The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-07 00:00:00

AMERICA.

SOUTHAMPTON, FRIDAY.
The Hamburg-American Company's screw
steamer Bavaria, Captain J. E. Meier, bringing
mails of the 24th ult. from New York, arrived off
Cowes between 8 and 9 o'clock this morning, and
went on to Hamburg.
The State Department at Washington had issued
the following explanatory notice regarding pass-
ports:—
" The regulation of this department of the 19th inst. on
ths-satlied of Ins&P"t4 leAfti'..ilionaed _to oltacr
the communication of disloyal persons with Europe. Con-
sequently passports will not be required by ordinary travel-
lers on the lines of railroads from the United States which
enter the British possessions. If, however, in any special
case the transit of a person should be objected to by the
agent of this Government on the border, the agent will
cause such person to be detained until communication can
be had with this department in regard to the case.
" W. H. SEWARD."
A despatch of the 23d ult. from Washington
says :

" There is much speculation in military circles as to the
wisdom of prosecuting the war by an advance into 1 ir-
ginia, where the greater part of the armed forces of the

rebels are concentrated. It is argued that an attack upon

Charleston and New Orleans would be the wisest course.
It would immediately disorganize the whole rebel army,
make them abandon Virginia, Tennessee, and ➢iissouri in
hi t haste to defend their own homes, and leave the way
open for the unm )lested advance of our army here and at
Cairo to the borders of the original seceding States, and
transfer the war from the border into the heart of the coun-
try where the rebellion was first begun. The project is
certainly worthy of serious consideration. If effectually
carried out, it may serve to crush out the rebellion and

bring the South to its senses more speedily than regular
advances upon the entrefiched camps and fortified cities of
the eaemy in the border States."
On the 23d ult. a reconnaissance in force of in-
fantry and artillery was made from Alexandria,
without falling in with any of the rebel forces. It
was said that the cause of the retreat of the rebels

from Centreville and Fairfax originated in a colli-
sion which took place between two bodies of their
own pickets, each mistaking the other for Union
troops, and each reporting, upon falling back, that
the enemy were advancing.

The news from Missouri states that the Union
men in the south-western part of the State were
greatly harassed by the rebel forces, tnausands of
them being compelled to abandon their homes. About
10,000 of General M'Culloch's army were marching
northward, an advanced guard having reached as
far as Lebanon, on the road to Rolla. The actual loss
of the Union forces, at the late battle at Wilson's
Creek amounted to 223 killed, 721 wounded, and
291 missing—a very heavy loss, considering that
there were not more than 8,000 men at the utmost

in the action on the side of the Federal Government.

By way of Cincinnati we have intelligence of a
skirmish on the 20th ult. between the 11th Ohio
Regiment and a force of 4,000 rebels at Hawk's
Nest, a village eight miles from Gauley, in the
Kanawha valley, in which 50 rebels were killed and
a large number wounded and taken prisoners.
Everything remained quiet at Fortress Monroe.
General Wool had a review and thorough inspection
of the troops there on the 20th ult., and, it was said,
personally examined the arms of every soldier in
the garrison. Major-General Butler had been de-
tailed by General Wool to command the Volunteer
forces at the fortress—a position which he would
occupy until his return to Massachusetts, in order
to raise the division which he had been authorised
to recruit.

A lady spy, of some literary notoriety, Miss
Windle, was arrested at Alexandria on the 22d ult.,
and taken to Washington for safe keeping. She
openly avowed her correspondence with the rebel
leaders.