The Express.
London, England, 1863-12-17 00:00:00

SPAIN.

CADIZ, Dec. 16.

. -
The steamship Alfonso left yesterday for the
Antilles, with a cargo consisting of 5,000 muskets,
munitions, and other war materials.

AMERICA.

New Tort papers to the sth inst. give us detailed
accounts of the events summarised in our yester-
day's impression. The following despatch, an-
nouncing that Meade had made a retrograde move-
ment across the Rapidan, was sent from Washing-
ton on the and :

The army of the Potomac has fallen back, and to-night is
probably in its old quarters at Brandy Station, on the line
of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. The retrograde
movement began yesterday. Meade's friends here say that
the object of the advance movement was not so much for
the purpose of fighting Lee as for the purpose of preventing
him from sending reinforcements to Louptreet in Ten-
nessee. The movement is claimed to be successful, and it is
now hinted quietly that the army will settle down into
winter quarters on the of the Rappahannock.

General Lee did not seem inclined, however, to
permit the army of the Potomac to settle quietly
down for the winter in the location where General
Meade bad led it. On the night of the 3rd
the Confederates made a reconnaissance in

force, consisting of artillery, infantry, and
cavalry, and crossed at Raccoon Ford, with the
probable intention of ascertaining the Federal
strength and position. But they were repulsed by
• detachment of cavalq, and rapidly retreated to
the south side of the Rapidan. The Federals oc-
cupied Culpepper with a cavalry force on the 4th ;
all was quiet.
Details of operations at Knoxville up to Monday,
Nov. 30, are given in the New York papers, from
which it appears that Longetreet at that date was
still making strong efforts for the capture of that place.
On Sunday morning, Nov. 29, the Confederates
made a furious assault on Gen. Ferrero's position,
Fort Saunders, but were gallantly repulsed with
heavy lose-700 killed and wounded, and 234
taken prisoners. Their killed and wounded were
left on the field and afterwards removed under a
flag of truce, which Gen. Burnside granted for that
purpose. On Monday morning, Nov. 30, every-
thing was quiet.
The following despatches are published i the
New York papers of the sth :

Ciaciaaati, Friday, Dee. 4.

The following despatch be. been received in the military
headquarters in this city :—"Keuville, Mucky. Nov. 30.
—All well. The enemy we. repulsed yesterday with heavy
loss. Everything is going on well, and we feel very wog-
dun, Despatches state that in the assault on Kaulvtlle,
on the th alt., the rebels lest over 1,000 killed, wounded,
and prisoners.' . _ _

Cincinnati. Friday, Dee. 4.

Special despatches from Cumberland asp, dated
report that there was fighting yesterday at Welter's Ford,
twe miles from the Gap, between Fester's and Loogetreet's
cavalry. is attempting to cross the Clinch River we were
repulsed with the lora of 50 men. We captured four MY.
Two of our surgeons were found murdered in Joseeville„
Up to the departure of the mail nothing positive
was known sa to the movements of Grants at my.
A despatch dated Chattanooga, the 4th, says
that the weather was exoellent, and the roads in
such good condition that the column of troops sent
to relieve Burnside had probably reached within
striking distanos of Longstreet.
Refugees from Northern Georgia report that in
all that region a reign of terror exists, and that the
rebel authorities are conscripting males and every-
thing else they require for their shattered troops-
In obedience to the clamour for the removal of
Bragg, Jeff. Davis had displa•Agd hie favourite, and
appointed General Hardee in his stead.
- The President had received official despatches
from General Banks announcing, under date of

Nov. 9, the occupation of Brazos Island, Fort
Isabel, gad Brownsville by the forces under his
command. The general speaks with hopefulness of
the prospect before him in Texas. General Stone,
writing from New Orleans on the 28th ult., offici-
ally makes known the capture, on the 17th, of Cor-
pus Christi and Aransas City, with 100 prisoners
and three guns.
Advice' from Charleston to Dec. 1 announce
little change in the position of affairs. The bom-
bardment of Fort Sumter bad almost entirely
ceased, as the work for all warlike purposes bad
been rendered unserviceable. Its west wall bad
been undermined by our fire, and had fallen into
the sea, and the Confederates display no flag over
the ruins. General Gillmore has turned his atten-
tion to the fortifications on Sullivan's Island, and
with such effect that two of them are said to
have been destroyed. Shells are also thrown
into Charleston at the rate of twenty a day, and
the inhabitants are said to have deserted all the
buildings within range of the Federal guns. The
people believe that General Gillmore's operations
will inevitably end in the capture of the city. Much
destitution exists among the poor of Charleston and
Savannah, and deaths from starvation have oc-
curred. The Confederates took advantage of the
respect /Igo is everywhere paid to the hospital
litg to ..Uat a etronglattery behind the Moul-
trie-house on Sullivan's Island, over which the
signal of sickness was flying. They afterwards
raced the hotel, and opened fire from the work which
they had built under these circumstances.

"From Richmond," toys the New York Times,
"we have full tiles to the 30th of November, in-
clusive. The extracts which we give from the rebel
papers are exceedingly interesting. Their own ac-
counts of the resent operations in Tennessee and
Georgia are very meagre, but a terrible disaster'
is frankly admitted ; and though they strive to
conceal it as much as possible, yet there is a very
strong tone of gloom, disappointment, and depres-
sion pervading the Southern community in conse-
quence of this rebel defeat. Bragg is denounoed
in unsparing language, and his removal is de-
manded without delay. Loogstreet'e position in
East Tennessee, after many positive assertions of
great success, is finally admitted to be precarious,
and there is hardly a gleam of hope or oonfi•lence
to be extracted from any point of the rebel military
situation, by even the hopeful and defiant rebel
journals themselves."
The same paper contains the following remarks
upon the military prospects of the winter :
Seasons of intense activity, with alternations of cam•
parstive repose, form the ebb and flow of all great wars.
We have just passed through one of the grand climacteric
periods, resulting in a series of great operations in the West,
and at least of portentous movements in the East ; and the
fact that the season naturally fitted for field work is passed,
and winter and the " skyey influences" advents to military
operations are upon la gives plausibility to the opinion that ,
we may now have a period of comparative quiescence, sad
that our armies will go into winter quarters. This of itself,
to be sure. would not absolutely determine the audio° of
active work; sad if we should judge by the history
of last year, when the month of December wit-
nessed two of the greatest battles of the war—that of
Fredericksixirgh, in Virginia, and Murfreesboro, is
Tenneuee—there would be little to indicate such an inter.
mission of operations. But the circumstances of December,
1863, and of December, 1862, are widely different. In the
West a great aggressive army, threatening the lunation of
Kentucky, hooted Rosecrans, and it was in the last degree
desirable to foil that intention by dealing the rebels a telling
blow. In Virginia the spirit of "On to Richmond" still
controlled our military policy. No such necessity and no
such prompting now weigh upon as. Our great army of
the West holds • position which makes all attempt. at the
offensive on the part of the rebels mediums. Genemltlrant
is master of the situation, sad the mastery, too, is of a
kind that makes military operations in Virginia of quit*
subordinate moment. Both our armies have secured
coignes of vantage where they can securely rut for the
winter; sod there is no commanding military DOM aity to
instigates winter campaign.
An enthusiastic meeting was held on the 3rd
at the Cooper Institute, New York, to promote the
raising of volunteers, and to celebrate the victories
of Grant. There was a very large attendance. The
following resolutions were passed :

Whereas, the people of the city and State of New York,
at the commencement of hostilities between those in rebel•
lion against the government of the United States, did, in
popular assemblages, and represented in municipal and
State legislative bodies, pledge their liver), their fortunes,
and their sacred honour to sustain the government in quel-
ling the rebellious, and reestablisbing the national autho-
rity ; acid whereas, the city and county of New York has
already appropriated for that purpose more than save°
millions of dollar—bas sent to the field tens of thousands
of its citizens ; therefore,
Resolved—That we, in mass meeting assembled, again
most solemnly repeat and reaffirm the pledge heretofore
made by our city council and by the legislature of the State,
that "We will uphold and reinforce our armies in the
field, and sustain at home the families of our soldiers in the
service of the government," and that we will never cousent
to a pesos but upon the basis of the restoration of the
Union.

Resolved—That we point with pride to the position of
New York. She boa sent more volunteers to the Geld
than any two cities of the Union. Her merchants, her
bankers, and her citizens have placed at the dispoial of the
government their accumulated wealth, never refusing to
honour a draft made upon them ; and are to-day more
willing than at the commencement of the war to furnish
all needed moral and material aid to sustain the govern-
ment in reinstating constituted authority, and " conquer-
ing a peace."
P.esolved—That we recommend Congress to increase the
pay of the privates in the military servios of the govern-
ment to 20 dole. per month—this to apply as well to those
now in service as to those who shall hereafter be mustered
into such service.

Resolved—That we most cordially approve the mll of the
President, and of the Governor of New York for additional
volunteers ; that we recommend that the people of
each Congressional district organise and act efficiently
for the purpose of procuring them ; and to that end that
UN chairman of this meeting appoint a committee of eve
from each Congressional district of this city, to devise
means and act in conjunction with the military commis-
sioners appointed by the Governor and the Provost-
Mershal-Geriend to promote volunteering.
Resolved—That we deeply spmpathise with the ifaion
soldiers now confined in Southern prisons ; that we implore
our government to make every effort to supply their wants,
alleviate their sufferings, and procure their speedy release ;
but we know that these brave moo, who have risked their
lives to secure victory and unity to the nation, will not ask
the government for their sake to forfeit honour, or compro-
mise its position in reference to the exchange, according to
the usages of civilised warfare, of all soldiers who have
been made prism's,* of war.
Resolved—That we rejoice at the recent victories of mar
armies—affording as they do the highest evidesce of •
return of pesos ; sad that the thanks of this meeting are
tendered to General Grant, his pli►nt officers sad brave
men, for the splendid success and decisive battle of Chat-
tanooga.

In the course of the evening the following letter
from the President was read :
Evocative Mesas,
Weabiogtoo, Wedeeeday, Dee. 2, 1863.
__ ...

Messrs. George Opdyke,Joliph Sutherland, Beojiimie F.
Ifaideeve. Prosper N. Womore, and Spencer Kirby, commit.
tee,—Your of the 28th ult., inviting me to be enema at •
roosting to be bold at the Cooper Institute ea the 3rd inst.,
to promote the raising of volunteers, is received. Nothing
would be more agreeable to my feeliap, or better accord
with my jadgeiest, We to contribute, if I oould, by my
preemies or otherwise, to that runineutly patriotic object.
Nevertheless, the sow early meeting of Cooper, together
with a temporary illness, renders my attendance
prerible. You propels. also, to celebrate our Nest.
nee victories. Freed from apprehension of woundieg
the just sensibilities of brave 'oldie's fighting
elsewhere, it would be exceedingly agreeable to a to joie
is a suitable acknowledgment to these of the greet Walk