The Express.
London, England, 1863-01-01 00:00:00

AMERICA.

The Canadian Mail steamer North American,
which left Portland, Maine, on the 20th ult., ar-
rived at Liverpool yesterday afternoon. She brings
New York papers to the 20th ult., and telegraphic
intelligence, via Portland, to the evening of the
same day. A telegraphic summary of her news
has already been published.
The North German Lloyds' steamer Hansa,
which left New York on the 20th ult., arrived at
Southampton yesterday afternoon, on her way to
Havre. She brings 67 passengers and 53,000
dollars in specie for England.
. . . .

The following account of the Federal victory at
Kinston, which 31r. Reuter's telegram of yesterday
strangely enough announced u a Confederate vic-
tory, is from the New York Titus of the 20th ult. :
W ode on Saturday last the great battle raged all day at
Fredericksburg, forty miles this side of Richmond, another
battle, of smaller proportions, was going on at a point one
hundred and sixty miles south of Richmond, two hundred
miles south of Fredericksburg—at Kinston, North Carolina.

Our first news of the latter engagerceot was by a despatch
from the rebel General Evans to the authorities at Richmond,
dated on Sunday last, which announced that General Foster
bad attacked Kioston the previous day with 15,000
men and nine gunboats ; and, s►id the rebel officer, " I
fought them ten hours, and have driven them back to thei
gunboats ;" but, added he, " his army (Fosters) is still in
my front?' A telegram this morning from Fortress Monroe
puts quite a different aspect on the results of the corny
znent. It is briefly that "General Foster's forces have
taken Kinston, capturing 500 prisoners and 11 pieces of
artillery." It may be that the battle was undecided after
the ten hours' engagement of Saturday, and was renewed
next day by our army with grrater success; or it may be
that the despatch of the rebel commander deviated
slightly from truth and from the facts. Which-
ever may be the case, it is certain that this
not unimportant point is now in possession of our
forces; for we give an extract from a Richmond paper
which puts the matter beyond dispute. But we have no
idea that General Fortes movement terminated with Kin-
ston.

Kinston is a mail town on the Norse River, about forty
miles above Newham, where, in March last, one of our
best-fought battles was won by Generel Burnside. Its im-
portance at present, and in its bearing on the campaign,
consists in the fact that it is only some twenty-five mike
from Goldsboro, which is on the line of the grant railroad
that runs from Aquia Creak, through Fredericksburg and
Richmond, down to Wilmington, N.C., and is at the junc-
tion of th►t road with the one running from Newbern and
Beaufort to Raleigh. Goldsboro was nodoubtedlys the point
at which Geoeral Foster aimed ; and as the Nettle River
is navigable from Kinston up to and beyond that point,
there is little doubt that if or- troops captured Kinston last
Saturday or Sunday, they have by this time been pushed
cap to Goldsboro. That place in our hand; and the rebels
at Richmond are out off from the use of one of the most
valuable railroad systems in tho South. They have still,
it is ti ue, the road running from Richmond to Danville, and
from thence connecting with the Southern system—the
break in which line from Danville to Greensboro Jeff.
Davis lately had completed, in anticipation of the vet/
movement of oar forces which has now taken place. So
that, even if we have Goldebwo, we do not entirely cut off
**rebel communication with the States of the Southern

seaboard ; bat we have taken one suistassful step which
makes the salt easier—we have cut off one of the arms by
which the rebels annoy to Richmond supplies and faros.
Gs/datum is (slut the than eighty miles by reamed
from Weldon, which was pmerally supposed to be the dee-
libation of Gemmel Banks' expedition, and at which paint
Fceter's column and the column from Suffolk wars to unite
with the troops of General Banks, and the oombised army
then march upon Petersburgh and up to the line of the
James River. That beautiful and feasible inommeat,
which eo plowed the public, mind for several days,
was sot, it mem; in accordance with General Hal-
bicies ideas of strategy ; far Bathe and his expeditica
are by this time in the Gulf of Mexico. Neverthr
less, we have so doubt that if it please. ear
military authorities to properly and quickly reinforos
General Foster, he will push up to Waldeck and Petersburgh
himself, even without the 00-OpO7llUOO of the able soldier
who, it was hoped, was about to lead in the attack oa the
rear of the rebel capital.

Some people will be astonished to find that the rebels had
an army at Kiloton last Saturday, able to cope with the
military and naval force which General Foster led up the
Nun River. It must be remembered, however, that thag
had anticipated an attack somewhere in the rear of
Richmond simultaneous with the grand assault el
oar army on the main rebel force at Fredericksburg ; sag
as General Foster had been preparing for this mow
meet some days before it was actually made, they had
gathered up several thousand men and planted them on the
line of the Weldon and Wilmington Railroad, prepared to
defend any point that might be attacked in the vicinity of
that road. They knew there were but few points which his
gunboats could reach, and therefore threw up earthworks
at each of those points, prepared to rush to and &bad
either of them. It is quite likely, too, that Lee bad week
confidence in the overwhelming strength of his works on
the heights of Fredericksburg, that be knew he could
spare • few thousand men from his main &Ay to defend
any Obit vital point that we might email.
We have a hope that our military authorities will tot
permit the hives ant work so well begun by General Foster
to end where it hal begun ; but that toey will so atreogthen
his column that he can push up to Petersburgh, and co-ope-
rate in the seat peat movement which we are confident
General Bimini& will not wait long to commence.
The New York Herald of the 20th confirdis the
news of the Federal success at Kinston, North
Carolina, in the following terms :
The report of the defeat of General Foster at Kinston,
North Carolina, which was promulgated in • despatch
from the rebel General Evans, proves to be entirely
So far from ban a detest the affair proves to be a
Vatory for the Union arms. After three days' Air-
wishing and fighting, commenting on the 11th lost.,
General Foster captured Kinston, driving off the forces
of General Evans, killing and wounding 250 rebels,
taking 9C3 prisoners and 11 pieces of artillery. One lose is
the action was not more than 200. After this MICCOIIII our
troops advanced in the direction of Goldsboro and Weldon,
the occupation of these places being the main object of the
expedition. The accounts by our correspondents today
contain all the particulars of this important movement.
We also give a map of the locality to illustrate the design
of General Foster. Our gunboats attempted to support
the land forces, but owing to the shoal water in the
Nense River, they were not able to render much
assistance. The gunboat Allisoo, however, ;of the
Emilie artillery force, showed some fight, but was
met by ► battery of the enemy within two miles or
Kinston, the tire from which did her some serious damage,
and finally compelled her to retire. The flotilla, on its re-
turn down the river, was conatutly Brad upon by guenllas
from the shore. The tidal rebel aeceusts to the Ifith inet.
report that artillery firing was heard below Goldsboro=
that day. No fighting occurred up to the 16th.
The same paper says :
The Richmond papers also contain an account of Geseml
Footer's expedition against Kinston (N.C.), which plus
they any was attacked on the 14th by • large body of Atoll.
tioeists, when • severe battle was fought between 3,000
rebel„, under General Evans, and the " invaders." The
fight lasted from eight a.m. to one p.m., when the rebels
were compelled to retire. This accords with our informa-
tion, and it is worthy of rem►rk that the same mail which
brought the above sews brought also the contents of the
post office at Kinston entire, which was captured by one of
the Herald's correspondents, in company with the agent of
the sweated Press.

Tho news from the Rappahannock is unim-
portant. No encounters take place on either
side. "With the exception of a few shots fired
from the Union batteries on the hills to disperse
some bands of rebels which appeared to be gathering
•in numbers sufficiently large on the opposite aide of
the river (says the Resuld of the 20th), there was
no hostile movement made by either army on the
Rappahannock yesterday. The enemy's pickets are
the south bank thickly, but they observe a
peaceful, and somewhat friendly aspect towards our
men."

The first accounts of the Federal 10118011 at
the battle qf Fredericksburg were, as might
be imagined, considerably exaggerated. The
official statements reduce the numbers to
1,41.10 killed and 8,000 wounded. The Rich-