The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1863-05-26 00:00:00

DORSET COUNTY EXPRESS

DORCHESTER. TUESDAY, MAY 26, 1A63.

NOTES OF THE WEEK.

As we last week anticirated, so it has turned
out—" Judicious fighting Joe Hooker" has re-
crossed the Rappahannock from "prudential
motives." The Government at Washington
have sought to repress the intelligence, but
there seems no doubt that General Sedgwick,
who bad thought to perform marvels in the
Confederate rear, has been completely "smashed
up," while General Hooker, his vain-glorious and
boasting chief—the 'try incarnation of Yankee-
dom—has had to entrench his army to save it
from utter destruction. Hooker's retreat from
Fredericksburg may be classed with those of
M'llowell, M'Clellan, and Burnside; but this
may be said of him, if he ii. braggart he is also
brave, for he rushed in where wiser officers had
feared to tread, and has fairly won the palm
from all his predecessors for reckless helter-skelter
incapacity and complication of disgrace. In
every movement he failed, and so panic-stricken
were some of his hirelings, that we learn that one
division of his men fled like March hares before
the enemy they were ordered to face, and that
another division pursued them to compel them
to return to duty. So complete was the failure
in the attempted capture of Fredericksburg, that
the Federal' left their dead unburied, and their
wounded with only such succour as the foe
might vouchsafe. The Northean papers ex-
ultingly recount the awful carnage among the
Confederates, and with, no doubt, their usual
fondness for exaggeration, report that the
Federal" have captured from 4.000 to 15,000
prisoner.; but as they admit the lees of 12
cannoned tiring the destruction of their right wing,
it is, we think, pretty certain that the effusion
of human blood on the side of the North was as
great as that on the South, and that the number
of prisoners secured by the victors fully equalled
those of the vanquished. The result of General
Hooker's improved strategy will probable reach
us by the next mail, in enormous estimates of
killed and wounded OD both sides. We shall
then know more fully what Hooker, who testified
that M'Clellan failed for want of brains, has him-
self achieved.

That the situation of the French in Mexico is
a critical one, begins to be perceived by the
French themselves, notwithstanding the antici-
pations discounted as news in their daily pram
which has been announcing the immediate
reduction of Puebla for the last eight months.
The latest real intelligence from Puebla, received
at Vera Cruz before the departure of the last
advice*, was on the morning of the lfith April,
when a courier arrived bringing accounts of
General Forey's operations. At that time he
had only succeeded in capturing the fort of Sea
Xavier and two streets immediately in front of
it, which had been defended with great obsti-
nacy from house to house. The rest of the town,
and the important ports of Guadalupe and
Lorette *hick entirely command it, still held
out, :aid would probably be defended in the same
manner. During the three days' fighting the
French had lost 150 men killed and 600 wounded,
besides 30 officers and 1 General commanding
the artillery. It was a question at Vera Cruz
whether the besiegers h 41 ammunition enough
for their heavy guns if the defence were sustained
for any length of time; and on the whole
imperial Frenchmen did not consider the Dews
at all satisfactory. The Mexicans, encouraged by
the stand made by their troops in Puebla, are
now sure to make an effort for the defence also
of the caPnal, which is 90 miles from Puebla,
and by so many miles also more distant from
the be.. of the French General's operations.
The honour of France, however, demands that
she should conquer this week republic; bud sore

fighting men and ammunition, we learn, are to be
immediately sent out to General Furey. When
the country is conquered. the itrenelt will, no
doubt, endeavour to pay their logloriotil War bill
out of hiesitrut Skills, if they ein seise any.
Then come their private Chliat of twelve million
dollars, and that discreditable ',rocker affair to
impottnd, no leas than fifteen Million dollars more.
It ill dlNlcult to see what will remain for English
merchants on the picked bone that the Eagles
leave.

—.—
The fighting in Poland still continues. More
than one engagetnent is reported, in which the
Russian troops hive been de.fitated with great
loos ; and stherever one band is broken and
scattered, t*o or three fresh ones rise in its
place. It would seem that tbo imperial family
of Rustle take a gloomy, if not • desponding
view of the things; for the Grand Duke Con-
stantine is reported from Warsaw to have said,
with great emotion, at the last court NM, to the
high military officers present—" Friends and
comrades ! I conjure you stand firm by the
throne and your own scantly, for our future is
gloomy, anti we shall probably be involved in a
European war. Be, then, united, for union is
strength." A war for the freedom of Poland
would, no doubt, reverberate through nations
which have long been waiting an opportunity, and
it would be rash to predict where such • conflict
would nesse. In Parisian circles it is said that
the three powers, while they are coming to an
understanding on the preliminaries of • serious
negotiation with Prussia, are on the point of
'sending to St. Petersburg despatches intended as
a reply, in part at leatit, to thaw sent to thorn by
Prince Gortobakoff at the end of last mouth.
They there each express their own peculiar
views, and the three des *tches, as divergent On
the basis of the question as they are different in
forM, hate one common indication of the end to
be attained—the pacification of Poland, and the
expression of most positive doubts as to the part
attributed by Russia, in this drama of the Polish
insurrection, to cosmopolitan revolution. It is
even added—and this is the explanation of the
resolution taken by the three powers not to post-
pone indefinitely their replies to the despatches of
Prince Gortehakoff, making them dependant On
the issue of negotiationi ikhich may yet be pro-
longed for some time—that the French reply is
to appear next week in the Moniker Universe/fa,
in order that the electors may know before the
arrival of the polling of the 31st of May and the
Ist of June all that the imperial government
wishes to do iii favour of Poland.

I)OBCRESTER.—Tne Pinata) CORN MARIN*,
Saturday, May 29. —For wheat the currenoies of the
previous week were well supported, of which there
was a moderate supply ou offer, hut very little
business transacted. Other kinds of grain dull at
late rata. A ttendace Meagre; attributable
unquestimmbly to its being the day of the
Q D.D.Y.C. assembling at Weyinouth for the usual
periodical exercise.
THR WRATIIIOL —The reading of the thermometer
at Dorchester for the past week toss

1 1
Direction
ik of Wind.
, 6
• 39 Strong NE
NE
! 36
NE
35 NE
;80 IA

State of
Weather.

Rain.
Rain.
Gloomy.
Fine, cloudy.
Fine.
Fine.

WOW LAST TISAIL

SR &SW Very fine.
SW kW Foggy, gloomy.
Showery.
(lowly. showers.
Rain. gloomy.
Fine.
W Hue.

•
NATIONAL SCHOOLS. —The committee of these wheels
have issued their report for the past year, and also a
statement of the annual account. This shows that the
receipts amounted to £247 13s. fid., and the expen-
diture to £253 O. 2d., leaving a balance against the
committee of C 5 fis. &I. The report speaks in high
terms of the management of the schools, and the success
of both master, mistress, and pupil teachers, but they
allude to the deficiency in the ruhseriptlorui, and request
the assistance of the Oran generally
Tits Donn itirun.- -The fawning "battalion
orders" have been issued to the different corps consti-
tuting the let Battalion of Dorset Rifie Volunteers :

" Wimborne, 18th May, 1863
"1. Lieut.-Col. Manse' regrets that recent circum-
stances have prevented his being present with the bat-
talion as often as he could have wished during the
present season, but he hopes daring the remainder of
the summer to have many opportunities of meeting
them both by Corp. and in battalion
"2 Rope drill at Dorchester On 7/th inst , &tap to.
All officerli and sergeintt (with rides) and 8 rank and
lile of each corps to attend.
" 3 Competition for the representation of the bat-
talion for the Bt. George's Vase at Dorchester, on the
10th June, at 11am. Conditions Mon last occasion.
"By order,
" Caul. C. B•naerr, Captain and Adjutant."
1111,47SCTIUN UP' Ma itoYAL PIOUS ARTILLIIIY.—
The half-yearly inspection of Captain paget's B
Battery of Royal Hone Artillery, now stationed at
our barracks took piece at Maiden Castle on.Vriday
afternoon. The inspecting officer was Colonel Wards,
LB., colonel on the staff, commanding officer of the
Royal Horse Artillery for the 8.41 th-western district.
It was not generally known throughout the town
that such an interesting affairs. the inspection of the
I battery would take place, consequently there was
I but a small number of spectators. The weather was
very fine, and the inspection afforded much pleasure
and.grattfleatloh to those who had the good fortune
of knowing that it would take place, and of being
present. The rapidity with which the ev,lntions
and the firing of the artillery were evecuted
was astonishing, and from what we could judge
of military matters seemed to be perfection.
The following ars the evolutions performed On entering the and the battery was formed
up in front of the flagstaff, With pin and ranks at
order. A getteral lute was given. after which the
ranks were closed, and the battery marched past
in column of divisions, then trotted past by threes,
re-formed and trotted past the battery entire, re-
vered and galloped past in • column of half batteries
left in front, wheeled into line on the original liniund,
and galloped to the front, came into action firing
one round from each independently. Then the
battery retired by subdivisions from the right of
half batteries and formed line to the rear at •
gallop, reversed, and advanced front their canter in
a double column of subdivisions at • trot, re-formed
line before arriving at the front of the spectators,
came into action, .and fired one round from each
gun. The battery, at a trot retired in line, reversed
and came to the front with the detachment, closed
on their centre, masking guns, when the bugle
• ,untl.d the about, the guns end detachmenta
wheeled outwards, and the detachmente galloping
back to their guns, came into action and fired- The
battery limbered up, retired to the rear and re.
versed, and came towards the front, when within
a few yards of the spectat.rs the word was given,
the right flank thrown back for action right,
at which command the left gun came Into
action at once and fired, the remainder
wheeled to the right about, and gallop into line and
came into action in sumession- after limbering
the battery gall.ped across the front, and came into
satins front, firing one round, and retired by alter-
nate half battens., each half battery firing when its
front was clear, (as it were, checking an enemy) re-
joined line end came into action, limbered up the
rear, wheeled to their left by subdivisions, and
detachment closing to their front, masked their
guns to their left. The word was given for action
left; the left-half battery 'halted, and came into
action at once, the right-half trotted to its front, till
the left was uncovered, and then came into action
and fired from left to right, limbered up to the front,
the battery advanced at • trot, and they changed
their front on their centre by athdivisiona wheeling
about inwards. After this change they retired to
the rear, reversed and galloped to the front, and
came into action and fired, limbered up to the front,
and retired by subdivisions from the right by the
rear, retired in line to the rear, the men putting on
their gloves, and unlooped swords, then reversed,
come to the front at a gallop, with "guns and
ranks" at order, gave a salute, and returned their
words. At the conclusion of the iespection the
reviewing officer addressed the men at great length,
complimenting them upon their efficiency, appear.
awe. and behaviour, after which the battery returned
to the barracks.

ODDIILLOW'S FOXIMAL. —On Monday the re-
mains of the late Mr. ft. John Menton, • waiter at
the Antelope lintel, were conveyed to the cemetery
for interment The doomed, who was a member of
the Wareham Lodge of Oddfellows, was much re-
spected, and as a mark of rrsoect to him and his
frionds, a portion of the Dorchester °dileflows
followed his remains to the grave.
Hat MAJESTY'S BiITHDAT.—On Sunday, in open-
memnrstion of the anniversary of Her li.jrsty's
day. esalh hearing His Hovel Went.' the Prince
Wales's plume, were hoisted on the towers of the
toyer.) ssered rattlers in this borough.

on Monday, the Ist of Joint
CONCII:T. —The amateur concert is fixed to take
Tb.place
proiat t,hraine
na a
vary
ahaka
atioa
of
music, and we doubt not but that the affair will
prove as suocereful as the late ooncert. The prooveda
aro tr. he devoted to the funds of the Dorset County
Hospital.
CONXITEED TO THE Dollar? COCETT GAOL—Fferd
Lab a,:, Sarah Russell, vagrancy at Weymouth, 2
months; John Trott, asissult at tridport, 1 month ;
John Smith. vagrancy at Rockland Newton, 1 mouth
Helen Carter, assault on pollee at Weymouth:l men(;
John Singleton, poaching at Blotworth, 1 month ; Jane
Hibbs sad Rums Ailier, steeling money at Dorchester,

I month each t Samuel Hunt, Mailbag fowls at Crain.
borne, 2 montlm
ILAIIIEN NIRWTOH.—A alps nttilabe' fof peiwons
availed l'aeiimeivra of the low fares °feret by the
Urea Weatero Railway, on Thum lay l.aat, far the
Salkhary choral featival. About fifty members of
oiogni, and nearly e• nany viritore, left our station at
6.30, arriving at Salisbury a little before ten; when
they marched in proomaion, with their banner., to Join
thee who had arrived by earlier trains. That the
benefits for aligh the choral assawiation was organirol
hay, been obtained in this neighbourimod ia evhamt
any ono who compares the singing of any of the choir, in
union with what it was la fore. It is rather lititlitsi fig to to.
iee reinarka by none of the lo•Woloalkit tlortrtpoll4.3llU.
who rwein to imagine that the choir., went to Siliabury
to milord, for prima. One report nave " Oar choir
was of the number of thomi .he went to fitliabory. We
have not heard whether the membem obtained any
prise."