The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-12 00:00:00

AMERICA.

(Per the Persia, via Roche's Point, December 11,
10 p.m.)
NEW YORK, Nov. 30.
General Meade continued his advance on the 27th,
the Confederate skirmishers falling back before
him to half a mile beyond Robertson's Tavern, on
the Fredericksburg and Orange Court-house-road,
where he formed his centre in line of battle. Sharp
skirmishing then commenced, and was kept up by
the centre and on both the right and the left
throughout the day. The heaviest skirmishing
was on the right, which was commanded by Gen.
French.

At nightfall Gen. French being hard pressed, and
having suffered a loss of between 500 and 900 killed
and wounded, besides many prisoners, fell back
upon the Federal centre. The left, after conside-
rabLe fighting, succeeded in joining the centre. The
Federal cavalry was also engaged at different
points, and met with heavy losses—in the divisions
of Gen. Gregg the killed alone amounted to 250;
and a portion of Gen. Kilpatrick's cavalry, which
attempted to cross the Racoon Ford under the fire
of the Confederate batteries, were driven back,
with the loss of 250 killed and wounded.
Oa Saturday morning the whole Federal army
was again on the advance in line of battle, and
skirmishing in the front had been renewed. It was
believed that a general engagement would be fought
in the vicinity of Orange Court-house.
Quartermaster-General Meigs has submitted to
Mr. Stanton a detailed official account of the bat-
tles near Chattanooga on the 2d, 24th, and 26th.
He states that great advantages were gained over
Gen. Bragg, but does not give the exaggerated re-
sults of previously-received telegrams, and esti-
mates the Federal captures at several thousand pri-
soners and 30 cannon, which reduces Gen. Bragg's
reported losses by fully one-half. The Federal
losses during those three days were between 3,000
and 4,000 killed and wounded. The latest de-
spatches are to the 2Sth, on which day no fighting
had occurred.

General Bragg was concentrating his forces south
of and near to Dalton, in Georgia ; the Federal
advance was south of Ringgold. The same de-
spatches state that an order from General Bragg
recalled General Longstreet from before Knoxville
on the 26th.

Cincinnati telegrams give news from Knoxville to
the 25th, which announces that the northern por-
tion of the town, including the rail way depot, had
been burnt,but do not mention through what agency.
They also state that General Longstreet raised the
siege during the night of that day, and withdrew
towards Dalton. General Burnside had started in
pursuit, and if he failed to prevent a junction of
Generals Longstreet and Bragg would himself join
General Grant to co-operate against the combined
armies of these generals.

General Banks occupied Corpus Christi and
Aranzas, in Texas, with but slight opposition, on

the 15th and 17th. At Aranzas there was a small
fortification, mounting three guns and garrisoned
by 100 man, which capitulated. The terms of the
capitulation are not named.
General Hamilton left New Orleans on the 19th
to assume the military governorship of Texas. His
headquarters will be at Brownsville.

The news from the Teche country is still confused
and contradictory. General Franklin is now re•
parted to be still in that district, and to have tele-
graphed that his cavalryon the 19th surprised ti camp
of Confederate cavalry, killed 40 of their number,
captured 100 prisoners and all their equipments,
arms, and horses.

The Confederate General Morgan and six of his
officers escaped from the Columbus (Ohio) Peui-

tentiary, where they had been confined since their
capture last summer, before daybreak on Saturday
morning last. They dug through the floor of their
cell, which was constructed of masonry nine inches
in thickness, into an air chamber running beneath
the building, and which communicated with the
outside wall. One thousand dollars reward has been
offered by the authorities of Columbus for the return
to custody of General Morgan, alive or dead.
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

The unfavourable news from Virginia caused an
advance in the price of gold to 149 at ten o'clock
this morning, when a rumour was circulated that

two of General Lee's army corps had been cap-
tured, which produced a decline of 2 per cent.
within the ensuing hour. The report being later
contradicted by despatches from Washington, the
market reacted to 148 ; at 4 o'clock it closed at 1471.
Exchange, 1628.
United States' Sixes, registered, 1881, 108 ; Trea-
sury 7-30 Notes, 106; ; New York Central Rail-

way, 134 i; Erie, 1051 ; Illinois Central, 1171.
Cotton declining. Breadstuffs irregular. Pro-
visions firm. Sugars dull and nominal.

DEC. 1.

It is announced that immediately upon crossing
the Rapidan General Meade, having from 10 to 15
days' supplies and rations in his trains, severed his
communications with Washington, which accounts
for the non-receipt of news from his army since
Saturday last. The Government is asserted to be
as completely in ignorance of his movements as the
public. The skirmishes which have occurred are
admitted upon all hands to have resulted unfavour-
ably to General Meade ; but at the same time the
belief exists that General Lee has fallen back
beyond Orange Court-house with the design of
exhausting Gen. Meade's supplies before accepting
a general engagement, but that he will certainly
make a stand at Gordonsville.

Chattanooga telegrams of the 30th state that no
fighting has taken place for several days, and that
the campaign was considered at an end.

There is still no later authentic news from Knox-
ville. The rumour that Gen. Longstreet had raised
the siege has been contradicted.

Gen, Foster reached Cumberland Gap this morn-
ing, and was expected to proceed immediately to
Knoxville. One account of the burning of a portion
of the town explains that the houses in that locality
had been occupied by Confederate sharpshooters,
and it was consequently shelled and destroyed by
the Federals. It is reported that reinforcements
under Gen. Grainger have been sent to Knoxville
from Chattanooga.

Gen. Hurlbert, commanding in Tennessee and
Kentucky, has issued an order impressing into the
Federal military service all the able-bodied men in
his department.

General Morgan reached Toronto, via the Great
Western Railway, yesterday, and telegraphed his
arrival there to Columbus. No accounts have yet
been received of the whereabouts of his officers who
escaped with him.

The members of the Senate and the House of
Representatives for the approaching Congress ar©
beginning to assemble in Washington. The elec-
tions of Speaker and Clerk already obtain much
interest. The contest for the former position, it
is thought, will be between Mr. Washburn() of
Illinois and Mr. Colfax of Indians. For the Clerk-
ships several candidates are named.
An attempt was made on Saturday and Sunday

last to launch the Dictator, the most formidable of
a number of Federal ironclads now being completed,
but proved unsuccessful, owing to the settling of
the ways upon which she was built. Several
steamers were attached to her by hawsers, but their
united power failed to move her more than a few
feet. It has been decided to reconstruct the ways
before making another trial to get her off.