounds of
Gen. Gillmore's surprise or his objections.
He assures
Gen. Gillmore, in conclusion, that so far as he is concerned he shall avoid all provocations either for cavil or complaint, and he shall do what he may to conduct the war upon principles recognized by other nations.
In a communication bearing the same date as the preceding he stated that during a suspension of hostilities on
Harris Island, on July 19, 1863. private
Green, company H, 1st South Carolina infantry, deserted and entered the
Federal lines, and that he be returned to the
commanding officer at
Fort Wagner.
In reply to
Gen. Beauregard's two dispatches of the 22d ultimo,
Gen. Gillmore, on the 5th of August, after noticing the remark of
Gen. Beauregard that he was at a loss to perceive the necessity for his statement that he (
Gen. G.) should expect a full compliance on his (
Gen. B. S.) part with the same rules, &c., in their unrestricted application to all the forces under his command; states that he considered his remarks as pertinent and proper at that time.
Events, he adds, since transpired, show them to have been eminently so. In proof he quotes the circumstances of agreement for mutual paroling and returning to their respective commands the wounded prisoners in our hands.
You declined.
Gen. Gillmore goes on to say, to return the wounded officers and men belonging to my colored regiments, and your subordinate in charge of the exchange asserted that the question had been left for after consideration.
He could but regard this transaction as a palpable breach of faith on
General Beauregard's part, and a flagrant violation of
General Beauregard's pledges as au officer in regard to the case of
private Green, claimed as a deserter during suspension of hostilities, he states that he did not enter our lines during the existence of a flag of truce.
Gen. Gillmore also states that his request to bury our own dead was refused, and that his (
General Gillmore's) batteries were silent on the following day, because his four) wounded could he seen lying exposed the entire day outside the fort.
Here the correspondence closes for the present.
The attack on Lawrence, Kansas.--pursuit of the guerillas.
The Northern papers publish a list of 28 names of persons killed in
Lawrence, Kansas, by
Quantrell's guerillas.
A dispatch from
Kansas City, dated the 25th, says:
‘
Quantrell's force reached the head waters of
Grand river, Gass county, about noon the day after the burning of
Lawrence, and there divided into squads of forty and fifty, and scattered in various directions.
Our troops were half an hour behind, and were also divided, and continued the pursuit.
A detachment ordered from
Lexington met part of the rebel force near
Pleasant Hill, and killed seven, and recovered a considerable amount of goods taken from
Lawrence.
A report has just reached here that
Major Plumb and
Major Nacher overtook a company in
Lafayette, killing thirty.
The total killed, according to the last report, is between sixty and seventy.
Our detachments are still in pursuit.
It is ascertained that
Quantrell's whole force was three hundred selected men, who assembled from
Lafayette,
Saline,
Clay,
Johnston, and the border counties, on Thursday noon, at the head of Middle fork of
Grand river, fifteen miles from the
Kansas line, and the same day started for
Kansas.
Our scouts brought word that afternoon to the military station at
Aubry, six miles north of the place where they crossed the line, of the assembling on
Grand river, and an hour after their entrance into
Kansas other scouts brought word to that effect.
The information was at once communicated to all the stations on the border, and to the district headquarters at
Kansas City, 35 miles north of
Aubry.
A delay of three or four hours occurred at each station to gather in part of the patrolling and scouting parties, when the pursuit was begun from each station separately, leaving a portion of the troops to watch the border, and endeavor to prevent
Quantrell's return to
Missouri.
Quantrell's men told many persons, before reaching
Lawrence, that they were going there to destroy the town, but by some strange fatality the people along the route, who might easily have got word to
Lawrence, did not try.
A messenger, sent by
Capt. Coleman to notify the people of
Lawrence of
Quantrell's approach, failed to get through.
Quantrell obtained a supply of fresh horses at
Lawrence, which enabled him to outstrip and elude the pursuit of our soldiers, whose horses were nearly exhausted.
When they reached him, six miles south of
Lawrence, the citizens who joined in the pursuit were able to keep up with the enemy, and often compelled him to halt and form a line of battle, but the soldiers could not force their jaded horses to a gallop for a charge and pursuit, and went on ineffectively.
At night
Quantrell broke his trail near
Paoli, and our troops were delayed all night in finding it.--No damage was done by
Quantrell from the time our forces came up with him until he got out of
Kansas.
The pursuit was so close he was compelled to abandon most of the horses they were leading and goods stolen from
Lawrence.
’
Miscellaneous.
A dispatch, dated
Washington the 25th, says that information of the most reliable character, from parties who have very recently passed along the whole route from
Richmond to Culpeper Court-House, show that
Gen. Lee's army is at present about 60,000 strong.
Lee's headquarters are within a few miles of the
Court-House.
Hill's and
Ewell's corps are in that vicinity, Long street's is at
Fredericksburg, and
Stuart's cavalry guarding the various fords of the
Rappahannock.
The
United States sloop-of-war
Bainbridge is reported to have foundered at sea, with the loss of all her officers and crew, excepting one colored man, who was picked up at sea by the brig
South Boston, which has arrived at
Philadelphia.
This man states that the
Bainbridge foundered on the 21st, during a violent gale.
One other man escaped on the boat, but subsequently went crazy and jumped overboard.
The
Bainbridge left New York on the 18th for
Port Royal, where she was to be used as a storeship.
She was one of the oldest vessels in the U. S. navy.
A disastrous affair occurred at
Vicksburg recently.
The steamer
City of Madison was loading with ammunition, when an accidental explosion occurred, and the boat, with all its contents, was destroyed.
Of one hundred and sixty men on board only four are known to have escaped.
Col. Charles Carroll Hicks, of
Nicaragua fame, lately of the rebel army, who abandoned the
Confederacy some time ago, was on Wednesday released from the Old Capitol prison, after an imprisonment of one hundred and ninety days.
Cavalry expeditions sent from
Vicksburg and
Memphis met at
Grenada — the object to capture or destroy the cars and locomotives run there from
Jackson by the rebels.
The rebels were on the lookout, and the cars were filled with fence rails, ready to fire on the approach of our troops.
The train was run over the bridge across the
Yallabusha, and the bridge burned.
Fifty-seven locomotives and four hundred cars were destroyed by the rebels.
This makes seventy seven locomotives and six hundred cars captured or destroyed, as the direct result of the
Vicksburg campaign.
The following paragraph is from the Chicago
Times:
‘
Rosecrans's army is nearing
Chattanooga, where
Bragg is strongly posted, and a battle any day is a matter of probable occurrence.
Burnside's advance is moving steadily on-ward, and will, it is stated, reach
Knoxville, Tenn., within two weeks.
’
The New York
Evening Post, of the 26th, says:
‘
The news of the capture of
Fort Sumter and of
Gen. Gillmore's demand for the surrender of
Charleston has caused a fall of 1 per cent. in gold, which closes dull at 123¼
Exchange, in sympathy with gold, has declined to 136 136½.
’
