E. O. GOODRICH, EDITOR. TOWANDA: Thursday Morning, July 3, 1862. IN TIMES OF GREAT TRIAL it is proper to disen gage the mind from its too intense contempla- j tion of the present, and direct it upon the probable wants and necessities of the future. The spectacle of a nation undergoing or ganic change seldom' recurs in an ordinary lifetime. We who behold this great struggle ! for national life arc accustomed,and are teach- ; ing others, to regard it as sudden and violent; while the truth is, that various causes have beeu at work every hour since the birth of the nation to produce just the effect now being witnessed, with various emotions, by the civil-' ized world. Nor is this straggle unique in | kind, cause and probable result. Every na- ; tion worthy cf the name has its record of ex periences exactly similar. The only material ' difference is that we have a larger repertory ! of fact and experience to resort to than any i that have gone before. Shall we wisely open our eyes and make the most of this extra priv ilege, and thereby gravitate to a firm anchor age among nations, or shall we refuse to be ! taught by fact and experience and enter upon , the precarious revolutionary existence enjoyed ! by the South American and Mexican Repub- ; lies ? These arc serious questions. It may be proper to refer to our national past in plain terms. As a people wn have beeu neither dis interested nor virtuous. We have not been true patriots. If the interest of any class have Buffered, that class itself is to be charged with the blame. We have habituated ourselves to the thought and practice that certain clas cs needed protection from the rapac'ly and bad ambition ol other classes. We have cre ated this idea and taught the people to Lar bor it. Why ? Because we have been mis ers heaping up a certain kiua of capital,known as political capital, with reference to the ag grandizement of organizations of men. The fact is, that every class is, in this conntry.able to care for itself. All the patronage aDy class or interest needs from parties or government is simply relief from cutsido influences. That the rich are the natural enemies of tho poor in this country is a false teaching. And that the poor hate the wealthy is equally false.— These are some of the falsehoods which have been disseminated am ocg the people by de signing men for seifish purposes, and which have bad their share of influence in precipitat ing tho present straggle. Time was when these nipcais to the worse passions of men were the stock in trade of the democratio party. The fierce struggle ia which wo are engaged will operate in many ways to elevate us in the 6cale of national life. It will act as judge, jury and executioner of our great popular crimes. It will act as the idol-breaker in the temples we have erected for the worship of falsities. It will act the great physicians to purge popular opinion of its gross impurities, and it wd! cleanse the political and moral at mospheres of their corrupt and heaven-insult ing stenches, as tho hurricane purifies the at mosphero of the natural world of pestilence aud plagues. Whatever ny be the immedi ate los 3, the nitimation can be nothing but r. great and saving gain. Posterity will see that this war was us inevitable as it was tiecessarv. There is another greut evil of which we have made no mention, and which sach strife as we are now waging is destined to prove a cor rective. Heretofore we have sought men for place not so ranch for their peculiar fituess, as for that something which may be anything or noihiDg,—availability. The meaning of this terui is vague. The nature of the qualify it pretends to name and define is necessarily gross and impure. Sometimes a man is avail able because he has money, and can bear the expenses of a campaign ; or, he understands the " ropes'' that lead to the most excitable passions of the multitude, and is therefore available ; or, he is a great political general, or manager,and cau move puppets in high pla ces. But how seldom have we heard men urged for place, among the managers, because of their peculiar desent and fitness! No wou der if we have been nearly wrecked by bad ru!er3 and misled by evil counsel ! No won der that we are disfiguring the ago with the most stupendous civil war yet recorded in his tory 1 All this must be charged before we ean hope for a stable goverument and a uni ted people. Mere politicians must go the wall and the reai men, who constitute the spi nal marrow of the nation, must be brought forward and pnt in their places. Those who have served faithfully aud well must be con strained to coutinue iu the public service.— The best men—men who can bo trusted— whose lives have growu to be sufficient guar an tees of their ability and integrity—these must be preferred in the new order of things. Aud we stands upui the threshold of that new era in our history. Already it is time to act in obedieuee to the behests of that better fu ture which must succeed this better present. If there be any yet uueonviuced the day is not far distant when the conviction will be forced upon them. SS* Some of Gen. Crawford's men made a reoonnoissance on Monday up the Shanandoah V alley to the town of Luray. They drove out the rebel pickets, and had a skirmish on the JVewmarket road, a mile beyond the village, taking four prisoner*. One of onr meu was killed and three were wounded The enemy bad no stores at Luray. THE SITUATION IN VIRGINIA. From a variety of sources, the authenticity ! of which is unquestionable, we learn that the latest advices from McClellan, received in Washington, up to noon on Monday, were to the date of Saturday, at 2 o'clock, p. rn. Up to that time he had successfully catried out a plan which he had pointed out some time ago, as one which he was very likely to put in exe cution, should circumstances render it expo dicnt to do so. That plan was to swing his right wing towrcd the rear, including the di visions of Fitzjohn Porter, Hooker, and Ilan. cock, being ail the forces which iay north of half way between Bottom's Bridge and New- Bridge, while, at the same time, he advanced his left wiog toward the James River, and CDcned communication with the gunboats. The attack of the enemy in great force on the right wing, last Thursday, rendered it ex pedient to resort to this strategic movement sooner than was intended. Of course, this change of position necessitated a change of the base of operations, and White House Landing was ordered to be abandoned, in conformity with the prearranged plan. Under the direction of Gen. Casey, this dif ficult undertaking was accomplished with en tiro success. All the sick and wounded were carefully shipped off, the orutiance and com missary stores placed on transports, and the troops aud property embarked for James Ri vc-r, the refuse left behind, which did not ex" ceed $5,000 in value, being given to the flames. The tr.ile and a half of steamboats, with a large camber of sloops, brigs, and schooners, moved off, under convoy, and on Monday were at Turkey Island, on the James River, about eight miles below Fort Darling, aud fifteen from Richmand, as the crow flies To return to McClellan anu the army.— After an interruption of nearly 43 hours in i his intercourse with Washington,during which I ho was completely isolated from his commani ! cations, and, as it were, buried in the Cliicka | hominy wilderness, so that the most painful i apprehensions began to be entertained for his : safety, the head of his left wing emerged from ! ° ' the swamp, and touched the James River, l on Monday, near Turkey Island Bridge. Of i course, he immediately opeueu communication | with Com. Rougers cf the James River flotil ! la, and through him with Washington, to the | great joy of all who were favoreJ with the ; glad tidings. The result of this movement may 'be briefly stated. If "we are not raistaken,ere | many hours his miie and a hair of steam tran : sports may relieve his weary soldiers of the ! fatigue of marching to Richmond, by landing j them within easy approach to the rebel capi i tal, aftar the gunboats snail have sufficiently smoothed the road thithc-r. In thus returning to the.original plan of the campaign, frustrated for a time by the prcs , or.ee of tlift dreaded Merrim.ie, and extrieut | ing our gallant army from the malarious swamps of Cnickahominy, placing them in the | pare atmosphere and on the high grounds of the Jemes River, a great advantage has been , gained. Of course, th'i3 has not been obtained 1 without a heavy cost of life ; but the enemy has equally, if not more severely suffered, at ' cur Land?, and we trust that the time has ! come for making the campaign against Rich | moiid i; short, sharp, acd decisive." IMPORTANT ARMY CHANGES. —The forces un der Maj. Gens. FREMONT,BANKS and MCDOWEU, have been consolidated into one army, called the Army of Virginia,and Major General POPS has been especially assigned by the President to the chief command. The forces under Gen. FREMONT constitute the first army corps, to be commanded bjGen FREMONT. The forces under Gen. BANKS constitutes the Second Army corps , and are to be com manded by him. The forces under Gen. MCDOWELL const itute the Third Army Corps, to be commanded by him. MCCALL'S Division, 10,000 strong, which formed a part of MCDOWELL'S corps, has reached MCCLELLAK by water, aud another division is to follow immediately in the same way,while Gen POPE will also operate against the enemy at Richmond. Besides UCCALL'S I)ivision,Gen. MCCLELLAN has receivee other reinforcements to the amout of several thousands, since the battle of Fair Oaks. The first work of the new Commander will of cuursc be to take in hand that audacious rebel marauder, Stonewall JACKSON, (and in this business of rebel catching, lie lias had more experience tiiau any man iu the field,) and drive him finally out of the region which he has so long ravaged—or, what would be still better, and more accordant with POPE'S antecedents, " bag" or des roy him and his entire command. The following order was issued from the War Department under date of June 27 : I—Major-General John C. Fremont having requested to le relieved from the command of the fiist army corps of the Army of Virginia, because,as he says the position assigned hint ly the appointment of Major General l\>pe as Commander-in-Chief of the Army or Virginia is subordinate and inferior to that heretofore held by him, and to remain iu the subordinate command now as signed would, as he pays, largely reduce his rank and consideration in the ser\ ice.it is ordered that Major-Gen. John (J. Fremont be relieved from command. II That lirigadier General Rufus King be and he is hereby assigned to the command of the first army corps ot tlio Army of Virginia, in place of General Fremont, relieved. By order of the PRESIDENT. EDWIN JT. STANTON, Secretary of War. £©• Byon arrival from Port Royal, we learu that Gen. Ilunter has withdrawn his forces from Juraes Island, and than the re-en forcements expected from Key West had ar rived in good health. Deserters professing to come from Beauregard's army state that large numbers of his men, whiic on the way to Richmond, had been diverted toward Char les - tOD, to re enforce tbe robe! army there. THE IB fORJE UNION. Operations Before Richmond.! Three Days Important Events. A CREAT BATTLE ON FRIDAY. WHITE HOUSE EVACUATED. THE EMENRSR REPULSED. GAINE'S MILL, Friday, Juue 27,15G2. The army of the Potomac is having a week of work.aud the promise of the prevailing signs is that ihe closing day of the last week in June, is to witness hard fighting. Yesterday after noon, at about 2 o'clock, the rebels, who had crossed the Chickahominy at Meadow Bridge, two miles below Mechauicsvilie, attacked with artillery from across the river,and with a strong infantry force, the regiment composing the First Brigade of McCall's Division —the Pu,k tails, the Tenth, Eighth. Ninth and Fifth Pennsylvania Regiments. The were prompt ly met by the Pennsylvanians, who fought them for two hours, when the Second and Third Brigades of McCall's Division, compris ing six regiments, reinforced their hard-pressed comrades, aud fought them until evening, re pulsing them at ever point. Our men suffered a very considerable loss in kiiied, wounded and prisoners, something like three hundred—the figure is merely estimated—but were ready for further work this morning and in high spirits. The Bnektuiis were especially unfortunate Two companies of them were surrounded by the enemy. One of them succeeded in escap ing, hut the other Company lv, fell into the clutches of the Confederates. The Captain of the company, Capt Irving, after lie had been taken, took advantage of a temporary cciifusiou and made good Ids escape. First Lieut. Welch, of the same company, was hfft in the hands of the rebels. After holding the enemy in cheek for four hours, McCall's Divis ion was reinforced by two brigades from Gen. Fitz John Porter, and the rebels were again driven back, they making a further attack, with u heavy loss During the action a severe cannonading was kept up by both par'ies, the rebels, however, failing to do much damage with their shells. Tiny advanced upon us in great force. It is estimated that at iea-.t 39,- 000 men were brought by them into the tUb;, to make a desperate 1 Sort to flank our right. Our far inferior force, however, held them ef feetually iu check and eventually drove them back. Geu. McCieliau himself arrived on the groud to ward evening, and immediately sent a d-s patch to be read to the troops on the other side of ike Chickahominy, t • tiie ( ff< ct that Gen, McCall had repulsed tiie enemy and driven tiiem back upon their entrenchments —- The dispatch was read to the troops just at dusk, and from tiiat hour till ia'o in tiie night all along toe lines of our army, cheer after cheer went up. The fight was renewed early in the morning, when the enemy were again repulsed ; but at about G o'clock, in accordance with strategic plans oi Gen. McClcilan, our troops fell back two or three aides, the rebels following. The fiuht has proceeded to uuv on hotter ground ami satisfactorily. The movements ot the army are important,but lam foi bid tos.nt them Hi detail. From White House we hear of a probable j advance of the enemy 0:1 that post of supplies, ' and every thing there is ready to receive them. All aio >g the lines today tlx re has been vigoious firing, the enemy attempting to theli our camps. Much of our paper is occupied with details of the operations of the Army of the Potomac during the lust three unys ol mst week. It i< haruiy po-sible to weave the several accounts into any connected narrative, nor is ii precise ly clear irom any or ail of them what lias been done and what has been tiie result. The first 1 indication of "something in the wind" was ob served at White House, one of the main depots for commissary stores —on Wednesday last, when a neet of boats began to remove the .stores down the \oik River toward City I Point. This was done very privately, ail in quiring correspondents and civ.iians being kept , off. Toe sick and wounded Were also saiViy ' removed, and the few troops at White House 1 ordered to be ready at any moment to leave, i During the morning there was a report abroad i that a division of the rebels, the forces of Stone ! wall Jackson and Gen. Ewell, were aporoach I ing and threatening to open the way by the | right flank for a raid on the White House.— j Meantime, the trains on the railroad were kept running night and day, carrying forward noth ing but ammunition and munitions of war, and ; siege and rocket trains, and field pieces. The last event 01 Wednesday night was the arrival i of nearly a hundred wounded men of Hooker's division, who had participated in the mysteri ous move. cut of Gen. McCieliau on that morning, securing Tavern Hill (the " impoit | ant point" in Gen. McCiellan's dispatches,) ; which commands Rcbmond. Nothing of great j importance occurred on Thursday morning ; the removal of stores and munitions of war continued. About noon the enemy made their j first attack in a feint upon Gen. Stonemati's forces, near Hanover Court House, but about j 2 p. m. crossing the Cliiekahouiinv, and tnak ; ing a desperate attempt to drive back our men. The only forces engaged here were MeCah's division, who were located on the opposite side of 11 swampy ravine, about a mile and a half hack from the Chickahouiiny River. The battle lasted trum about 2 unlii 9 p. ui , when ! the enemy drew off. renewing the attack at j the break of day ou Friday, and, after several hours ot hard fighting, Gen. McCah's division were ordered to full hack. The fighting, espe cially on Friday, is said to have been terrible. The rebels had overwhelming forces, and as soon as they met 0113 repulse, they returned doubly stiong. They came in such dense masses that the shell and grape pcurtd into them made great gaps in their lints, which were immediately filled up, at.d they moved forward most determinedly. Their artillery was so poorly set ved that the damage to our ranks was light in proportion. They still j moved on, and exchanged shower.-, of Minie balls ; hut when Gen Porter ordered a bayo net charge, they retreated in double quick, though he pursued them but a short distance, i The enemy ugain rallied and approached our Hues, when the same terrible slaughter ensued. This time their artillery was more effective. Ou coming to close quarters they were again repulsed, and driven buck a still greater dis tance, the twice fought-wer battle-ground be ing literally strewn with the dead and the dy ing. - Gen. Porter a second time fell back to his position, and waited nearly an hour for tlw enemy to renew the assault. They finally came ou in increased numbers, having been largely re-eaforued, and were again received with shell and grape, causing great chasms in their ranks. A third time they bore down most de termined iv on onr lines, and this conflict was the most severely contested of the whole, but when the bayonet was brought to bear lie fell back, and was pressed toward Richmond fully a mile be youd our original lines. Again, for the fourth , time, General Porter fell hack to his first po sition, when an order was received from Gen. McCieliau to continue his retrogade movement slowly and in order. The enemy again push ed torward boldly, when their advance was checked by the entire reserve force. This Iresli force held the enemy in cheek, while the force which had previously borne the biunt of the battle moved back iu good order, carrying with them their wounded and dead The i ne my made a fierce uilaek on the reserve, but cannon were posted at various points of the route by which they were retiring toward the Chickahominy, which occasionally poured in shot and shell upon them, and checked their movements, and enabled the troop.-, to move back in order. At one time iu this retrogade movement, the reserve force of Gen. Sykes charged on the enemy with the bayonet and drove him back nearly a mile. This is about the substance of the lighting, which closed on Friday night. Our loss is estimated at I,2U(J. Tiie loss in officer.-, is heavy. There are many wild rumors afloat, hut we place little reliance upon them. A letter writer, wh ought to he well informed not only ot results but of plan, comes to the following gratifying conclusions : That the object of Gen. McCieliau, long be fore the battle on Friday, was - to anaudou the White House, and also draw in his right wing across the Chickahominy. That he has ac couipiished this most masterly movement with but 1 ttle loss in comparison with his punish meut of the enemy iliere can be no doubt, and that he lias .strengthened his position by con tracting his lines, and changing the base of his operations 10 the J imes liver, is equally self evident. There lie wiii have the cooperation of the gunboats, at d .f the enemy attempts to interrupt his supply-vtsci.- by making a dash on the James River, they wili meet vvi'h prompt punishment from the gunbo its, and so weaken their forces iu front that the city w.'d fall into his possessioc with but a slight struggle. Fur.Tii F R rAKTirrt. A RS. WASHINGTON. Jun? 20, ISG2. S lice closing my letter at the White Hou-e I find myself very unexpectedly in Washington City, and in possession of most trustworthy information from White House, and otliei points on the Peninsula, nearly a day later than is contained in my letter. It appears that telegraph communications between White House and G ■. McCieliau was not broken until near 1 o'clock on Sat urday, itud thru the wire was cut at Dispatch station, 11 miles out. Tutx-tall's station, 4 miles, was in our possession until -4 o'clock in the af'ernoon, at wh'cii hour the operator at White House heard a .strange signal coioming over the wires On going to the lustrum mt, he was herald ed with what the Union soldiers call the Reb el national salute —" i say, oil you Yankee , son of n !" This was the signal given for liuul evacuation, when a portion of the in fatitry forces immediately embarked on steam -1 boats hi waiting for them. The hist of the tnin.-p rts was moved off bv stearntngs, and a few articles scattered about ot! shore, even some dam iged liav, lire i Tilt whole was of a very small value. Tims of the many millions of property here a few davs ago perhaps not s.*>,ooo worth was destroy, d. Ju the midst of ihis closing scene in the beautiful Chickahominy region, I regret to have to state that some vandil set fir.: to til • \\ bite House, and it was entirely consumed. The enemy made his appearance in cous dura tile force at tiie \Y uite House about 7 o'clock on Saturday evening, and, although i,e nei- Ufitlier found bread for man,nor hay for beast, was welcomed with heavy .showers of gruye shot from tHe three gunboats which were ranged along in front 04 the landing. They were supposed to he 30,000 strong, and unless lln-y drought t'n-ir h ivt-r-acks w, II supplied, must have gone supper less to bed. In the best o. times 1 found starvation stare me iu the f re, at the White Hou-e, and ] hops 1 lie reliefs found no better fare Tiie eiv.tlry at tin- \ ti.te House guarded the departure of the last wagons and horses, which moved off at the final 1 vacuation, and joined the forces of Gen. Sfoiiemaii, whowt-re i uoveriug in the vicinity ail day. Alter passing these trains < ff, and securing their entire safely, (Un. Stoneman, with the entire force, moved off in a direction that 1 am not at liberty to state. Gen. Casey reports that he lost not a man nor did lie leave a soul behind, cot even a cm traband. At 10 o'clock on Saturday morning Col lugallsand Capt. Sautelle were before York town, with an immense convoy of vessels and steamers on their way to the new base of op oration on James river. They would doubtless move down immediate ly to Fortress Monroe and await the instruc tions ot Gen. McCieliau. A number are, however, already up the Junes River under the protection of the gunboats. •Since an early hour on Saturday morning, Gen. MeClcllan iias been deprived ol his tele graph communication with Washington. ID abandoned its use several hours before the wires were cut, doubtless being fearful tlntt the enemy might, hv placing a magnet 011 the wires, read his orders D.reet communication with Gen. McCieliau is now being opened,however,by the gunboats up the mouth of the Chickahominy, and will soon be right in this respect. There are signs of activity in the neigh borhood of Vicksburg. News received at Cairo states that our fleet of gunboats had passed the Mouth of Yazoo, and gone ot. to within four miles of Vicksburg ; that men had gone overland and communicated with Commodore Farragut, whose fleet lies ju-t below the city ; that the Commodore had sent a dispatch to Capt. Davis at Memphis, and that the latter officer immediately started down the river with the gunboat B-nton. ot it ers of his flotilla being directed to follow im mediately. Th. Mnnp/iis Appeal of the 23 I S says that the Union fleet of twenty gun and mortar boats opened upon the Vicksburg low her batteries on that morning. Ttie re-uit was not known. Van Dorn is the Rebel eoiutuand . er, having supcrseeded Mansfield Lovell in I that D-pnrtment. Rebel authorities say that j Van Dorn had advised families to leave the j city, as be intended to defend it at all haz ard*. ARRIVAL OF THE ERICSSON. Interesting from South. Carolina. -New Yoik. June 28, 1.-5'2. The United States transport Ericsson, Cap tain Lowlier, from Tortugas 16th instant, Key West IBlb, and Port lloyal 23J, arrived here yesterday morning. She brought a large mail from ail the above places and 181 passengers, among whom are General Beuham and stalf. Bdie also brought lilty-ReVen soldiers who were wounded in the late engagement on James Is laud, S. C They are in charge of Bui g* on- Craven and Scholl. She brought from Key West four companies of the Ninetieth N<w York -State Volunteers, and landed them at Port Royal ; also the Ninth New Hampshire, and lour companies o! the First Lulled Slates artillery (regulars.) The United Slates troops, under General Bcuhuui, nude an altaek on the morning of June 10, ut four o'clock, and were repulsed alter lour hours' hard lighting, with flic loss of six handled and sixty-eight men killed, wounded and missing. The Michigan Eighth had but two hundred and fi'ty men left at roll cull. The New York Seventy Ninth suffered severely The Union troops were obliged to retreat under tlie cover of the gunboats. Gwi Brauuau, from Ivey West, was expect ed to arrive at Port Royal daily. Col. Perry, of the Forty-Eighth regiment, (of Brooklyn,) dcid at Fort Pula.-ki, June 18, ut apoplexy. The United S-ates ship San Jacinto was at Key West All Weil. By the Eiiessou we have full particulars of the operations of the Federal torces on James island, near Charleston, up to the end ol last week. There have been two engagements Willi the rebels—the first of which occurred on the evening oi the lUlh in-taut, resulting In little loss ; aud the bailie ot the 10 h, winch was the ouiy check our forces have received at any point on the eo ist since the war began. Nearly six huudriti men were h si. Tne tiist reconiioi.-Sanee in lorce, which was to be made ly our troops on J iims Island, was ordered for the lltii in-t , but was po.-t poued on account ct an attack ty the i< o, ;> on the Federal can p on the night o! the lOih This attack was, howt ver, repulsed with lutie 10-s ox our side The fact tiia' the cue ny had ventured to ppr am our camp, tor the evident purpose oi a-c-M'taining the extent ot our fore.-, aud iu whicli ifT-u't they wcie stic ccs.-iu! to some ex'ent, iin'ueed Gits. B uhain to change his p! ice, and to make an attack instead of a neoniioissame in force, with the intention ol storming the rebel works, i! cir cumstances ucr- livorable The but!le ot the lothin-'auf began at lour o'clock iu the morning. Tue ue.-ign of our ofijeers was to approach the rebel wotk- in-ai Becessionvi!!e bciure dayliglit ; but the delays incidental to an advance ov.-r ground where not perfectly understood, pr<. vented the cxeeu tion of this pit.gramme. It i- proper to leinuk that ti.i- attack wa d- citled On iu const <picr.ee of inlormatiou re ceiveil from nb' I ihseiter.s —afterwards found to be correct who repr s> uicii tin<t the r< bel winks were very strong, ami that a uum or tii additional gnu- imd been rtciived ami would at once lie mounted, thus rendering an up proach exceedingly hazatuous it not impos sible. Gen. Betihnin nssnmed coiiimand, anil our men, with the Highlanders and F -ghth M eh igan regiment in the advance, marched gallant Ir on the enemy's works Tins charge was so rapid that the rebels were unable to bring tin ir guns into full use ur.til the Federal foive was very near. They poured in a destructive lire, including musketry, and remained insnl their iinrench.it' nts. iaerc was but Intl. pause. The regiments we have named rusher up to the trenches and into and t. rough th-m and direct 1 v to the breuslwotlis, where a t-r nble struggle took place, in which the tncup were driven from their guns. A large num ber of our troops sciilcd ti.e parapets, tin- re'> i els ret routing. i There are conQ cting state-n 'tds regarding i the fiatt'e ut this point. The oflieois ol tic | storm.ng party diclare that they were mn sunportiaf—that G-m. S'evcns faded to bring op his forces in tiiti- ; an i a hull, it appear-, was ordered It is believed by the troops h : constitute.i the ad wince that I hey coiiel hn - cleared the defences it tin y hud to.lowed up the advantage while the r.-tnls were di-o gan : iz ti and exp cted to be pursued. fheiiii', 'however, enabled tlietinmv to collect ti.eo forces. Titey soon recommenced the light, ami , a sanguinary iiand-10-hand cui.fl ct ensued, ii which lite vastly superior rebel force brought against the small number —variously staled ut i one to three hundred men—who had actually sealed tile parapets, enabled the rebels to form f them back and into the trenches. Here a ter i nble and destructive light took place. Tin i r. lie's obtained positions whence tin y could j pour an enfilading fire upon our troops, and I lour hundred tuea of the Federal lorce were j either killed or wounded belore a retreat could i be successfully accomplished. CLEARING THE SVJSSS.'SSIPPI. Communications betv/een Commo dores Davis and Farrag ut. Union Ham Feeet, off Vick-ri iiu. June 20—p. m. ) Via Memuuis. June 2s— Via Cihcauo, June 30. F The Union runs communicated with Coin uiodore Farragnt on W• dnesday. He was to attack Yicksburg on Friday. Twenty wen | in position at Yicksburg. Farragnt was co fident of victory Tin ; rebel lorce is estimated at 12,000. It is re ! ported that Fanagut destroyed the town ol | Warrington. The cotton was burned nil along the rivers ! Commodore Davis's flotilla is to cooperate | with Farragnt. The full of Memphis was unknown at Yicks j burg. Curtis is in a perilous situation in Arkansas Tin: rebel Gen Rains is in Ids rear with fifteen thousand men. The guid oat Aikansa.- ! is aground in the Yazoo River. There is great distress and alarm in the South. Memphis, June 23, ISM 2. The Grenada Appeal of ihe 231 learns that the Union fleet, to the number ot twenty gun boats and mortars, opened fire at an earlv hour that mon iug on the lower batteries at Vn ks burg. The result is not stated. Van Dorn is in command there, having superseded Lovell in the command of that depnriment. A letter to the same paper from Chatta nooga, the lGtli, savs * "We have direct news this morning that the enemy are falling back before our advancing columns from Pow ell's Valley to Big Creek Gap. While this is going on, Mitchell is moving on our rear in the vicinity of Battle Creek, waiting to fail upon his prey. The Grenada Appeal of the 25th says : "Gen. Van Dorn advised u!l families in Yicks burg to move eight miles back from the river, fie intends to defend that department to the last extremity " Tlmt paper also says thut on Saturday last the Union mortar fleet, in tow of nig boats from below, was repulsed ui Grand Gait by our batteries ol six and twelve pound ers. The same day the gunboats ut Yicksburg opened a brisk tire on the batteries, which con tinued over an hour without doing any injury. Ol uifdrs in Aikansas, '.he Appeil says that the rapid movements of General llindman's forces have a most mi the State of armv, and that they have succeeded in driving ■; him back to a position within a sliort distance ol the Missouri line. When our informant left they were still retreating." At an election in this city on Thursday, John Park, the Union candidate for.\la\or,. received 721 votes, being all the votes east. Cairo, Monday, Ju e 30, lsC2 The steamer Forest Q teen, from Memphis, has arrived with GSO bates cotton. News from the Hot Ila is highly interesting. Oar gunboats and rams passed the mojutli of the Yazoo River and proceeded to within four miles of Yicksburg, from which point sev en men went, by laud to the Louisiana side and communicated with Farragut's lleet. Com. Farragut has since sent a di-patch to Captain Davis, which reached Memphis Saturday morn ing. Capt. Davis immediately started down the river with the Beaton, and others ol the fio.illa will .-o m follow. FROM GEX. HTLELLAX'S ARMY. ADVANCE TOWARD RiCHMCND. McClel can's Headqiartees, MYdnesday, ) June 2a, —Evening, f Gen Hooker, at G o'cio k this morning, ad va ced his Division with the view of occupy ing a new position. The result wag thai, his troops met with a mo.-t determined resistance from the i in my.which lasted nntil four o'clock in the uftei aoon, b i the r.-bels were forced to give way before the invincible courage of our men. Dmieg the day evetything indicated a gen era! etigMgeiueixt, but the enemy tor some rea sou or other, backed out of it. '1 ne troops ail fought us gallantly as ever. The !ovs on our si.ie will tie about two iiun dl'eii killed ami uoumled. Tlie following are among the wounded. Col. Morrison, volunteer Aij to Gen Pal mer, wounded in the hand. Coi'. Katr ity, of the Second Excelsior Begimciit, wounded in the irg. The loss among the cffiei rs in the F.rst .Massacliuseits B giment, winch suffered the most, i> as follow s : Dap!. Wild, wounded i'i the hand. Capt. C iirutii wounded in the lirest. Capt Cha in be ihn wounded in the face. L < ut. Ti.oma-, wounded in the ana ; am- ; putated. Lieut. Dal bin, woutideil in the hrest. L •ui Pai !i. i >on, i ti*"i ie the leg. Our killed is st.-mli, most of our men being w onuded. The loss of the enemy i< not known, but it is believi d to tie equal to our own. The c imp of the rebels in front of Gen. I looker was captured, and is: now occupied by his troops. The giound funght for was n swamp, with thick underbrush, beyond which is an open -i| country. The words intervening between our roops ai.d the enemy prevented the result of our iirti!|..i v firing from being known Two Napol- i) i 1 2 pounder-, under Capt. Deßus-v, sue .hi ih d in getting through thu -w,imp during the nf ernoon, and did excellent 1 service Ai. i fl'ort of the enemy to cipttrrn hem it suited in their being driven back with | Vt-re loss. T e result of today is highly important to lie health of the armv, as but a Utile more ground is to <e ga'.nvd to place our trooos be- ■ yomi tie s amp. G it McCiobaa was present during the whole day, supei intending nil-h overrents WAsiiiNureN, Th'ir-dav. Jane 25. - A desputch, leiaivcd at the \Va r Depirt* meet, this aiti-no'on, fiom Gen. .MeCieilan, a -tu' s that the all ui' of yesterday was per- Yciiy iu eesi'ii!; that we im'd the new picket, m line undi-'urbn 1, nod that u!i is verv quiet on } u the banks ol the Chick ilioiniey. From Llemphis. VKuruis, June 25, 1567. The Ja* tie li'fk Demrcra! says that there ire iu Aikansas troin lIMK.H) to 12 OUO Utroit ■ ! troojts scattered over a large ex'ent of eotta trv. The largest body, amounting to 5,000 or G,OOO, are in the vicinity of Batcsviile. '-'lie ■ litest advices arc. that they have crossed 'he White R-vc-r, and are retreating toward Mis -oni-i. The railroad from Columbus, Kv., to this city ts now in operation, and in a day or two j there will lie railroad communication to Cor- Kith, ami from there to Hantsville, Alabama. Enough lolling stock has been secured to com- j mei ce o; (-rations with. Over 1,500 prisoners hare taken the oath of j allegiance since the occupation of this place. All is quiet at Corinth. That point is gar risoned by two division?, and it is reported that Gen llullcck will return to St. Louis very soon. Gen. Lew Wallace and staff ! ft here yes- J teiday for their homes. Gen. MeCler "and is f siili at Jackson, lelin.* A lleet of steamers, with supplies for Gen. Curtis s army, has ui rived, and will be escort ed up White River, Atk., hv a strong guard. Mayor Datks and Aldermen II ibinson, Lo | Gfee and liurlliiirt, have taken the oath of allegiance, but the remainder of the Board hang back It is reported that there are 23,000 troops M at Yicksburg. under Bragg and Pillow. The Grenada Appeal says that Yicksburg will he held at all sacrifices, and that all non- | c lubatan s have be n sent away. The Victsbnrg CiU~m says the Rebel force 9 at TnpVllo has been greatly increased, and I their camps much improved. The Citizen pnbli-h.es a letter from the 1 Lieutenant commanding the gunboat Miatni I to the authorities of Rodney, warning than) a that if the Union transports are tired upon 9 from the batteries erected at or near that ■ point, the same punishment will he visited I upon that town which the Cnv of Grand (* u 'f I received ; to which G -. Lovell replied thnt | his batteries are located at the best point®# I and that he shall lire when lie pleases. It is now .-.luted that General Rosoncrans I takes command ot Geo. Pope's command, U* M stead of Gen Haniilton's Division.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers