The Express.
London, England, 1863-05-23 00:00:00

AMERICA.

RETREAT OF THE FEDERALS AOROSS
THE RAPPAHANNOCK.
By the arrival of the mail steamer New York at
Southampton we have intelligence from New York
to the 9th.
The National bitelligencer, of the Btb, semi-
officially announces, in the following terms, the
recrossing of the Rappahannock by the Federal
troupe under General Hooker on the sth inst. :
081eial information reesived last resales eh the Wer
Department authorise' us to state that General Hooker,
after waiting in vain near Chanoellorreille, on Tuesday last,
fur a renewal of the battle by the enemy, recrossed the Rap-
pahannock on the evening of that day, influenced by pruden-
tial motives, springiog doubtless, in part, from the great and
sudden rise of the Virginia riven in consequence of the recent
heavy rains. We do not learn that General Hooker was
apprised, before making this retrograde movement, of the
suonsaa which is alleged to have attended the operations of
General Stoneman in breaking the enemy's communications
with Richmond. If this fact had been known to him (as-
suming it tobe a fact), it may be doubted whether General
Hooker would have deemed it necessary to take a step
which must teed to deprive him of some, at least, of the
advantages resulting from General Stoneman 's cooperative
expedition. Among event, which have not transpired
°facially, but of which there are rumour having the &inset'
anal of truth, it may be stated that General fiedgwick, in
esdeavouring, ori Monday last, with the greater part of his
command, to effect a junction with General Hooker's army
seer Charicallorsville, encountered the enemy in force and
met with a serious mere*, the particulars of which an sot
yet known.

Despatches from Washington, dated the 7th,
give the following additional details of the morose-
tug of the Rappahannock by General Hooker :
It is ascertained from the front that the army of the
Potomac has arrived, with all its material, at their old
camps at Falmouth. The demonstration of General Hooker
has proved no disaster, but simply a failure, owing to the
impracticability of the position which the army bad gained
with so much skill and energy. Less than three-eighths of
the whole form was engaged that could be engaged, the
' ground being oo►ered with forest, and being without practi-
cable roads. Our entire loss in killed, wounded, and missing,
does not exceed 10,000. The enemy's loss must have been
double of this—honourably to the army, but lamentably for
Ha country, the greatest proportion of them are killed and
wounded, Our loss of prisoners does not exceed 1,700. We
have received 2,450 prisoners of the enemy. We lost eight
guns, and took the same number of pietas from the enemy.
The relioquishment of the position was made simply because
It afforded no field for the manoeuvring of the army, and
sot from any reverse or injury sustained by it. The ge-
neral and the entire army are in excellent heart and
reedy for • new movement. We shall probably not know
where this is to be made until after it has been commenced.
Richmond papers show that Steinman's corps went within
two miles of Richmond, and effected many captures and •
great destruction of property. At least • part of all this
g•lLnt force bar reached Gloucester, in Keyes' command,
opposite to Yorktown, oe the York River. There can now
be no impropriety in saying that the President and Major-
Geaeral Blalock visited General Hooker and the army yes-
terday, end returned to the mty to-night. At nearly 1
this morning, information was received that Geoeral Stone-
man has safely arrived at Rappahannock station with the
remauder of his fore,. He has cot the railroad connexions
of the enemy in all directions, and thus won a noble du'

Mr. Stanton, the Secretary of Wsr, issued the
following despatoh on the Bth inst. :
TO THE GOVERNOR OF PENNSYLVANIA.
The President and the General-m•Gbief have just re.
turned from the army of the Potomac.
The pnocipal operations of General Hooker failed, but
there has been no merlons disaster to the organisatioo and
efficiency of the army.
it is now occupying its former position on the Rappa•
haulm*, having recrossed the river without any loss in tha
movement.
Not more than one-third of General Hooker's tome wan
enSogod. .

General Stoneman's operations have been a brilliant sue-
cent. Part of hi force advanced to within two miles of
Richmood, and the enemy's communications hare been cut
in every direction.
The army of the Potomac will speedily resume offensive
operations. EDWIS M. STASTON, Secretary of War.
General Lee, in his &snatch to Mr. Jefferson
Davis, says that the South have again to thank
Clod for a great victory. The following is the de-
spatoh in question :

Milford, May 3, 1861
Tedlimia7. Gums/ Jades= passtwed to the mar of We
away, mg drew Nn bowl bin paitiort bus tas 1113