The Express.
London, England, 1864-08-29 00:00:00

BIIITASIC*I A.

_
TAM Britian. THE DRCNK ARM CHILDREN. - Moen by
Mr. H. Cliftoo. Mr. H. Baker. mid Mr. J. H. Steed—Mr. U.
W. reder.—Concluding 'rah THE OLD SWIM CHURCH.

NION WATZEAT LONDON RIMEL

TIM DAY -711oralnit,oti: 00:TiiAbrwria:Oh. 51. A.
TO-11011.1011— Warning. OIL

LONDON, MONDAY, AUGUST 29.

Tim Africa brings news from New York to
Thursday evening, the 18th of August. The
official report of Admiral FARRAGET of his exploits
at Mobile had been published, and there can be no
doubt of the importance of his victory. One gun-
boat, the Morgan, had succeeded in running up to
the city, but the rest of the Confederate fleet had
been annihilated. Fort Gaines, on Dauphin Island,
whichguarded the western extremity of the principal
entrance into Mobile harbour, had surrendered with
its garrison of 800 men and provisions for twelve
months. Fort Powell, which guarded the entranm
into the bay between Dauphin Island and the
mainland, had been blown up and evacuated, but
the Federals bad captured no fewer than eighteen
guns which were ready for service. It is said,
indeed, by the Richmond papers that Colonel
CHARLES ANDERSON, who surrendered Fort
Gaines, had been guilty of treachery. But it
is tolerably clear that he could not have held out
for many days. Fort Gaines being situate on the
eastern extremity of Dauphin Island, Colonel AN-
DRAWN, by the surrenderof Fort Powell, and by the
advance of the Federal fleet within the bay, was
completely investe4, whilst the troops under Ge-
neral Gassoce. on Dauphin Island would very
soon have worked up to the edge of the ditch and
carried the fort. But however this may be, it is
clear that the Great S wash passage between Fort
Gaines, on Dauphin Island, and Fort Morgan, and
GRANT'S pan between the island and the main-
land, are in the hands of the Federals, so that the
citizens of Mobile must derive their supplies from
some other source than the blockade runners. Nor
is this all. According to the latest accounts General
Ge.a.vcr.a was about to land his troops on the east
side of Fort Morgan, so as to invest that work.
This will not be difficult, for it stands on the end
of a spit of sand nearly twenty miles long, which
in some places is not three-quarters of a mile
broad. Nothing grows there, but the tide runs up
creeks and fills a great bayou which abounds in
oysters. There is no hope of any aid from the
sea or of Faaaaccr's fleet being driven oft, and
the position of Fort Moigan is such as to afford
peculiar facilities for investment. If General
GRANGER'S attack succeeds, the whole of the
Mexican Gulf will at once fall into the hands of
the Federals, whilst the 32 ships and 231 heavy
guns which compose FARRAOCT'S fleet will
be free to operate in any other quarter.
It is difficult to understand how Admiral Faasact-v
will be able to occupy the city of Mobile without
a considerable laud force, but after the capture of
Fort Morgan the troops under General GRANGER
will be free to unite with whatever troops can be
spared in the neighbourhood of Pensacola, and
will be able to advance against the city from the
east or from the west ; nor will there be much dif-
ficulty in isolating it from the rest of the Coufe•
deracy.

SHERMAN is still before Atlanta. According to
Confederate reports the Federal had made two
assaults upon the Confederate left, both of which
bad been repulsed. But SHERMAN still persists in
his operations ; for he is said tobe within one mile
of the Macon road, and to be manoeuvring with the
view of more closely investing the city. A vain
attempt seems to have been made by WHEELRR'S
cavalry to obtain possession of Dalton, in Saes-
NAN'S rear, but they are said to have been beaten
off. It was supposed at one time that the army
of General HOOD was about to be largely reinforced
from the army of General Lan, but as yet these pre-
dictions have not been fulfilled. The only reinforce-
manta which have reached HOOD'S army have been
composed of Georgia militia. Considering the losses
which the Confederate army has sustained since
General HOOD assumed the command, it is certain
that some rein:orcements were absolutely re-
quisite. According to an official report of the
Federal General Looses, the Confederates
on the 22nd of July left 3,000 men
dead on the field. So that their en-
tire loss could not have been much less than
10,000 men, whereas the total loss of the Federals
was only 2,521 men and 10 guns. It can scarcely
be supposed that the last of the Georgia militia
who have been summoned to Atlanta will be able
to cope with the Federal veterans in the field,
but no doubt they will be of considerable service
in fulfilling duties which may be performed
by undisciplined men, and will thus be the
means of restoring to the ranks a con-
siderable number of soldiers who would other-
wise be detached on non-combatant duty.
There can be do doubt that since General Hoop
assumed the command he has displayed great
courage and great readiness, and up to the latest
accounts he had succeeded in preventing Sum-
MAN from investing Atlanta. Throughout the
present civil war the value of detached forts has
received. constant illustration. The attempt to
assault entrenchments has always failed. Both
GRANT and SHERMAN have succeeded in turning
fortified positions, but when a place such as
Atlanta or Petersburg has been supplied for any
length of time, and when, therefore, it became
necessary to invest it, both these generals have