We have received, through the politeness of the officers of the
Exchange Bureau, files of Northern papers from the 13th to the 26th inst., inclusive.
We give below a summary of the news they contain:
The Red river expedition Settled — Banks acknowledged to be defeated and to have retreated forty miles--he has but one fight, and Gets whipped in that.
The very latest intelligence from the
Red river expedition, under
Banks, is dated from New Orleans, the 18th inst. Its defeat by
Kirby Smith is acknowledged.
It appears that the report of a rally on the second day and a repulse of the "rebels" was gotten up to soften the affair at the
North.
There was no second day to the affair.--
Banks took to his heels on the first day, and ran forty miles before stopping.
We give the telegram in full:
St. Louis, April 25.--
Cairo dates to yesterday, received here by mail, state that the steamer
Von Phul, from New Orleans on the evening of the 18th inst., has arrived here.
It seemed to be
generally concealed that the battles in Louisiana have been against General Banks, as, while the enemy remained on the ground after Saturday's fight, General Banks retreated forty miles.
The transport
Black Hawk suffered considerably, when above
Alexandria, from the enemy, besides having several killed and wounded.
The report of another fight on the 10th instant was a mistake.
The steamer
Rob Roy, Master Stephens, had arrived at New Orleans from the
Red river, having run the gauntlet of a large number of guerillas.--The Rob
Roy had four guns, and fought most of the way down.
A cannon ball passed through the clerk's office.
One soldier was killed and four wounded on the
Mattle Stephens.
The rebels are still in the vicinity of
Pleasant Ridge.
Our army was at
Grand Ecore, fortifying both sides of the river.
General Banks and
Admiral Porter were both there.
There was only five feet of water at
Grand Ecore.
The gunboat
Eastport was aground there.
All the large boats were below, but the light draught boats were above.
The prisoners taken say that
Kirby Smith and
Sibley were killed in the recent battles.
The steamer
La Crosse, from the
Red river for New Orleans, having stopped at a plantation to take on cotton, the crew and soldiers got drunk at a distillery on the place, when a company of the 1st Louisiana (rebel) cavalry made a descent on the boat.
The passengers and crew, after being robbed, were paroled, and the boat and cotton were burned.
The fall of Plymouth — a Specimen of Yankee Lying — a Sympathetic order for Gen. Wessels--negro soldiers butchered.
The Philadelphia
Inquirer contains the official and other announcements of the fall of
Plymouth.
The butchery of the negro troops is news here, though if
Gen. Hoke had butchered the whole garrison in the assault after a refusal to surrender, it would have been perfectly proper under the laws of war. It will be seen that the loss of the
Confederates is put down at fifteen hundred!! The following is a telegram dated
Fortress Monroe, the 24th instant:
‘
The gallant garrison at
Plymouth, after a desperate struggle with the rebel foe, who besieged them by land and water, with an infinitely superior force, were compelled to surrender, but not until they had slaughtered hundreds of the enemy in their attempts to storm the forts.
The fight commenced late on Sunday afternoon and continued until half-past 10 on Wednesday morning, when the surrender was made.
’
Our men fought with the ferocity of tigers, and they would never have yielded had there been anything like an equality of forces.
But the rebels outnumbered them nearly ten to one.
When the attack was first made the
Confederates were twelve thousand strong, and afterwards received eight thousand more as reinforcements.
Aided as they were by their powerful ram and gunboats, it is not at all surprising that they succeeded in capturing the town of
Plymouth.
After finding themselves victors of the place, they left two thousand men to guard the captured forces, and then started, it was supposed, for Little Washington.
Their ram and gunboats moved off toward the mouth of the river.
The Union forces that fought so valiantly under
General Wessels, in defending
Plymouth, were the One-hundred and first Pennsylvania, One-hundred and third Pennsylvania, Eighty-fifth New York Sixteenth Connecticut, a squadron of the Twelfth New York Cavalry, and one company of the Twenty fourth New York Artillery and one of the Second Massachusetts.
There were also a few
North Carolina troops among the number, known as "Buffaloes."
Generals Polk and
Ransom commanded the rebels.
All is reported quiet at
Roanoke Island and
Newbern.
The boat bringing the information of the fall of
Plymouth arrived here this morning.
This is the first arrival we have had from
Roanoke Island since Monday last.
The rebel ram and rifle screened boat
Cotton Planter were on the
Roanoke river, and our gunboats the
Tacony,
Miami, &c., were waiting outside in the
Sound to receive them.
Another telegram from
Newbern, N. C., says:
‘
Plymouth was captured by the enemy at eight o'clock on Wednesday morning.
’
General Wessels and his force, one thousand five hundred men, went into Fort Williams and held the enemy at bay until twelve o'clock M., driving them back with severe loss in every attack, but was finally obliged to surrender.
Two full companies of the Second North Carolina Union (colored) Volunteers were among the captured, the most of whom were led out and shot by the enemy after surrendering.
All the negroes who were found in uniform were shot.
Newbern and
Washington are threatened with two rebel rams and a large force of rebels.
The presence of more gunboats is immediately required here.
The funeral of
Captain C. W. Flusser takes place to-morrow.
The following is the official dispatch of
Maj. Gen. Peck announcing the disaster:
Headq'rs of the Army and District of North Carolina.
--General Orders, No. 66.--With feelings of the deepest sorrow the
Commanding General announces the fall of
Plymouth, N. C., and the capture of its gallant commander,
Brigadier General H. W. Wessels and his command.
This result, however, was not obtained until after the most gallant and determined resistance had been made.
Five times the enemy stormed the lines of the
General, and as many times were they handsomely repulsed with great slaughter, and but for the powerful assistance of the rebel iron clad ram and the floating sharpshooter battery, the
Cotton Plant,
Plymouth would still have been in our hands.--For their noble defense the gallant
Gen. Wessels and his brave band deserve the warmest thanks of the whole country, while all will sympathize with them in their misfortune.
To the officers and men of the Navy the
Commanding General tenders his thanks for their hearty co-operation with the army, and the bravery, determination and coolness which marked their part of the unequal contest.
With sorrow he records he death of the noble sailor and gallant patriot,
Lieutenant-Commander C. W. Flusser, United States Navy, who, in the heat of battle, fell dead on the deck of his ship, with the lanyard of his gun in his hand.
The
Commanding General believes that these misfortunes will tend not to discourage but to nerve the Army of North Carolina to equal deeds of bravery and gallantry hereafter.
Until further orders, the headquarters of the sub-district of the Albemarle will be at
Roanoke Island.
The command devolves upon
Colonel D. W. Wardrip, of the Ninety ninth New York Volunteer Infantry.
The
Yankees seem to have one hope of stopping the Confederate rams, now loose in the
North Carolina waters, and that is placed in the
Tacony, a vessel of the "double-ender" class, and was built and equipped at
Philadelphia.
She is a staunch craft and carries ten guns, four each broadside and heavy rifled pivot gun fore and aft. As a paddle wheel steamer she belongs to the third class, and is nine hundred and seventy-four tons tonnage.--She is commanded by
Lt. W. F. Truxton, a grandson of Com
Truxton.
The
acting assistant surgeon of the gunboat
Southfield, sunk by our ram at
Plymouth, gives the following account of the affair to the
Yankee Navy Department:
Sir
--About half-past 5 P. M., on the 17th inst., Fort Gray, near
Plymouth, on the
Roanoke river, was attacked by the rebels from a battery of six field pieces, on a sand bank some 800 or 1,000 yards up the river.
Lieut. Com. Flasser dispatched the
Ceres to communicate with the
Whitehead, which was doing picket duty up the river.
In passing up by the rebel battery she received a shot through the port gangway, killing two and wounding seven men. Firing upon the fort ceased at about 9 o'clock, the
Ceres returning about this time.
At early dawn on Monday, 18th, the enemy charged upon Fort Gray, and were repulsed.
The
Bombshell then steamed up the river to communicate with the fort, receiving several shots, and put in in a sinking condition.
After communicating with the fort she returned and sank at the wharf.
At about 10.30 P. M. the
Southfield dropped down the river and reported to
Lieutenant Commander Flusser, who ordered the vessels to be lashed together with hawsers, the
Southfield being on the port side of the
Miami.
At about midnight the
Southfield came down the Cachie, and came up alongside the
Miami, reporting the ram on the way down.
The
Ceres returning about the same time, having been sent around through the Cachie to communicate with the
Whitehead.
About 3 o'clock A. M. on Tuesday, 19th, the ram dropped down along the left bank of the river, under cover of the shade of the trees, with the current, and when near ran obliquely across into the starboard bow of the
Southfield.
We had been firing shell the previous evening on shore, and the guns of both vessels were left loaded with shell, which there was not time to draw.
Lieut. Commander Flusser fired the first shell at her, and upon its bursting some fragments either from this or from the
Southfield's shells rebounded and caused the death of
Lieut Commander Flusser, also wounding the officers and men below mentioned, the fragments piercing his chest, face and skull.
Upon the approach of the ram the
Southfield also fired at her. The prow of the ram running into the
Southfield caused her to fill with water, and she sank inside of fifteen minutes.
The forward lashings were parted by the pressure of the ram between our vessels, and the after ones were then cut, and as many as could get on board of the
Miami did so. When the
Miami retired she was followed a short distance by the ram, which was considered slow, making about four knots per hour, the
Miami, however, throwing solid shot at her as she retired.
Some of the men of the
Southfield took the small boats and were picked up by the
Whitehead and
Ceres.
The gunboats
Miami,
Whitehead and
Ceres returned to the mouth of the river and came to anchor.
The
Ceres was dispatched to
Newbern immediately with the body of
Lieutenant Commanding Flusser.
The officers missing from the
Southfield were
Acting Master W. B. Newman,
Acting Ensign Thos. B. Stokes, Acting Second
Assistant Engineer Wm. F. Goff, Acting Third
Assistant Engineer John A. Strelby,
Acting Master's
Mate Geo. W. Pratt, and
Paymaster's Clerk,
Geo. W. Brown.
Some of the officers and men of the
Southfield may have been captured, but most of them must have escaped — few or none were probably lost
Acting Ensign Thomas A. Hargis, and Acting Third
Assistant Engineer Harrington, and some six or eight men were wounded — none mortally — of the
Miami.
The
Miami was uninjured.
The ram is thought not to have used her guns whilst under our bows, nor could our guns then bear on her. The shell fired at her was when she approached, and her firing, which seemed to be from small guns, was while the
Miami retreated, when she was struck by a glancing shot from the ram.
Grant is having reviews in the Army of the Potomac.
On the 23d inst. he reviewed the Second Corps, (
Hancock's,) which the letter writers inform us passed him in "resplendent column." The Washington
Star contradicts the report that
Gen. Lee is moving towards the Shenandoah Valley, and says he is still in his old position on the
Rappahannock.
It adds:
‘
Such movements of his cavalry as were going on, seemed to be in the nature of reconnaissances to ascertain
General Grant's purposes, and the fact of
Grant sending out unusually large picket forces, seems to have mystified the enemy on various occasions.
Lee's army was preparing for a sudden move, but was seemingly disposed to wait for
Grant to open and develop his game.
’
The movements of our gunboats up the
Rappahannock had raised an alarm in
Richmond that
Burnside was effecting a landing there, and a new alarm had been raised among the
Confederates of a movement by the
Federals up the south side of
James river.
The Confederates are divided between the fear that
Lee may be invested in
Richmond, should he fall back there, and the fear that he may be outflanked by
Grant should he remain in his present position.
Two weeks ago
Lee's forces amounted to forty thousand, and it is believed that it is now, with the reinforcements he has been able to bring up, not above eighty-five thousand men.
Longstreet's whole corps is on the rebel left wing, and has been ready to march for ten days, with one week's rations in their wagons.
It is not deemed probable by military men that
Lee would at this time divide his army by throwing any material portion of it over into the Shenandoah Valley, thus weakening his force in front of
Grant, who, he well knows, would be likely to crush him in detail.
A family of refugees who came into our lines yesterday from below Madison Court-House, reports that
Wickham's brigade were on picket duty on
Robertson's river last Friday evening, having been there for some time.
They were poorly mounted and the horses were in poor condition from want of forage.
General Stuart is to have a grand review of all his cavalry on Tuesday, at or near Hampton's Cross Roads.
Their cavalry is being reorganized for the spring campaign, which cannot open vigorously yet for some time, owing to the necessary supplies of forage being exhausted, and grass will not be green for two or three weeks, the season being very backward.
Forrest in Tennessee--large Augmentation of his force — he Weeds his own Row.
It appears that
Forrest captured
Fort Pillow with only eight hundred men, and not several thousand, as at first reported.
The Philadelphia
Inquirer, of the 26th, says:
‘
The news in regard to rebel operations in
West Tennessee and
Northern Mississippi is important.
’
General Lemon, who escaped from
Jackson, Tenn., on the 13th, has arrived at
Cairo.
He says when he left there
Forrest had arrived there with thirty-nine regiments.
All the troops that were in
Mississippi, except
Wirt Adams's cavalry, twenty-six regiments, were under
Forrest's immediate command, thirteen being under Chaimers and other officers, according to rank, as follows:
Rodney,
McCullough,
Buford,
Faulkner,
Neely,
Wheeler,
Maury, and
Burrow.
The order to capture
Fort Pillow was issued on the evening of the 10th.
Colonel Bell was required to march next morning with six hundred men.--
Forrest and Chaimers followed with two hundred, and those are all said to have been there.
Major Booth was warned of their approach some days before.
Forrest's loss is reported at ten killed and thirty-five wounded. Five thousand men have been conscripted by the enemy since their occupation of
West Tennessee and
Kentucky.
There was a rumor that
Forrest's forces have crossed the
Tallahatchie, but these may have been but a few men taking away conscripts.
A telegram from
Louisville reports
Forrest as marching upon
Decatur,
Hamburg,
Columbus,
Nashville, and about a dozen other places.
He seems to have completely befogged the
Yankees as to his movements.
Another dispatch from
St. Louis, dated the 25th, says:
‘
Advices from
Memphis to the 22d say that
Forrest's entire force were moving towards
Alabama, followed by
Grierson.
Polk was said to be marching north, and
Forrest would probably join him.
’
On the morning of the 21st
Grierson's cavalry came upon some of
Forrest's troops, near
Huntsville, when a sharp fight ensued.
The rebels retreated in the direction of
Jackson passing through
Lagrange.
A number of prisoners, horses, mules, and wagons were captured from them and taken to
Memphis.
Gen. Price had evacuated
Camden, Ark., and
Gen. Steele occupied the place.
Grierson has picked up a few of
Forrest's men, but
Forrest keeps his troops well together, and is too strong for a successful attack.
His headquarters are still at
Jackson, Tenn.
Reinforcing the Yankee armies in the field — New Garrisons for Yankee Cities.
The Government at
Washington is straining every point to put men in the field.
The drilled men in garrison and heavy artillery batteries in the
Northern towns are being sent to
Washington to relieve the garrison there and permit them to be sent to the front.
Gov. Parker, of
New Jersey, has received orders from
Lincoln to raise a new regiment for the heavy batteries in that State and permit the old regiment to go into the field.
The Washington
Republican says that on Saturday
Governors Lewis, of
Wisconsin,
Yates, of
Illinois,
Stone, of
Iowa,
Morton, of
Indiana, Borough, of
Ohio, and
Blair, of
Michigan, jointly tendered the
President of the
United States 100,000 men, to serve one hundred days, to be clothed, armed and equipped by the United States Government, the men to be raised within the limits of the several Northwestern States named.
The proposition was accepted by the
President, and the
Secretary of War was subsequently instructed to receive these troops.
Four or five of the above named Governors have issued their State proclamations in this city, and sent them forward on Saturday.
The first proposition made to the
Government by Northwestern Governors was that the
President should issue his proclamation for one hundred thousand men for six months, but, owing to difficulties which could not be immediately overcome, they agreed to make the proposition mentioned.
It is believed by the gentlemen who have tendered this new axillary force that they will be able to raise it within twenty-five days. The new army will garrison all the forts on the frontier and in the rear of active operations, thus enabling the veterans now doing post and garrison duty to join the armies.
Burnside's corps left
Annapolis, Md., on the 23d inst., and passed through
Washington on the 25th.
It was reviewed by
Lincoln on Monday last.
A dispatch says:
‘
Burnside's corps is now passing down Fourteenth street, before the
President and
General Burnside. Thousands of citizens are congregated about Willard's Hotel and on the street, and the troops are enthusiastically cheered.
They have been passing since 12 o'clock. As the colored brigade passed their fine marching and orderly bearing elicited the highest praise, and they were loudly cheered.
The troops present a magnificent appearance.
Business is quite suspended, and everybody is out cheering the troops.
The men are all in good health and spirits.
The windows of Willard's Hotel are thronged with ladies, and many handkerchiefs are waving.
’
The
Annapolis Republican, of Saturday, contains the following:
Head'qrs 9th Army Corps,
Annapolis, Md., April 19.
Circular No. 3.--This army being on the eve of a movement, no application for leave of absence or furloughs for any length of time will be granted, excepting only in those cases where there is evidence that the reasons are of the most urgent character.
No notice whatever will be taken of any others.
The Washington
Republican says
Gen. Burnside has ordered all the troops now on the way to join him at
Annapolis to their destination, and we also hear that he has asked the
Government for further time to gather more men.
Financial — gold still going up.
The following is from a New York letter, dated the evening of the 25th inst.:
‘
The money market is easier at 7 per cent for call loans.
Foreign exchange is selling for 193½ in currency for first class sterling.
American gold is more active and decidedly higher, opening at 78¼, advancing to 80½, declining to 79½, advancing to 83½, declining to 81¼, and closing quiet and firm at 83¼a83½ per cent premium.
Government stocks are steady.
Five-twenty coupons, 112a112¼. Stocks firmer.
New York Central has advanced 2¼;
Erie 2½; Reading 3½;
Illinois Central 4;
Hudson 6½;
Michigan Southern 8¼, and Harlam 14 per cent.
Canton has declined ½, and
Cleveland and
Toledo ¼ per cent.
’
The letter says:
‘
We begin the week with another blue Monday.
The weather is bad, the news from
Plymouth is bad, and the feeling in Wall street and William street, where the gold gamblers and stock speculators meet, is bad. Doubtless, when the sun condescends to shine again, we shall all feel better.--The news telegraphed from
Washington in the course of the day, that "
Burnside is moving," excites high hopes of hearing great and good news from somewhere soon.
’
Miscellaneous.
The following captures have been reported at the Navy Department: Schooner
Mary Darley, by
United States steamer
Sciota, off
Galveston, Texas, on the 4th inst. She was formerly the
United States revenue cutter
Dodge, and was seized by the rebels in
Galveston Bay at the commencement of the rebellion.
Also, the capture of the British schooner
M. P. Burton, by the
United States steamer
Woodstock, loaded with iron and shot.--She cleared from
Havana, and purported to be bound to
Matamoros.
The New York Sanitary Fair closed on Saturday evening having realized $1,011,000.
Gen. Grant receives one of the swords which has been in contest since the opening of the
Fair, and
Commodore Rowan the other.
The vote for the army sword was for
Grant, 39,291;
McClellan, 14,509,
General Grant having a majority of 15,782.
The Women's National League has forwarded to
Washington over 12,000 signatures to the petition to amend the
Constitution for the prohibition of slavery.
One week ago they forwarded over 21,000.
The question is still pending in the
House.
Those having petitions are urged by the League to gather fifty or a hundred names and send them on.
Col. Fish, the former
Provost Marshal of
Baltimore, has been tried by a court martial in this city for receiving bribes, &c., and sentenced to be cashiered and dismissed the service, also to pay a fine of five thousand dollars and be confined for one year in the
Albany Penitentiary.
Last week the First United States Volunteers arrived in
Norfolk from
Point Lookout.
This regiment was formed at the latter place from men who had formerly been in the rebel army.
Colonel Wm. B. Green is its commander, and it will be retained in
Norfolk to do provost duty.
They at present number over six hundred men.
Gen. Scott has fully recovered his recently impaired health, and is as busy as a bee writing up his "Life and Times," which he expects to have ready for the press in the course of a few weeks.
The work, as thus far completed, will make nine hundred octavo pages.
Lincoln on Tuesday appointed
Brigadier General Totten Brevet Major General, and the Senate confirmed him that afternoon.
Before the news of his confirmation could reach him he had died.
He was considered one of the ablest officers in the service.
Gov. Brough of
Ohio, has issued an order calling out the militia of that State into active service for three months. They will be clothed, armed, equipped, and paid by the United States Government.
They are to report for duty on the 2d of May.
The Maryland Sanitary Fair in
Baltimore closed Saturday night.
Mr. Chase (whose seat in the
Cabinet is rather hard at present, in view of the gold rise) was presented with a cushion valued at $150.
Major Gen. Crittenden having been exonerated from all imputations whatever concerning his course at the
battle of Chickamauga, has been assigned to an important command, and ordered to report to
Gen. Burnside.
"
Gov."
Murphy was inaugurated at
Little Rock, Arkansas, on the 19th inst. There was a grand procession of the "legislative,"
civil officers, free negroes, &c.
Col. Whitson, of the 8th N. C. regiment was captured in
Currituck a few days since.
He was shot five times before he was captured.
He was sent to Belfour Hospital at
Norfolk.
There are now six negro regiments in the Army of the Cumberland. Two new regiments have already been formed, and the recruiting is progressing.
On
Saturday Lincoln assigned
Major Gen. F. P. Blair to command the Seventeenth (
McPherson's) Army Corps, now in the Department of the Mississippi.
Maj. Gen. W. S. Hancock has been presented by his friends in New York with a beautiful carriage and harness.
The General expects soon to take the field.
Eugene Le Mar, a rebel spy now imprisoned at
Fort McHenry, has been tried by a military commission, found guilty, and sentenced to be hanged.
Beast
Butler is out in a card, denying that he has protested against being made a subordinate in the military command in his department.
The
U. S. House has passed the Tariff bill, raising duties fifty per cent. for the next sixty days, with only about an hour's discussion.
