Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1863-05-15
THE SENTINEL.
SUMMARY OF WAR NEWS.

the past week, we extract from our Baltimore
exchanges:
SATURDAY, May "a proclamation has
been issued by President Lincoln, under the
General CONSUMPTION Act, which was passed
ut the last session of Congress, subjecting to
the draft all aliens between the ages Of TWEEN
ty and forty-fve years who have declared their
intention TO become citizens of the United
States. All persons Of this description who
decline to obey the provisions of the Conscrip-
tioD Act are ordered peremptorily to leave the
country within sixty-ive days from the date
of the proclamation.
The telegram published yesterday, which
announced the capture of Grand Gulf to-
gether with FIVE hundred Confederates and all
the guns, stores and ammunition, is not bornt
out in some essential particulars by the official
report of Admiral Porter. He, indeed, states
that Grand Gulf is in possession of the Fedc-
raj forces-but during the period that elapsed
between the first repulse of the latter and the
subsequent advance of the feet to make Sc
conG attack, it had been abandoned by the
GARRISON, who, before retreating, spiked the
heavy guns, which were few in number, but
carried off the lighter pieces. Some ammuni-
ton was foHnd-but as Admiral Porter makes
no mention of either prisoners or stores the
presumption is that none were taken.
MONDAY, May lO.-The New York Post
states, on what purports to be good authority,
that Richmond has been captured. General
Peck, the hero Of this remarkable exploit, has
thus successfully achieved, with comparative
ly few troops, what Mcdowell and Mcclellan,
Pope and Hooker, each at the head of an inn
mense and well-appointed srmy failed most
signally to accomplish There is, however,
one difficulty in regard 10 this matter which
seriously detracts from General Peck 5 claims
to the highest honors Of the .Republic-the sto-
ry is not true.
II is due to General Hooker that his own
statement of the situation, and also of the
causes which induced him to retreat across the
Rappahannock, should be given to the public
He asserts that he withdrew across the Kappa
hammock and occupied the old encampments in
the vicinity of Falmouth without the loss of
wagon or of an ounce Of provisions. This
declaration may be accepted as unquestonably
true, inasmuch as he took no wagons over the
river with him, and all his provisions consist
ed Of eight days cooked rations, which were
transported on pack-mues, and which were
exhausted before the army returned. He claims
to have taken one gun more than he lost
whilst he estimates his own loss in killed
wounded and missing at about ten thousand
men but whether the six thousand lost by
Sedgwick alone is included in this number,
we have no means of knowing. We are also
told that he holds in his hands TWENTY-FIVE
hundred prisoners; that he has shattered and
demoraliZed the Rebel army, whilst his own
remains well organized and in good SPIRITS
Under such circumstances, aud assuming all
this to be true, the only marvel is that Gene
raj Hooker should have concluded to place the
river between himself and the enemy. The
reason assigned for this, however is the flight
OF the Eleventh Corps; but as he had at that
time six other corps, which were not only in
good condition, but whch-if we may credit
the reports of correspondents of northern Jour
nals-were flushed with the success they had
already achieved, and were eager to advance
against the shattered and demoralZed y enc
my, the detection of a single corps ought not
TO have SO deranged his plans as to have COM
PEELED him to abandon movement which was
commenced, and, up to that point carried
through-as is aleged-under the most flat
tering auspices. 1t is gratifying, however, to
be assured that General Hooker is himself
tranquil and in high spirits"
There are reports at Washington that Gen.
Hooker is to be supplanted in the command of
the Army of the Potomac by General Heintz-
elman 1t is also stated that General Sigel,
Notwithstanding the bitter feud existing be-
tween himself and General Halleck is to re-
sumo command of his old corps.
General Grant reports from Grand Gulf to
the War Department, that on the LIST inst, he
miles sonth Of PORT Gibson al two o,cfoci, T.;
the afternoon and after an a,r,o r,on,ort ,,h;ab
tasted the remainder Of The 5sS ma h., -
ront with a lose of many t;liod fana abo,t
Eve hund rod nrison,rs ma ,bair n,,S 49,
Tho enemy re,nrnod ton,orSs V;",."h,n' e.,
des,rovny tbe hr;J oes ovnr ,ho fors ~ 'r'en
Pierre Tho l,ttor ,,oro Sno os vi I! Gu
anJ Tho nrrs,;t ms Lont ,n,;'.,,,a aS M,
cnur,rv e so;d Nv We npa up un,, tue gu ny ny
,,,os, hyol,oy "a d;esa,ia l. W w 'ne
as Ls descrhes tho onnaSin nv V rooo saw ,p
rorghIy demoroi;yoS y I, ~ ~,
If notb;nc more H., 10 os ', .%
ronts ;mnedeS his Se So. Oi 'a y,
march forward ana captnre WICK "hrr@, aIr9ost
without n struogle No shall ICY u,;,h n.y.
interest at a movement which. according to
General Graut, has commenced with so mucb
success. and which. from the tsdemorol;za-
ton y of the enemy. promises 10 terminate so
fortunately for the Federal arms
r. ,,,o m,
- ~ b 10y ny hesS .ro'n .ne Ar At,
ny, y y, VIZ ~ e s,,. 'as. Isy y, wv n,s
oeen Wy ' mLs :" nv nv noau'ns mas oeen
i 49, az ~ 49, ,H papers! nV"e'eI'
nave variety Vi Sehsatioh stor'es' &C
yoru'ug 70 ene, ~ s'nteneIts ueher"l HOOKER
, hSs Ie,olosssu .ne n"PPauannooS Yen. Lee
HAS IelTeaNeu luTlIcf GOuln, anu hlC0mOnu