May 15, 1863, The New York Herald
No recent movements are reported from Gen. Hooker’s army on the Rappahannock.
All sort of rumors were flying around yesterday concerning General McClellan and his future prospects, each one about as vague as the other. It was said that he had resigned his commission; that the President refused to accept his resignation; again, that he was about to be placed once more at the head of the army; and report went so far as to say that he had actually been recalled to his old position. One paper in the city even issued an extra announcing the fact that the President had placed him in command of the Army of the Potomac, under the heading of – “Highly Important Report – General McClellan appointed to the command of the Potomac army.” No little excitement was produced by this statement throughout the city. With regard to the first report touching the General resignation, it will be seen that he gave it a flat and positive contradiction during the interview with the Washington Committee at General McClellan’s residence yesterday. All the other stories may probably follow in the same train.
By telegrams from Vicksburg to the Charleston Courier we have news from there to the 9th inst. Our troops are reported as landing at Young’s Point. No recent engagements are said to have taken place with General Grant’s army, although we have intelligence of a very decisive action at Clinton on the 6th, which we received from Cairo the night before last. Our latest accounts from the extreme front of General Grant’s army are to the 8th inst. At that time the advance was within fifteen miles of Edwards’ Station, which is eighteen miles east from Vicksburg on the railroad, the army being eighteen miles from Grand Gulf, encamped near the Big Black river. It is doubtful whether the story of the battle at Clinton is true, as the last accounts state nothing about it.
The rebel privateers appear to be operating as far South as the equator. The ship Antelope, which arrived at this port yesterday from Calcutta, reports through her commander, Capt. Lavender, that on the 23d ult., in latitude two degrees North and longitude twenty-nine degrees thirty-one minutes West, he spoke the British ship Victory, from Callao, and that the captain reported that on April 10, when ten miles south of the equator, at daylight, he saw a vessel to windward. An officer came on board from her and reported the ship as the United States steamer Iroquois. He was anxious to know is any American shops had been seen by the Victory. There was then a ship in sight to the south-southwest. The officer went on board his ship and she steamed towards the other vessel. At seven that evening the captain of the Victory saw the ship on fire. He stated that he concluded from the first that the steamer was a privateer. She was bark rigged, mounted seven guns and had a shield figure head.
There is nothing going on at Newbern. All is quiet in that department.
We publish today the first two days’ proceedings of the military inquiry into the cause of the death of Lieutenant Colonel Kimball, Ninth New York Volunteers. The testimony so far appears to show that the first statements of this melancholy case were substantially correct as regards the action of General Corcoran, and the conduct of the deceased, who it is proved was not on duty at the time of the occurrence.
The case of Mr. Vallandigham is said to be settled by the President disapproving the sentence of the Court, which was ratified by General Burnside, and changing it from two years imprisonment at Tortugas, to banishment from the Northern States.