The Express.
London, England, 1865-03-04 00:00:00

NO.

LONDON. SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH 4. 1865.

TELEGRAPHIC INTELLIGENCE.

(alum's nisotAirs.)
AMERICA.

THE OCCUPATION OF CHARLESTON.

The Royal Mail steamship Australasian, from
New York on the 22nd February, arrived at
Queenstown at 5 p.m. to-day (March 3), with 42
passengers and 23,000 dole. in specie. She landed
two passengers and 113 sacks of mails, and pro-
ceeded for Liverpool at 5.10p.m. All well.
The Australasian made the passage from New
York in leas than nine days.

NEW YORK, PEI. 22, Moasoia..

The following additional details have been re-
ceived :—lt is stated that the operations of the Con-
federates began at 10 on the evening of the 17th,
and in about twelve hours the evacuation was com-
plete. Early on the morning of the 18th the fleet
observed two terrific explosions. Burning frag-
ments filled the air for a great distance. Theshock
was severely felt by all the Federal vessels. Many
thousand bales of cotton were burned by
the explosion of the warehouse. pp4....1,
_ _

firing of other, public buildings. The Confederates
who remained to the last are stated not to have
been well organised. The majority of them merely
remained for plunder. The inhabitants state them
to be guilty of many disgraceful acts. Several
hundred Confederate deserters concealed them-
selves in the houses when Charleston surrendered,
declaring themselves tired of the rebellion and of
fighting for it. They were received as prisoners.
Crowds of negroee met the Federal troops and made
demonstrations of joy. They wanted food, and
said they would be glad to work. Some
proposed to take up arms against their
masters. Their condition is described as much worse
than that of the inhabitants of Savannah. The'
appearance of the city, the lower part of which was
uninhabitable, and the upper in flames, is described
as dreary and desolate in the extreme. It is stated
that the evacuation of Charleston began nearly
three weeks ago. Since that time the Confederates
bad been busy removing stores. Heavy supplies
were, however, left at the time of the evacuation.
The Confederates were said to number 14,000 EOM
and took a northerly direction.
The Federal expedition to Bull's Bay a short
time before the evacuation was to cut the railroad
north of the city, but if successful could only have
prevented the escape of a few Confederates.
The correspondent of the Tribune says that the
formidable earthworks on James Island were found
abandoned and the guns spiked. The damage can,
however, be easily repaired. The same writer
thinks the Confederates intended to burn the city
to the ground, and believes they mean to concen-
trate at Florence, which communicates with
Charleston by railroad, unless the communication
has been recently destroyed by the Federal'. The
guns already discovered are not seriously injured.
Fishing for torpedoes has commenced in the
vicinity of Sumter, and they are gradually being
picked up.
The correspondent of the Tribune says that
Sherman had reported that all forts in the rear of
Charleston were in the Federal possession. .•
News of the evacuation was received with great
applause in Congress. The War Department
ordered a national salute to be fired at every fort
and arsenal and at the bead-quarters of the army
of the United States, in honour of the restoration
of the Union flag upon Sumter. Seward ordered
the illumination of the departments and buildings
at Washington on Washington's day, which ia to-
day, in honour of the recent triumphs. There are
great rejoicings throughout the North, and the
Northern press publishes an exultant account of
the recent success.

Baltimore despatches report that Fort Anderson
was captured on Sunday by General Schofield and
Admiral Porter. Most of the carrison escaped
towards Wilmington through the fort. All the
guns were left in good condition. Schofield was
following on towards Wilmington accompanied by
two monitors, sod it was expected that the city
would be in his possession on Monday.
The Tribune believes that Sherman's main army
is pushing steadily northwards to Charlotte or
Fayetteville, and that an expedition of no little
magnitude is striking at the railways near the
coast. Mr. Stanton telegraphed to the Governor
of New York the news of Sherman's capture of
Columbia. He urges him to hasten the recruiting,
and says that the rebellion must receive a final
blow this spring campaign.
The Herald's Washington correspondent states
that the evacuation of Richmond is likely to follow
that of Charleston. Evidences of this daily multiply.
Advice., from persona high in the Confederate
service state that the evacuation is determined on,
and nearly all the machinery has been removed.
It is understood that Lee will fall hack to Lynch-
burg, where the Confederate forces are to be con-
centrated, preparatory to making a desperate effort
to break through the coils which envelope them.
A strong Federal cavalry force is reported to be
threatening Lynchburg.
The Tribune says that the opinion in high official

quarters is that Lee cannot remain more than
thirty days at Richmond, but must either attack
Grant and raise the siege, or fall back upon Lynch-
burg, his only line of retreat.
Moat of Hood's army have been sent to join
Beauregard. Their oor.dition is very bad. Large
numbers are barefooted, end suffered from frost-
bitten feet during the retreat from Nashville.
Forrest is concentrating at Jackson, in order to
operate against Vicksburg.
The correspondent of the Chicago Erening Journal
says Sherman left Savannah with 100,000 men,
including 16,000 cavalry and 10,000 negroes ; the
latter would remain near Port Royal. Sherman
commenced his march northward with 90,000 men.
The same correspondent estimates Beauregard's
forces at 35,000, in addition to 10,000 picked men
of Hood's army, who left for South Carolina
under Cheatham L. 0. Lee, but who would pro-
bably not arrive before the let of March. 5,000
more men would be available if Wilmington were
abandoned. Lee cannot reinforce Beauregard,
having only 35,000 men round Richmond.
General Grant has telegraphed to Mr. Stanton
the following extracts from the Richmond papers
of the 20th :—" The Confederate War Department
received information on the 19th instant that Sher-
man's advance wasnear Winniaboro, 30 miles north
of Columbia. Charlotte was thronged with refugees
from Columbia, who report that Wheeler's cavalry
plundered the city. Up to Tuesday it was uncer-
tain whether Columbia would come within the im-
mediate range of Sherman's purposes, consequently
the public mind was not prepared for such an early
solution of the question. The government, how-