St. Mary's beacon., 1862-05-01

The News.
ALL the war news that has reached Us
for the past week is based upon simple
rumor, and may therefore be put down
under the caption Of doubtful" If ru-
NOR is to be credited, however, importan,
events have traEspircd and both sides have
met with successes and rcverses. 1t is
stated in telegram from Gen. Wool to
the Secretary of War, tina. New Orleans
has fallen and is now occupied by the
Federal troops. His dispatch, however.
is wonderfully mragre. when we reflect
that it refers TO matter Of 80 much mo
ment. It simply states the fact of the
occupation of the city and gives no patio
ulars as to the mode of capture or the
source threugh which his information is
obtained. The Associated Press has an
Agent at Fortress Monroe and he seems
to know as little about the matter as Gen
Wool himself lie corroborates the dis
patch from Gen. Wool. by stating that
the Federals arc in New Orleans, bnt, in
the same correspondence, denies that any
intelligence has been received from that
city. Indeed, he goes so far as to state,
that the tclegraplnc operators have all left
New Ouleans and this accounts for the alb
Tsnce Of an official confirmation Of the ru-
NOR. Now, itie quite possible that New
Orleans may have been captured and it
is also possiilcthat Gen. WooYs ''contra-
band story may be correct, but before VT
shall credit any such a rumor, VIC must
have better authority for it than the con-
firmatory reports OF Gen. Wool, or even
the g;'a<i endorsement of the vcracous
Agent of thc Associated Press. The cap
turo Of the greatest city Of the South is
not n matter 40 light, "even in the cata-
logue of Federal yictosies, as to be per-
mittud to rest in doubt for the period of
three days, nor would the Northern Press.
with lis host Of army correspondents,
have been likely to have been for this
length of time without confrmatory evil
dcnce Of the intelligence.
A report has been received through the
Southern journals, that there has been
another great battle fought in the vicinity
of Corinth. Tie Confcderates are re-
ported to hare gained great victory and
claim to have taken 5000 prisoners Like
the capture Of New Orleans, however,
this is entirely onc-silcd story and is
pronounced By Federal authority to be
Late Federal reports from
the West make no mention of fight, at
least. SO say the Washington correspon-
dents of the N"1hcrn Journals. 1t is ad
united, however, that late intelligence
from Pittsburg Landing shcw. that Gen.
Hallsck vas advancing upon Corinth aud
that, subsequently, heavy firing lad been
heard in that direction.
Official re from Yorktsrn showS
that no general fmcnt faSbs. taken
place, nor is it Ssfed that Gen. McClel-
Ian will be lilleIy to precipisate AMEN
counter. There are rumors, of course,
ofhald fighting and Of Federal disasters, but
as these ,umors may be based upon the
non-rcccipt Of official intelligence, and
the excitcment which has been epgen-
dercd at the North by the reticcnce and
sloth of Gen. Mcclellan. we decline to
vouch for their authenticity.
A correspondent, writing from Fortress
Monroe, complains that no publication
has been made of naSA rencounter that
very recently took plscS in that locality.
He Res not. however. speak of the re-
suit 81 the fight, or give any particulars
pertaining thereto, but seply complains
that his report has been sup pressed by the
Federal authorities. Th trence. We
presume, can be very readily drawn as to
NIC
and latitude have LOST their significance.
Late. reports from Gen Burnside show
that portion of his command, under Gen
Reno, eSssgel the C"nfclerates at South
Mills, near Elizabeth City, some week
more ago and forced them to retire after
a somewhat protrac.cd aud sangsinary
conflict. Gsn. Reno's force is various:y
lcSti.atcd at from 2,C0O to G.000, whilst
To con&sesp force is sApt down at
LOCO. Tbszsederals clafS to have had
the best saGs' fight, though they ad-
nit that they ''fell back" and left their
dead aud wounded in the possession of
the enemy. The Confederate claim TO
have<2riveu the Federals ha to their
=shifl;:s lid % Da'o heir at from