Latest from the North.
the great battle at Gettysburg.
the fight of Thursday--the battle renewed--three Yankee Generals killed and four wounded only 1,600 Confederate prisoners taken — the Confederates hold Gettysburg. We have received from Hon. Robert Ould, Commissioner of Exchange, New York papers of the 2d, 3d and 4th insts. The news of the battle of Gettysburg differs considerably from the first Yankee accounts. When they were first attacked they were some distance beyond Gettysburg, but were driven out, and are now this side of the town. The following dispatches in the New York World give an account of the progress of the fighting. The first contains extracts from the official report of Gen. Meade, which was all the War Department would allow to be telegraphed from Washington to the Northern papers: Washington, July 3d.--An official dispatch was received this afternoon from Major-General Meade, dated headquarters, army of the Potomac, 11 o'clock P. M., July 2nd, which says: ‘ "The enemy attacked me about 4 P. M. this day, and, after one of the severest contests of the war, was repulsed at all points. We have suffered considerably in killed and wounded. Among the former are Brigadier Generals Paul and Zook, and among the wounded Generals are Sickles, Barlow, Graham, and Warren, slightly. We have taken a large number of prisoners. " ’
[second Dispatch.]
Washington, July 3.
--A later dispatch has been received from Major-General Meade, dated 8 o'clock this morning, which says: ‘
"The action commenced again at early daylight upon various parts of the line.
The enemy, thus far, have made no impression upon my position.
All accounts agree in placing their whole army here.
Prisoners report that Longstreet's and A. P. Hill's forces were much injured yesterday, and had many general officers killed.
Gen. Barksdale, of Miss., is dead.
His body is within our lines.
We have thus far about 1,600 prisoners, and a small number yet to be started. " ’
Dispatches about the fighting.
Harrisburg, July 3.
--A prominent citizen of Gettysburg, who left there yesterday morning on a pass issued by Gen. Ewell to go to Heidleburg, met Stuart, Fitzhugh Lee, and Wade Hampton, with what he estimated at 10,000 cavalry, who were moving in the direction of Gettysburg.
Their officers told him that Lee had no intention of leaving Pennsylvania, but was going to remain here until his army was destroyed or victorious.
The gentleman arrived here this evening, the enemy making no effort to retain him.
Two militiamen from Susquehanna county were killed this evening at Camp Curtin by lightning.
A dispatch from London this morning states that yesterday the rebels left Chambersburg, taking the road in the direction of Gettysburg.
Before leaving they burned the depot and workshops belonging to the railroad.
London is fourteen miles west of Chambersburg.
The enemy also evacuated Shippensburg yesterday, moving in the same direction.
Everything goes to show that Lee has his whole army concentrated between Cashtown and Gettysburg.
The train that left Carlisle at seven o'clock this evening brought down twenty-four rebel deserters, who had come in from the mountains.
They knew nothing about the result of the battle, but state that both armies are fighting with great desperation.
Firing was heard from daylight up to three o'clock this afternoon, at different points down the river.
The day has been quiet up to the present moment. The enemy are now massing a heavy force on our left, and have just began the attack with artillery. The probability is that a severe battle will be fought before dark. The rebel sharpshooters have been annoying our batteries and men all day from the steeples of the churches in Gettysburg. We hold the Emmetsburg and Baltimore roads.
Our forces are known to have gained upon the enemy until 4 o'clock this afternoon.--Since 5 o'clock the firing has been much heavier and more rapid, indicating a general engagement between the entire armies. The rebel force is concentrated on South Mountain, toward Carlisle, six miles north of Gettysburg. Gen. Sedgwick's corps passed York in the direction of Dover, at 4 o'clock this afternoon. It is in the rear of the enemy. The 2d army corps moved up from Hanover at 8 o'clock this morning. Philadelphia, July 3.--A special dispatch to the Bulletin, from Harrisburg, says: ‘ Nothing is yet known as to results, but the impression prevails that the great decisive battle of the campaign has been fought in the neighborhood of Cashtown, between Gettysburg and Chambersburg. It is believed that we have suffered heavy losses in officers and men, but Lee is so crippled as to be placed on the defensive. Yesterday Gen. Meade assumed the offensive. The day before Lee had attacked Meade, and was repulsed with heavy loss. Lee holds a gap in South Mountain, near Chambersburg, through which he hopes to escape, if defeated. A guard stationed at Bridge Eighty-four on the Northern Central Railroad, heard firing in that direction, like that of flying artillery; whence it is believed Pleasanton is again at work with his dashing cavalry, fighting for the possession of the gap. Columbia, Pa., July 3.--Capt. Roberts, of Philadelphia, who was captured near Gettysburg and paroled, has arrived here. He reports that yesterday, beyond York, a courier from Gen. Meade to Gen. Couch stopped at a house to have his horse fed. The women in the house became alarmed and blew a born to collect the neighbors, when the courier; fearing that the noise would reach the rebels, threatened them if they did not desist. At this moment the owner of the house arrived and, taking the courier for a rebel, drew a pistol and killed him. The courier's dispatches were subsequently sent to Baltimore, very foolishly, instead of to Harrisburg. Capt. Porter says that numbers of people in York and Adams counties offered every possible assistance to the rebels, pointing out to them the property of Union citizens and of the Government, and showing them the roads. Heavy and continuous artillery firing was heard yesterday afternoon, and last night, in the direction of Dover, eight miles northwest of York. ’
The very latest from the battle field.
The following dispatches are published by the World as "the very latest:" ‘ Philadelphia, July 3.--A special dispatch to Forney's Press, dated Hanover, 1 P. M., via Washington, July 3, says: ‘"At 10 this morning our forces opened on about 5,000 rebels, who advanced on the field at day break for the purpose of pillaging our dead. The rebels hastily retreated. The fight thus far has been the most terrific of the war. The loss on both sides was heavy. Gen. Sickles was wounded severely. His right leg was amputated, and he is doing well. A desperate battle rages."’ ’ Washington, July 3.--The information received here is that the battle of Gettysburg last night was extremely fierce and stubborn. Heavy and determined assaults were made by the rebels, which were gallantly met by our troops. This morning at daylight the contest was spiritedly renewed. Our army drove the enemy, who in turn drove ours, the fighting being desperately severe, and the fiercest, probably, of the war. Prisoners report that Longstreet was killed, and this seems to be confirmed by later intelligence. Colonel Cross, of New Hampshire, and General Zook, of New York, are among the killed. Gen. Sickles; it is said, was wounded, and had his leg amputated on the field. Gen. Barksdale, of the rebel army, is killed, and his body is in our possession. The latest intelligence received here was up to 11 o'clock to-day. [This "latest intelligence" the Yankee War Department did not allow to be made public--Ed]A Recapitulation of the battle of Wednesday.
The correspondent of the New York World writing on the 2d inst., thus recapitulates the battle of Wednesday: ‘ The engagement yesterday was quite severe, though confined to our advance, the First and Eleventh corps, the action being fought mainly by the First corps, under General Reynolds, who was killed by a sharpshooter early in the fight. We first attacked the enemy's advance just beyond Gettysburg and repulsed it, when the whole corps became engaged, and subsequently the Eleventh corps, which came up to support by the Emmetsburg road. The opposing forces were the rebel corps of Hill and Ewell. Our men gallantly sustained the fight, holding their own until 4 o'clock, when they retired to a strong position just to the east ward and southward of Gettysburg. This was maintained until the arrival of reinforcements at night, and our lines are now well formed. ’ No general engagement has yet taken place, but the probability is that a great battle will be fought this afternoon or to morrow. The enemy is in great force. Our troops are now all up and well in hand. The battle yesterday was sanguinary in the extreme. Wadsworth's division sustained the early portion of it with great valor, charging the enemy and taking a whole regiment of prisoners with Brigadier-General Archer. We have taken fully one thousand prisoners and lost many, most of them being wounded and in Gettysburg, the greater portion of which the enemy now hold. The rebels occupy Pennsylvania College as an hospital. Robinson's division and one brigade of Doubleday's supported Wadsworth with great gallantry. The 11th corps, most of it, fought well, and redeemed the disgrace of Chancellorsville. Among the general officers we lose, besides Major-General Reynolds, General Paul killed, and General Barlow wounded. Gen. Schimmel fanning is a prisoner. An estimate of yesterday's casualties cannot now be made. Gettysburg was injured by shells to a considerable extent. Most of the inhabitants remain in the burgh, many got away yesterday. It is a beautiful place, surrounded by a beautiful open and rolling country. There has been more or less skirmishing all the morning, but no engagement of dimensions. Both parties are preparing for the great contest before them. Our troops are in splendid condition, and fight like veterans. Among the casualties in yesterday's engagement were the following: Lieutenant Bayard Wilkison, commanding Battery G, Fourth regular artillery, son of Samuel Wilkison, Washington correspondent of the Times, right leg shot ofi below the knee, while gallantly fighting his battery against an eight- gun battery of the enemy, enfilading his position; believed to be a prisoner. Col. Stone, 149th Pennsylvania, commanding brigade, badly wounded. Col. Root, 94th New York, wounded and prisoner. Col. Tilden, 16th Maine, taken prisoner. Capts. Hovey and Thomas, of Gen. Robinson's staff, wounded. Col. Muhier, 75th Pennsylvania, dangerously wounded. Col. Lockman, 119th New York, wounded. Adj't Dodge, 119th New York, wounded and captured. Lieut. Col. Arrowsmith, 157th New York, killed. The following is a list of losses of officers in Gen. Sol. Meredith's brigade, Wadsworth's division, first army corps, in yesterday's fight: Gen. Meredith, bruised on top of the head by a fragment of shell. His horse was shot under him and fell upon him, bruising and injuring him internally. Lieut. Col. G W Woodward, Aid de-Camp to Meredith, wounded in right arm. The New York papers have not a single exultant paragraph over the fight, which is very significant. The World, of the 4th, says: ‘ At last a gleam of intelligible light relieves the murky chaos of official telegrams, in which, for three days past, the battle-fields of Pennsylvania have been enshrouded. In a dispatch which would have better satisfied the general expectations, and gone further to appease the general anxiety, had the War Department thought fit to publish it in full, but which, even in the mutilated form in which Mr. Stanton presents it, commands attention and inspires confidence by its modest and manly tone, General Meade announces that a great battle really began on Thursday evening, and was renewed yesterday morning, between his own army and the whole force of the enemy. ’ He claims for his troops the credit of a stern and solid resistance to an attack of which he does not conceal the fierce and formidable character, and at 8 o'clock on Friday morning he asserts the continued success of that resistance. Since 8 o'clock on Friday morning, however, nothing seems to have been heard from the scene from this supreme conflict, and further tidings must therefore be looked for with an eagerness positively painful in its intensity. These tidings may — indeed, if the Government will but do its duty, they must — reach us at any moment. Let us hope that they may come to throw a sudden glory of victory and of hope over the solemn hour of the great anniversary which the nation this day celebrates.The capture of Brashear city La.--a garrison goes and up — all of banks's heavy baggage lost.
A letter to the New York World, dated New Orleans, June 26th, confirms the capture by the Confederates of Brashear City, La., and the large amount of stores there, and also the garrison. The correspondent says: ‘ The force at Brashear expected an attack, but they looked for the advance from Lafourche, and were fairly surprised — literally, as well as in a military sense — when at daylight Tuesday morning two batteries, planted the night previous, opened upon them from Berwick City, opposite, and not an hour after came crashing through the woods a mixed mass of horse and footmen. There were not more than six hundred of them, and they were a p Monton's force from the west bank of tche. They crossed on rafts and flat- boats, landing on the south bank of Lake Patondre, charged into town, and came in the rear of the Federal, who were looking for an advance upon Bayon Boeuff. It was short work. There was no fighting. The Provost Marshal and a few men near the bay succeeded in getting on board the Holyhock. The rest were "gobbled." ’ As a raid, surprise, or "gobble," it was a most important achievement for the Confederates, and a disaster to the Federal. There are no means of knowing precisely the number of men who were taken prisoners. They were volunteers belonging to the 23d Connecticut, the 176th New York, and the 1st Indiana battery, with several sick and convalescent men. Two thousand negroes — men. women, and children — were in the city, not one of whom escaped. There is reason to believe that some of the soldiers joined the Federal forces at La Fourche Sunday evening. Those who remained are prisoners. The 1st Indiana battery men were on duty at Fort Buchanan, an earthwork on Lake Patondre, commanding the inlet of the Atchafalaya river. Captain Noblett's horse came into the city from the fort riderless, and the fate of the rider is only conjectural. There were four heavy guns in the fort, one 30 pound Parrott in the city, three or four guns on the earthworks at Bayon Bœuf, and in the magazine there were 30,000 rounds of ammunition for these guns. In addition to the (temporary, at least,) occupation of this important position, and the capture of these guns and ammunition, there were other very desirable spoils in the place. When Gen. Banks made his advance to Alexandria, wishing to encumber the army as little as possible on the march, he left everything that was superfluous at Brashear city. His tents, his army knapsacks, the officers' baggage, considerable supplies of stores and provisions, have all fallen into the hands of the Confederates--Beyond the few clothes worn by those who escaped on the Hollyhock, (and they did not stop to make very elaborate toilettes,) everything was captured. Lately a small train has been run daily on the Jackson railroad to Kenner, fourteen miles above the city and sometimes on to Manchaca, on the South Pass of Lake Maurepas. Manchaca Pass has been the scene of bridge burning more than once within a few months past. Yesterday a train with the only locomotive on the road was sent up to Manchaca to bring back the hand cars, tools and men who have just completed the repairs of the bridge. That train did not return, and we have news this morning that it was taken by the Confederates, who now hold the Pass. As this gives them the control of the road, and affords a direct route to the city, the Confederates will not be likely to destroy the bridge, unless compelled to do so to out off an advancing Federal force from New Orleans.The Operations at Vicksburg.
The Yankee letters from Vicksburg assert that they hold the fort which they undermined and blew up. Their dispatches, however, do not so claim. The following are the latest dispatches: Memphis, Tenn., July 1.--Official advices from the army of General Grant to the 28th of June furnish the following particulars: The rebel garrison at Vicksburg is very active. The rebels are making a desperate resistance to the progress of the siege, with the hope that relief will soon reach them. Additional rebel reinforcements are said to be on the way from General Bragg to General Johnston, and the latter is perfecting arrangements to attack Gen. Grant's rear. Generals Price, Marmaduke, and Kirby Smith are combining to get to some point on the banks of the Mississippi, and will probably make an attempt to take Milliken's Bend and stop navigation.A gentleman from the front reports everything in statu quo. Operations continue against the rebel works, but the firing is better than that two days ago. The rebels still dispute our hold on Fort Hill. Col. Melanchthon Smith died of his wounds yesterday. Colonel Hansville was mortally wounded by a grenade while entering the fort. Johnston's advance is said to be a few miles from our outer pickets, but with only a show of force, it is expected. Nothing can be more desirable than a rear attack, as everything is prepared.
The latest from Richmond.
A Washington dispatch has the following story from one of the Yankee "ladies" captured at Winchester, taken to Richmond, and thence sent to Washington: The ladies who were wives of officers, some twelve in number, were regarded as prisoners of war, and have been subjected to the most cruel treatment. At Winchester they were confined by the rebels in a small fort promiscuously with other prisoners, and on being released were furnished with wretched accommodations for transit to Richmond, several ladies being obliged to walk twenty and thirty miles. At every place they were hooted at, insulted, and universally looked upon as Yankee curiosities. On arriving at Richmond they were closely imprisoned and treated as most of our prisoners have been before them. There was a decided scare on Friday last, when Col. Spears, of Dix's forces, made his raid so near Richmond. The entire city was alarmed, so much so that nearly a thousand rebel soldiers confined in some prison with three civilians for military offences were called upon and told that they would be furnished with arms and immediately ordered out in front of Richmond. The commanding officer reported that the Yankees were then within a few miles. On Col. Spears's retreat the excitement subsided, but there is still constant fear of an attack, which was expected almost daily. There are believed to be about six thousand troops in Richmond, mostly conscripts and Home Guards. The prisoners saw boys not more than twelve years of age drilling in the streets. It is certain that none of Braggs forces have reached Richmond, nor that that city has been reinforced otherwise; it is the opinion that it could now be easily taken.The movement on Richmond.
The New York Herald contains a number of letters from the Peninsula, giving an account of Dix's movement on Richmond. Col. Spears's "brilliant movement" was made by 1,200 cavalrymen, and left West Point on the 25th. They went to Tunstall's, and thence to Hanover bridge. At the South Anna bridge they found a company of the 44th N. C. troops, who were well posted, and "to the last brave and unyielding until overpowered." They captured Gen. W. H. F. Lee. Of the raid Gen. Dix telegraphed to Washington that "private property was respected, and nothing touched but Government property"--(a most astounding Yankee lie) Gen. Lee asked to be sent to Baltimore, but the request was denied.Militia called out in Washington.
Lincoln, after "the latest intelligence" from Meade, called out the Washington militia, to serve 60 days. Martial law is prevailing in that city, and much excitement is created by the call for the militia.Proclamation of General early to the people of York.
Harrisburg, June 30.
--To the courtesy of Mr. O Neil, of Pittsburg, I am indebted for a copy of the following:
I have abstained from burning the railroad buildings and car shop in your town because, after examination, I am satisfied the safety of the town would be endangered; and acting in the spirit of humanity, which has ever characterized my Government and its military authorities, I do not desire to involve the innocent in the same punishment with the guilty.
Had I applied the torch without regard so consequences I would then have pursued a course that would have been fully vindicated as an act of just retaliation for the authorized acts of barbarity perpetrated by your own army on our soil; but we do not war upon women and children, and I trust the treatment you have met with at the hands of my soldiers will open your eyes to the onions tyranny under which it is apparent to all you are yourselves groaning. J. A. Earley, Major-Gen'l C. S. A.
