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

loss of many prisoners on the part of the assailants. As if
the anniversary so identified with the nation's hopes was
appointed to be peculiarly eventful, Lee, who had again
entered Maryland, and passing through the State had
approached the Susquehannah, threatening Harrisburg,
Pittsburg, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, fell back, after
pitched battles continued for three days at Gettysburg, and
resumed his retreat, with an army even worse shattered
than before, to his accustomed position on the Rappahan-
nock,

"On the Bth of July the insurgent garrison at Port Hud-
son, 6,000 strong, after enduring a long siege with the ut-
most courage, surrendered unconditionally to Gen. Banks;
and thus the United States recovered from the insurgents
the last of the numerous posts by which for more than two
years they had effectually destroyed the navigation of the
Mississippi. This great river, which in time of peace con-
tributes relatively as much towards:a supply of the increased
wants of mankind as the Nile did to those wants in the time
of the Roman Empire, is now again opened to the inland
commerce of the country. Steamers descend the river and
its tributaries from the navigable floods to the Gulf of
Mexico. It is not to be doubted that the insurgent losses
in these operations cn the Mississippi amount to 50,000 men
and 300 pieces of artillery, a large portion of which were of
heavy calibre. Johnstone's army, which at the time of the
surrender was advancing to threaten the besiegers, at once
fell back to Jackson, and it was again driven from that
capital by a detachment which Gen. Grant had committed
to the command of Gen. Sherman. In retiring, Johnstone
fired many buildings filled with munitions of war, and
abandoned a large quantity of railroad locomotives and cars,
which had been detained at that place by reason of the
railroads north, south, east, and west of Jackson having
been previously cut by the Government forces.
" General Sherman now desisted from the pursu. it of
Johnstone and returned to Vicksburg, where a portion of
the army is enjoying repose, not more necessary than well
earned, while others are engaged in expelling from the Mis-
sissippi roving bands of the insurgents who infest its banks
and fire from thence upon passing steamers. It is reported
that Johnstone with the troops at his disposal, now said
to number 25,000, has fallen back to Meridian, on the
eastern border of Mississippi, 120 miles east of Vicksburg,
so that the State whose misguided penile were among the
earliest and most intemperate abettors of the insurrection
is virtually abandoned by its military agents.
" Iu Louisiana Gen. Banks succeeded Gen. Butler. After
spending some months in organising the department and
disciplining the new levies which constituted its force, Gen.
Bankd made a rapid and successful series of marches and
contests, in which he drove the insurgents out of the Atta-
kapas and Teehe regions, well known as the richest por-
tions of that very productive State, captured Alexandria
and Donaldsonville, the seats of its fugitive seditious execu-
tive and legislative authori tniweoasu,s
Rouge,
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asidons
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eSe
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hold of the insurrection on the great river.