** Stag We ag we nneee: * pls a ® ipesition on the Yazoo and the river itgelf. The Civil War in the States. FROM THE RAPPAHANNOCK, ‘our undertaking, we moved dows the stream towards the great riyer of the West. By nearly two thouegnd hag our number been TRE REBEL : | diminished FORCES UNDER JACKSON AND LONGSTREST New Yors, Jan. 20. An Ormy letter of| TIED TO THE SHORB. the 17th, in Tprbane, savs the reporte from | Phe whole fleet of boats js now tied up to Nashville that Longstroet’s corps has removed | the Louisiang shore gt Milliken’s Bend. westward to reinforce Bragg, ate unfounded. | There hag been no news from Vickshurg to- Longstreet himself was here two days ago day. it is probable that there is much re- with his command. [t iy not believed that/Joicing in that city at the withdrawal of the an entire corpe hag been withdrawn from our Yankees. A heavy rain js falling and pre- front, but we have information from deserters | Vents our landing. The troops will be de- and contrabands shat some batteries, brigades barked as soop as the storm is over, after and divisions bave been detachod and sent to; W4ich most of the boats will proceed above. Tennessee ; | CLOSING COMMENTS. Phe World says: ‘‘ A letter from one of} The second siege of Vicksburg is over our corresponden's with Gen. Buryside’s|The battle of Chickasaw Bayou has been a Army states that the army ie under march-| repetition on a smatier scale of the great ing orders and provided with three days ra-| battle of Predericksbarg, a month ago. Had tions. Five pontoon bridges are to be thrown | it been a success, the result could have been across the Rappahannock at some distance | hardly less important than the defeat of the apart. and wpen these the army will cross | rebels at the latter place. It woyld have the river | ned yp the Mississippi river, the highway General Lee's army is composed of eight|/ of America, now closed for nearly twenty Jarge divisiong. Jacksop commandsthe right, months. The products of the great West, Wing, composed of three divisions ; and Long-| long pent up in the granaries of wheat and street the left, composed of five divisions. | corn growing States, would have found their These divisions are apparently stronger thar | natura) outlet to the commerce of the world. ours, Comprising as they do a gregtes namber | Cipcinnati, St. Louis and New Ovieans would of brigades and regiments, but whether their |» ain have becowe the centres of active trade total strength is equal to ours is urknown. | and shaken off their lethargy ef the period of A desperate struggle is eyidently close at|/ war. Qur failuge has dashed the hopes of hand, and stirring news may be expected | the nation, and delayed for weeks the pro- shortly."’ gress of our arms. When we ggain attack MUTINY IN HE REBEL GARRISON oF Yorr| the steep bluffs and frowning batteries of SUMPTER — THE KUTINEERS OvERrowERED—/| Vicksbarg we will do so with a better pro- THEIR LEADERS TO BE SHOT. mise of ee Insanity ew ae . . . iia . | hgve brought their reeylt: let us have them goyaiver hae a letter from Port Royal, daced | ne more. With enother brain than that of the 18th, which says that the gun ~ Mar-| Gen. Sherman's we will dfop the ee blehead, from the blockade of Charleston, eee at et ure. and foe} sertain of vic- reports that six deserters from Fort Sumpter wp ditpoalagen : reached the Canandaiuge, cn a foggy night. | They repost that a third of the garrison of Fort Sompter heve avowed their intention to no longer fight under the Confederate flag, wheregpon nearly allthe garrison threw | wars acing down theie arma. They were half famished, | THE Hagrier Lane—Tue seewes UP OF THE and their families were in want, owing to; Fiacssir W estrikip.—The New Orleans cor- nop-payment for several ponths. The arri- respondent of the New York Herald under val of other troops dverawed the matinecrs, | date of Jany. 4, writes :—Before this reaches and foreed them to return to their duties. | You i probable you will have received, A large number of the prominent ones were, | through rebel sources, some account of the howeryer, in confinement, and would probably | afisir at Galveston. This disaster is saflici- be chat. vently complete, as far as it goes, although it Cheir friends say if this be done they will; " by no means as extensive as the reports in aveaze their deathg. [he dissatisfaction | circulation in seeessioa circles here would ip-u- among the rebel troops is widespread through | °#t- It involved the capture of the Harriet the department. The mer are worked day | Lane, the death of her commander, and the apd night, and are half starved. They re-| killing and wounding of nearly all her men ; eeiye no money and live ander the iron rule | the blowing up of the flagship Westfield, and of despots. Scarcely a day passes without | te desth of Commodore Renshaw and about desertions. {twenty of bis men; the capcure of two or The ganboat Wiasshickon recentiy drove! three schooners loaded wich coal, and the the rebels out of the battery at Branch | Surrender of the whole Union force in Galves- ot eam tea -|ton city, which nuiabered less than 300 me Island. Presently they returned, a party of | city, W nuiabered less than 30@ men. cavalry forcing them back tothe guns. The “ When Generai Banks was sent here to re- again vpened fre, and the Wissahickon re- lieve Gen. Butler, Texas was added to the evived a shot ia her bull which nearly sunk | Department of the Gulf ; and it was generally her. She came into Port Royal for repairs, |“aderstood that as soon as he could do so | | without endangering his operations in tie | THE GALYESTON DISASTER. Intergsvyinc Deraits ov Tue SURRENDER OF tae Union Forces—Ine Bioovy Ficur on 7 With hearts full oi sadness at the fajlure oi! sippi river boat, with ber machiner 'damaged, either in her machinery or her FEDERAL REPULSE aT VICKSBURG. The operations against Vicksburg by Gen. | valley of the Mississi;pi, he would detach a sufficient body of troops to averthrow the Sherman appear to have been a series of blun-| rebel power in that State. This force, it was ders. The Herald's correspondent complains | understood, was to co-operate with General that his letter bad beeg opened by Sherman's! A. J. Hamilton, Military Governor of Texas, avrders. And the former says if the Federal! | and was to be the seuclas around which the officers had acted ag persistently and earnest- | loys! men of that State should rally. Gen. | by against the rebels as they did against the Banks. however, did not deem it advisable representatives of the press, Vicksburg would, to weaken his power in the valley of the have falleg inte Union bands. As it is, the | Mississippi by an immediate movement upon | Federals have euffered a severe repulse, at- Texas with any considerable body of troupes. | tended with heavy joss of life and stores. | Undoubtedly he regarded the re-eatablish- | THE REBEL STORY. | ment of the Unian authority these of secandary | The Vicksburg papers of the morning of | importance, and ‘ thy the 20th were exceedingly exultant over the | Purpose of opening the Mississippi river. result of the battle. They claimed to have the same time he determined to send 4 gmail repulsed and defeated fifteen thousand in an body of men to hold Ga'veston, which city, after the manner of a Missis-| com- pletely proteeted with cottgn, compactly fixed | fon eyery side. From her deck cotton had| been built up to the height of 25 or 80) feet, | Eoree ang fastened with bolts, forming @| righ parapet wall, from hehind which wnare |ghooters, with comparatiyg security, cou d| fire down upon the ah of any of our guR-| boats us soon ag they egme wiihin range. She appeared like a long floating house, with smokestacks for chimneys, and carried several guns. The other four vessels, although less lormidable, were 4Jl protected by cotton and all carried guns, and they were all crowded with infantry, the majority of them rifle- men. THE FIGHT WITH THE HARRIET LANE. As might have been expected, the Harriet Lane was the first object of attack. Her po- sition in the channe! rendered her compar- atively helpless, and it was important to the enemy that she should be disposed of first, in order that the bridge tl 0 = free for the passage of his troops. Two o! the enemy 8 vessels, including ee oes formidable, ge- cordingly bore down upon her, and seem to have approached very near before they were discovered. As soon as they were seen, the Harriet Lane opened upon them, while, at the same time, the enemy opened bis shore batteries upon the Harriet Lane. This ar- tillery fight lasted more than an hour, without inflicting any serious damage on either side. The two ships, however, suc- ceeded in getting close up to the Harriet Lane, one on each side of her ; for they were of such light draft that they could run all round her, and were thas enabled to come to close quarters, As soon as they came within |range, the enemy's riflemen opened a des- tructive fire, pouring a shower of bulletsupon the deck of the doomed vessel, and killing the gunners at their posts; and 4s syon as they got well alongside they boarded ber in overwhelming force. ‘bere were about 130 men, all told, on the Harriet Lane, who made a desperate but hopeless fight. The odds against them were so great that they were crushed by the mere weight of numbers, and the deck immediately became the scene of a sanguinary slaughter of ghastly propor tions. The poor fellows fought hand te band with their cutlasses; but it availed them nothing against the shower of bullets that fell like hail from the high cotton walls, and the crushing tide of hastile men which swept over them from either side. The deck became slippery with blood, and, in a mo- ment’s time, was literally covered with dead bodies. It was 9 hopeless conflict, and the tragedy of blood and horror was soon at an end. Of the 130 men who fought upon the deck of the Harriet Lane, it is believed that less than 30 escaped death and wounds. The enemy's attack was thus wholly successful. The Harriet Lane, a favorite vessel in the navy, as it had been with the public for years, fell into his possession, and it is be- lieved that she had not been materially dyought, bpilt armament. It is feared, and generally be- lieved, that the signal book of the Harriet Lane was captured by the rebele. If so, this, for the first time, places them in poses- sion of our system of signals. THE LAND ATTACK. While this successful attack was made) upon the Harriet Lane, the enemy pashed a | heavy force gcrogs the railroad bridge with-| out opposition, and marched, nearly two! thousand strong, to attack the small body of | Union troops which was stationed in the) city. Colonel Barrill had his men drawn up | on the wharf, and, although he waa attacked | subordinate to the great | by more than fgur times his own number, he At| made a stout resistance, and actually re-| pulsed the first attack of the enemy. Of| course it was a hopeless struggle until he| attack on 2 third of their number, captured 't waa aaid, would be abandoned by the navy could get relief trom the fleet, and he des-| five hundred prisoners and killed and wound- | unlesg a land force should be sent to occupy | patched his adjutant to the Commodore, to| Humanity seemed to demand | ed four thousand men. ‘hey alao asserted |'!t at ance. flocked | that they had taken all the regimental stand-| protection fur the refugees wha had notify him that he was attacked by a force | he could not long resist, and that he should 'dore had gane on board this ship. The ards of the attacking forga. mortifying enough ; mous éxtent. There were qhout eight hyun- dred mep lost in this brief agsault, which was The truth is, thither from the bitter persecution of their be compelled to surrender. When the ad- but the Vicksburg jour- 4 ; nalists have drawn the lang bow to an oor of the gunboats, which, they believed, would | few of oarmen killed, and, as heeurrendered | enemies, seeking protection ander the cover |jutant left the wharf there hud been very ‘hold the city. This may have been the main | 9000 after, it is probable that but few lives | ee only on board this vessel. It was supposed | on board the other vessels that the Commo- therefore signalled ber, asking ‘* What shall we do?” Major Burt, a volunteer aid-de- | camp en the staff of Governor Hamilton, told the captain of the yessel that they had no signals with which tq reply, byt that there wus one signal which they could make which he thought would be heeded. He proposed to sail at once, and the captain, agreeimg to this, immediately started. This was tuken as a signal of retreat, and the Boardman was followed ky all tise other yesgels in our pos- session, The passage over the bar was ex- ceedingly dangerous, and the vessels were near grounding hopelessly several times ; but they all esoaped befure the enemy had train- ed his guns sufficiently to do them any harm | g in crossing. The transporte, which had gone to carry supplies to the island, immediately ut to sea and returned te this city, the gan- vats remaining behind. -_----<—po THE HORRORS OF WAR—THE WRECK IT HAS PRODUCED IN THE OLD DOMINION. The people of the North haye no more rea) idea of the horrors of war, agide, of course, from the mourning for dead friends, than il they still lived in an age of profagad peace. Their homea are untouched ; their comforts are not to any great extent interfered with, and, as yet, the ‘ wrinkled front of grim- visaged war’’ bas to them assumed no more malevolent aspect than is worn by the tax- colleetor, who calls always at unwelcome, if not unexpected, periods, to demand certain moneys for the support of the Government and the prosecution of the war. E In the North there there have been no in- vading armies—-no battle-grounds-—-no anxious general with needy hordes, to drive & man from his dwelling, wreck his home, and scat- ter his family, it not to do even more. The ‘* fat and greedy citizens’ of the Northern towns and cities have no more felt the heavy hand of the desolation of war, which has fallen so heavily upon those who have their homes in the rebellious States, than as if no war had ever been. The simple paying a few dollars more of taxes is no more a bard- ship, compared with the real sufferings of the supporters of the rebel armies, than the per- fumed breath-sent in gentle motion by a lady's fan is toa hurricane or a destroying | tempest. A ride of about a few miles through any) part of the Old Dominion through which either of the opposing armies has chanced to march, will disclose a scene of utter destrac- tion of private property, a ruthless deso- lation of homes and all that makes homes dear to the owners, that no citizens of the North haye as yet had the slightest ¢ancep- tion of. What the North may uever have a practical knowledge of the desert that closes up the sear of an advancing army, is the earnest prayer of at least one of yaur corres- pondents. I am specially moved to this train of thought by a visst which | made yesterday to one of the oldest, grandest, and formerly one of the proudest, patrician mansions of Virginia. ‘The estate of which 1 speak has been for montis the scene of warlike oper ations, being occupied now by ane army, then by another, the estate being, of course, always the sufferer, no matter which of the two contending armies chanced for the mo- | ment to oecupy the ground. In every res-| pect this particular homestead had been carefully made most pleasant for those who rightly claimed its shelter. Every luxury, gastronomic and bibulous that money could urchase was therein freely dispensed. Every tree and plant that would grow in conser- yatories of hotbeds here found « home, in short, everything that the most ultra good livers could require, that the most refined of city beiles could hope ar ask for, was here to| be had, upon a thorough exploration of the) extensive resources of this Suuthern establish- | ment. But now, how changed ! The fine old mansion has for weeks been | employed as an hospital for Union soldiers | —the grounds ure utterly defaced and des-| troyed—the sellers and storehouses of the ’ Is of the parions rooms of the Lacy hone those of most of the old houses in Virginia, are ceiled up to the top with wood, which is painted white. There is & heavy sornice im each roam ; old-fashioned fire-places, the marble mantel pieces oyer the squne, and in the main dining- room, where jt was the custom for the men to remain after dinuer, and after the ladies bad retired, was a curious feature to be ob- served, that I have never seen but once or twice. Over the marble mantel, but quite within reach, ran a mahogany framework intended for the reception of the toddy- lasses, after the various guests shall have finished the generous liquor therein contaided. There are still yestiges of the family furni- ture remaining—some rosewood and maho- any sideboarde, tahles, hedsteads, ete., which the family have not been able to re- move, and whigh the occupying soldiers have found no use for. The most notable of these articles is a musjcal instrument which may be described as a compound harp-organ. It is, in fact, an upright harp, played by keys which strike the wires by a piano forte ac- tion, which has an ordinary _ key-board. This is, in fact, the earliest form of the mo- dern piano-forte. Then, in the same instra- ent is an organ bellows and pipes, the ma- sic from which is evoked by means of a sepe- rate key-board, the bellows is worked by a foot-treadle, like that most detestable abomi- nation known to moderns as a melodeon. ‘hus, in the same instrument, the performer is eupposed to get the powers and effect both of an upright piano and a small organ. It is, perbaps,hardly necessary to 6ay that this instrument, ‘which dcubtless originally vost at least $3000,) is now utterly useless, the wires, many of them, being broken, and the whole machine being every way out of order. Tbe maker’s name is set down as ‘* Longman & Broderup, 26 Cheapside. No 13 Haymar ket, London.”” The poor old thing has doubtless been in the Lacy House for than a hundred years. It has been rudely dragged from its former place of honor, and now stands in the middle of the floor. The spotit formerly occupied has been lately filled Ly an hospital bed, on which a capital operation was performed. he spouting bload from the arteries of some poor patient has covered the wall with crimson marks. In fact, every- where all over the house,every wall and fluor is saturated with blood, and the whole house, from an elegant gentleman's residence seems to have been suddenly transfurmed inte a butcher's shamble. ‘The old clack has stop- ped ; the child’s rocking horse is rotting away in a disused balcony ; the costly exotics in the garden are destroyed, or perhaps the hardiest are now used for horse posts. All that was elegant is wretched; all that was noble is. shabby; fall that once told of civilized elegance now speaks of ruthless bar- barism.— Tribune's Cor. From the New York Herald, Jan. 21 THE SITUATION. There is nothing te report to-day from the army on the Rappahannock. No movements bave taken place in that vicinity, so far as known, which are of public importance. From Vicksburg and Murfreesboro—the two most prominent points in the Southwest— nothing of consequence has arrived within the past twenty-four hours. We learn by despatches from Cairo that the expedition of McClernand and Porter up the Arkansas River, has achieved a victory ‘over the rebels at Arkansas Post, about fifty miles from the mouth on Sunday last. The enemy surrendered, leaving all their guns, | ‘stores and ammunition in our bands. They lost five hundred and fifty killed and wounded, and we captured between five and seven thou- sand prisoners. Neither is there anything from Nashville, | except that twenty of the transports arrived there on Sunday, convayed Ly two gunboats. At the shoals the boats Desmoines City, Science and Freestone were fired into by the enemy with rifles. It is denied that the rebel chief Forest, with his guerillas, is in the vicinity of Nash- there are the huge | —— 11 do pot know w 'was to bo the decisive one. However, was cast, and N. McKinnon was the selected man, ‘and was publicly presented to the poople as the candidate fur the South end, whiea did not appear to give satisfaction te the friends of the other two. In the midst of the panic, Mr. A. Rehertaan step- ped on the stand, and said that he was surprised that three men would take upon themselves to dictate to the District in such an unconstitutional manner—that fuljowing such principle in legisla- tion would leave the affairs of the Colony to chance —that the electors were there to select and decide for themselves—that he felt sorry there could be three men found so destitute of common sense, 80 sunk in ignorance, as to refer the representation of our District to the chance of q long straw or a shart one ; and if they would not settle the matter aa became the intelligence of our District, he would comply with the request of many of the electava (which he had already declined), of him- self becoming a candidate. Upon this, Mr. Hen- derson, becoming aware of the blunder he had made, informed the mecting that he declined abid- ing by the result of the lottery ; also that he had been requested by upwards of five hundred elec- tors ta come forward as their candidate, and be considered he would be doing wrong to retire from the contest without first consulting them ; and that he would atill consider hunself a candi- date. Some person moved that the electors be di- vided. The chairman atteqpted to get the deci- sion, but the meeting was so disorderly, it is almost impossible to say that there was an actual division made. Mr. Robertson again came on the phitsorm and said he was sorry to sce such a division in the Distriet—that he bad declined being proposed, hoping the electors would choose ove man on the South end, and those on the North end do the same, and thereby save us the trouble of a contest- ed election. But if Mr. Henderson and Mr. Me- Kinnon persisted in coming out for the South end, he would enter the lists, and probably beat them both. AN ELECTOR. ™ ie rr rT, (FOR THE EXAMINER.) THE KIRK TEA PARTY. This pleasant gathering at Temperance Hall, on ‘Tuesday evening last, was not so remnunerative the die wether the longest or shortest | 2 a ee fensive matter. It was his province and his duty to wnaintain the dignity of the Chair, and censure and suppress impertinence and insult, come from whow it might; but be did not; and therefure j conclude he wust have been partial, or that hy did not tully understand his position. Our Catholic lady and geutlemen friends tay hereafter be deterred from kindly mingling wity us in such meetings, fearing that a chairman inay again be fuund who would permit the same o any other person to offer them wanton insults, ONE OF THE PARTY, —_— ~~~} o— —_ JOLLIFICATION AT ST. PETER’S Bay. Ma. Eorror ; Sin, — Early on Saturday morning, the 24, instant, the visible signs of victory Were to be seey bere. A Union Jack, with its attachments of streamers of various hues and colours, was eree! at P. McCallum’s, on a perpeadiewar scale, enj. grauting about 40 feet through a chimney hole ints the atmospheric regions. Another of the same cmeent saiuple was erected at Db. Anderson's, But Mr. Anderson's pole was rather short, and did net laminate such a glorious smite tens as that of McCallum’s. Congratulation is due to Messrs. McUallum and Anderson for their ably exertions in notifyiag the inhabitants and elector of the second district of King's are Nietory is on either side. We hope that Mr. Andersoy will he classed Prime Minister of the ‘Tories of thy Head St. Peter's Bay. SMITH. Jan’y 24, 1863, The Examiner, Charlottetown, Bebeunty Sod, ie LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS. Tue elections for the Legisative Council will commence on Weduesday next, that being the day selected for the nomination ef candidates, and polls will be opened, the same as for membess of the House of Assembly, on the Wednesday follew- ing. We believe there will be a very considerable number of candidates proposed for the several districts; but the excitement or interest felt by the public is not at all comparable to that with which all parties awaited the result of the Assem- bly elections. It is, however, of very great im- portance that there should be a fair and indepen- dent represeutation of public opinion in the Upper House ; for the Lower one—flushed with present vi¢tory —will no doubt resort to the most arbitrary and extravagant measures, with the yiew of strengthening their position against a future ge- neral election; and a good Liberal and indepen - dent Upper House could easily prevent such mea- sures from taking effeet, and might possibly suc- ceed in overthrowing the Goyerament altogether. The party m power are, of course, quite confi- dent of getting a majority in the Council -—not a bare majority of two or three votes — but such a majority as to leave the Liberals only two or of coin as was hoped for, noy were the deserts of its object sustained. The promoters @ the Tea, I think, were un- skilful, impolitic, or unfortunate in the time chosen fur its come off,—the hour of insured success had passed—the general election was over—the ver- dict of the country bad bee given, and the poli- tical inducements of genuine philauthroplists and “ God-fearing” people to attend the Tea were buried in that result. ‘There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.” That flood was missed, the political ebb had set rapidly out — involving the grounding and partial wreck of the Tea Party. The fervour of political cant and pandering for favour had subsided—the day of casting sprats ta catch mackerel had set in vietory—the pious hypocrites who had ridden into power, draped in religion, abused and prostituted to serve mercevary ends, had no further present self-interest to subserve; and, therefare, in the | spirit of their eraft, they could uncancernedly withdraw their presence and patronage, and seal | ing their pockets, remain at home, and bid the | Kirk Tea people look elsewhere for support. The excellent promoters and managers of the Tea were in the view propounded, not cute; or it may | be, they supposed that the fact of the political axe having been ground to a four years edge, would not damp the ardour of the patriots, nor chill the | zeal of the Protestant warriors, whe pioualy de- ville ; nor does it appear that there is a large | fend the towers of Zion against the dread power force of rebels there. It was rumored at) of the “Scarlet Lady ;" and they may also have Nashville, and created some uneasiness there, | embosomed the hope that those brave soldiers three seats out of the whole thirteon. Well, we shall hazard no conjectures on the pot. Wedo, however, believe that a majority of the inteltigent and independent-minded farmers of this country, who are qualified to vote for Councillors, are op- posed to the Government. The class of voters who will go tothe husiings on the 11th instant are not # class, taken in the aggregate, that bear any analogy to the scores of unfortunately igno- rant men and boys wie were duped by Sutherland and Arbuckle, aud the emissaries of the Orange Lodges, to support the Goverament previous ts the late election. Indeed, we sincerely hope and believe that the Upper House will be 0 constituted as to reverse the verdict which, for the present, seems to have beev pronounced in favour of the Adwiuistration by the lower or second clase of electors. We were rebuked by some of our cotempor aries fur predicting a favourable issue to the Liberals from the late elections. We certainly did not motive for the expedition, and must have were lost. The whole furce was, of course, | mansion were lung since gutted and com- that large reinforcements from General Lee's | sande by considerably lesa than three thou-| been, since the force despatched was entirely | made prisoners of war. sand men. But ovestand of colors was taken | insufficient to make any offensive movement by the rebels, and there wore but few mus-| even if Galveston were a suitable point frum kets captured: Our retreat was so slow that which tz vperate. | Operations of the enemy, and all were igno-| trees and shrubs have long since contributed most of the wounded and a considerable por- Whatever the considerations which induced pletely empticd—the fences were long since THE FIGHT BY DAYLIGHT. | converted into fuel to feed the watelifires of | The darkness had effectually covered the! Unicn seatinels—the rare and costly exotic /rant of what had occurred beyond their own | their scanty fibre to feed the same fires, to tion of the arma were brought away. CAUSE OF OUR FAILURE. The expedition planned against Haines | Blas baving failed, in consequence of the | dense fog, General Sherman concluded that | 34 would be the best to evacuate the position. | \t the tune we entered the Yazoo, it is cer- | tain that there was not more than tenor twelve | thousaod men inandaroand Vicksburg. Ilad | we sizuck promptly at the batteries it is pro- | bable that we could have taken possession of the high ground, and had an open road be- fore us to Vicksburg. It was «ll important) that we should strike early, as the vedele| had unbroken rail communication with Pem- | Lerten's army, and with their immense roll-| ing stock could Sring overwhelming reinforce | ments in @ short time. By delaying two} or three days General Sherman lost the golden | opportunity. THE EVACUATION — DESTROYING STORES. | } Thursday, the Ist inst., was passed in| lying idle in frout of the enemy's position | and on the transports at the landing. About 3r.u Gen Sherman issued ordera for all the troops to embark on the original trans- ports and make ready fur moving. One of the commissaries had recently taken fifty thousand rations to a depot in the rear of the | battle field, only a mile sad a quarter from the Iaoding. Gen. Sherman ordered these au pplies to be destroyed by rolling them into the bayou, as there was no time for their re-| moval. A part of the supplies were tumbled | 1ato the baycu in obedience to instructions. Captain Swith, Brigade Commissary for Ge neral Blair, went out with a wagon train as the troops were being withdrawn, and brought | in what had wot already been destroye!].| Gen. Sherman also ordered commis-sary stores | to be destroyed by Gen. A. J. Smith's) division, and there was much waste in can- wequence. All these stores might have been | saved, and would have been hac Gen. Sher- man's orders been less peremptory. RE-EMBARKATION. The embarkation continued during the night, and was not completed until long after sunrise on Friday. ‘The boats of the various divisions lag in the same position from which the troops were debarked, Gen. Morgan being the farthest up the Yazzo. ‘The embarkation was covered by the gunbuats, so that the ene- my would not be able to come to the bank | before we could getaway. Everything was! harry, and there was manifested as much de- sire ta get out of the Yazoo as there had pre- viously been to get Into it. THE ENEMY ATTACKED US. The enemy from their position onfthe bill observed at daylight that we had departed from our works on the bayou, and had taken to our boats, with the evident intention of evacuating the region. They at once came down to the bottom ground with a stron furce of infantry and a battery of artillery. By nine A. M. they appeared in the timber in Gen. Morgan's rear, and commenced firing upon his infantry. Two pieces of artillery opened with shell upon our transports, with the desiga of destroying them before we could leave the landing. The gunboats re- plied promptly, and after a vigorous shelling of s half an hour the rebels were driven off sufficiently long to enable our boate to leave the river. By this time they are doubtless in fall possession of the spot so recently covered by our flag. LEAVING THE ¥azZ00. At noon on Friday, the 2nd of January, we steamed out of the Yazoo, which we bad entered just one week before. In that week | we had attacked the enemy in his least vul-| nerable and Lest protected point; had fought with him through portions of three days ; had once wade a gallant and desperate, though badly aud unsupported assault upon. hie batteries and ritle pits on the defensible hill-side. From this assault we had been re- ulsed through no fault of the troops making t, bat through the sad mismanagement of Gen Sherman in allowing them to go un- aided by ail the torce at his command. | almost immediately after General Banks as- the measure, Colonel Burrill, of the 42d | ship. When morning dawned signals were warm the same soldiers, any of whom would Massachusets regiment, was sent to Galveston sumed command of the department, with three companies, numbering in all 271, offi- | first discovered that she had fallen into the! great an array of Union bayonets in the im- fhese companies reached | hands of the enemy. The light also revealed mediate vicinity to render such @ man- They | the position of the enemy's fleet, and his! slaughterous experiment a safe one. cers and men. their destination on Christmas Day. ;ed to | sent 4p from the flagship,which were respond. | y all the gunboats except the Harries) | Lane ; and now it was that the Commodore | were welcomed by the few inhabitants who! preparations for an attack from the shore remained, and hy the refugees—men, women | with artillery and riflemen. aod children—who now thought themselves secure. } SITUATION OF GALVESTON. A glance at the map 4nd an understanding ofthe situation of the island will satisfy one that Galveston haw no strategical advantages. It is situated on a low san y island, about thirty miles long, and on an average about a mile and a half wide. It is separated from the main land by shallow water, which is almost fordable. About fqur miles from the city and to the west of it, is a long railroad bridge, spanning thia water, wad connecting the island and the mainiand. was ip poaseasion of the rebels, who had three | batteries atationed at the end of it, on the mainland, and one battery on the island. But even had it not been in their possession, the extent of the island and the shallowness of the water, which is actually fordable in places, rendered it an easy matter for the enemy to throw troops across. The water, in fact, searcely added strength to the sitaa- tion, and our forees would, perhaps, have been as secure upon the mainland as upon the island. Three com panies were certa’nly inadequate ta guard a coast thisty miles in extent, even if it had all been in their possession, It was naturaliy supposed that the railroad bridge was the point of danger, end the gunboats were expected to keep che army from crossing. Phe Harriet Lane, for this purpose, had been sent up the channel as near the bridge as she could get; and the channel where she was lying at the time of the attack was so narrow and shallow that she could neither turn nor manceavre with effect ; and the event showed with sufficient clearness that she was quite unable to perform the part to which she had been assigned. Galveston possesses many advantages as a base of operations for the rebels. The com- munication by railroad with numerous points inland and on the coasts render it easy for them to concentrate all their available troops there in a short time,and General Magrudger, who is now in command of the secession army in Texas, did not fail to avail himself promptly of all these advantages. He collected upwards of thiee thousand men, and on the night of December 31 had his preparations complete tor a combined attack by land and water. Hints had Leen thrown out by the Texan newspapers some time before that an attack was about to be made upon the Yankee gun- boats ; but these hints were generally regarded us empty boasts. On the evening in question two white women came to the flagship, in a small boat from the mein land, and warned Commodore Renshaw, who was in command of the fleet, that he would be attacked before morning. But he did not credit their state- ment, regarding it as one of the many idle tales he had so often heard repeated. The fleet consisted of the following vessels :—The Westiield, flag-ship, (iron-clad, 9 guns,) Commodore Renshaw; the Harriet Lane, Commodore Wainright; the Owaseo, Com- modore Law, and the Sachem. The trans- port Mary Boardman, with supplies on board, arrived and crossed the bar about 7 o'clock on the evening of the attack. Fortunately the did not arrive in time to land any sup- plies. She lay inside the harbor,und carried a twelve-pound howitzer on her bow. THE ATTACK. The night was as atill as the grave, and no one appeared to believe in anattack. Whe- ther this sense of security was such that proper vigilance was not exercised [ am un- able to say. In any event, tho darkness of the night freatly favored the enemy’s move- ments. @ commenced the attack about Making @ half attempt to execate another plea, that our first arrival might have suc- cgeded, we finally abandoned the siege at | Vicksburg, and decided to evacuate both our! three o'clock in the morning, the moon having sank several hours before. He came down from Galveston bay with five vessels, and one of them sufficiently formidable, as the event showed This was steamer of very light This bridge | It was now de- termined by the Commodore to retake the) Harriet Lane, and he ordered the Owaseo to} yound to and open fire. This ganboat has an) armament of one 11-inch and two 9-inch | guns, and she opened with her heaviest. No sooner had she sent one of her shells than the. rebels crawded our prisoners—some of them wounded and dying — upon the deck of the Harriet Lane. Then they raised a flag of truce, and paroled and sent the acting mas- ter of the Llarriet Lane, and her only sur- viving officer, on board the flagship with a message to Commander Renshaw,to the effect that if another shot was fired upon the Mar-| riet Lene every Union prisoner would be in- stantly thrown overboard. In consequence of this message Commodore Renshaw ordered the fire to cease, and made no further attempt to recapture the vessel. The position of the enemy's fleet was at this time as follows :—The two vessels which | had accomplished the capture of the Harriet | Lane were stili lying near that vessel, swarm- ing with sharpshooters. ‘I'wo more lay fur- ther off toward the bay, while the fifth held herself aloof ata eotsiderabie distance. ‘This filth vessel was reported to be the flagship, and, throughout the engagement, was said to have on board Gen. Magrader, whom the fortunes of war, since the outbreak of the rebellion, have carried from Yorktown to Galveston, But it is probable that General Magruder wason land. During the morning the enemy opened fire upon our vessels from the shore and the city, of which they were now in full possession. Their sharpshooters, breaking open the houses along the shore, took possession and fired from the windows, while the batteries which had been placed in position also opened. They were responded to by our gunbuats, and this mutual exchange of courtesies continued for some time, with- out much effect upon either siae. The rebels had placed two guns upon a point of land inside of and near the entrance tu the harbor. The gunboat Clifton was directed to silence these guns, and performed her work very handsomely. She fired first from her bow gun, then rounded and poured in a broad- side, then turned and fired from her gan aft, then rounded again and delivered a broad- side. This she did twice, when the enemy's guns were effectually silenced. The flagship Westfield was aground, and a little before ten o’clock in the forenoon the Commodore determined to barn her. The determination resulted in a terrible accident, which cost the Commodore his life. He co- vered the deck with turpentine, and made all necessary dispositions to ensure her burn- ing and had ber set on fire. He then got in- to his boat, with Lieutenant Zimmerman, Chief Engineer, and two sailors, to proceed to another vessel. But the magazine had been left open, and scarcely had the Commo- dore and his comrades seated themselves in the boat when u terrible explosiun occurred. The magazme, which was stored with ammu- nition, shells, &c., caught, and half the flag ship and the Commodore's boat were scatter- ed through the air in ten thousand fragments. Not one of the unfortunate men on board the vessel at the time or it the boat escaped in- stantaneous death. many perished by this terrible explosion, but the number is estimated at ten to twenty officers and sailors. ‘he explosion left the smokestacks standing, and the vessel aft un- barmed ; but what remained was scon burnt. Meanwhile the rebels were making formi- dable preparations on shore to prevent the escape of the vessels. They were seen to drag artillery with heavy mule teams to the point commanding the bar, and were busily engaged in planting their baieries and It is not known how! E doubtless have been shot like a dog by the aristocratic proprietor or his overseer, at the. earliest opportunity, had not there been tuo The house [ speak of is known ag the ** Lacy House.’’ It stands on the left bank on the Falmouth side of the river,on the bluff that immediately overlooks the river for miles away, while the town of Fredericks- burg lies spread out immediately before it, only the narrow breath of the muddy Rappa- hanock intervening. The house itself is spacious and convenient, its architectural pretensions being by no means contemptible, though built so many years ago. The Lacy House, as it is now called, was once known as the ** Chatham Place,’’ and was a small part of the celebrated ** Fitzhugh Estate,’’ which was held by virtue of a grant from the English crown, dated in 1690. The bricka of which the house was built were brought from England and were laid by English masons. The site is most lovely, and before this ruthless war crushed out of the landscape all of beauty that was suscep- tible of destruction,the estate comprising the Lacy House was one of the most attractive, elegant, and jovely in all Virginia. After the battle of Fredericksburg, it be- came necessary to provide instant accommo- dations for our suffering troops. Until the field hospitals were erected eyery house with- in reach was instantly required for the use of the soldiers. Under this order the Lacy flouse was taken, by order of Dr. Watson, the Chief Medical Director of Sumner's Grand Division,and converted at once into a large hospital. ‘The parlors, where so often had the fairest and brightest of Virginia’s daughters, and her bravest and most chivalric sons met to enjoy the hospitalities of the liberal host, and to join in the mazy dance ‘‘from eve till rosy morn’’—the dining room, where so many lordly feasts had been served — the drawing-room, wherein the smiling host and guest—the bed-rooms, from the bridal-cham- ber where the eldest scion of the house had first clasped in his arms the wife of his bosom, to the low attic where the black cook retired after her greasy labors of the day, all were closely crowded with the low iron hospital beds. These halls, which had so often re- echoed the sound of music, and of gayest voices, and aleo of those lower but more sa- ered tones that belong to lovers, now re- sounded with shrieks of pain, and with the lower,weaker groans of dying men. The splendid farniture was put to strange uses—the sideboard of solid rosewood, made in those honest days before cabinet-makers had learned the rogue’s trick of veneering, instead of being crowded with generous wines, or with good spirits that had mellowed for years in the cellars, was now crowded in cy sheif with forbidding looking bottles ot black draughts; with packages of salts and senna, and with ill-omened piles of raking pills, perhaps not less destructive in their way than shot and shell of a more explosive sort. The butler’s pantry and store rooms had their shelves aad wers and boxes filled, not with jellies, and marmalades, and preserves, and boxes of lemons, and preserved ginger, and drums of figs, and all sorts of original packages of all sorts of things tooth- some and satistying to the palate—but even here scrammony and.gamboge,and aloes, and ipsom salts, and other dire weapons, only wielded by the medical profession, had ob- tained exclusive sway. On many a retired shelf, and in many an old corner, too, | saw neglected cartridge boxes, cast-off belts, discarded caps, etc., which told not of the careless and heediess soldier, who had lost his accoutrements, but of the dead soldier, who had gone to 4 land where it is to be hoped he will have no fur- ther use for Minie rifle balls or pipe-clayed cross-belts. | saw, too, with these other training their guns to prevent the exit of our ships. Lhe transport Mary Boardman, which ia vigged ae like @ ganbost, was lying laid-aside trappings, dozens and hundreds of Minie and other cartridges, neyer now to be fired at an enemy by the hand that had hostess had received so many a welcome) P' near the bip at the time of the explosion, and the fate of the Commodore was known poet them in the now discarded cartridge- Ox. army in Virginia has arrived at Shelbyville. General Drown, in a despatch to General | Curtis, describes the late battle at Spriagfield, | Mo., a8 a terrible and protracted engagement, lasting thirteen hours. The rebels number- ed five thousand. The Alabama is again at her work of des- truction upon our merchant ships. The sehr. Union, which arrived at Jamaica on the 8th inst., was captured by the rebel pirate, but subsequently released, as her cargo belonged to British subjects. She brought with her, however, the crew of a Boston bark—the Parker Cook—which had‘only the protection of the Stars and Stripes, sa not the ensign of England to protect her, and hence?(thanks to the Navy Department) was seized and burned by the Alabama. ‘Ine Harriet Lane, which has been sent to sea by the rebels to assist the Alabama, has now half a dozen United States vessels on her track, Admiral Farragut having sent the Brooklyn,the Sciota and other vessels to recapture her if possible, and to destroy the rebel gunboats in Bayou Buffalo. Another rebel piratical craft, the schooner Retribution,is plying her trade in the vicinity of the [sland of St. Thomas. She has just been chasing two United States vessels, and toarded one of them. She came originally from Wilmingtoa, N.C., about a month ago, loaded with turprntine and cotton, carrying her guns concealed in the hold. Despatches from Fortress Monroe state that orders have been issued that officers of the United States Army captured after the 12th inst., are to be handed over to the Go- vernors of the rebel States within whose ju- risdiction they are taken, to be dealt with in accordance with Jeff. Davis’ recent declara- tion, that they are to be gegarded as persons inciting servile insurrection under President Lincoln's emancipation proclamation. General Halleck has issued an order, which may be regarded as retaliatory, commanding that no rebel officers shall be released until further orders. Wasuincton, January 20.—The rebel army under Gen. Lee was enzaged last night and the night previous in maseing large forces of artillery and infantry opposite the camps of our army on the Rappahannock. The enemy have been busily engaged of late in constructing new redoubts So rifle pits to revent a crossing by Gen. Burnside. Refugees from Richmord who arrived here to-day report that there is much excitement at the rebel capital over the movements of our forces in North Carolina. They say a part of Stonewall Jackson's forces had ed down to reinforce the rebel army in that State. The President and Cabinet considered to- day the decision of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin denying the right of the President to suspend the writ of habeas corpus. ____ GORRESPONDENCE, (FOR THE EXAMINER.) THE SINKING SHIP OR STARVING CREW. At a Meeting at Bonshaw Inn, Lot 30, on Wed- nesday, 28th January, the Government appeared to be in the above desperate position. The meet- ing appeared to he called for the purpose of de- ciding who should or would be the candidate to represent the South end of the first District in the Legislative Council. I understand there were fourteen persows named on the Conservative ticket ; but five only were proposed: D. W. Palmer, N. McKinnon, Henderson, Dr. Johnson, and J. Binns. The two from Ch. Town were rejected, which shows that the people around Boushaw are not to be dictated to by the Government, notwith- standing the Hons. J. Longworth and E. Palmer were there to support thein to the best of their ability. Neither the people nor the remaining candidates could agree among themselves who should be the fortunate enc for Legislative honors, until some person, wiser than the rest, thought of the expedient of lottery. Pogsibly he had read in some novel or sea disaster where the crew were reduced to the necessity of casting lets as to who should die to make food for the. remainder, or otherwise to lot the boat go lighter. I understand that Mr. Henderson was the wise man, to whom | and spotless apostles of Protestantism would at! fathom the depth of villainy practised againat > least have proved grateful for the love of the | good cause by certain clerical agitators, and were grindstone. disappointed in our expectations, as the wisest and The Tea, as a “spread,” was all we could de-| best of men often are. But it appears that sone sire,—the tables were abundantly furnished, and | of our contemporaries have a taste for indulging rich in cake, coated with sugar, white as winter's | in high-flying predictions regarding their own frosty locks. There, too, were a multudinous variety of confections, sparkling in the vivid gas- light, as the glittering icicle sparkles in the morn- ing beam; and favourite fruits, gathered from tree and bush, and creeping vine, immersed in rich transparent syrups, added to the substantial gar- All these, tastefully arranged, gratified the eye, @nd set the appetite on edge for a sump- tuous Tea. But the great attraction, above and beyond the appetite of the gourmand and the palate of the epicurean, unquestionably and im- measurably was the ladies, who presided at the Tables, and adminisiered tea and sweets, gar- nished with winning smiles and glowing glances. There were they assembled like a galaxy of twinkling stars, spanning the social firmament. One among the many I saw outshining all; she was a perfect Ianthe; but each was personally fascinating, and commended herself by sweetness of manner and disposition. It was here I saw, and realized the trathr of the poetic language and philosophical sentiment of the Lion of the North, who, of woman, wrote that “She rules the court, the camp, the grove,” and he, no doubt, had he thought of it, would have addod— Tea Parties without the ladies, Were like cradles without babies. nishings. The lord, cleric and lay, did significant justice to themselves in appropriation of the lavish spread, If a good appetite be an index of sound health, then the tout ensemble of the gentlemen present, especially the Reverends, were in high-toned sa- lubrity aud vigorous gastronomic condition; and each, I may be permitted to judge, would be grieved if lhe were late for Tea. After the mortal cravings were appeased, in an abundant repast, aud the shrill music of platese— the ringing sounds of knives — the rattle of cups, and the glatter of spoons, had subsided—and not a sound was heard among the Tea organs — the lords elect to do the talking, being brim-full of tea and cake and intellectyality, each delivered himself of a speech. In these, fun, frolick and wit frisked. Some of the orators interlaced their risible addresses with gems af sublime thought and ennobled sentiment ; and one or two, sealing heavenly heights, gave a brilliant feu~dejoie from | castles in the air, — while others more earthy | toiled with pick and spade in regions of clay, The evening was a charming one of rational amusement and social fraternity, marred, how- ever, by one of the speakers who rudely introduced irrelevant and offensive matter in bis remarks. This is the second instance of that ungentiemauly person, not a member of the Kirk, having at Kirk Tea Parties offered unprovoked insults te Roman Catholics, and which insalence he now makes a practice to repeat, when opening in public his un- aeemly mouth. When, on Tuesday evening last, that coarse and grovelling lick-spittal of a political factign insylted a body of our Christian popula- tion, he well knew of the presence of Catholic ladies and gentlemen, who had kindly given coun- teuance aud sypport to the Tea aud the qbject of it. ‘The ineffable meanness of his impertinent on- slaught was worthy of one who tramples under foot established decorum, and violates the oun- ventionals of life which give to educated society its agreeableness and charm. The ignorance of that jndividual should not be pleaded in ex- tenuation of his vulgarity, nor should the fact that he is an uncultivated hind, be raised as an argis for his insolence ; but, on the eontrary, he should be taught that until he shal! haye acquired some of the indispensable rudiments pertaining to good society, and shall have raised himself above the ill-manyered knave, he stands without the pale, and cannot be admitted into the circle of ladies and gentlemen. I may be pardoned if I find fault with the the three others bound themselves by written bond to agree and abide by the decision of three straws. Chairman of the Tea Meeting for haying permit ted that boor to utter, unchecked, extraneous and of- election prospects, as witness the following para- graph which appears in the last Monitor:— “ Wednesday next is the day appointed for the nomination of candidates for seats in the Legis- lative Council. The election will take on the Wednesday following ; and we are to iearn that there is every probability that the Go- vernment will be even better sustained in the upper than they have just been in the lower branch ot the Legislature. Our ealculaton is, that five Conservatives wil! be returned for Queen's, two for King’s, and three for Prince County—ten in all. This, ina new House of thirteen members, will do admirably ; and with less than this we think our Conservative friends will and ought not be satistied.”’ This ie modest. The Tories will not be satisfied unless they have ten of their party in the Couneil, leaving the paitry number of three seats to the Liberals! Well, we shall soon see if the true spirit of prophecy hovers over the editorial chair of the Menitor office. be OFFICIAL CHANGES. We observe by the last Gazette that F- Brecken, Esqr., has resigned the office of Attorney General in favour of the Hon, E. Palmer. We have neither surprise at, nor objection to, this appointment. We all know that Mr. Palmer has performed the principal part of the duties of Attorney General since the Tory Government came into office, and quietly pocketed, under the rose, the salary attached to the post, or something equivalent to it; but, in conformity with an absurd theory, laid down by some members of his party, that no office-holder should be in the Legislature, so that their political morals might not be corrupted by the receipt of Govgroment pay!—he has allowed a young lawyer, without experience, or without the shadow of political claim, te wear the fictitious plumes of Attorney General, while he practically falsified the theory by secretly. re- ceiving that very money which was said to have a corrupting influence over the receiver, if he be a member of the Legislature. Mr. Palmer's ap- pointment te the office of Attorney General, while soliciting a seat in the Legislature, is a plain declaration that the theory of excluding office holders from the Legislature is a decidedly bad one. His political opponents do net envy bim the office. There is no one of his party better entitled to it; and friends and foes will be glad to see that he now does that, openly and above board, which he has been doing in the dark for nearly four years —nainely, receiving a large share of the people's money, while pretending to maintain the character of an independent and incorruptible patriot ! Mr. Secretary Pope's election for the very en- lightened Orange District of Belfast—where boys under age, and girls dressed in men’s clothes, gave him their independent suffrages—furnishes another proof that the Tories have no scruples about re- nounciug their most cherished doctrines when selt- interest prompts them to do it. It is rumoured that there will be changes ia some of the subordinate offices. The greedy and hungry hangers-on of the Government about Town are savage at not getting a finger in the public pie. Same of those who have, without interrup- tion, enjoyed the sweets of office for a series of years, will be compelled to make way for others of the voracious pack who have followed the Go- vernment through all the mud and mire of the late contest, and who had built their hopes of ab- solute existence for at least four years to come, on the syccess of their party. The Government are bound tg keep them from starvation. Like a pack of famished wolves, they will besiege the door of the Council Chamber, and the bewildered Execu- tive must provide fodder for them. There js a prospect of an interesting row about of the Queen's Printer’s office wae to be given out to tender — it was said that there was too much the pubiic printing. Four years ago, all the work at =" Wear [3G a