The Express.
London, England, 1863-12-26 00:00:00

NEW YORE, Ditc. 16.

There is no news of importance from the army
of the Potomac. Mosby's and White's guerillas
a" very troublesome and numerous, continually
harassing the, outposts. On the 13th, 700 of them
wade a dash at the bridge across Cedar Run, near
Catlett's station, but were driven back by the
face guarding the bridge. The line of the rail-
ra,d imm the front to Alexandria is hereafter to
be nen protected by both cavalry and infantry.
Short leaves of abecence are freely granted to
ethos and men. There is nothing further in re-
ham° to the removal of General Meade. It is re-
Fend that he has demanded a court of inquiry
juts, the conduct of the late campaign. Pending
this inquiry, the command of the army would de-
voice by seniority on General Sedgwich.
Despatches from Knoxville, dated 14th Decem-
ber, state that General Foster had assumed com-
mand of General Burnside's troops, and Burnside
bad started for Cincinnatti. All was quiet in the
money of Knoxville. It is rumoured in Nash-
mile that General Sheridan, commanding the co-
lumn in pursuit of Longstreet, had encountered
the rebel marl/Iprd, and sustained a heavy repulse,
in which General Sheridan was seriously wounded.
This rumour is not generally believed, although it
is traced to several usually reliable sources. There
is no telegraphic communication with General
Sheridan.
The Richmond Enquirer of December 10 contains
the following :

Bristol., Dn. 9.

. - -
General Gilteer's Southern Brigade encountered the ad.
moo of Wilcox's corps Dear Mayeardvine, Tameness, and
routed them, capturtng a number of prisoners. Wilocies
troop, IMO mostly raw recruits.
-• • .

• is
There no stirring news from Chattanooga.
At latest accounts General Hardee was making
every exertion to re-organise the rebel army.
A despatch from General Butler at Fortress
Monroe announces that a portion of his force, under
General Wider, had succeeded in capturing the
rebel garrison at Charles City crossroads on the
James river. Eight officers and over 80 Confederate
soldiers were taken. The Federal forces, to accom-
plish this, had marched 72 miles in 64 ham, mostly
is a severe storm.

A brigade of coloured troops under General
Wild occupied Elizabeth City, North Carolina, on
the 10th of Deoember. The inhabitants were
entirely taken by surprise, and offered no resist-
ance. Twenty waggon loads of contraband goods
were sent back to Portsmouth by General Wild. It
is said that Elizabeth City is to be made the base of
important operations.
General Banks has announced to the War De-
partment that General Washburn, with the 13th
Army Corp., seized the approaches to Matagorda,
Terse, on the 29th of November. The Confederate
garrison at Fort Beperanza, on Matagorda Island,
consisting of 1,000 men, fled on the approach of
the Federate, after first blowing up the magazine of
the fort. Ten guns were captured. Tina gifts
the Federate command of Matagorda Bay, and is
considered an important preliminary to the occupa-
tion of the whole Texem coast.

It is reported via Cairo that Manneduke was at
last accounts endeavouring to join Price, who, with
5,000 Confederates, was crowing the Ked River
into Terri, pursued by a large(Union force.
Marmaduke's force is not known.

The captain and crew of the Chesapeake have
arrived in New York. They state that the men who
captured the vessel were mostly British subjects,
and were very desperate characters. The Chesa-
peake left Shelburn Dec. 12 with an increaaed crew
and twenty chaldruns of coal. She is supposed to
be on the track of some coal vessel. One report
states that she is in Lahore river, Nova Scotia.
A despatch from General Butler, at Fortress
Monroe, announces that the rebel authorities have
decided to permit no more supplies to be sent to
he Union prisoner at Richmond. Captain Hatch,
of the Coofederate army, Who had an interview
with some Federal othcers at City Point, stated
that the Confederate authorities had thus decided
in consequence of the imputations cast upon them
by the N orthern government and press, it having
been generally reported in the North that the relief
stores sent south for the Union prisoners had not
been delivered in good faith, but had been other-
wise appropriated. Captain Hatch further stated
with regard to the bad condition of the prisoners,
returned to Annapolis from Richmond, that they
were extreme cases of consumption, and, though the
Southern agent of exchange thought it a grave
error to allow them to return, they were neverthe-
less allowed to go home to die ; and this act of ge-
nerosity on the part of the South had been repaid
by representations in the Northern press that these
dying men afforded a fair sample of the condition of
the Union prisoners at Richmond.
The Aschnsond B.rovaisser says : "Of the 30,000
Yankee prisoners held in Richmond since January
1,1862, only 671 have died, or leas than three
per cent.—a small proportion, considering the Yan-
kee accounts of starvation and exposure.'
The Richmond Sashed of Dec. 11 says that Lin-
coln's proclamation of amnesty is intended to blind
his own people and make capital in Europe.
The government is said to have information that
over 16,000 deserters from the Federal army are
nowinCanada in • destitutecondition, and wbodare
not cross the lines for fear of arrest and sentence.
It is believed that the President will proclaim •
pardon toall who shall rejoin their regiments within
Sthlisys from this date.

The Wasllngtoncorrespondent of the New York
World states that the raiiimila are determined that
Mr. Lincoln shall no longer dodge the Missouri
question, but shall take decided grounds. The re-
moral of General Schofield is again demanded, and
mother delegation is soon expected in Washington,
from Kansas.

There have been several rumours of peace pro-
posals coming from the South lately, but nothing
of the kind has appeared as yet. It is generally
believed that commissioners coming from tbe sepa-
rate States in rebellion would be received at
Washington, but that commissioners from the
merriment at Richmond would not be received.
It is said that proposals for a peace will soon
come from the State of North Carolina, and that
three prominent citizens of that State are daily
expected in Washington. These reports cannot,
hosever, be traced to any reliable source.

SOUTHAMPTON, Dec. 2S.
The Hamburg and American Company's steam-
p Sammsliie, from New York on the 13th inst.,
1.34 arrived. She brings 41 bags mails, 60 Pis-
*nen, 90,000 dole. in specie for England, and
13,U0U dole. fur Hamburg.