The Express.
London, England, 1862-11-14 00:00:00

The Washington Repubfiean of Thursday says :

A gentleman who left Richmond about a week ago, and
who had while there an opportunity of free intercourse with
Lading rebels, informs us that it was their avowed policy
to avoid any more serious lighting on the line of the Poto-
mac, and to draw our forces into the interior by retreats.
This is confirmed by the retirement of General Lee from
Use Upper Potomac. They pursued the same line of tactics
with General M'Clellan when he landed at Fortress Mon.
me lest spring, drawing him back till he came within sight
et Richmond, and then pouncing upon him just at the right
moment, after his army had been sufficiently reduced by
the waste of a summer's campaign in a sickly region. The
rebels now feel that they must postpone battle, upon a great
scale until " the six hundred thousand men," who have re-
sponded to the last two calls of the President are reduced
to half that number by winter marches. The rebels know
bow to retreat. and until more vigour iii pursuit is mani-
fested by our generals it is no difficult matter to get away
from them.

We learn from the Georgia Times, Columbus, of the 17th,
that Butler lauded with 7,C30 men at Pensacola, and wage:-
pected to advance to the junction of the Mobile and Pen-
sacola Railroads. Butler has recently visited Penjacola,
and there may be truth in this report.
The ship Alleghenian, of this city, was partially destroyed
by the rebels on Tuesday night in Chesapeake Bay, near
the Virginia shore. She was bound from Baltimore to
London, and had anchored to await the subsidence of the
storm, which commenced on Sunday last. The rebels
came from the mouth of the Plankatank river in boats,
boarded her, took the captain and a part of the crew pn-
menet; and set the vessel on tire. The fire was extinguished
however, by a boat's screw from a mortar schooner moms
distance off, from which the fire was discovered.
Rear-admiral D. D. Porter has issued orders, that " any
vessel that may be fired on by guerillas, or other persons,'
will do all the damage in her power to the vicinity from
which she is attacked, in order to repress the outrageous
practice of guerilla warfare. After the 25th Oct. all vs weds
found landing cargoes at any point below Cairo, or any point
between Cairo and Louisville, except at places specifi. d in
collectors' permits, or by permission of the naval command-
ing officer, or at places occupied by United States' troops,
shall be brought to Cairo, and be detained until the matter
is investigated.
The corps d'armee of Generals Crittenden and M'Cook
were expected to arrive at Columbus, Kentucky, on Octo-
ber 24b, en route for Nashville. General Gilbert's corps
will remain in Kentucky for the present.
The Nashville Union says

No apprehensions need be indulged in for the safety of
that city, inasmuch as the rebels that have threatened the
place for the last three months have always lied on the
approach of the national troops.
On the 18th of October ten "rebel" prisoners were shot
at Palutyra, Missouri, in accordance with orders issued by
General 31'Neil. Porter's guerillas had, it seems, some
days previously carried off one Andrew Allman, from
Palmyra, and General M'Neil promptly gave novice that if
be were not returned to his family within ten days ten pri-
soners should be shot. Mr. Allsman was not released, and
General M'Nell executed his threat. . . .

The Federal' claim a small victory in Atheism& ♦ body
of Confederate cavalry 3,000 strong wu attacked near
Fayetteville by the Federal cavalry under General Herron,
and were reported to have been completely routed, leaving
all their camp equipage and waggons behind, and their dead
on the field. The Confederates were pursued several miles
into the Boston Mountains.

The Washington correspondent of the New York
Times says :
It has been ascertained that thousands of persons who
have been for years exercising the right of citizenship
is New York and other cities by voting, have evaded the
draft by claiming to be and swearing themselves aliens.
Special instructions have,therefore, been issued from the
Provost Department to rovont Marshal Simeon Draper,
United States Marshal Murray, and Superintendent of the
Police Kennedy to use their utmost diligence in detecting
all persons who by offering to vote next Tuesday, after hav-
ing claimed exemption as aliens, shall prove their criminal
evssiou of the draft. All such are to be arrested, and held
under the penalties of Lartal law.
Among the proposed contracts pending at the
War Department was an offer from Messrs. Naylor
and Co. to furnish 200,000 long Enfield rifles, de-
livered in New York at the rate of 7,000 per week,
at 17.50 dols. each.

Electioneering meetings were of nightly occur-
rent*, and political excitement was running high.
The soting in New York, Massachusetts, New Jer-
sey, Sic., would take place on Tuesday the 4th inst.,
so that the Australaanin, which left New York on
the sth and is due at Queenstown on Saturday
next, will probably bring us sufficient returns to
indicate the result. Another arbitrary arrest owing
to au electioneering speech had been perpetrated at
St. Louis. A telegram of the Slat ultimo from that
city says :—" James R. Lackland, a prominent
lawyer of this city, was arrested and committed to
the military prison to-day by order of the provost-
marshal general. His arrest is consequent upon a
speech delivered last night at the democratic meet-
ing held in the Court-house.

In the order for Mr. Lackland's arrest he is
charged with encouragement of the rebellion by
publicly opposing the government in its efforts to
suppress the rebellion by publ'cly abusing the go-
vernment and loyal people of the United States,
and defending the rebellion by charging its origin
to have been with the people of the loyal States,
and by publicly deprecating the paper currency of
the country.
Orders had been received at New York to send
the steamer Vanderbilt to sea on the day the Kan-
garoo° sailed, if possible. Her mission is said to
be of a most important character' but its nature
was kept secret. An armament of twelve 11-inch
guns and two rifled Parrott' bad been put on board.
It is notified that henceforth she will be known as
the United States steam frigate Vanderbilt.
Masers. George Francis Train and Cassius M.
Clay had been jointly venting their spleen against
England at a public meeting, called for the purpose
at the New York Acad Inv of Music. Their in-
sulting re narks were resolved with loud cheering.
A person of the name of Buck Baily, who
had preached in one of the Washington churches,
and a Miss Buckner, bad been arrested on a charge
of treason. By means of a forged pass theym en-
dearoured to carry into the Confederate • es a
large quantity of quinine and other articles of the
greatest necessity to the Southern army. On Miss
Buckner being searched 107 ounces of quinine and
a Southern mail and despatch in cipher were found
upon her. They had been committed to prison to
answer the charge.
A seoond attempt had been made at Boston by
the deputy sheriff to serve the writ of habeas
corpus in the case of Mr. W. H. Winder, who is
confined in Fort Warren. The deputy sheriff was
not allowed to land at the fort, and on this being
reported to Judge Clifford, the court remarked that
it had no means by which to enforce the writ. This
would probably end the case for the present.
The Washington Star says:—
We have reliable information fmm parties just from
Cabe, that the steamer Bleach*, on her late trip from