The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-30 00:00:00

AMERICA.

(REUTER'S EXPRESS.)

(Per the City of New York.)
NEW YORK, March 19.
Despatches from the army of the Potomac report
all quiet at the front. It is rumoured that the rebel
General, Stuart, with 5,000 cavalry crossed the
Rappahannock at Fredericksburg, on the 17th, for
the purpose of making a raid in the rear of Gen.
Heade's army, or possibly to make a dash at Wash-
ing'on. No confirmation of this report has been
received ; the opinion, however, prevails in military
circles that Gen. Lee will soon make a formidable
demonstration, either against Ger. Meade, in force,
or against Washington by attempting to get in the
rear of Gen. Meade's army. Gen. Grant having
assumed commacd of all the'armies of the UilitEd
States, has announced that his headquarters, for
the present, will be with the Army of the Potomac.
The Washington correspondent of the New York
World states that it is generally understood that
the first object of Gee. Grant, in the approaching
campaign, is a blow against the rebel capital.
It is positively asserted by most of the New
York and Washington papers that Gen. Meade will
soon be superseded in the command of the Army of
the Potomac by Gen. W. F. Smith.
A rumour is afloat that Ervill's entire corps is
moving into the Shenandoah Valley, but the reports
of Federal scouting parties announce no such
movement.

A despatch from Charlestown, West Virginia,
reports that on the 16th inst. a rebel force 1,500
strong was within 15 miles of Gnyandotte,
threatening Barbourville. A strong Union force
was sent to oppose them.
Chattanooga despatches of the 15th instant an-
nounce that the rebels were moving their artillery
from Dalton towards Ringgold, and their cavalry
had picketed Taylor's Gap. They havo a heavy
force of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, and their
present movements indicate that they will assume
the offensive. A concentration of their forces for
this purpose is believed to be in progress.

An officer of the army at Chattanooga writes
that the Federal army cannot remain in that posi-
tion when the hot weather begins, on account of
the stench arising from an immense number of dead
horses and males, which have died of starvation
during the winter. The country around Chatta-
nooga, for miles, is strewed with decaying car=
cases, estimated to number at least 50,000.

Richmond papers assert that the recent advance
of the Federal forces under General Palmer against
Dalton, was made in supposition that the Confede-
rate army at that point had been greatly depleted
to reinforce General Polk.
The rebel cavalry force under Forrest, Lee, and
Chalmers, after repulsing the expedition of Generals
Smith and Grierson, are said to have concentrated,
and moved rapidly to join the main army of General
Polk.

A mutiny is reported to have occurred among the
garrison at Fort Morgan, Mobile. The mutineers
proposed surrendering the fort to the Federal fleet,
but their plot was discovered, and 30 of them were
shot, after trial by court-martial.
Admiral Farragut has withdrawn his fleet from
before Mobile.

The _Richmond Examiner of the 14th inst., states
that firing was still kept up against Charleston, but
no more casualties were reported. Unusual activity
in the Federal fleet at Folly inlet, on the 13th.

It is reported that General Gilmore's chief of
Staff stated before the committee on the conduct of
the war at Washington on the 17th, that the lower
portion of Charleston has been nearly destroyed by
the Federal fire, and that only the upper portion of
the city was occupied by rebel troops. Southern
accounts make no mention of such results.
Another ironelad is said to have:been completed
by the rebels at Charleston, and a naval attack on
the Federal fleet was by no means thought im-
probable.
The rebels are reported to be concentrating a
heavy force under General Pickett in North Caro-
lina, either with a view of attacking Norfolk or
Newburn, or to oppose any Federal force that might
be sent from either of those points up the south side
of the James River against Richmond.
Guerilla bands are forming in several counties in
Kentucky, for the purpose of obstructing the navi-
gation of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers ; and a
number of arrests were made at Hickman of men
who were organising themselves into companies to
join the rebel army.
Great excitement prevails, and it is feared that
there exists a formidable conspiracy against the
Federal Government.

Despatches from the south-west announce that
a desperate fight had taken place near Yazoo City,
and it was reported that three Federal regiments
had been captured, the 11th Illinois and two
Louisiana negro regimets. This force, under com-
mand of Colonel Coates, was sent up the Yazoo
River on steamboats, with instructions to menace
the rebels in the neighbourhood of Yazoo City, in
order to effect a diversion in favour of the Sherman
expedition. Colonel Coates captured and occupied
Yazoo City. The transports were then loaded with
cotton and sent to Vicksburg, with instructions to
return in ten days with a supply of provisions and
forage. After the boats were fairly beyond recall,
the rebels, in overwhelming numbers, bore down
upon Colonel Coates, who, after a severe but brief
fight, was forced to surrender his entire command,
escape being impossible. This report lacks confir-
mation, bat is generally believed. Another report
of the same affair states that during the fight some
Federal gunboats camp up and drove the rebels off.
Admiral Porter's fleet is said to have captured

the town of Harrisonville, on Red River ; also a
rebel fort on the Wachita. A portion of the marine
brigade surprised a rebel camp near Port Gibson,
and captured 47 prisoners.
The rebels are said to be preparing to attack the
contraband camp opposite Vicksburg. The negro
troops at Waterproof are reported to have commit-
ted many outrages, and it was feared that any of
them who fell into the hands of the rebels would be
very severely dealt wish.

Course of the Exchange.--Yesterday.

kmsterdam
Ditto
Rotterdam
Antwerp .......... • • 25 50 25 55
Brussels .........••• 25 471 25 55
Hamburgh
Paris
Ditto
Marseilles ..... ,
Frankfort on Mame -.. 1191 1191
12 '0 12 15

Vienna ............
Trieste ............
Petersburgh ........

1
12 10 12 15
33 33i

Berlin _
Madrid ......... ..• 48 431
Cadiz —47 i
Leghorn ......•••••• 25 67k 25 72k
Milan ......... • — 25 67t 25 72k
Genoa ........ •
Naples
Palermo
Messina
Lisbon ..........•••• 52 62k
Oporto,-
Foreign Gold in Bars (Standard), per 0z.... S 3 17 9
Mexican Dollars . 0 0 0
Silver in Bars (Standard)

The Hon. C. A. Murray, H. B. M. Minister in
Saxony, has transmitted to the Mayor of Sheffield
£47 ss. sterling, collected among the British resi-
dents in Dresden, for the relief of the sufferers by
the Bradfield inundation,
MALTA, March 24.—The following naval movements
have taken place :—On Friday her Majesty's ship Magi-
ciennne, 16, Capt. V. , Armytage, and the Royal Oak, 35,
iron-cased ship, Capt. F. A. Campbell, arrived from the
lonian Islands with large quantities of ordnance stores;
and en Sunday the Gibraltar, 81, Capt.,Prevost, came from
Corfu in two days, similarly loaded. The Magicienne lett
Corfu on the 9th inst., calling at St. Maura and Ithaca for
stores, and bringing Lady Hotham as passenger. The
Royal Oak left Corfu on the 1641, and came here direct—
passenger, Lieut. C. D. Inglis, R.N. On the 18th the Cos-
sack, 20, Capt. W. R. Rolland, left on return to Corfu, and
on the following day the Surprise, 4, Commander W. II
Whyte, arrived fram Benghazi and Marsa-Souzah—passen-
ger, Lieut. Drew, R.N. This vessel has been attending on
the chartered steamer Fanny Lambert, while the repairs
were being made to the Malta and Alexandria telegraph
The iron screw troopship Dromedary, 2, Master-Com. A.
Brown, arrived on Tuesday from England and Gibraltar on
her way to Corfu. The Magicienne left yesterday, it is be-
lieved, for Corfu,