May 15, 1863 – Retreat of Gen. Hooker

The army of Gen Hooker is again on the north side of the Rappahannock. It began to recross the river Tuesday afternoon, and was all over on Wednesday morning. The troops were annoyed considerably by the firing of the rebels from the neighboring hights, and there were some casualties, but the accounts go to indicate ihat the passage of the river was made in good order and with admirable success under the circumstances. The first reports of the retreat stated that it was preceded by a severe battle and defeat of our forces on Tuesday, but later accounts deny that there was any battle on that day, and state that the army was deliberately withdrawn from prudential reasons. Some have already made haste to charge Gen Hooker with cowardice in ordering this retreat, but it is too soon, and the facts are too imperfectly known, to make a just judgment in the matter possible, and it is quite likely to appear that Gen Hooker has demonstrated by the movement that he is a prudent leader, as he has already shown himself a bold one.

“Sea Flea” Begins Its Hop to Spain Preliminary to Trip Across Atlantic

Illustration of the Sea Flea from popular Mechanics magazine 1928, captioned "It Won't Sink If It Lands on Water: the "Sea Flea" for Transatlantic Flights"

By the Associated Press.

MARSEILLE, France, May 13.

M. de Gasenko, French aviator, accompanied by Mechanician Bion, left Marseille at 9 o’clock this morning in his water glider, the Sea Flea, for Barcelona, Spain, and Oran, Algeria. The weather was unfavorable but the apparatus worked satisfactorily.

If the voyage is successful, de Gasenko will continue to Dakar, West Africa, and then across the South Atlantic to Buenos Aires. The aviators hoped to arrive at Barcelona within two hours and to reach Oran this evening.

Gallant Captain Saves Ship From Volcano’s Wrath

The St. Lucia correspondent of the New York Journal sends a graphic interview with the captain of the steamship Roddam, which was the only vessel saved when the awful visitation fell upon St. Pierre.

He states that they had only recently arrived, and that they still had steam up though the vessel was anchored. Then he describes the catastrophe :

“A burning mass thrown up by the volcano struck my steamer broadside. The shock was so terrible that it nearly capsized the vessel, big as she is. On hearing the awful explosion that had preceded the shock to ourselves, and seeing what looked like a great wall of flame rapidly approaching us from the volcano, all of us on board sought shelter wherever it was possible to get away from the terrible hail which then began to fall around us.

Uttering A Forged Order

William Elphinstone, aged 22, described as a sailor, was placed at the bar, charged with feloniously uttering a forged order for monies to Moses Myers. Mr. Phillips defended the prisoner, who, it appeared from the evidence, had presented an order for 10 l., which appeared to be an order for an advance of wages to the prisoner, under an engagement of his making a voyage in the capacity of chief mate to India in the ship Madras, and which appeared to be signed by the master, Robert Slack. The prosecutor’s wife advanced a sovereign on it, and promised to give the prisoner more on the ensuing day. He, accordingly called to receive the money, when the prosecutor’s wife, having discovered by inquiry that the order had been forged, gave him into custody.