The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1862-09-04

ward. 4 tolerably heavy force is retreating before
them towards Gordonsville. Each Division has
taken d number of prisoners, mostly scouts and outly-
ing pickets. Gen. Milroy, before leaving Surry,
required the citizens to take the oath Of allegiance,
in accordance with Gen. Pope's order only 8 refus-
ed Schenck performed a similar operation at White
Hill. Neither division has yet met with any reverse
of consequence. Their men are in good health and
spirits
From about Richmond.
The Times letter from the army Of the Potomac,
Of the 10Th, says that important movements are pro-
crossing on the south side of James river. but of
such a character that not q hint can be disclosed at
present.
The Times Potomac army correspondent, states
that two suspicious rebel crafts, probably the .Her-
Timac No. 2. and Young -fmerica, cast anchor off
Turkey Bend. Several gunbOats were Immediately
sent to that vicinity, the Monitor making the recon
nOisance; after which the gunboat feet, including
the GaienG, Monitor and others, were ordered into
line Of battle off Light House Point.
The reconnaissance on Monday night TO Malvern
Hill resulted fayorably, and We now occupy that
position with n sufficient force to hold it and carry
on other plans. The public will be satisfied with
the activity of the army on the Potomac for a few
days to come. Our loss in the artillery fight at
Malvern Hill was 20 killed and wounded. The
position is considered of great Importance.
5000 Of our prisoners will arrive to-day, aug. 81
from Richmond for the same number of rebels sent
up on Monday.
Information from various sources tends to confirm
the belief that the rebels evacuated Richmond and
taken up the south bank of the James river as the
new line of defense, with their base at Petersburg.)
Ii has been believed in some quarters, for several
days. that the enemy have been eyacuating Rich
mond. There is reasonable suspicion that o pesti-
lence has broken out In that city.
Washington Star SAYS ::
We feel at liberty to say that Gen. Mcclellan is
grateful for the promptness with which he is being
reinforced. Sufficient have doubtless reached him
by this time 10 render his position perfectly secure,
and in n very brief period those that are on the way
from different quarters and those awaiting trans
portation, being FASTENED to him, will so swell his
army rs to make it more efficient than at previous
period since it sat down before Yorktown.
Special dispatches from Washington, say that
McClellan's army Is packing on transports for the
purpose of changing the advance upon Richmond,
~(suPpOsed TO be the south bank of James.) This
rumor was startling to the general public, tut graft
flying to the more thoughtful, who think the sue
cessful performance of such a change would greatly
improve the situation. The origin of the rumor is
probably in the expedition that has just effected an
important movement on the James river.
y rebel captain, who was taken prisoner, confessed
that the rebel loss at Gaines Hill, was $4,000, and
that their total losses, during the weeks fighting,
were from sixty TO seventy thousand. He thought
our losses must have been greater. They could not,
however, have exceeded twelve thousand, killed,
wounded and missing. This is the general estimate
of our losses. The long lists now being published,
it should be borne in mind, embraces a large num-
Der of sick who have been accommodating at various
points, and should not be set down to the account of
our casualties in the recent battles. A great many,
also, are only slightly wounded.
FROM RICHMoSD.-The correspondence of the
Philadelphia Press announces the arrival in Wash
ington of Doctor Oliver, formerly of Wisconsin, and
latterly an assistant surgeon in the rebel army. His
Information is valuable.
He states that the entire white male population of
the South, between the ages of fifteen and forty,
have been forced into the army. The CONSUMPTION
there is a reality. Numbers who are in arms are
doing duty unwillingly, and would gladly get away
from the tyranny of the Davis autocracy.
hr lTrnr hoe ham in nhnNn fn ,hn 1nSt tr0
months. The rebel force in Virginia is estimated at
fully two hundred and Gfty thousand. They admit
a loss Of hirtyJfue thousand in the recent battles.
They are subsisting on what is termed half rations,
~ H fhe sm Ia Pe st0Fe snlTT fhs s4 haes aa ab GIi ! "H Of
bacon, rice and corn, but no salt nor coffee, nor
other small stores that 60 to make up a soldiers
ratiOns. Since the occupation of the Mississippi by
the Federal forces, cutting off communication with
Texas, their supplies of beef are brought from Florida.
where there is an abundance of wild cattle. The
stock of whisky is pretty well exhausted.
DR.. Oliver says the greatest depression he observed
was produced by the intelligence that President Lin
coin had called out three hundred thousand addi-
tiOnal troops. The opinion prevailed that if these
troops should be promptly furnished the rebel game
would be ended. They have exhausted their re-
sources for soldiers, and would be unable to contend
against a fresh army of that size. Their only hope
is that this call will not be promptly responded to by
volunteers, but that there will be sufficient delay to
afford an opportunity for foreign intervention before
they are forced to give up.
DR.. Oliver says the rebel plan of fighting is not
with reserves, but by retreats in the field, and that
in every battle regiments are regularly relieved by
fresh troops, after having fought for q little while.
In this way it was hoped to wear out and tire down
the troops under Mcclellan. 1t is seldom that the
same regiments have been allowed to engage twice
in the same battle. The rebels have concentrated
nearly all their available troops at Richmond. except
so much of Beauregard's army as stopped at Charles
and $4,000 of the same army left in Mississippi.
The rebels are terribly afraid of the gunboats. They
reckon one gunboat equal to a whole division on
land.
They admit that the recent movement Of General
Mcclellan was n mastery stroke of policy, and that
his present position is infinitely stronger than the
one he abandoned. No further attack will be made
upon him where he is.
The rebels are sending their wounded and prison
ers to the interior. There is no room for them in
Richmond, and medical stores are exceedingly scarce.
DIR. Oliver was obliged to dress wounds and amputa-
tons with cold water and ~bandages.
The reported death of Stonewall Jackson is untrue.
DR.. Oliver saw him alive and well in Richmond on
tuesday night. JEFF. Davis went to Raleigh to see
family.
The latest dispatch states that there were conflict
reports about the battles, and it was impossible
to get official information. The precise situation Of
he Yankee army is not known.