The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-28 00:00:00

The Defences of Richmond,

A correspondent of the New York Tribune, who
states that he has derived his information from an
ex-Confederate officer, gives the following account
of the defences of Richmond There are hun-
dreds and even thousands of people who suppose
that General Grant intends to carry the defences
around Richmond by a grand (assault, and that in a
tew days the city will be capturut. B:at these
parties will be disappointed. Tne day for carrying
he defences and reaching the city by storm is past.
In the latter part of June, and the fore part of
July, 1862, when M'Clellan was frightened to
gunboats for protection, the defences of the
city were in the cut are of common field fortifications,
which any skilful or even fighting general with his
army could have carried with Ewe difficulty and
,oss. The Union army then outnumbered the rebel
aost by one third, and I believe one half. Since
then, however, the rebels have placed under arms
every citizen capable of zniiitary duty, so that to-
day Lee's army is numerically nearly equal to
Grant's. The rebel authorities have not only placed
every man capable of bearing arms in the field, but
they have done everything that military skill and
engineering could do to render their city impreg•
cable. Rtchmond is to-day as well fortifi,d, per-
naps, as any city on the globe. It is a complete a
fortress (so the rebels boast) as the city of Posen
in Prussia, which is said by military writers
and engineers to be the most skilfully fortified
inland city in Europe, not excepting even
Paris. The public must, therefore, await
the operations of our Lieutenant-General with
patience. The defences of Richmond consist of a
large number of forts of various dimensions, so
situated that mutual protection exists between
them, while an interior circumscribing system of
defence has been adopted as an additional security,
should a single outwork fall. To name and describe
all the forts would be quite a tedious task, and I
shall therefore only refer to a few of the most
im-
portant ones. Looking to the south-east, we find
Fort Jackson, near Fair Oaks, about 31 miles
from the city, between the New Bridge-road
and York River Railroad. Then comes Fort
Johnson, just below the Chickahominy, in the
neighbourhood of a mile from the Mechanicsville
Pike. This fort commands the Mechanicsville-bridge,
and, in fact, all the bridges and fords between it
and New Bridge. Two miles and a half from the
city, and about midway between the Virginia Cen-
tral Railroad and Mechanicsville Pike, is the "Ma-
lakoff," bearing on the Mechanicsville Bridge and
Wilkinson's or Railroad Bridge, and will, in fact,
sweep that part of the Chickahominy between the
points named. About two and three quarter miles
from the city, nearly midway of the Meadow Bridge
Road and Brook Run Pike, situate on a high hill, is
Fort Beauregard, commanding the Brook Pike and
Meadow Bridge Road. A mile and a half in advance
of it is a great redoubt, bearing on the Meadow
Bridge and the bridge over Brook Run and all inter-
mediate points on the stream. Tnree and a bait
miles from the city, between the Brook Run Pike
and the Richmond and Fredericksburg R,i1r.410, on
in eminence stands Fort Lee, commanding both
those thoroughfares for a long distance, and com-
manding as well Brook Run Bridge and two fords
on the Deep Run. Within and without and be-
tween these forts are others on a smaller scale; and
in addition to this, the intervals are enelcsed by
ieavy curtains and ramparts from 80 to 90 feet in
thickness. In front of the forts and ramparts are
ditches 28 feet in width and 22 feet deep, in which
are constructed Carnot walls of the most ingenious
character.

A NEW ALABAMA.—The Paris correspondent of
the Daily News says :—" It is not true, as reported
by the Temps, that Captain Semmes is in Paris, but it is
said that he has sent for most of his officers to give them
instructions for the armament of a new Alabama, of
which he proposes shortly to take the command. The
fiance, which seems to have received special information
about this new ship, says that she is a small beautifully-
formed corvette, iron-plated inside, and provided with
powerful artillery. Captain Semmes has ordered three
pivot guns capable of throwing hollow projectiles of 170,
and solid projectiles of 220 English pounds. Her crew,
which in the old Alabama consisted of 142 men, is to be
augmented to 172. The France says that these details
are positive.' It does not know in what port the new ship
will be armed, but it believes that no surveillance can
prevent it from putting to sea."
THE LATE MR. GEORGE LANCE.—This celebrated
flawer and fruit painter, whose death is just an-
nounced as having occurree. at New Brighton, Cheshire,
was born at Little Easton, Essex, in 1802. In 1828 he first
began to exhibit his productions at the Royal Academy,
but it is only since 1835 that ho has regularly been a con-
tributor. Every ono who is in the habit of visiting the Royal
Academy must be familiar with Mr Lance's beautiful
imitations of fruit and flowers. He has three pictures
in the Vernon Gallery, the most celebrated of which per-
haps is "Redcap." Mr Lance, however, has gained some
reputation in other departments of art. " Melancthon"
gained the prize at Liverpool. Much controversy has
taken place about Mr Lance's share in restoring Velasquea'
" Boar Hunt," in the National Gallery, some 20 years ago,
Mr Lance insisting that whole groups of figures are in
reality his work. Mr. Lance never was a Royal Academi-
cian, great as was his popularity in his own line ; but those
who are familiar with the " laws of thought" which govern
the august 40 will be at no loss to understand the reason.
FATAL BARGE ACCIDENT ON THE FIVER,—.
Yeeterday morning, off Chelsea, a young man named
Christopher Price, a bargeman, fell from the gunwale of
his barge, and was drowned before assistance could reach
him.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

LONDON, June 23.—Wind this day at noon—North-
West; moderate breeze and fine weather, but rather
cloudy.

COWES, June 27.—Wind W.N.W.—Arrived--Cassia,
from Callao—Annie, from Bahia.
FALMOUTH, June 27.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Linder-
farne, from Bahia for Bremen.
NEWPORT, June 26.—Wind W.—Arrived—Florence,
from Waterford for Ascension. Sailed—Tre Brodres, for
Buenos Ayres.

wnE, June 27.—Wind N.W.—Atrived—Canada,
from Quebec.

DUNDEE, June 27.—Wind N.W.—Arrived—Summer
Cloud, from Calcutta.

(BY MAGNETIC TELEGRIPM.)

GRAVESEND, Tuesday Morning'
Arrived, June 27—Grwinde Karen Wedel jasborg, from
Dram—Morning Star, from Jamaica—Olaf K.arre. from
Havannah—Malabar, from Calcutta.
Arrived, Juno 28—Hobe, from liolrastadt—Fordew
Kiold, from Havannah—Rifleman and Waltar Hood, from
Sydney—Minniger, from Quebec—Anna, from Holber—
Countess from Dantsic.
DEAL, Tuesday Morning.
Arrived and Passed, June 27 Rifleman, from Sydney,
for London.
Passed, in tow—Virginia Dare, from Calcutta, for
London—Sarah Scott, from Sunderland, for Alexandria—
Jessie, from London, for Demerara—Victoria, from Sunder
land. for Alexandria—laggie Lauder, from Sunderland,
for Calcutta—Jane Harman, from the north, for the ssest
_Dion°, from London, for Algoa Bay.

THE ALLEGED CRUELTY TO SEAMEN ON BOARD
THE AMERICAN SHIP ALEATROSS.—A paragraph
appeared in the Times of the 14th inst. in reference to pro-
ceedings before the Newport magistrates against the two
mates of the American ship Albatross for several acts of
alleged cruelty to the seamen on board. The charges
against the mates were then dismissed, the alleged offences
having been committed on the Atlantic, and, consequently
the cases did not come within the jurisdiction of the magis-
trates. The latter, however, expressed a hope that the
American Consul would inquire into the matter. In com-
pliance with this request, an investigation has since been
held before Mr Knapp, the Consul. After hearing the
witnesses on both sides, the Consul reports that the charge:
were entirely unfounded, and that the crew were induced
by designing persons to make complaints of cruelty in
order, if possible, to extort money.