The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-19 00:00:00

AMERICA.

QUEENSTOWN, Friday Evening.
The Cunard Royal Mail steamer China from New
York on the 7th inst. has arrived.

The following aro the latest official despatches
published:— _ _ _

" War Department, Washington, Sept. 3, 8 p.m.
"No intelligence from Atlanta later than my
telegram of last night has btenreceived. The tele-
graphic lines between Nashville and Chattanooga
were broken last night by Wheeler, and we have
had nothing south of Nashville to-day. This ac-
counts for the absence of later information from
Atlanta. No doubt is entertained of the correct-
ness of the reports received last night, which came
from two independent sources, besides the official
despatch from General Slocum. Unofficial reports
this evening from Nashville state that the damage
done by Wheeler to the railroad will be speedily
repaired, and that Wheeler had retreated, General
Rosseau being in pursuit ; that in an engagement
between Rosseau and Wheeler's forces the rebel
General Kelly was mortally wounded and is in our
hands.

"EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War.
"To Major. General Dig."

" Sept. 4.
The following telegram from General Grant
hus just been received :

" ' City Paint, Sept. 3.

" ' I have received a Richmond paper to-day. It
contains a rumour of a battle at Atlanta, but says
the War Department, Kevin;; no official information,
declines to form an opinion from the rumours- I
have no doubt, however, that Sherman has gained
a great success there. Before the despatch of last
night was received, announcing the occupation of
Atlanta by our troops, the fact was known to our
pickets. The rebels helloed over to our men that
Sherman had whipped Hood, that the latter had
lost 40,000 men, and that cur troops were in Atlanta.
All quiet here. _ _

"U. S. GRANT, Lieut.-General.

Hon. E. M. Stanton.'

" Our south• western telegraph line continues
down, and this, with a heavy storm that commenced
in the afternoon, and is still prevailing beyond
Louisville, may damage the line so as to hinder the
arrival of details from Atlanta for a day or two.
" EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War.
" Major-General Dix."

" Sept. 4.

" General Sherman's official report of the capture
of Atlanta has just been received by this depart-
ment. It is dated 26 milts south of Atlanta, 6
o'clock yesterday morning, but was detained by the
breaking of the telegraph lines mentioned in my
despatch of last night. As already reported, the
army withdrew from about Atlanta, and on the
30th had make a break of the East Point-road, and
reached a good position from which to strike the
Macon-road. 'the right (Howard) near Jonesbo-
rough, the left (Schofield) near Rough and Ready,
and the centre (Thomas) at Couch's. Howard found
the enemy in force at Jonesborough, and intrenched
his troops, the salient within half a mile of the rail-
road. The enerry attacked him at 3 p.m., but was
easily repulsed, leaving his dead and wounded.
Finding strong opposition on the road, I advanced
the left and centre rapidly to the railroad, made a
good lodgment, and broke it all the way from the
Rough and Ready down to Howard's left, near
Jonesborough, and by the same movement I inter-
posed my whole army between Atlanta and the part
of the enemy intrenched in and around Jonesbo-
rough. We made a general attack on the enemy at
Jonesborough on the Ist of September, the 14th
Corps, General Jeff C. Davis, carrying the works
handsomely, with 10 guns and about 1,000 prison-
ers. In the night the enemy retreated south, and
we have followed him to another of his hastily
constructed lines near Lovejoy's station. Hood at
Atlanta, finding me on his road, the only one that
could supply him, and between him and a consider-
able part of his army, blew up his magazines in
Atlanta, and left in the night time, when the 20th
Corps, General Slocum, took possession of the place.
So Atlanta is ours, and fairly won. Since the sth
of Alayanwd enth ea
dv er
ebsete in oneconstant battle
. no ar losses
w will
ln o o
not exceed
er skir-
mish,
xeeed

1200, and we have possession of over 300 rebel dead,
250 wounded, and over 1,500 well.
" W. T. SHERMAN,
Maj3r.General.
"MajordGen. Dix, New York."
"A later despatch from General Slocum, dated
at Atlanta last night (the 3d) at 9 p.m., states that
the enemy destroyed seven locomotives and 81 cars
loaded with ammunition, small arms and stores, and
left 14 pieces of artillery, most of them uninjured,
and a large number of small arms. Deserters are
constantly coming into our lines.
" EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War."
" Sept. 6, 8 p.m.

"In honour of the cap;.ure of Atlanta Grant yes-
terday ordered a salute to be fired with shotted
guns from every battery bearing upon the enemy.
Nothing has been revived by the department from
Atlanta since the 4th fast., nor anything south of
Nashville, on account of the derangement of the
telegraph lines by the prevailing lines. No moves
ments of importance have taken place in the She-
nandoah Valley.•
" EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War.
Major-General Dix." _ _

"8 10 p.m.

" A despatch from General Grant, just received,
gives a statement from the ltichmona Examiner of
this morning, that John Morgan was surprised and
killed, and his staff captured at Grenville, Tennes-
see, yesterday. An unofficial despatch received by
this department this morning from Lexington,
states that General Gillen had officially reported
the surprise and defeat of Morgan at Greeneville;
that John Morgaii was killed and the staff opt ured;

" The national thanks are tendered by the President to
Admiral Farragut and Major-General Canby for the skill
and harmony with which the recent operations in Mobile
harbour, and against Fort Powell, Fort Gaines, and Fort
Morgan were planned and carried into execution; also to
Admiral Farragut and Major-General Granger, under
whose immediate command they were conducted, and to the
gallant commanders on sea and land, and to the sailors and
sildiers engaged in the operations for their energy and cou-
rage, which, under the blessing of Providence, have been
crowned with brilliant success, and have won for them the
applause and thanks of the nation.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

Executive Mansion, Sept. 3.
The nation's thanks aro tendered by the President to
Major... General William T. Sherman and the gallant officers
and soldiers of his command before Atlanta for the distin-
.

'shed ability, courage, and perseverance displayed in the
campaign in Georgia, which, under Divine Power, resulted
in the capture of the city of Atlanta. The marches, battles,
sieges, and other military operations Which have signalised
this campaign must render it famous in the annals of war,
and have entitled those who have participated therein to the
applause and thanks of the nation.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
ExAcutive Mansion, 'Washington, Sept. 3.
Ordered-1. That on Monday, the sth day of September,
commencing at the hour of 12 o'clock noon, there shall
be given a salute of 100 guns at the arsenal and navy yard
at Washington, and on Tuesday, the Gth of September, or
on the day after the receipt of this order, at each arsenal
and navy yard in the United States for the recent brilliant
achievements of the fleet and land forces of the United
States in the harbour of Mobile, and the reduction of Port
Powell, Fort Gaines, and Fort Morgan. The Secretary of
War and the Secretary of the Navy will issue the necessary
directions in their respective departments for the execution
of this order. 2. That on Wednesday, Sept. 7, at the hour
of 12 o'clock noon, there shall be Ered a salute of 100 guns
at the arsenals at Washington, and at New York, Boston,
Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburg, Newport, Kentucky,
and St. Louis, and at New Orleans, Mobile, Pensacola,
Hilton Head, and Newbern the day after the receipt of this
order, for the brilliant achievements of the army under
command of Major-Gen. Sherman, in the State of Georgia,
and the capture of Atlanta. The Secretary of War will
issue directions for the execution of this order.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
A Washington press despatch of the sth says—

Deserters from the rebel army report thut Atlanta is in
our possession, with a large number of prisoners ; that Rich-
mond papers contain accounts of a battle there on the 31st
of August, and that our troops were at first repulsed, but
finally drove the enemy back with heavy loss, including
three cenerals—viz., Anderson, Patten, and -Hardee.

The Philadelphia Aye of the C has the following
review of General Serman's late movement ;
It has been about 10 days since General Sherman began
a movement, much of which is still involved in mystery.
One corps of his army, under General Slocum, was left in
the trenches in front of Atlanta. The remainder was gra-
dually withdrawn, forming a long column on the south
bank of the Chattahoochee, and slowly marching down the
river. Parallel to the river, and about eight miles south
of it, is the Montgomery Railroad. East Point is eight
miles south-west of Atlanta, Red Oak is twenty miles,
and Fairburn twenty-five miles south-west. At East Point
the Macon Railroad begins, It runs south to Jones-
borough, and then south-east. Jonesborough is 20 miles
from Atlanta. But very little intelligence of Sherman's
movement was transmitted north, for during almost all the
time since it began Wheeler had the railroad and telegraph

to Nashville cut, and•there was no commurication. Sher-
man marched la's column down the river until the rear
reached Sandtown ten miles west of Atlanta. He then
swung the head of it around toward the east until it struck
the Montgomery Railroad at Fairburn. From FA, burn a
raiding party was sent across the country to Jonesborough,
on the Macon Railroad. The road was cut, but no large
force of the enemy found. On Aug. 23 Gen. Hood tele-
graphed to Richmond that Sherman's line extended from
Sandtown to Fairburn, thus being south-west of the city,
and Hood at once began moving his army to meet the Fede .
ral advance. Sherman's southern flank marched unopposed
up the Montgomery Railroad, from Fairburn towards Ate
Tanta, until it reached Red Oak, 20 miles from the city.
Here the Confederates met the troops and they halted,
Sherman's southern fl ink was then marched south-east
from Sandtown towards East Point, 8 miles
from Atlanta.
On Tuesday last, Aug. 30, Sherman's lino extended from
Red Oak north-east, along the railroad towards East Point,
and his northern flank was pressing towards East Point from
the direction of Sandtown. Hood, finding the enemy south-
west of him at once abandoned Atlanta, and gave Sherman
battle. A contest began on Tuesday afternoon along the
Montgomery Railroad, from Rod Oak to East Point, a dis •
tance of 12 miles. Slocum, who had been left with one corps
in front of Atlanta, began to feel the enemy in front of him.
He found the city abandoned and on Friday morning en-
tered it. He at once announced the evacuation of the town,
and by a strange coincidence Wheeler was off the railroad
to
er
a Nashvilleti enough to allow the despatch being
n
gone when Wheeler again cut the tele•
h
once more hid Sherman's operations. Slo-
cum,
enemy between him and Sherman's main
sent. Scarcely
andat .e
havingy justvthe
hade il
it long
body, could not tell what was going on at East Point. He
knew a battle was being fought, for he heard the
cannon, but that was all. UP to Sunday
morning this was all the intelligence sent us.
This morning, however, we have later intelligence. Last
which
for
soon repulsed, and Sher-
manevening the telegraph was reopened, and a despatch from
Sherman himself received. The enemy on Tuesday had not
fought him very desperately, but gradually retreated across
ents aran attack. The Confede-
ratesthe country towards Jonesborough. Sherman followed them
He brought his entire army south of the Montgomery Rail-
road, and by Thursday had arrived within a mile of Jones-
borough. There he found the enemy intrenched, They sent
by this time had retreatednaflrone Atlanta, and were
drawn up in line on the Macon Railroad. yut a
made reconnaissance,
his
Their southern
flank was at Jonesborough, theirA northern at Rough and
Ready, a village 13 miles from tlanta. In front of their
arrangem
position Flint River flowed, and the hills on its eastern side
were intrenched. It was this position which Sherman at-
tacked on Thursday afternoon. He carried the Confederate
works at Jonesborough, capturing 10 cannon and 1,000 pri-
soners. Hood blew up his workswith
in evacuating Atlanta, and
destroyed some trains loaded ammunition. The spoils
secured by Slocuni were 14 cannon and the ruins of the de-
stroyed trains. When the works at Jonesborough were car-
ried Hood abandoned his line on Flint River and by a hasty
march to the south-west moved the portion of his army
which had been north of Jonesborough to the east of the
treated with his
place. He then re allforces to
Lovejoy's,
six miles south-west of Jonesborough, on the railroad. Here
he took a new position. Sherman writes to Stanton, "his
army needs rest, and does not seem to intend an attack upon
the new Confederate position.
The Louisville Journal in its correspondence re-
views the topography of the neighbourhood of At-
lanta thus :
South-west of Atlanta are high table-lands, partly
wooded, which may be the scene of operations when the
city is abandoned, while nine miles directly south may be
found cedar bluffs, which may prove to be the theatre of
desperate battles, should we fail to get Hood in our hands
before he reaches these strongholds of nature. Rumours
reach us that already are works in these places being pre-
pared for the reception of the rebel forces, should they be
obliged to give up the place they now occupy.
The Richmond Sentinel observes :--
From East Point —about three miles beyond which the
Yankees now are—to West Point is 31 miles. From West
Point to Opeluka, where the Muscogee Railroad strikes the
Montgomery and West Point Railroad, tho latter being
continuous with the Atlanta and West Point Railroad, the
distance, we should judge, is about 11 miles. At any rate,
it is hard upon 100 miles from the junction of the Muscogee
to Fairburn or East Point. Sherman's army must be very
long indeed if they can reach thus far, and unless they can

Our leader, hitherto so prompt in deciding upon flank
operations, has deliberated long, and exhausted every other
means before making the decision necessary to this move-
ment. By extending his lines to the right and cutting the
Montgomery road he attenuated his front to the utmost
length in the endeavour to compass the city and sever its
lines of communication. The Decatur and Augusta road
was carefully watched by the cavalry, lest the enemy should
reopen it. General Sherman advanced his line so closely
around the invested city that at any time he could pour into
it the contents of 100 guns. In fact, for the past month our
cannon have allowed but very few hours to pass without
saluting the besieged city. The enemy however has made
no endeavour to evacuate, and to all appearance entertains
no intention to leave. While pushing the enemy in front,
Gen. Sherman has, by his cavalry, greatly annoyed his rear.
M'Cook and Stoneman wero sent out toward Macon, with
what result is well known. The former was defeated, and
the latter captured, without any permanent injury to the
railroad having been (fleeted, although many substantial
results were obtained in the way of captures of animals and
the destruction of muniticns of war. The last attempt of
this character was made by the gallant General Kilpatrick,
who, with 4,000 cavalry, has just returned from the most
successful penetration into the enemy's lines yet effected.
Gen. Kilpatrick reaohed Jonesborough, on the Atlanta and
Macon road, on Friday night, and destroyed its shops and
Government depots. His command destroyed the rails and

some trestle-work along the line of the railroad for several
miles. The lighting up of the clouds, illumined by the fires
far to the southward, caused by the burning of the rebel

storehouses, was plainly discernible from our camps north

of Atlanta. As was expected, the enemy moved a number of
regiments of infantry by rail to attack General Kilpatrick.
By a desperate charge he broke the line enveloping him,

and sabred his way out, losing, perhaps, 500 men in killed,
wounded, and missing. His officers relate that 1,003 rebel
infantry surrendered in abject fear of his charging squa-
drons, but no time could be spared to attend to prisoners.
The success of the charge may be determined from the fact
that the ambulances and trains of the expedition were run
uninterruptedly through the ranks of the frightened foe.
This expedition was as successful as it is possible to make
expeditions of this character. It has satisfied Gen. Sher-
man that no pet mancnt interruption or embarrassment of
the rebel rear can be thus accomplished. The nature of
the ground is such that only trifling damage can be dune
to the railroad, He has, therefore, with great forethought
and consideration of all the pros and cons, determined
upon the movement now being made.

With regard to Hood's communications the cor-
respondent says :
Notwithstanding what you may read in some of the
papers in regard to Hood's communication being entirely
cut off, I have only insisted in telling you the truth in re-
porting to you occasionally that such is not and has not
been the case. Up to the last raid of Kilpatrick their trains
arrived and departed daily upon the Macon road, M'Cook
did remove a few rails from this road, but they wore re-
placed almost as speedily as they were destroyed. The West
Point road, which leaves East Point (six wiles due south
from Atlanta) has been badly cut many times. .M'Cook cut
it in three places. Rossean destroyed several miles of it,
and Kilpatrick has made two raids upon it in the last few
days; this does no great harm however,as it is merely a spe-
cial line, just the same as our railroad between Chattanooga
and Knoxville. Wheeler has cut this road badly in several
places, but the garrison of Knoxville can be supplied by
river as well as when there were three large corps there,
and if 'worst comes to worst,' our forces at Knoxville can be
abundantly supplied through Kentucky; Burnside and
Scofield both were, if you recollect, at one time. We must
not it fitter ourselves that every time we dash upon a rebel
railroad, even it' miles of track are removed, that the rebel
army has gone up;' no indeed they stand these things as
well as we do ; and to tell the truth, they manage to repair
all such damages as speedily nearly as we do ourselves. But
to return to the subject proper, Hood, up to the return of
Kilpatrick from his last raid, has experienced no trouble in
supplying his army with a sufficiency of food and powder.
Kilpatrick however, as I last infcrmed you, did cut the road
in three places, and in all removed some five miles of rails
and then made a narrow but brilliant escape from half-a-
dozen large brigades of rebel cavalry, which had made his
capture a sure thing. In addition to this subject, I will
state that a week or 10 days ago, the rebel papers reported
that the bridges and culverts destroyed by Ciarrtird on the
Augusta:road were almost in readiness to permit trains to
pass over them, By this time, no doubt, that road is in
running order."

The Columbus Times, a Georgian paper, gives the
following picture of one of the scenes in Atlanta
during the siege;—
"
On Wednesday Light a large 42 pound shell entered
the Presbyterian Church on Marietta-street, and, after pass-
ing through the pulpit, exploded in the basement, or Sun-
day-schoolroom. Several families living in the vicinity
having taken refuge there were more or less stunned and
injured by the explosion, and one man had his tight arm
taken off. The scene in the room was frightful—it was
after midnight, and all the inmates were sleeping peacefully,
perfectly confident of security. Mothers caught up their
children hurriedly and rushed frantically into the streets,
screaming, though without any definite purpose in view,
save that of escaping for the time from the scene which had
struck such terror into their souls, and there, out upon the
open street, they stood crouching, with their little families
clinging around them,and knowing not where to fly for safety
Shell after shell in rapid succession came screaming through
the air, and as the light of each terrific explosion, like
lightning flishos, quivered over them, the figure of one
pale-faced mother could be discerned, with bare out-
stretched arms, vainly hoping to shield her little ones from
the falling fragments. Oh, the heartless cruelty of the foe I
Oh, the mighty depths of a mother's love. Assistance
came at last, however, and the panic-stricken women and
children were huddled off into bomb-proafa of kind neigh-
bours in more secure localities, and the wounded properly
cared for."

The New York Tribune gives a biography of the
guerilla General Morgan in these terms :
« John H. Morgan, the notorious rebel scout, and com-
mander of the rebel rangers, was born near Lexington,
Kentucky. From his boyhood he was noted for his skill
and recklessness in horsemanship. In September, 1861, ho
assumed the command of a band of guerillas in the vicinity
of Pilot Knob, Missouri, where he shot down a number of
Union pickets. He next appeared in the neighbourhood of
Bacon Creek, Kentucky, at the head of his band, burnt the
railroad bridge, almost within sight of the Union head-
quarters, and escaped before our forces recovered from their
surprise. In the month of March, 1862, he boldly attacked
our lines on the Franklin Pike, Ohio, and somewhat de-
layed the march of our troops. He afterwards disguised
himself as a farmer and entered our lines, dining at the
best hotels, and escaped without discovery, after obtaining
the information he needed. On onother occasion he nearly
caught General Nelson in a trap he had laid for him. Be •
tween Louisville and Nashville he stopped a railroad train
and took several prisoners. During the winter of 1862-3
he commanded a cavalry division of Gen. Bragg's army,and
greatly annoyed General Rosencranz' outposts and com-
munications. With him were several smart telegraph ope-
rators, who would attach wires to the telegraph lines, take
off the messages coming from the headquarters of the
army, and send back counterfeit ones. To these operations
many of the Union defeats in Kentucky are attributed. In
the summer of 1863 he headed an extensive raid through-
out Indiana and Ohio, in which he was captured with a
large number of his command. In Nov. 1863. he with six
of his officers adroitly escaped from the Ohio Penitentiary,
after a great deal of persevering labour in undermining the
prison. Morgan was a tall, heavy man, who usually rode a
black horse. He was e bold, daring, and merciless thief and
murderer, and his followers were like him. They would
ride into towns and cities, capture the chi I officers in
broad daylight, having been informed by the Copperheads
of their whereabouts, and then ride off before the citizens
had recovered from their surprise. Morgan was by pro-
fession a negro trader, a gambler, and a libertine. Whm-e-
-ever ho was known he was regarded as a low-bred fellow
whom no laly could recognise. In several street fights
he had gained the reputation of an assassin rather than
that of a hero. Yet this wretch was the fellow upon whom
the Secesh women of Kentucky and Seccssia lavished their
brightest smiles and most liberal favours."
The !ollowing account is given of a cavalry fight
at Berryville between portions of Sheridan's and
Early's armies, in which the Federals claim a vic-
tory. It is dated from the Headquarters of the
Middle Military Division, September 4 :
" General Torbert's cavalry corns, which were encamped
at Rippon's store, on the Charlestown and Berryville pike,
left cam) a' nine o'clock on Friday night, and proceeded to
Berryville, reaching there at midnight, where they went
into camp until daybreak next morning, when they moved
out through Berryville on the 'Winchester pike, taking the
road to the left, about seven miles beyond Berryville, and