The Express.
London, England, 1864-11-12 00:00:00

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

AMERICA.

We have received letters and papers from New
York to Nov. 2.

The New York Herald says of the army of the
Potomac :
On Sunday evening the rebels attempted en enterprise
which was partially imeessduL A correspondeut states
that at the point of connexion between the Second corps
and the Fifth corps pickets the enemy made an antrum"
and, paming from one post to another, peeetrated oar line
for some distance, taking all the men prisoners. They then
sant forward a heavy force to charge the line of breast-
works, in the hope of piercing our centre ; but one of
the pickets had escaped to the main line and given
warning in time for the men to be put on guard
behind the works, and when the rebels advanced they re-
ceived such a fire as to drive them back is confusion and
with heavy lies. Repeated attempts resulted in a like
manlier, and although firing was kept up nearly all night,
the enemy gained no further advantage. Our loss is put
down at 387 men captured. The casualties in killed and
wounded are not known, but are very few. The lass of the
enemy must have been heavy, as they advanced within
range of our battery sad infantry lines. It was somewhat
dark, however, and the firing was not, of course, so effective
as it would have been had our men had a good view of the
enemy.

The following are General Lee's despatches :
Headquarters, Army Northern Virginia.

Hon. Jams A. Seddon, Beereiu7 a/ Wu.

The movement of the enemy against our left to-day (Oct,
2T) was repulsed. Two attacks upon our Bees were mada one
between the Henrico Poorhouse and Charles City raid, the
other on the Williamsburg road. Several hundred Prisoners
and four stand of colours were captured. Our loss very
slight. On the south side she enemy crossed Rowantry
creek below Burgess' kW, and forced back the cavalry
in the afternoon. General Meth attacked, and at first drove
them ; but found them in too strong fixes. Afterwards
the enemy attacked and were repulsed. They still hold
the plank road at Bargees' Mill. Meth took some colours
and prisoners. On the 25th, Colonel Mosby, neer Bunker
Hill, captured Brigadier-General Dew sad several other
prisoners, a number of bones, and killed a number of the
enemy. He sustained no loss. a. E. LI&

The Yankee troops principally engaged in the movement
on Thursday below Richmond belonged to the 18th Corps ;
those engaged on the south aide were the 2nd, 9th, and part
of the sth.

Headquarters, Army Northern Virginia, Oct. M

Hoe. James A. Seddon, Secretary of War.

General A. P. Hill reports that the attack of General
Heth upon the enemy upon the Boydton plank road, men.
tinned in my despatch last evening, was made by three
brigades under General Mahone in front, and General
Hampton in the rear. Mahone captured 400 prisoners, 3
stands of colours, and 6 pieces of artillery. The latter
could not be brought off, the enemy having possession of
the bridge. In the attack subsequently made by the enemy,
General Mahone broke three lines of battle, and during the
night the enemy retired from the Boydton plank road,
leaving his wounded and more than 250 dead on the field.
About 9 o'clock p.m. a small force assaulted and took
possession of oar works on the Beater road, in front of
Petersburg, but was soon driven out.

On the Williamsburg road yesterday, General Field cap-
tured upwards of 400 prisoners and 7 stands of °clears. The
enemy left a number of dead in front of our works, and
returned to his former position to-day. R. E. LE.E.

The Charleston Mercury says that "the ranks of
General Lee's army are rapidly Slling up, and the
corps, divisions, brigades, and regiments, depleted
by many battles, are assuming their former propor-
tions. At dress parade on Sunday last a Virginia
regiment, which had inscribed on its battle flag the
names of our earliest battles, turned out 1,100
muskets, and one of our smallest divisions numbered
7,000 effective men."
Of Atlanta, the Herald says :—" Not only is
there no foundation for the absurd report recently
set afloat that General Sherman had abandoned
Atlanta, but the place is not considered in any
danger whatever. General Sherman has assured
the government that he will bold it in spite of all
attempts to dislodge him. The rebels are active
along the Tennessee river. A portion of Forrest's
command, with three pieces of artillery, is reported
to have sunk a steamer and a barge loaded with army
clothing on that river on last Saturday. A small
force of them were attacked by Union cavalry on
the same day and driven across the river. Forrest
is said to have several thousand men at Jackson,
Tennessee."

The Confederates were daily looking for an attack
on Wilmington, N.C. Large fleets, they say, were
assembling at Beaufort and Fortress Monroe.
The Wilmington Jonrnat of Oct. 22, sap :

What ham been so long threatened and so much talked
about seems to have come at last. The long deferred at-
tack on Wilmington would appear to be at hand. We have
good reason to believe, from information received, that an
attack is imminent—may be looked for any day. The fleet
is assembling both at Fortress Monroe and Beaufort
Harbour, N.C. Such information is regarded u authen-
tic by our military authorities, and they are extremely
anxious, and, indeed, positively desire, that all non.eom-
ballots, and, especially women and children, should be
removed before an attack actually does take place. This
is desired for their own saki, and for the further reason
that their presence would neceaarily have the effect of
ernbarraseing the defence. It is expected that all the men
who remain will bear their full part in defending their homes
and in repelling the invaders of our soil. Those who do not
make up their minds io defence of their homes are expected to
leave, as we presume little sympathy or favour will be
shown any portion of the male population who remain
here, and who do not array themselves in deforms of the
place. Those properly classed as non-combatants, who in.
tend to remove iu case of an attack, had better do so before
the pressure of an actual attack is made, as then the diffi-
culty of • removal may, and probably will be, insurmount-
able.

And we read in the Charf,ston .11; rotry, of the
same date :—" Deserters from the wrecked steamer
Aphrodite, who lately reached Kinston, say that a
large Yankee fleet is rendezvousing at Beaufort.
Already CYO sail are there, they say."
From Missouri we learn that the country through
which Price has retreated before Pleasanton is tilled
with Confederate stragglers. When Price was last
heard from he was in the south-western corner of
the state of Missouri, and endeavouring to reach
Arkansas. He had then, out of all the artillery
with which he commenced his invasion, only two
pieces left.

The Navy department at Washington has re-
ceived the following despatch relative to the
destruction of the Confederate ram at Albemarle :
Fortress Monroe, Nov. 1,

Hoe. Gideon Willes, Secretary of the Navy.

I sert Lieutenant W. H. Cushing on the 17th of October
with picket launch No. 1 to blow up the ram Albemarle.
He returned to-day and reports to me that he blew up the
Albemarle on the morning of the 23th. The destruction
was complete. Packet launch No. 1, was destroyed by
the enemy's shot and sank. One mai escaped with Lieut.
Cushing—the others were captured. Commander Macomb
writes that, "from circumstances which have since oc.
Correa lam able to inform ou that the ram as sunk."

L. D. l'oaria.

Roar-Admiral commanding North Atlantic.
The editor of the S,Pithern l'unpicrate aaya that
arrangements bare been made by the authorities iu
Richmond fur arming 300,000 slaves next spring—
the negroee to be guaranteed their freedom and
50 acres of land each.

The Charleston Mercury announces that Jeff.
Davis "has been finally prevailed upon to grant an
armistice in the North, provided it is solicited in
a respectful manner,' and speculates as follows :
" Thia proposed armistice, if granted, raises the
blockade by land and sea, which will enable our
people to lay in a large amount of supplies. The
deserters from our service will then be glad to
return in order to receive their pay and an honour-

able discharge, whir& will give us an additional
force of 200,000 veterans. Then if hostilities are
resumed the South is sure of swans. Therefore
we lose nothing by granting this experiment to the
Yankees, who have openly confessed that they are
whipped by proclaiming the war on their part a
failure."

An official message was received by the Provost-
Marshal of Buffalo from Canada on the 30th ult.,
stating that the rebels in Canada are to make as
immediate raid on Buffalo. The military were put
under anus, and the city was patrolled at night.
It is also stated that two brigs will be armed and
patrol the harbour.
The Raleigh Standard, speaking of the resolutions
at the late meeting of the Confederate governors,
observes, " These resolutions breathe nothing but
the most ultra war spirit. We are not disappointed
in them. They are just what we expected. These
governors, co-operating as dependents or auxiliaries
with the central government at Richmond, seem
deterrninol to accept no compromise, but to prose-
cute the war to annihilation, or, at least, at the
lowest point of exhaustion and ruin."
General Lee has written to General Great,
stating that all free blacks enlisted in the Federal
service will, when captured, be treated as prisoners
of war ; but that slaves who have absconded or
been forced into Federal service will, when cap-
tured, be returned to their owners. General
Grant replies, declining to discuss the subject,
but stating that slaves when mustered into the
Federal service are entitled to protection, and
must be treated as prisoners of war when cap-
tured, and that when that course is not pursued
towards them, retaliation will be strictly carried
out.

A shocking accident on the Lafayette and In-
dianapoliA railroad is described in the following
despatch from Indianapolis, dated the let :

A terrible collision occurred on the Lafayette and India•
napo/is railroad last evening between the passenger train
which left here at 1 o'clock and the cattle train coming
south. Twenty-eight deed bodies have been taken out
of the wreck. Two pauengers have since died, and '33 or 30
are wounded. Full particulars have not yet been received.
The accident occurred air miles south of Lafayette. The
majority of killed end wounded were returned soldiers.
Among the killed is the Bev. B. F. Winans, of the Sani-
tary Commission.