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Sheridan so late as the 10th. He has now been two weeks on his march. I had not, in my last circular, given the rumors brought by deserters, but they have since received such confirmation as to warrant us in accepting their statement that he routed Early's forces at or near Waynesborough, between Staunton and Charlottesville, and captured eight guns, with thirteen hundred prisoners. More recent and reliable news is, that he has effectually destroyed the James River canal between Lynchburg and Richmond, and many bridges, with much of the track of the Orange and Alexandria railroad.

The army of the Potomac presents a scene of constant and watchful preparation. Suffolk, in Virginia, has been reoccupied. The insurgent newspapers contain a report from Bragg that he had repulsed General Foster at Kinston, near half way between Goldsborough and Newbern, in North Carolina, and captured three guns, with fifteen hundred prisoners. Assuming the truth of this claim, it does not now seem to seriously threaten the operations of Major-General Sherman. If the suspense in which we are held in regard to him begins to be painful, it is well to remember that the time he appointed for coming to the destination whence we should be able to hear directly from him has not yet expired.

The contentions at Richmond seem to border upon distraction. It is understood that the insurrectionary cabal has at last, under Virginia's dictation, passed a bill for arming slaves—not more in numbers than one quarter of the negro males between the ages of 18 and 45 — leaving to the states the question whether the negroes to be thus brought into the field shall be emancipated.

You inform me that the delusion prevails in European circles that the rebel debts will be paid as a condition of peace. To correct that delusion you may safely say that, in my belief, the principal of the debt of Great Britain will be liquidated and discharged before a single dollar, even of interest, of the rebel debt will be discharged by anybody. This nation might perish, but it could not, under the present administration, incur the dishonor of begging a peace from. insurgents.

March 21, 1865. The public attention is now fastening itself upon Richmond, and things surrounding it. Major-General Sheridan, after having destroyed all the railroad and canal avenues on the north side of the James River, from Staunton to the Pamunkey, has crossed the last-named river, and established himself at

the White House. He encountered only the resistance of Early's small force, most of which he captured. With reference to immediate results, it may be exaggeration to put the march of Sheridan above that of Sherman through Georgia and North Carolina, but it is allowed to have been effective beyond a parallel. Sheridan's force is now practically combined with the army of the Potomac, and henceforth may be in direct coöperation.

The battle of Kinston cost each party about three thousand men. The enemy have evacuated that town, and Major-General Schofield awaits there, or in its vicinity, the arrival of MajorGeneral Sherman at Goldsborough, who on the 11th instant captured Fayetteville, and appointed yesterday, the 20th, for his entrance into Goldsborough. Johnston and Hardee are understood to be concentrating in front of that place — perhaps at Raleigh. The army of the Potomac is still at rest before Richmond. Significant political movements occurred there last week. The effort to bring negroes into the rebel service was begun. The so-called Congress, on the eve of an intended adjournment, was detained by a message from Davis, announcing that Richmond is in imminent danger, and demanding extreme measures, and virtually dictatorial powers, including a suspension of the habeas corpus, unlimited control over exemptions, and authority to seize gold for the uses of the rebel authorities. The so-called Legislature listened and adjourned, as is understood, without reviewing the policy of which Davis complained, and without conceding the most, much less all, of the extraordinary powers demanded. We hear that troops have arrived in Mobile Bay, and that our naval forces have crossed Dog Bar, below the city.

You will find in the public papers Davis's account of an attempt to bring about a military convention between Lee and Grant, to make peace or gain time. It is true, as he says, that an overture of this kind was made by the rebel agents in the conference with the President and Secretary of State at Hampton Roads, but it was firmly though courteously declined.

March 27, 1865. - Major-General Sheridan is still at the White House, on the Pamunkey, repairing the waste his corps suffered in the late expedition.

The enemy on the morning of the 25th made a sudden and violent assault upon Fort Steedman, situated on our siege line in

front of Petersburg, carried the fort, and turned its guns upon its late possessors. They at the same time attacked Fort Haskell, situated on the same line, vigorously, but were repulsed. By a rapid concentration of forces Fort Steedman was regained, with all its guns, and the former condition of things was fully restored. Our loss is reported by General Grant at eight hundred, that of the enemy at three thousand, killed and wounded, and twenty-seven hundred prisoners.

Independent Union columns are pressing towards Lynchburg one under Major-General Hancock, through the Shenandoah valley, the other under Major-General Stoneman, from Nashville, through Knoxville.

Major-General Schofield reports that he entered Goldsborough on the 21st, and found it evacuated by the enemy. He made important captures of railroad machinery. Major-General Sherman had not arrived there on the 21st. The rebel press report a signal victory gained by them over him at Averysborough on the 16th, with a loss of four hundred and fifty men on their side, and of three thousand on our side. They report also a victory gained by them over him at Bentonville on the 19th instant. We have no definite news

from or about Sherman since he left Fayetteville. But unofficial reports from Newbern, so late as the 21st instant, allude to engagements of Sherman's left column with the enemy at Averysborough and at Bentonville, and the reports state that Sherman's right column fought a battle and routed the enemy at Mount Olivet, on the Wilmington railroad, below Goldsborough, and that the rebels retreated towards Raleigh, and that General Sherman entered Smithfield, which is situate midway between Goldsborough and the former place. Perhaps the telegraph will clear up the uncertainty which these somewhat conflicting reports have created.

Nothing definite concerning Mobile has been received.

Continued desertions from the rebel forces indicate a great demoralization in their army at Richmond.

You will find in the public journals an account of the conviction, confession, and execution of Kennedy, one of the incendiaries who went from Canada and set fire to the hotels in New York. It is reasonable to hope that the energy with which justice is being administered will bring to an end the war we have so long suffered from the British colonies on our border.

April 4, 1865. On the 29th instant Major-General Sherman, who had come up from Goldsborough to City Point, had a conference there with the President and Lieutenant-General Grant. General Sherman immediately thereafter returned to his own command. On the 28th instant the Lieutenant-General organized a large movable force below Petersburg, and so disposed of it as to oblige the rebel General Lee to weaken his batteries in intrenchments, or leave the Southside railroad unprotected. The movement continued with alternating advance and retreat throughout the 28th, 29th, and 30th. On the 31st General Sheridan, in command of the cavalry arm, seized the Southside railroad, and sweeping backwards, flanked the forces of Lee, and obtained a signal victory. On the 2d the main force, under the Lieutenant-General's immediate command, broke through the enemy's intrenchments below Petersburg, and then, by contracting their line to the Appomattox, above the city, completed their investment. Early on the 3d Petersburg and Richmond were evacuated. General Weitzel entered the rebel stronghold, and the Lieutenant-General was in pursuit of the retreating rebel army. The LieutenantGeneral reports that in the engagements which preceded the evacuation of Petersburg our forces captured fifty guns and twelve thousand prisoners. Here our information concerning this great movement ends. The country has surrendered itself up to demonstrations of joy and gratitude to Almighty God. Major-Genėral Hancock, with a large force, is still in the valley of Virginia, awaiting the Lieutenant-General's orders.

Major-General Stoneman, with the cavalry of the army of the Cumberland, is reported crossing the Blue Ridge, at Boone, in North Carolina, to coöperate with the armies under the LieutenantGeneral and Major-General Sherman.

We hear of an advance by land and sea against Mobile, but not yet of the result of that important manœuvre.

April 10, 1865. The past week has been characterized by a rapid and uninterrupted series of military successes more momentous in their results than any that have preceded them during the war: Richmond and Petersburg, with all their communications and vast quantities of supplies and material of war, have been captured by our armies. The insurrection has no longer a seat of its pretended government. Its so-called officials are fugitives. Its chief

army, after being reduced by repeated defeats and demoralization to less than one third of its former numbers, has been retreating closely pursued and hemmed in by the victorious forces of the Union, and encountering fresh losses at every step of its flight, until the triumph of the national armies finally culminated in the surrender of General Lee and the whole insurgent army of northern Virginia to Lieutenant-General Grant yesterday afternoon at half past four o'clock.

Henceforth it is evident that the war, if protracted, can never resume its former character. Organized operations of campaign or siege, carried on by disciplined and effective armies, are no longer possible for the insurgents. Depredations by marauding gangs, and defence of remote and isolated inland fastnesses, may, perhaps, still be continued; but even these can endure but for a time. Not the least significant feature of these triumphs is the reception extended by the inhabitants to the advancing armies of the Union; their entire acquiescence, and, in many instances, their apparently sincere rejoicings at the return of its protecting authority over the insurgent district.

The insurrection has now no port or access to the sea, no fixed seat of its pretended government, no coherent civil administration, no army that is not, in consequence of repeated defeats, rapidly dissolving into fragments, and the only ships that assume to carry its flag are those foreign-built vessels, which, from the day their keels were laid on neutral soil, have never ventured to approach within hundreds of miles of the scene of the insurrection, and have only derived their ability to rob and plunder from the concession to them of belligerent privileges by powers which have repeatedly assured us of their disposition to be neutral in the strife.

April 15, 1865. The sad duty devolves upon me to announce the assassination of the President at Ford's Theatre, last night, by a pistol-shot from a person who entered his box for the purpose. The assassin escaped, but it is supposed has since been arrested. The President died at seven and a half o'clock this morning. VicePresident Johnson has assumed the functions of President, having been sworn in by the Chief Justice.

About the same time an attempt was made, by, it is believed, a different person, to assassinate Mr. Seward, but the murderer only

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