The Sun. — London, England, 1865-04-05 00:00:00

THE SOUTHERN C 'EDERACY. (From the Times' Special Correspondent.) RICHMOND, March 4. It is impossible to be blind to the fact that the personal character of General Sherman, seemingly destined within the next few weeks to be the greatest power upon this distracted continent, is at this moment well worth studying, as likely to furnish a key to the future, and to indi cate the attitude and policy of the victorious 20 millions who, after unparalleled efforts, seem at length about to triumph over the first stage of re sistance so long and so heroically offered by their sturdy and still unsubdued antagonist. It can scarcely be denied that up to the present time the Northern Generals who have tried conclusions with Robert M. Lee have had no occasion to boast of the encounter. At a moment of such Northern intexica r tion as the present it is necessary to repeat that neither M'Clellan„ Pope, Burnside, nor Hooker can point with much pride to the record of the past ; nor can it be claimed even by the most rabid parti sans of the North that any other Federal Generals than Grant and Meade have met Gen. Lee withmet disgrace. I have reason to know that Gen. Lee has always entertained a very favourable opinion of the character and ability of Gen. 'Wade, and that neither by Meade nor Grant have the loathsome cruelties which have disgraced Hunter, Milroy, Sheridan, and most of the Federal Generals in the Shenandoah Valley been encouraged or stimulated. Nevertheless, if Grant and Meade are to be judged by the Pro crustean military code which European critics of the American war, knowing nothing of the difficulties and makeshifts with which Lee has had to contend, insist always upon applying to him, it seems to me that the fact of the Federals having been held in check for nine months before Petersburg and Rich mond by Lee's vastly inferior army is a sufficient indication that Grant and Meade are no match for Lee in military ability. It must never be forgotten that Lee's army, during almost the whole of its existence, and especially during the last 12 months, has been scantily fed from hand to mouth, gene rally destitute of such stimulants as coffee or spirits ; that it has usually been outnumbered in the ratio of three to one ; that it has endured all that can test the persistency of man ; and that the force which it has so steadfastly opposed has been pam pered by an abundance of food to stimulate its courage, coaxed by luxuries such as have hitherto been unknown to armies in the field, and inflated by the ceaseless gasconades of such a daily press as never constituted a material element in the history of any previous war. It is difficult for one who during these long months of agony and suspense has watched the career of Robert E. Lee, has been cog nizant of his stately simplicity, his unostentatious self-abnegation, his ceaseless and ever active un selfishness, his lofty courage, his uncomplaining per sistency, to speak of him otherwise than in the lan guage of extravagant enthusiasm. To measure such a man by the cold standard of military criticism, to weigh him in the balance with, hien who conducted war under vastly different circumstances, seems little less than treason to those who live under his influence and example, and recognise that he has been to this great struggle more than Washington was to the Revolutionary War, more than Laroche jacquelin to La Vendee, more than Kosciusko to Poland, or Garibaldi to Italy. But there will be little dispute in Europe about his rank as a great captain, if, while y still holding with vastly inferior numbers the lines around Petersburg and Richmond, he is able to detach a large force to the South and to hull Sherman back to the sea coast. Such, believe, will be his effort. About the result I should have no misgiving if the spirit of Secessia generally in 1865 were as good as it was in 1864. . But noble, without example noble, as has been the attitude of Virginia throughout the war, the tenacity of the Cotton States, and especially of.. South Carolina and Georgia, has partaken of the passionate tem perament of men who live " under the sun," and who lack the patient endurance and bulldog persistency which Ken sprung from the same blood but living in a colder clime axe wont to claim as the proudest elements of British valour. I dare not speak with confilence about the future at a moment when so many of the best and noblest of the Confederates have fallen, when politicians have shown more energy in undermining their own Go vernment and sapping General Lee's strength than in breasting the enemy, when the vastly superior forces of the Federals in men and (and what is still more important) in water-carriage facilities, are be ginning to be more felt than at an earlier stage of the war. It is necessary, while still retaining un bounded faith in General Lee, and much confidence in the men who follow such divisional and corps commanders as Longstreet, Mahone, Wade Hamp ton, and Gordon, to contemplate as possibilities circumstances which may be upon us almost before these words have met the eyes of your readers. The long arrest of Grant before Richmond will be hardly compensated by his capture of that city if Lee should eventually be forced to evacuate it, for it will be attributed more to the strategy of Sherman than to the coercion of Grant. Sherman, within a few weeks of this time, may by possibility be auto crat of this continent,but no conceivable concatena tion of circumstances can, in my judgment, place the crown upon the head of Grant. It will, there fore, as I have said, be profitable to study the cha racter of Sherman, as our best guide to the possible shape of the future. Not forgetting that there is a possibility of Sherman, when brought into collision with Lee, although fighting with every conceivable advantage upon his side, suffering such an eclipse as has overtaken all of his predecessors, let me proceed to the task which I have proposed for myself. The record, it must be confessed, is not alto gether unexceptionable. During my recent visit to Charleston I was told that when Sherman, some 20 years ago, was a young lieutenant in the United States' army, he was long quartered near that city upon Sullivan's Island. Such was then his character for steadiness that no objection was ever made by • ladies in Charleston to permitting their daughters to join parties given by the officers at which it was known that Lieut. Sherman was to be present. We lose sight of him until he quitted the United States army and established himself as a banker or broker (in this country usually the twins are almost identical) in California. In tiiia business he failed, and some few years before the war repaired to New Orleans, in:a condition, if not of destitution, at any rate ur gently needing assistance and advancement at the hands of his former friends or fellow soldiers. This assistance he was not slow in finding. Gen. Beaure gard was one of the most popular men inNewOrlea.ns, of which city (I think subsequently to the time of which I am speaking) he became mayor; and Gen. Bragg had a large plantation in Louisiana. By the influence of his two former associates in the United States' army, Sherman, whose worth, steadiness of character, and raittary ability were well known to both, gained the appointment of President to the Louisiana Military State Academy. This office he held with much dignity and propriety for some years. In January, 1861, when the war between the two sections was manifestly coming, Sherman resigned his office in Louisiana , and approach e d G en . B ra gg with a view to taking leave of him. He said to Gen. Bragg, " I see plainly that war is at hand. Edu cated .as a soldier, I cannot remain in the South without taking up arms, and I do no t see my way to fighting against my own kinsmen from Ohio. But come what may, no human consi deration—no human cosideration " (General Bragg told me that Sherman repeated these words twice)—" will ever induce me to take up arms against the South. The South has, I know, many grievances to complain of, and I shall go to Ohio with a view to instructing my countrymen about them." It was not without considerable astonish ment that after this speech General Bragg read the name of Brigadier-General W. T. Sherman figuring as a prominent actor in the battle of Bull Run. But I must add thnt General Bragg (who told me this story a few weeks ago) seemed little disposed upon reflection to censure General Sherman harshly for his change of opinion. The Strange, enthusiastic temper of Sherman seemed to be fully known to Bragg, and the latter gave the former credit for sincerity on the occasion of their conversation in January, 1861, and for sincerity on the occasion of Sherman's acting at Bull Run in a manner diametrically opposed to his professions at the commencement of the same year Ever since Bull Run Sherman has been one of the most earnest, impetuous prosecutors of the war that the Federals have ever had in the field. For a long time, and especially in connexion with his operations against Vicksburg at the end of 1862, he met with very little success, and he attained very little cele brity until after the defeat of Rosecrans at Chicka mauga, and his own appointment as Rosecrans' suc cessor at the end of 1863. Since the commencement of the campaign which he opened in May, 1864, at Dalton, in Georgia, and which he has not yet closed, Shermaa has met wait one unbroken career of pros perity. History will, I think, hereafter have a good deal to say about General Johnston's conduct of the campaign which drove the Confederates, without any pitched battle, out of the hill country of Georgia into the flat plain around Atlanta, and which, more than any other event duringnearlyfour years of war fare, hd.sled to the present crisis in Confederate affairs. But without reverting to a question which already provokes sufficient heartburnings in Secessia without, my adding fuel to it, let me state that perhaps no military commander ever attained such fame as Sherman's without fighting ten battles where Sher man has fought but one. It is impossible that Sher man can plead armed resistance and the hot blood of exasperated soldiers in extenuation of the horrors and excesses of which his army has been guilty in South Carolina. Armed resistance, since the battle of Jonesborough, which led to the fall of Atlanta at the end of Augast, he has met with none. It is impossible to know how far these excesses, which rival the sack of Magdeburg & San Sebastian, have been connived at by Sherman ; but there is arising a general conviction inSecessia that verylittle effort is made by Sherman and his officers to repress them. It is remembered that in a recent conversation which Sherman held in Georgia with' Mrs. Elliot—the daughter-in-law of the Episcopal Bishop of Georgia —he said to her, on her expressing a wish to return to South Carolina, " You will be going, madam, out of the fryingpan into the fire. My army is composed of some of the most lawless ruffians upon earth. Here in Georgia I can with difficulty control them, but when I enter South Carolina I shall neither be able nor desirous to do so. You have heard of the horrors of war ; wait until my army gets into South Carolina and you will see their reality." Read by the light of this speech the re cent incendiarism of Columbia—a town over which, as it once existed, richly garnished with magnolias and japonicas, and surrounded by dense groves of ilex or the beautiful live oak of the South, a South ern poet might have written verses which, if worthy of their inspiring theme, would have lived as long as those which celebrate the beauties of Sweet Auburn, is a passage in Sherman's history which will not soon be forgotten. But, reverting once more to Sherman, I may remark that his long residence in the South has taught him to disclaim any intention of carrying on war on be half of the " poor lashed, degraded slave," out of whom Mrs.lStowe has manufactured a melodramatic fame of which the incidents of this war are already making her countrymen ashamed. Possibly, in common with every other intelligent man, Sherman may think that the abolition of slavery would be a great boon to the South, but he does not seem to think that it would be a boon to the slave. At any rate, Sherman has always shown great disin clination to admitting negro soldiers to his ranks, whatever allegations to the contrary may be made by journals, to which he gives little heed. lam informed that he forbad recently any junction be tween his own troops and these which Gen. Foster commands on the South Carolina coast, and which consist principally of negroes. If in the Armageddon which seems now approaching, Gen. SlArman once gets the South down it may confidently predicted that his politics will be more in harmony with those of Gen. Lee than those of President Lincoln. Mr. Lincoln has found him hitherto a very valuable friend—it is possible that before the end comes he will find him a still more dangerous enemy. During this war I have seen no man who seemed to me to possess so much of the temper of Cromwell as Sherman. Vain, eager, enthusiastic, fanatical, at times gloomy and reticent, at others iglpul sive and talkative, some regarded as half mad when the fit is on him, General Sherman pos sesses a character which, unless I am mistaken, is of the stuff of which great and mysterious actors in history are often made. It is possible that, profiting by his supposed knowledge of General Johnston's strategy, he may try to flank him out of his strong position, wherever it is established—be it on the Neuse, or be it on the Roanoke River—as he flanked him out of Kennesaw Mountain, or the Buzzard's Roost, between Dalton and Atlanta. But in addition to General Johnston's knowledge that the present is his last chance of establishing the military reputation to which some of his coun trymen still think him entitled, and which no one more desires to see him establish than the writer of these words, he has behind him an adviser before whom every antagonist has hitherto recoiled, and a touch of whose wand—little hopeful as the sur rounding circumstances appear—may even, at this eleventh hour, crumble into dust the towering fabric of Sherman's success and fame. Naval and Military Intelligence. Her Majesty's paddle yacht Elfin, Staff-Com mander Balliston, has been placed in dock at Ports mouth to make good defects, preparatory for further duties in the service of her Majesty and the Royal family, and to replace her present experimental screw .blade wheels with her ordinary feathering floats. The trial of the new apparatus, which con sists of a number of ordinary screw blades fixed round the periphery of the wheel of a side-wheel steamer, fixed, and at a certain angle, in lieu of the complicated machinery of the feathering float, has been attended with sufficient success to warrant further experiments. The principle is entirely new, and the figures appended will show that, although the trials have as yet been made in a very crude form, some very important results may be arrived at by further trials. This will be especially the caso if they are carried out with a vessel of a rather larger Glass than the Elfin. To show what has really been accomplished, the plainest and most in telligible course will be to give a comparative return of the results obtained with the Royal paddle yacht next in size to the Elfin, the Osborne, with both eommonand feathering floats, and also with the Elfin with her feathering float wheels and her screw blade wheels. On the 11th of February, 1863, the Osborne was tried over the measured mile in Stokes Bay with common floats to her wheels, when the mean revo lutions of her engines were found to be 15, the indicated power of her engines 981-horse, and the speed of the ship 10.695 knots, very great vibration pervading the ship's hull during the trial. On the 16th of July, 1863, the Osborne in the meantime having been fitted, at great cost, with new wheels carrying feathering floats, the ship made a second trial over the course of the measured mile ; and on this occasion the revolutions of the engines were found to he 22, the indicated horse-power of the engines 1,550, and the speed of the ship 12.406 knots, the vibration not being so great as with the common float to her wheels. On the 20th of September, 1864, the Elfin was tried at the mea sured mile with feathering floats to her wheels, the immersed float surface being 60 square feet ; when the revolutions of the engines were 46.91; the in dicated horse-power of the engines, 191.80 ; and the speed of the ship, 11.237 knots. On the 28th of March, 1865, the Elfin made her trial trip with the screw-blade wheel at the measured mile, the immersed screw-blade surface being 32.72 square feet of the feathering float, the revolutions of the engines 46, their indicated horse-power 186.558, and the speed of the vessel 10.012 knots. There was a moderate swell on during the time the Elfin was under trial with tier screw-bladed wheels, but no vibration whatever was experienced on board. The screw-bladed wheel promises much greater re sults than the foregoing, although those are suffi ciently remarkable to invest the principle with con siderable interest. The inventor is Dr. J. M'Grigor Croft, late staff surgeon in her Majesty's army. Iler Majesty's screw steam gun-vessel Plover, 5, Commander the Hon. Armar L. Corry, from Port Royal, February 12, arrived in Plymouth Sound on Sunday night; after coaling she proceeded to Chatham. Lieut.-Col. J. W. Lovell, C. 8., the head of the field fortifications depaitment at the Royal Engi neer Establishment, Chatham, having been ap pointed commanding Royal Engineer in China, is succeeded at Chatham by Major F. H. de Vere, who has commenced his duties. The finding and sentence of the general court martial which assembled at the Chatham Division lof Royal Marines Light Infantry . , for the trial of Sergeant Charles Wentworth, for many years senior and confidential clerk in the divisional offices, was promulgated to the officers and men at headquar ters yesterday afternoon in accordance with orders to that effect received from the Admiralty. The pri soner was arraigned before the Court on a variety of charges, all connected with forgeries and em bezzlements committed by him in the discharge of the duties connected with his office. At his trial the prisoner was proved to have received three separate sums of £lB, £2O, and £2O from Privates Chad burn, Brownhill, and Landon, to be transmitted by him to the Accountant-General of the Navy for the purpose of procuring their discharge. These sums he appropriated to his own use, and the men were improperly brought forward for discharge without purchase. The prisoner was also intrusted with the sum of £8 4s. 6d. to pay an account owing by the division to Mr. Windeyer, the Admiralty stationer, Chatham, but which account was never discharged, the prisoner forging Mr. Windefer's name to a re ceipt, while several of the items had been tampered With and altered with a view of making the account appear larger. The last charge on which prisoner was tried was that of having embezzled the sum of £2 3s. 6d., intrusted to him in his capacity of clerk of the divisional fund. The trial of the accused, which was presided over by Colonel J. O. Travers, C. 8., with Colonel H. Marriott, the official prosecutor, occupied nearly a fortnight. The Court found the prisoner guilty, and he was sentenced to be reduced to the rank and pay of a private, and to be kept in penal servitude for five years. He will also make good the amount he embezzled. After the sentence had been publicly read, the prisoner was handed over to an escort and conveyed to Millbank convict establishment. Gen. Sir John Wright Guise, G.G.8., Col. of the 85th Foot, died at his residence, Elmore-court, near Gloucester, last Saturday morning. The deceased was born at Churcham, near the Forest of Dean, in 1777, and succeeded his brother in the baronetcy in 1W34. At an early age he entered the army and served in Egypt in 1801. In 1805 he served in Hanover and subsequently in the Peninsula. He receives a cross for his gallant conduct at Fuentes d'Onor, Salamanca, Vittoria, and Nive. In 1846 he was appointed to the 85th Foot, and in 1851 be came a General in the army. He is succeeded in the baronetcy by his son William Vernon Guise, who was born in 1816. The following appointment; have been made at the Admiralty :—On Monday—Dr. F. W. Blake, surgeon, to the Narcissus ; John S. Dobbyn, assist. surgeon to the Narcissus ; James H. Martin, acting assist.-surgeon to the Narcissus ; and Charles S. Hills, assist.-paymaster, supernumerary, to the Fisgard. Yesterday—Dr. Duncan Hilston, assist.- surgeon, to the Victory; Charles W. King, assist.- paymaster to the Achilles ; W. Blakey, acting second master to the Cumberland, for the Adder ; A. H. Carlyon, clerk, additional, to the Narcissus ; and John M. King, assist.-clerk, to the Narcissus. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. NORTHAMPTON AND PYTCHLEY HUNT MEXTING. Racing traditions point to Northampton as the strictly legitimate commencement of the season, but our much de veloped taste for the national sport, and with it the conse quent increase of early fixtures, has tended to rob the meet ing of whatever prestige it may have gained from this cause. Northampton will, however, always hold its place as possessing in its great handicap, independent of its other attractions, the first of those Spring events that excite such an interest in the sporting world. The Trial Stakes is always a good race here, and generally brings out one or two suporior horses to contest it. This year Mr. Merry added to the prestige of his stable by tho easy win of Wild Charley, with whom his owner ought to have a fine line both for the Two Thousand and the Derby. The Northamptonshire Stakes, since the first introduc- ion into the market, has witnessed many fluctuations, an sundry " scratchings" have produced much angry comment from those who incautiously trusted their money without first ascertaining the intentions of owners and stables. Lion, Thalestris, Skeffington, and this morning the re contly-brolight-into-notice Mail Train, have joined the list of the departed ones. In the last instance the owner was forestalled in the market, and acting on the advice of some of his employers Mr. W. Day made up his mind to strike the pen through the horse's name. The Danebury horse has been very firm for some time, an d d es pit e a rumour th a t h e . • had been beaten in his trial, kept his place in the betting to the last, the 6 to 4 being eagerly snapped up till the flag fell. Swordsman, the next favourite, pleased no one on his appearance ; a coarse-looking animal, and a rather ungainly goer, he ran all over the course in his preliminary canter, and was pronounced by many good judges not to be in the race. John Davis lay in front to the distance, where he was joined by Scamander and Planet, the last named, who had been disappointed in getting through, challeng ing Scamander in the last few strides, losing a good race by a neck. Swordsman confirmed the opinion ex pressed of him by being nowhere. This is the second time Mr. Cartwright has carried off this important stake, having won it in 1863 with Fairwater. The weather was everything desirable, and the attend ance of all classes one of the largest ever seen at North ampton. Trial Stakes, of 10 sofa each, with 50 added, for 3-yr-olds and upwards. Weight for ago. Ono mile. 10 subs. Mr. Merry's Wild Charley, 3 yrs, 7st (H. Covey) 1 Marquis of Hastings' Aokworth, 4 yrs, Bst 91b (Fordham) 2 Lord Westmoreland's Birch Broom, 4 yrs, Bst ,91b (J. Goater) 3 The following also ran :—Camball, Gem of the Sea, Pan taloon, A 1, Pirate, Idler, and Sympathy. Betting-2 to 1 agst Ackworth, 4to 1 agst Wild Charley, sto 1 each agst Camball and Birch Broom. The start was delayed by A 1 breaking away, and before he could be stopped he twice ran the circuit of the course, and in consequence did not start. When tho flag was lowered, Pantaloon, to insure a pace for the favourite, rushed to the front, and came on with a clear lead, followed by Birch Broom, Wild Charley, and Idler, the roar being brought up by Pirate. Rising the hill Camball headed Idler, and ran up to Mr. Merry's colt, closely attended by Ackworth into the straight, when Pantaloon gave way to Birch Broom, who was joined at the distance by the favourite. Half-way up the former was beaten, and Ackworth, with Wild Charley on his whip hand, came on in company to the enclosure, when tho latter quitted him and won without an effort by half a length; a bad third ; Gem of the Sea was fourth; Sympathy fifth ; and Pirate sixth ; Idler, Camball, and Pantaloon were tho three last. Nene Handicap, a Sweepstakes of 5 soya each, with 50 added, for horses of all ages. Once round. 13 subs. Mr. Heathcote's Balornoch, 4 yrs, 6st 131 b (carried 7st) (Morris) 1 Mr. Stevens's Fisherman's Daughter, 4 yrs, 7st 51b (Maidment) 2 Mr. R. C. Naylor's Gay Deceive; 3 yrs, sst 101 b . - . (Huxtable)3 The following also ran :—Dean Swift, Little Goy, and Cramp. Betting-5 to 2 each agst Dean Swift and Balornoch, and 4 to 1 agst Fisherman's Daughter. Balornoch made play at a good pace, having Fisherman's Daughter, Cramp, and Gay Deceiver as his immediate fol lowers to the turn on the far side, where Dean Swift ran past his horses and became third, but dying away as they ascended the hill for the straight, his place was taken by Cramp. At the distance Fisherman's Daughter joined Mr. Heathcote's colt, the pair finishing a good race home, Balor noch, who ran very unkindly throughout, just winning by a neck, Gay Deceiver finished a bad third, Dean Swift fourth, Cramp fifth, and Little Goy last. On returning to scale an objection was made by Maidment, the rider of Fisherman's Daughter, against the winner for hanging on him, and thereby prevented his getting up, which was investigated by the stewards and overruled. Pytchley Stakes of 5 sovs each, with 40 added, for 3-yr-olds and upwards. Weight for age, with maiden and selling allowances. Spencer plate course straight. 7 subi. Mr. Jas. Smith's St. Eulallo, 3yrs, sst 71b (ear. sst 91b) (X3Ol (lleartfield 1 Mr. W. Sanders' Bello of the Ball, 5 yrs, 6st 111 b (carrie Gst 121 b) c£ 3o ) (H. Covey 2 Mr. Bevill's Alvodiston, a y rs , G s t 111 b (X3O (J. Grimshaw 3 The following also ran :—Cross Beak, Usher, Thor, and Powderham. Betting-5 to 2 agst Usher, 3to 1 agst Powderham, 5 to 1 agst Alvediston, and 6 to ,1 agst St. Eulalie. Alvediston next the rails got away in front, closely pressed by Belle of the Ball and St. Eulalie to the stand, when the latter came with a rush, and won a fine race by a head ; a neck only separated the second and third ; Usher finished fourth, three lengths in their rear, and Thor fifth ; Cross Beak and Powderhani were beaten off. The winner w s sold to Mr. P. Price for 61 glcineas, and k ,r. Sanders claimed 'Usher. Stand Plate of 50 sovs (handicap) for 3-yr-olds and up wards ; winners extra. One rail e. Mr.iWadlow's Danaus, 4 yrs, 6st 111 h (J. Grimshaw) Mr. E. Brayley's Golden Dust, 5 yrs, 7st 111 b ...(oan.nran) f Duke of Beaufort's Black Rock, 4 yrs, 76t 12Ih• _ _ (PoreLharn) 3 Mr. G. Angell's Vabalathus, 4 yrs, Bst 3.1 b (Perry) 4 The following also ran :—Balornock, Nip, and R e di c i s . Betting-4 to leach agst Black Rock, Manaus, ari.d Balor nock, and 5 to 1 agst Golden Dust. Medici; with a clear lead, made play, follows ; d by Balor nock, Vabalathus, and Danaus into the straiglt, when the two first-named dropped away beaten, leaving, Danaus next the rails in possession of the command, wh 4 .ch he retained to half way up, when Golden Dust caug;kit him, the pair i o n m a e d v withe dead beat. Black of Vabalathus, Nip last. w ilth i 'le s skh fi wi f n t h ags , a M a b a puni s hing d d i e i t hird,ss i a sixth, , rl4 e and Balorno Balorno ,ek Danaus, who took a heat—Betting-6 sli D gh e t ci l d e i a n d g ats tarting,andwotnolso._y three lengths. '413 of 100 sovs added to a han dicap s Northamptonshire epstakego 25 S s ta :o k ve each, 151 t, and 5 if declared, &c. The second horse receive 25 sovs outof the stakes; winners extra. 97 ,abs, 50 of whom declared. Two miles. The highest weight accepting being Bst 41b, it has been raised to Bst 19 .11 b, and the others in proportion. Mr. W. S. Cartwright's Scamander, 5 yrs, 7st 81b (Cannon 1 Mr. W. G. Craven's Planet, 4 yrs, Bst .(Moran2 Mr. Hugh Smith's John Davis, 4 yrs, 7st llb ...(Morris 3 The following also ran :—Gibraltar, Dunkeld, Fantail, Black Dee; Gaily, Claxton, Alabama, Battaglia, Hartley, Iluntsman's Daughter, Vest colt, Spring Gun, and Swords man. Mail Train was struck out at 12 5 p.m. Betting-6 to 4 agst John Davis, 100 to 30 agst Swords man, 12 to 1 each agst Huntsman's Daughter, Planet, Bat taglia, and Hartley, 14 to 1 agst Dunkeld, 15 to 1 agst Gib raltar, 23 to 1 agst Fantail, 25 to 1 each agst Scamander and Spring Gun, 33 to 1 agst Gaily, and 40 to 1 each agst Claxton and Vest colt, and 100 to 1 agst Alabama. They left the post in a compact body, Spring Gun, next the rail, obtaining a slight lead after running a few strides, tloso up with wham were seen in the centre the favourite, Swordsman, Gaily, and Claxton, in which way they ap proached the Stand, passing which Spring Gun increased his lead, Gaily going on second, John Davis third, the Vest colt fourth, with Swordsman, Hartley, and Planet lying up, Huntsman's Daughter bringing up the rear. As they rounded the top turn Lord Stamford's colt considerably improied his position, and descended the hill some two or three lengths in advance of Claxton, who had run through his horses and went on second, having the two favourites at his quarters, closely attended by Hartley, Vest colt, Planet, and Scamander, into the bottom, where Claxton beat a retreat, leaving John Davis and Swordsman still in attendance upon Spring Gun to the foot of the hill, where he was beaten, and Morris at once brought the favourite conspicuously in front, and as they breasted the hill into the straight he was seen with a decided lead, closely at tended by Mr. Smith's colt, Hartley, Gaily, Gibraltar, Planet, and Scamander, the latter gradually improving his position as they neared the distance, where Swordsman was disposed of. Here Cannon made his effort, and getting to John Davis's quarters, raced with him to the enclosure, where he got his head in front ; at the same moment Planet, who had been twice disappointed, came with a rush and eplit the two, but failing to reach the leader was beaten Cleverly by a neck ; a length separated the second and third; Gibraltar was a bad fourth, Gaily fifth, Spring Gun sixth, Vest colt seventh, and Battaglia next. ThOlast lot comprised Fantail, Claxton, and Huntsman's Daughter. Whittlebury Stakes of 15 sovs each, sft, with 100 added. For 2-yr-olds, 6st 81b; three, Bst 81b; winners extra. Three-yr-olds which have started three times without winning allowed 51b. 33 subs. About threo-quarters o. a mile. Lord Westmoreland's Brahma, 3 yrs, Bst 31b (Fordhara) 1 Lord Stamford's Thalassius, 3 yrs, Bst 81b ...(E Martin) 2 Count F. do Lagrange's Mirliflor, 3 yrs, Bst 111 b (IL Grimshaw) 3 Mr. J. B. Starky's Matilda, 2 yrs, Gst 51b (Carroll) 4 Mr. B. C. Naylor's Sir Ch ar l es , 3 y r s, Bst 81b (Challoner) 5 Betting-4 to lon Brahma, and sto 1 agst Mirliflor. Tho favourite in the centre, with Thalassius on his whip-hand, got away together, Brahma having slightly the best of it to tho Stand, when Lord Stamford's colt im proved his position, but failing to quite get up, was beaten, after a splendid finish, by a head ; Miriflor finished a bad third. Her Majesty's Plate of 100 guineas ; 3-yr-olds, ist 91b ; four, 9st 71b; five, 10st; six and aged, lOst 21b. Two miles. Marquis of Hastings' Ackwortb, 4 yrs, Oat 71b (Fordham 1 Mr. W. H. Scott's Stanton, aged, 10st 21b (Cannon 2 Mr. /ferry's Sir Roger, 4 yrs, 9st 71b (Hayward 3 Mr. I'Anson's Caller Ou, aged, lOst 21b (Challoner 4 Baron Rothschild's Hippolyta, 4 yrs, Ost 71b (Wells) 5 Volunteer's dam colt also ran. Betting-6 to 4 agst Hippolyta, 2to 1 agst Ackworth, 6 to 1 agst Sir Roger, and 10 to 1 agst Caller Ou. Hippolyta got away in advance, attended by Ackworth ; Stanton going on third, in whose rear were Sir Roger, the Yellow Jack colt, and Caller Ou. They ran thus to the Mile-post, where Stanton and Sir Roger ran up to Ack worth, and the three followed the Baron's filly nearly abreast into the bottom, whore Fordham quitted them, and heading Hippolyta in the next few strides, came into the straight with a clear lead, which he held to the end, and won very easily by four lengths. Sir Roger, who headed the pulling-up horses, finished third, a head in advance of Caller Ou. The Yellow Jack colt bolted at the lower turn, and in attempting to jump the rails fell, and, we are sorry to add, gave Parry a. severe shaking. _ _ A Sweepstakes of 5 sovs. each,with 50 added; for 2-yr-olds, ist ; 3 yrs, Bst 121 b ; mares and geldings allowed 31b ; winners ex.; maiden three-yr-olds allowed 71b; winner to be sold for £lOO. Six furlongs. 11 subs. Mr. T. Golby's Vigilant, 3 yrs, Bst 21b (II Clarke) 1 Mr. IV. Day's Roarer, 3 yrs, Bst 51b (J. Grinisha,w) 2 Mr. C. Blanton's Nabob, 3 yrs, Bst 51b (Loates) 3 The following also ran :—Flyaway, Lisette, and Forester. Betting-5 to 2 agst Roarer, 3to 1 agst Nabob, sto 1 each agst Forester and Lisette, and 6 to 1 each agst Vigi lant and Flyaway colt. The three placed ran in front throughout, Vigilant hav ing a slight lead, which he retained to the end, and won in a canter by two lengths; a head divided the second and third. Forester was a bad fourth, Lisette fifth, and Fly away colt last. The winner was not sold. Acceptances for Delapre Handicap of 50 sovs added to a sweepstakes of 5 sous each ; for 2-yr-olds and upwards. The winner to be claimed for £lOO, if demanded in the usual way. Winners extra. Althorp Park Stakes Course, about half a mile. The highest weight accepting being Bdt 61b, it has been raised to Bst 101 b, and the others in proportion. Mr. Ten Broeck's Dawdle, 4 yrs, Bst 61b (Fordham) 1 Mr. Hartley's Eugenie, 3 yrs, 7st 21b (Maidment) 2 Mr. Osborne's Lady Abbess, 5 yrs, Bst 101b_ _ _ _ (Whiteley) 3 The following also ran :—Veluti, Kromeski, His Royal Highness, Medicis, Lisette, Fravolina, and Whiskey. Betting-7 to 4 agst Dawdler, sto 1 agst Fravolina, 7 to 1 each agst His Royal Highness and Lady Abbess. His Royal Highness, next the rails, came on with a slight lead of Eugenie and Lady Abbess and the favourite to the half distance, whon the latter came out and won very cleverly by a length ; a neck separated the second and third ; Kromeski was fourth, His Royal Highness fifth, Fravolina sixth, and Veluti next. Medicis was last, beaten off. Mr. Hartley claimed Dawdle. THE LATE GRAND NATIONAL HUNT STEEPLECHASE.-- Tho objection raised against Emperor, the winner, by Mr. Studd, the owner of Lord George, is appointed to be heard this morning after the first race, if ar sufficient number of the stewards can be got together. UNIVERSITY BOAT RACE. Among other important features of the rowing at Putney yesterday was a race between the gentlemen of Cambridge University and the 12-oared outrigger of the London Row ing Club, and this, combined with the fact that both crews would row the entire course during the day, brought together a large concourse of spectators, among whom were many faces well known on the river and at the Universities. The Oxonians were the first to show, and launched their boat from the London Rowing Club-house at 11 o'clock, at which time, although the air was otherwise very genial, a heavy fog hung over the river. Attended by their trainer, Mr. G. Morrison, of Oxford, they at once proceeded up the Reach, commencing at 33 strokes per minute (against tide), and were mad., in the course of their progress, to go through some severe work ; spurting, easing all," and spurting again, being the order of the day over the greater part of the course. In the course of their practice they worked up to 36 and 37 strokes per minute. They landed at the Bull's Head, Barnes, 'about a mile below Mortlake, and walked up to the Ship, where they took the water again and started down for their trial three hours after flood—at 10 minutes past 12—the water being as smooth as glass, and the fog still hanging about a little. They were doing 38 strokes per minute at the commence ment of their work, rowed in much better form than usual, lifted the boat in the most unmistakable way, and passed under Barnes-bridge rowing 40 strokes in the minute, the time being 3 min. 17 secs. Through Corney Reach they had settled down into 38 strokes per minute, and accomplished the whole distance in 21 min. 45 secs., a very fine perform ance. The Cantabs left Simmonds's boat-yard an hour later than their opponents, and after a quiet paddle up to Mortlake started down from the Ship with a flying start. The tide was then of course much lower, and probably not running quite so fast, but between the timo of Oxford starting and Cambridge coming up a strong south-west wind had sprung up, which was blowing smartly down the Reach, and was of course in their favour. If the fine rowing of Oxford had pleased their partisans, that of Cambridge must have been equally satisfactory to the light blue division, as they jerked less than they had done, Starting off at the enormous pace of 43 strokes per minute, and reaching Barnes-bridge pro cisely the same time as their opponents had taken. After this they settled into 41, and finished at about 37 strokes, their whole time being 22m. sseo. They appeared to finish somewhat fresher than their opponents, and this, added to the closeness in the times, created a revulsion of popular feeling in their favour, and there can be no doubt that, whoover is dastined to reach th.e winning-post first, the race will be very severe. The Oxonians contented themselves with their work of the morning, but the Cantabs turned out in the evening for a spin against the pick of the London Rowing Club in their' 12-oared outrigger, although of course the London gentle men were in nothing like rowing condition. The rival boats were manned as under : CAMBRIDGE. 1. Mr. H. Watney, st. John's College. 2. Mr. M. H. Beebee, St. John's College. 3. Mr. E. V. Pigott, Corpus Christi. 4. Mr. R. A. Kinglake, Trinity College. 5. Mr. D. F. Steavenson, Trinity Hall. 6. Mr. G. H. Borthwiek, Trinity College. 7. Mr. W. R. Griffiths, Trinity College. 8. Mr. 0. B. Lawes, Trinity College. F. H. Archer, Corpus Christi (cox.) LONDON. 1. Mr. H. Hood. 2. Mr. Ry Graham. 3. Mr R. Willis. 4. Mr. E. C. Morley. 5. Mr. T. Radmall. 6. Mr. H. N. Custance. 7. Mr. D. M. O'Leary. 8. Mr. K. T. Digby. 9. Mr. G. Ryan. 10. Mr. J. Fell. 11. Mr. J. 0. F. May. 12. Mr. F. Fenner (stroke). Mr. G. Weston (cox.). The Londoners were the first to leave their boat-house, and with the lively style peculiar to their club rowed down through the acqeduct towards Wandsworth in order to get into good swing, and afterwards turned and rowing through the bridge again took the Middlesex shore alongside Cam bridge, who were waiting for them. It has been arranged that after their severe work of the morning the race should simply be a smart burst for a short distance, and such in fact it was. They started at half-past six with only two hours' flood under them, the London Club getting off with the lead, and nearly clearing themselves by the time they reached the Star and Garter. The Cantabs had started somewhat wildly, but settled down as they passed the London Boat-house, and gradually began to collar the rival crew, rowing 44 strokes per minute. Gradually creeping up they shot slightly ahead by the time they had rowed about a mile,when the Cambridge Coxswain gave them the command "Easy all." After this the Cantabs paddled up to the Crab Tree, the Londoners waiting for them, and on the return the two crews had a spin of 200 yards, the Lon don Club maintaining a slight lead. MIDDLESEX SESSIONS-April 4. The April Quarter Sessions were continued to-day at Clerkenwell, before Mr. W. H. Bodkin, Assistant-Judge. Charles Sadler, 26, dressed as a butcher, was charged with stealing a leg of mutton, of the value of 10s. 6d. Mr. Warner Sleigh prosecuted ; Mr. Ribton defended. On the 28th of January last a leg of mutton was delivered at tho house of Mr. Thompson, 3, Bloomfield-road, Pad dington, from the butcher who supplied the family, and two minutes afterwards a man, wearing a butcher's apron, called for it, saying it had been delivered to the wrong customer, The unsuspecting cook gave up the joint, and the thief, who had personated the servant of the family-butcher, was not seen afterwards. The prisoner was taken into custody on the 26th of March and charged with being that person ; but in his defence it was shown that he was in the employment of a butcher in Lisson-grove, and the jury acquitted him. Joseph Brown, 22, and George Brown, 20, were charged with stealing a mare, the property of Henry Palmer. Mr. Orridge prosecuted ; Mr. Ribton appeared for George Brown. Tho prisoner Joseph Brown pleaded guilty. The prosecutor, a greengrocer at Kingsland, turned a cob mare out on Hackney-common, whence it was stolen on the same afternoon. On the following morning tho prisoner Joseph was found offering to sell it for slaughtering at Mrs. White's, in Whitechapel ; but, as the value of the animal was only £3, ho would not have been arrested had his account of himself been satisfactory. Mr. Ribton said there was really no evidence against his A verdict of not guilty was taken in the case of George Brown, and Joseph Brown was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment, with hard labour. Ellen Daniels, 23, pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a mantle from the shop of Mr. Edward Lloyd, a linendraper. The shopman said she appeared to have been drinking and the mantle dropped from under her shawl as she was leaving. A statement was handed to the Bench by the prisoner, which disclosed these facts :—She was left without parents some years ago, and she married a man by whom she had a daughter now about five years of age. Her husband was tried at these sessions in July, 1862, for highway robbery with violence, and sentenced to six years' penal servitude.. Sho had been four times previously convicted and had re cently finished a term of three years' penal servitude. The prisoner, with all the indications of sincerity, pro mised not to offend again, and piteously implored a lenient punishment. The Assistant-Judge said that if the Court were to act according to their notions of public duty the prisoner would be sent to penal servitude for seven years as quite incorri gible, but they abstained from passing that sentence, with the knowledge that if they did err they erred on the side of mercy, and in the hope that when she and her husband gained their liberty they would change their course of life. She must be imprisoned and kept at hard labour for two years. Joseph Grimes, 37, was indicted at the last sessions, together with two other young men, named Wright and Furness, for stealing two rolls of woollen Cloth and other articles, the property of the Great Northern Railway Com pany. Wright and Furness pleaded Guilty, and the jury were discharged when it was found, when they had boon locked up for some hours, that they were unable to agree upon a verdict. The prisoner was now tried again on the same charge. The facts were simple enough. Four or or five persons were seen loitering in streets at Pentonvillo with a truck on the evening of the 23d Feb., and as suspicions were ex cited their proceedings were watched. A railway van drove up to the door of a publichouse in North-street, and both the driver and the lad who assisted him entered. The men brought the truck to the tail of the van, which was thus left unprotected, and transferred property worth £3O or £4O into it. The police, as they were going away, caught the three prisoners, but the others were not apprehended. The defence of Grimes on the last trial and on this occa sion was, that he was an innocent agent, that the men had employed him to hire the truck, and that as the goods were loose at the tail of the van ho could not suppose that those who employed him were doing wrong in removing them. Fresh evidence was adduced to-day, which showed that, instead of being a stranger to the four men, as he repre sented, Grimes had frequently been seen in the company of one of the two men who have eluded justice. The jury found a verdict of guilty. Mr. Cooper, who appeared for the prosecution, stated that the prisoner had been formerly convicted, and six years and a half ago was a terror to the inhabitants of Rio. Mr. J. R. Wilson, who had kept an hotel at Rio, said that Grimes had been frequently in prison there, and on one occasion had stolen some ducks from him—the night fol lowing the day on which he had induced him to buy them. George Lockyer, the prison officer, said that Grimes had been tried at these sessions for being concerned in a forcible entry, and sentenced to a month's imprisonment. Grimes—Yes, my lord, there were 10 of us tried before your lordship for assaulting the brokers. Lockyer—And most of them were convicted thieves. Wright,:upon being called upon, stated that a man in the employment of the Great Northern Railway Company had put them up to the robbery, and took them the night before to see the publichouse where the van would stop. If it were not so, how, he asked, should they know where the van would stop, and why should the goods be uncovered behind, and why should the carman call the boy into the public house ? Mr. Cooper said that Messrs. Wontner, who instructed him, had made inquiries of the officers of the railway com pany, and it was believed that Wright's statement was a gross calumny, for the mere purpose of screening ono of the men, still at large. Mr. Ribton, who appeared for Furness, stated that he was only 17, and had borne a good character. _ _ Lockyer said that he had been in the company of thieves, and was under recognisances to appear as a witness in a jewel robbery. The Assistant-Judge —Was he concerned in it? Lockyer said he was, but it was through his information that the others had been taken. Grimes begged the court to remember that he was con victed for felony 15 years ago. Lockyer said he was tried and acquitted in 1858. The Assistant-judge then sentenced Grimes to 10 years' penal servitude, and Wright to 12 months' and Furness to six months' imprisonment, with hard labour. (Before Mr. Payne.) James Butler, 28, was charged with stealing two bird cages and a pair of trousers, value 17s 6d., belonging to Henry Weston. Mr. Cooper prosecuted ; Mr. Ribton defended. This was a robbery of a fellow-lodger, and the prisoner, having been previously convicted, was sentenced to seven years' penal servitude. Robert Eaton, 60, was charged with stealing three trusses of hay. Mr. Cooper prosecuted ; Mr. Ribton defended. The prosecutor, Mr. John Kent, is a farmer at South gate. The hay was stolen from a shed, and footmarks were traceable to the prisoner's stable. Three trusses, which corresponded with those lost, were found there, and the only account the prisoner gave was that he had bought and paid for them. Guilty. Six months' imprisonment with hard labour. THE PRITCHARD CASE.—Nothing further has yet transpired with regard to this case. It is expected that the trial will take place in Edinburgh in the course of the summer. The Evening Citizen states that Dr. Pritchard continues to boar up as well as could be expected, consider ing the most unhappy position in which, whether guilty or innocent, he is placed. ADvEß TisumENT.j—Holloway's Ointment.--Sore Breasts, Inflamed Nipples, Old Wounds, Sores, and Ulcers. — There is no medical preparation in the world which may be so thoroughly relied on in the treatment of the above ailments as Holloway's ointment ; and scarcely a day passes in which authentic testimonials to its extraordinary efficacy are not received from all parts of the globe. Nothing can be simpler or Moro safe than the manner in which it is ap plied, or its action on the body, both locally and constitu tionally. The ointment, rubbed on the part affected, enters the pores just as salt enters moat, and not only gets rid of the local evil, but penetrates to the source of it, and drives it from the system. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. TIMES.—Once again the House of Commons has been occupied in a discussion of that very old but still interesting enigma, the constitution and merits of the Board of Admiralty. There must be some thing in a Department to enable it to stand so much abuse, exposure, and condemnation. At any rate, it must be hard to suggest anything better than we have, or by this time should surely have got. Sir Morton Peto did not exaggerate the case in saying that the opinions of our best naval officers could be cited against our system of naval administration. We could fill a page with such authorities ; in fact, the most violent attacks upon the Board have always come from the profession itself. But how is the case to be mended, and what is to be the con stitution of the Department which will satisfy the House, the profession, and the public ? The t ru th is, that whereas the duties of the Board are so manifold and different as to require all kinds of gifts and capacities, its opponents are apt to take one branch of the business exclusively, and to shape their criticisms by that view. For instance, it is a common practice to speak of " the Admiralty" as a Department intrusted with enormous funds to be employed in shipbuilding ; nor is this practice at all surprising. The Admiralty, beyond doubt, is respon sible for the navy, and the navy is presented to our eyes or our imaginations in the shape of so many well-built and well-manned ships of war. But Sir John Pakington, though himself one of the many malcontents, explained to the House as the result of his official experience that a " very large" part of the business devolving upon the Board is entirely unprofessional in its character, and such as a civi lian is just as competent to transact as a sailor. Dockyard work, in short, is only a small item in the work of the Department. Then again, when you get to the Dockyards y ou are still a long way from shipbuilding. The public learnt five or six years ago that not above a third of a vote especially assigned to the building and repair of ships can ever be applied to the construction of new vessels. All the rest goes in repairs and outfits. So, when it is asked why her Majesty's ships cannot be built like the ships in a private yard, the answer is that there is no analogy or parallel between the two cases. If the best practical shipbuilder in the country were called into council at Portsmouth, he would have to learn the business before he could open his mouth, for the ships they build at Portsmouth are ships of war, and not such ships as are built i n p r i va t e yards. Then there are other details, such, says Lord C. Paget, as " sailors alone can determine upon." Moreover, he added, "if you were to put your do c k s i n t o the hands of a civilian, you would have the captains coming in wanting their ships altered and fitted, and it is well known captains ask for a great many little things which it would be extravagance to grant, and which a civilian would grant, because it is only a superior naval officer that can decide what is really necessary to be done to the ship." By these argu ments the Royal dockyards are taken out of the category of yards in general and represented as establishments of a peculiar and exceptional cha racter. This is all very well, and perhaps, to some extent, very true. It may be improper to judge the Board of Admiralty by the success or failure of a frigate ; but shipbuilding, after all, is a very im portant function of the department, and one of which the performance is open to practical tests. There must, too, be many conditions in common between the works of one yard and another, and, what is very much to the purpose, the com pl a ints of the expenditure in the Royal dockyards proceed from officers of the Royal navy as well as from civilians. The whole case of the re monstrants could be supported by the testimony of admirals alone. If our ships are built on injudicious models and at extravagant cost, it is no defence of the builders to say that they have other duties besides shipbuilding to attend to. We pay for the best ships and the best guns, and we ought to have them, though of course we ought to have other things besides. The gravamen of the charge against the Admiralty is that, awing pro bably to its constitution, it works at a vast loss of power and money. The actual work is not ill done, but it is done circuitously and expensively, with the disadvantages of cumbrous machinery and antiquated systems. In a recent debate Mr. Laird said that the artificers of the royal yards were able workmen, and the manual work excellently performed, but that the appliances for economising time and labour were defective in- the extreme. He thought a large sum might be spent with a great saving in putting our dockyards on a level with more modern establish ments. On Monday he hit another blot in the Go vernment system. He said that, instead of getting at once a clear conception of a good plan and carry ing it into execution with promptit u d e an d e ff ec t, so as to obtain the greatest amount of advantage from the improvement, we took small voted year after year, and spent so much time over the work that it was half obsolete before it was well finished, and required to be re-modelled before it had ever been turned to account. He reckoned, indeed, that "in ten years £1,500,000 had been spent upon peddling alterations of works, without making them more efficient for the business of the navy." We believe these are the charges most easily sustainable. Some how or other there is no harmony or concert about Admiralty work—no adjustment of proceedings, or adaptation of means to ends. If we get ships, we do not get docks ; and perhaps by the time we have got the great docks now projected, the great ships for which they are required may have gone out of fashion. On this score, however, there is one thing, at any rate, which may be said for Mr. Reed. Whe ther the ships built by the new Constructor of the Navy are good or bad vessels remains to be seen ; but they have, at any rate, been built expeditiously, and before any newer models have been suggested. They will, when first sent to sea, be ships of the very latest fashion, and that is more than can be said of any other such productions. W e are of opinion, indeed, that the actual condition of the navy, mea sured by the condition of other navies, is not un satisfactory ; but, except in America, there are pro bably no ships which have cost so much money. One of the charges against the Admiralty does cer tainly appear to be confuted by these very debates. A Board whose members have to defend their pro ceedings so constantly can hardly be thought an irresponsible Board. It may be hard to say on whose shoulders the principal or ultimate responsi bility rests, but it is plain that every official con nected with the Department considers himself bound to explain, to justify, or to excuse. If we still can not understand the Dockyard accounts, it is, per haps, because they are unintelligible. Mr. Stansfeld devoted himself to this inquiry with almost despe rate resolution, and Mr. Childers has followed him, but we are not sure that the mysteries have been elucidated. To this hour Mr. Childers and Mr. Seely cannot make out each other's figures. In such a predicament it is safest to go by results. It may be very absurd to put a civilian at the head of the Naval Department, and a naval officer in superin tendence over a Department devoted to practical shipbuilding, but if the Navy is well administered and the ships are well built, we need not trouble ourselves about theories. Unfortunately, the fruits do not certify the goodness of the tree. There is, if not bad work, at any rate a disproportion between the work and the cost. Improvements and disco veries are neglected till new discoveries and new improvements have superseded them. Every now and then we are scandalised by complete failures, It is hardly fair to quote the gunboats built in the Russian war, for they were constructed under severe pressure for an immediate exigency, and they would have served that purpose if they had done no more. But there has been up to recent times almost a fata lity of miscalculation in Admiralty proceedings, and it is no great wonder if similar results are antici pated still. We hope better things from our fleet of the future. With fewer ships, fewer guns, fewer men, and smaller establishments generally, the chances of miscarriage ought at any rate to be les sened, and publicity and discussion should do the rest. HERALD.—From the time that General Sherman left Atlanta, to the 16th day of last month, he had never fought a battle or been confronted by the enemy in force. To save his army he avoided Macon and Augusta, in Georgia. The conquest of Savan nah and Charleston was a bloodless victory, of which the fleets of the Federals may claim at least half the credit. The occupation of Columbia was scarcely disputed, and that only by a mere handful of men. The fall of Fayetteville followed inevitably upon that of Wilmington, the Cape Fear River being navigable for gun boats as far as Fayetteville. It was in his further progress that General Sher man's troubles began. Hitherto he had laid waste the country, he had burned towns and villages, he had obtained possession of cities with high-sounding names, whose occupation was a source of weakness rather than of strength to him. All this time he had aimed no blow at the vital points of the Confede rate defence, he had put no single Southern army hors de combat. When he arrived in the centre of North Carolina the position became critical. If he could reach Lynchburg in Virginia, or effect a junc tion with Grant, then Richmond would be lost, and with Richmond, perhaps, the Confederacy. Ac cordingly, when Sherman had reached Fayetteville, when Schofield, from Newbern, had made his ap pearance at Kingston, on the Neuse River, the Confederate armies, which all this long time h a d been falling back to draw the enemy away from the seaboard and his gunboats, suddenly made a stand, faced about, and attacked his advancing columns with terrible effect. In three several engagements, at Kingston, at Bentonville, and at Averysboro', the Confederates have fought with Sherman and Schofield, and each time won the day. This weari some delay, this tedious and circuitous retreat, has been advantageous rather than otherwise to the Con- federate army of the South. In Georgia there wag no force numerous enough to cope with Sherman. In North Carolina he is confronted by an army which is at least his equal, perhaps his superior, in strength. Both armies have been gathering, like snow balls, as they rolled northwards. Each has been re inforced by troops from Savannah, Charleston, and Wilmington. But while the whole C on f e derate garrisons of these places have taken the field the Northerners have to leave behind them at each a strong corps of occupation. The Confederate army has thus gained more than its Northern antagonist, though the disadvantage to the latter is to some extent counterbalanced by the accession of the force under Schofield from Newbern. It will be remem bered that a short time since General Schofield was encountered by Bragg and very roughly handled at Kingston, on the Neuse River, 30 mile s a b ove New bern. It was his intention to march to Goldsboro', 20 miles farther, a place of great importance to General Sherman, as being on the direct line from Fayetteville to Richmond. Though he occupied Kingston he was prevented from reaching Golds boro' by the army of Bragg, 40,000 strong, which stood in his way. Schofield appears then to have turned towards the south-west, in the hope of join ing Sherman near Fayetteville. On the road, about half-way, near a place called Bentonville, he was attacked by the Confederates, apparently the same army of Bragg which hadpreviously confronted him, but now commanded by General Johnstone in per son. This battle was fought on the 19th March, but three days earlier another fight had been fought some distance further to the west. From Fayette ville the Cape Fear River makes a bend to the north, so that Averysboro', on that river, is in the direc tion of Raleigh, and rather more than,3o miles from Fayetteville, or one-third of the distance. On the 16th March, Sherman reached this place, and found Hardee entrenched near the junction of the South and Black Rivers. The Northern army is said to have made three desperate charges, and each time to have been repulsed with great slaughter. The Federals are reported to have lost 3,300 ; the Con federates only 450. The check to the other Federal army seems to have been equally decisive. General Johnstone attacked Schofield at Bentonville, 20 miles south-west of Goldsboro', on the 19th March. He drove him back for one mile, and captured three guns. The Federals raffled, but were again attacked, and driven back. Night fell, and both armies en trenched themselves. We are quite in the dark as to what has happened since these engagements. There are rumours in New York that the forces under Schofield have effected a junction with the right wing of Sherman's army. It is also stated that thd Federals have occupied Goldsboro', but as the date mentioned is anterior to that of the battle at Bentonville the announcement must be considered as at the least premature. It is, however, probable enough that the Confederate general, satisfied with having checked the ardour of Sherman's advance, and inflicted two such blows upon his army in three days, will not fall back upon the strong positions at Raleigh and Weldon, and dare the enemy to con tinue his march towards Virginia. If Sherman and Schofield have joined, it is clear also that the armies of Bragg and Hardee have effected a union with the main army of Johnstone. A very formidable force disputes the further progress of General Sherman northwards. His junction with Grant becomes 'more and more improbable. The communications between Lee before Richmond and Johnstone in North Carolina remain open and undisputed. The armies of the North are still separated by the watch ful care of General Lee and his subordinates. It does not appear that Sheridan has yet been able to effect a junction. with Grant. By latest reports he was still at White House on the Pamunkey River. Between his troops and the camp of his friends on the James River are the Confederates under Long street, who swarm along the Chickahominy. Grant on the Appomattox may be in communication with Ord, on the north of the James River, he is cut off by a considerable interval from Sheridan on the Pamunkey, and from Sherman on the Neuse River. The armies of the Confederates, as we have said, form one vast camp, maintaining the closest rela tions with regard to supplies and the interchange of troops, ammunition, and guns. The closer they approach the greater will their advantage be. They will be able to engage in succession with overwhelm ing force the three armies opposed to them, whose isolation will be their ruin. The future of the cam paign is brighter for them than it has been for a long time past. After a long period of gloom the dawn has broken. The winter is over, and in Europe and America, at one single bound, as it were, the spring time has come to us. COUNTRY MARKETS LIVERPOOL-T UESDAY. At this day's market there was a small attendance of the town and country trade, and few transactions were re ported. Wheat the turn lower on the week. Flour with out change. Oats and oatmeal may be quoted dto id per 451 b. and Gd to is per load dearer o n the week. Barley, beans, and peas met with a retail sale at late rates. Indian corn attracted little attention, and prices were easier than during the week, 278 6d to 27s 9d having been taken for Danubian. SHEFFIELD-T ITESDAY. At our market to-day the show of wheat was fair, and the trade was slow at the rates of last week. The demand for barley was steady at late rates. Oats the same ; bean realised extreme rates. Red wheat, per load of 3 imp. bushels 15s Od to 16s01 White do do l6s Od 18s Od New red do do —us Od 768 Od New white do do l6s 6d 17s 6d Beans do do lss Cd 16s 6d Peas, per qr. Grinding ba , ley, per qr 30s Od 328 Oct Malting barley, Co 32s - Od 358 Od Oats, do 2ls Od 27s Od Flour....is 5d to is 9d per 1411:1. LEEDS-TUESDAY. The arrivals this week are not large. The wheat trade is only slow to-day, as factors are not inclined to take less, money, and our millers appear careless about buying ; prices remain the same as on Tuesday last good barley 1 5 per qr. dearer. Oats and beans quite as well sold. The average prices for the week ending March 27 were :-- Wheat, 39s 3P per qr. ; barley, 31s 21d ; and oatS, 21s 100. MONMOUTHSHIRE-MONDAY. The local markets of the county have been fairly attended by both buyers and "sellers during the last few days. For fine qualities of wheat the market has been firmer. Malt ing barley has been selling freely at the current priceo. Oats and beans remain unchanged. I [The following are the average quotations :—Wheat, 40 lld to 5s 6d per bushel; barley, 3s 2d to 3s 7d.; oats, is lld to 2s 6d. MELTON MOWBRAY.-TUESDAY. We had a seasonable show of wheat at our market to day, and samples were in fair condition. The tone of the inquiry was healthy, and prices same as last week. White wheat, 408 to 41s ; red, 36s] to . 40s per 36 stone. Barley for malting, 31s to 35s per qr - ; feed, 26s to 28s per 30 stone. Oats a shade, higher. Beans, old, 41s to 430; now, 36s to 38s per qr. Foreign Mail Packet List. Australia and New Zealand, via Southampton April 18. Ditto, via Marseilles April 12. Brazil and Cape Verds. by British pacxet April 6. Ditto, by French packet . April 22. Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena.... April 23. China, Penang:, and Singapore, via Southampton.. April 4. Ditto, via Marseilles .. April 12. Falkland Islands Gibraltar, via Southampton . ..... April 4. India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Scuthampton.....April 4. Ditto, via Marseilles ...... . —.... April 1L India (Bombay), via Southampton. April 11. Ditto, via Marseilles .. April 5. Mauritius, via Southampton Ditto, via 31arseire 3, April 5. Newfoundland April 12. Portugal ............April 6. Ditto, by private ship to Lisbon United States and British North America, by Bri tish packet April 6 Ditto, by United States packet, via Southamp ton ...... .. ....... Ditto, via Cork . ... Ditto, by Canadian packet, via Londonderry.. April 7. West Coast of Africa, Madeira, and Teneriffe ..April 12. Births. BIIERELL.—On the 2d inst., at I . l.mley, Surrey, the wife of Charles E. Burrell, Esq., of a son. RANDALL.—On the 4th inst., at Notting-hill, Mrs. John Randall, of a son. STEWART.—On the 4th inst., at 13, Bolgrave-square, LOY Isabella Stewart, of a daughter. SHAND. — On the 3d inst., at 23, Belsize-park, the wife 01 C. Shand, Esq., of a son, stillborn. Marriages. KENT — HoBsoN.—On tho 3d inst., at Brighton, Fredericlt Kent, Esq., Great Chishill, Essex, to Hannah Elizabeth, eldest daughter of John Hobson, Esq., of Patcham, near Brighton. SAINSBURY—GOOD.—On the 4th inst., at Holy Trinity Church, Paddington, Edwin Tarver Sainsbury, Egli 74th Highlanders, to F r an ces S ara h , on l y daughter o f Henry Good, Esq., of 148, Westbourno-terrace, Hyde park. Deaths. BROOKE.—On tho 2d inst., at Mere Hall, Cheshire, Thos• J. L. Brooke, Esq., aged 45. DELL.—On the 3d inst., at 1, Brunswick-place, Upper Lewisham-road, James Dell, Esq., aged 35. DUITERIN..—On the 28th ult., the Dowager Lady Dufferili, aged 93. EADY.—On the 3d inst., Wm. Eady, Esq., of Campsbournel Hornsey. HERRING.—On the 4th inst., at Islington, Mr. George' Herring, of the firm of Herring, Dewick, and Herring, aged 39. HEALD.—On tho Ist inst., at Chelsea., George Heald, Esq• , aged 84. Lor.don : Printed and Published by WILLIAM ANDREIWP' of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at TIIE SUN Office, No 11 2 9 Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the County of Middlesex.—Wednesday, April 5, 1865. THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY VENT G, APRIL 5, 1865.