The Express.
London, England, 1863-09-03 00:00:00

AMERICA.

The Canadian screw steamer Bohemian, from
Quebec on the 22nd la, arrived at Liverpool about
3 o'clock yesterday afternoon. By her we receive
New York journals of the 20th, Boston and Port-
land of the 21st, and Quebec and Montreal of the
22nd ult.

The draft in New York was progressing quietly.
A telegram, of the 20th, says :
The draft to the Tilted* Ward was completed today
without the slighted signs of disattsfaction. Amoog the
drafted are William H. Fry, of the Tribune ; John Macy,
of the Lander ; H. B. Abrahams, of the Brpress ; John B.
Halmos, excise commissioner ; J. Remick, of the Abend
leitung ; Townsend Hams, late Kidder to Jspsa ; Jolta
Morrissey, pugilist, several policemen, and esweral
coloured persons. While there are no appearances of say
614rbsaos. the authoritid have net relaxed their *limes
la preparing to suppreerellaleirelstaMMWlNC

Ir." regard to affairs bsfors Charleston, a late
Washington despatch says :

Prominent officers serving before Charleston upeem
theasselves, is pirate letters received hem to-day, as
earnestly hopeful of the combined military and navel opus-
Mons ; but they do not mention any time for the reduction
of Fort Sumter, tic., as promised by entkinaiestie newspaper
eoriespoodents. The work being heavy, and requiring the
utmost skill and caution, they, with a full appreciation of
all the difficulties, purposely refrain from exciting expec-
tations of an immediate and complete victory. Nor are
speedy remits of such a character anticipated by gentlemen
fa Wultingtes who are beet acquainted with the plass and
intentions of the commanding °Moen.

The latest advice' from the headquarters of the
army of the Potomac report no change, and no in-
dication of any change, in the position of affairs.
Richmond papers contain the following :
Morton, Miss., August 12..

General Price was at Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Taylor's
army was at Berwick Bay. One of his field batteries
struck two transports near Donaldsonville last Thursday.
Ormond Smith's hesd•quartere were at Shreveport. He Yu
called on the governor of the trans-Mississippi States to
meet him at Marshal Teem on the 15th. The governor at
Texas hae taken the field with 10,000 State troops. General
Magruder'. headquarters are at Galveston. Neither of the
Richmond papers of the 15th refer to the retaliatory execu-
tion of Cements Sawyer and Flynu, which was to have
taken place on Friday, the 14th, and at is probable that Sher
execution has been postponed. There is not much danger of
its Wog carried out so bog aa Gemini W. H. Lee and
Captain Winder are held u hostages fur them.

It is represented that authentic advices concur
in showing that the force of the Confederates
around Culpepper has been reduced to General
A. P. Bill's command, while Generals Lougstreet
and Ewell have moved southward, probably to
Fredericksburg.
The United States steamer De Soto had been
active among the blockade runners. She captured
the English schooner Lady Maria, with 300 bales of
Sea Island cotton. She had run the blockade at
St. Mark. On the 18th the De Sow captured the
steamer James Battle, one day out from Mobile,
with 635 bales of cotton and a quantity of tuTen-
time ; and ou the same night she captured the
steamer William Bagley, with 700 balm of cotton.
A letter from the gunboat Sagamore states
that that vessel on the Bth captured three vessels
from Nassau, in addition to others previously
taken, all laden with contraband goods of great
value to the rebels. Tho same vessel destroyed
the small town of Smyrna, Florida, on the 26th
ult., which place was a rendezvous for guerillas.
The following advice' are dated New York,
August 20 :
The transport steamship Fulton, Captain Wottoe, from
Port Royal, South Carolina, arrived at this port yesterday
morning. The officers of the Fulton state that the slap
of Forts Wagner and Sumter was still progressing favour-
ably; the Lnd and naval forces were daily engaged in
shelling both forte. They give it as their impression that
the grand attack would not take place for some time. The
rebels were erecting • number of batteries on James
Island, and were bombarding the Federal troops in Morris
Island.

The following despatch is from the correspondent
of the Baltimore American:

Flagship Dinsmore, Sunday, August 16.

Since Monday event. here have been rather monotonous.
We have been exchanging shell and shot with the rebels
night and day, with probably but little damage to either
side. The enemy's object was to retard General Gillniore's
siege works on share, but they have all been perfected for
moms days. The intention to open on the 13th was aban-
doned on account of some difficulty as to the quantity of
army ammunition, and owing to the serious indisposition Of
Gen. Gillmore. He is, however, much better, and tht opening
of heavy siege work will commence at daybreak to-morrow,
The shore batteries, in getting the range of their gum yes-
terday and the day before, knocked three hole* in the Ira k
of Sumter. The Selma in;reesion prevails that tte rebels
are OTIKUIt;74 that fort, and will blow it up as soon as the
slisault commences. Out of nearly 30 gnus on the parapols
ten days ago but six now remain ; most of those in the
nUerratai had previously disappeared. The rebels have
erected a line of earthworks a mile long on James Island,
from Fort Johnson to Seceesionville, although they have
bat few guns mounted as yet. This is supposed to be the
destination of the guns taken from Sumter. Our picket
boats around Sumter report that there is great activity
among the rebels every night, with schooners, steamers,
he. The weather continues line, with • very calm
us, and is most favourable for our operations. The sun is
hot, but s good sea breeze and occasional thunder showers
cool the air. Everything is now in readiness, and on shore,
and all are looking forward to the work of to-morrow, cer-
tain of complete success. Reinforcements continue to ar.
rive daily, and quite. bugs army is now on the island. On
Wednesday night the rebels opened on our works with grape
and canister, on information received from two 'utters, who
deserted to the enemy.We lost two killed and two wounded.
The monitors went up in the night, opened on Wagner,
and the rebel guns were soon silenced. Admiral Dahl-
gran went on board the Patapsco, joining her
under the guns of Fort Wagner, and cam,
near being taken off by • ICtisch shot from the fort.
The indications are that the rebels will depend principally
upon their obstructions and interior line of defences. In
the attack to come off to-morrow the humbler will engage
Fort Wagner and keep bee silent, whilst the monitors and
shore batteries engage Sumter; at the same time the wooden
fleet and mortar schooners will engage Moultrie. It will be
a grand affair. The rebel works on James Island indicate
that an attempt will be made on the part of the rebels to
drive General Gilmore off Morris Island, or to so annoy
him as to interfere with his siege of Sumter.

The following despatches are published in the
New York papers:

WASHINGTON, AUGWT 19.

The government received a despatch from Charleston rid
Fortress Monroe this morning, to the effect that on Friday
and Saturday the bombardment was terrific.
The action of the sea was so great on Sunday, that the
gunboat. could not operate with the land batteries with any
good result.
On Monday it wee expected that the sea would be
smooth enough to enable the iron. clads to join again in the
attack.

This despite& says them was a report tbat General Gil-
more had succeeded le reaching Charleston with one of his
long range gam, and bad actually thrown shot into the city
to such an extent as to mil forth a flag of truce from Gene-
ral Beaaregard cu the lab**. It is proper to as; is this
connection that there is no official confirmation of this
" wonderful" exploit in gunnery, nor in the report believed
by military engineers in Um city.