The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-22 00:00:00

AMERICA.

PER STEAMSHIP AFRICA.

NEW YORK, DEC. 9.
The steamship Arabia arrived at Halifax Dec. 9.
The following general summary of news is from
the New York Times of to-day:—

" A despatch from the head-quarters of the army
of the Potomac states that there were no movements
of iraportance yesterday, but the impression is pre-
va!tent that the quiet would be of short duration.
here have been already some important changes
in the position of our troops.
" The rebels begin to show their tribulation re-
garding the various movements of our forces, land
and naval. In, the Richmond papers of Saturday
we find several items which clearly indicate this."
The Richmond Despatch of the 6th says, that
" The reports from Fredericksburg yesterday were
that pretty severe skirmishing occurred in the
neighbourhood of Port Royal yesterday morning,
but 'with what success could not be learnt. The
General aspect of affairs was such as to indicate a
battle. The columns of the enemy have been moved
to the front, and much activity is observable along
their lines."

The Richmond Despatch also says that the Fede-
rals at Suffolk were last week reinforced by one full
brigade and a battery of field artillery. " The
Yankee forces at Suffolk and its vicinity are now
estimated at 30,000 by their own men, who state
that this force is to move against Petersburg, while
the force at Newberg, N.C., is to operate simulta-
neously againt Weldon."

General Walker telegraphs from Pocotaligo that a
fleet of twenty Federal vessels sailed from Hilton
Head on Friday last. Georgetown or Wilmington
is the point aimed at. Our troops everywhere were
put under marching orders to be ready for a move
at the shortest notice. Several large vessels passed
Charleston Harbour on Sunday, going Southward.
It is though they are gone to aid the Gulf Squadron
in an attack on Mobile. Five additional vessels
were off Charleston bar on Sunday, and six
blockaders off Stone Point,
A Fortress Monroe Despatch to the Philadelphia
Press dated Dec. 6 says r—
" A division, Commanded by General Emory,
sailed south from here last night. It has been here-
tofore supposed that it would form part of the
Banks' expedition. Its destination is to reinforce
General Foster in North Carolina. The Confede-
rates threaten to prevent him from advancing by
Way of Weldon to Suffolk, to reinforce Banks in his
advance from Suffolk upon Petersburg in over-
whelming force. The reinforcements consist of
three New York regiments, one Pennsylvania, and
otle Massachusetts, including a force of over 4,000
men"

A despatch to the Philadelphia Inquirer, dated
Sunday, Dec. 7, says :
" General Haupt has a large force at work build-
ing a railroad bridge over the river, back of
Fredericksburg, and as the rebels have made no sign
of disturbing it, it is evident they do not want a
fight here or fear that we will shell the town if they
fire."

Advices from Newbern, N.C., state that the rebels
intend to abandon immediately all that portion of
the State lying east of the Weldon and Wilming-
ton railroad.

Our advic es from Tennessee recently have been
not much more than a record of disasters—petty in
their individual extent, but amounting in the aggre-
gate to enough to render their contemplation un-
pleasant. The guerilla Morgan appears to have
everything pretty much his own way. A brigade
of General Rusencranz's army, under command of
a Colonel Moore, was attacked by him on Sunday
morning at Hartsville, near Gallatin, and after a
brief fight was captured, The brigade consisted of
three infantry regiments, a battery, and a small
detachment of cavalry. After the surrender of our
forz:es the enemy burnt the camp and destroyed all
the other property they could not carry away.
Morgan is said to have attacked another detach-
ment of our forces on the same day at Gallatin, but
to have been repulsed with heavy loss. We have
no particulars of this affair, however. The rebels
are known to have subsequently eluded pursuit by
making a successful crossing of the Cumberland.
Cane Mill Ark has been the scene of more fight-
ing, in which the national forces were successful.
The rebels under Hindman and Maramaduke,
25,000 strong, attempted to force General Blunt's
position there on the 6th inst., but were driven
back. On the following morning the attempt was
renewed, but with no better success. Gen. Blunt
is of opinion that this demonstration of the rebels
was intended to cover their retreat.

A correspondent of the Philadelphia Ledger
Writes from Washington, under date of December
6, as follows:

" The plans for the capture of Richmond now in
proe'an of execution appear to be a diversion of the
rebel army, by a demonstration on the south side
of Richmond, while General Burnside moves upon
it by way of Fredericksburg. The expedition
under General Banks and the one which left For-
tress Monroe yesterday will probably act together
in this demonstration, and land a cavalry force of
10,000 or 12,000 in the vicinity of Harrison's Land-
ing. These will scour the country on the south
side, and finally unite with our forces at Weldon,
but how we are to cross the James River when
we arrive opposite the rebel capital is not clear.
It is not the intention, I hear, to assail Fort Darling
at all on the land's side, but merely to move around
it ; but really if this is the case I cannot see how our
forces are to march upon Richmond when the James
River would be between our troops and that city.
Perhaps, as stated above, the move will be simply
for the purpose of diverticg the attention of the
rebels from the Fredericksburg route, and thus leave
an easy conquest of the capital for Burnside.

" Cliff's renegade regiment is devastating Morgan
County, Kentucky."
The following resolutions unanimously passed the
House of Commons of North Carolina on the 4th
inst. :

" Resolved—That the Confederate States have the
means and the will to sustain and perpetuate the
Government they have established, and to that end
North Carolina is determined to contribute all her
power and resources.
" Resolved—That the separation between the
Confederate and the United States is final, a.nd that
the people of North Carolina will never consent to
reunion at any time, or upon any terms.

" Resolved—That we have full confidence in thd
ability and patriotism of his Excellency eresident
Drivis, and that his administration is entitled to the
cordial support of all patriotic citizens.
"Resolved—That we heartily approve of the
policy for the conduct of the war, set forth by his
Excellency Governor Vance, in his inaugural ad-
clress mid message to the General Assembly, and that
he ought to be unanimously supported in the manly
and patriotic stand he has taken for our indepen-
dence,"

°°-EEDINGSOF CONGRESS.
In the senate,
ono the Bth instant, a number of
petitions in layout f
general bankrupt law were
presented. A resolntia
ing the nnmber and ;an making inquiries regard-
aides-de-camp was
adopted. The Secretarynoi-wa of
number
was instructed to re-
port to the Senate the
of major and
.The Military briga-
dier-generals Co-
mmittee now in the service.
was instructed to inquire into
enteoffthe expediency
upon tranquillity in
of providing by law for the more
lion of the rebellion, and securing effectual suppres-
the State of Maryland. The calc
taty of War for the correspondence relattihne &ere.
arrest of certain citizens of Delaware was Iteodthe
and debated, but not disposed of. The Bankrupt
Act was taken up as the special order, but was in-
formally laid aside. Mr. Davis, of Kentuck
,
offered a joint resolution, proposing certain amend..
ments to the Conc,titution, to alter the mode of
electing the President and Vice-President. It was
ordered to be printed. The Bankrupt Bill was then
again taken up and made the special order for the
18th inst. The Senate spent the remainder of the
session with closed doors.
In the House of Representatives the vacancies in
the standing committee were filled. The President
was requested to transmit to the house the last
official report of General Banks. Mr. Stevens, of
P ennsylvania, introduced the
bill of which he had