The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-10 00:00:00

The ld of
the the 26th publishes the following
particulars
engagement in North Carolina :
Wore f

The unfavourable aspect of the military eituation
—the growing discontent of all classes at the ineffi-
ciency and ill luck of the Administrathen—the cer-
tainty that sooner or later a fino:atial crash must
'i
come, and the reckless extr evagance of the rich
which causes an immense and continually increasing
importation of Earott,ean luxuries, all to lie paid for
in hard cash, have, combined to raise the premium on
gold to almost, as high a point as that at which it
stood when Mr. Chase, 12 days ago, came into the
market, as a seller of his reserves. It then stood at
89 per cent, premium, and fell in a few days to 65.
for the past week it has been continually on the
rise, and yesterday reached ss high as 85k. Today,
after a series of fluctuations, it settied. at Slk at the
close of business.
Something of a sensation has been excited, not
only in financial but in wider circles, by the fierce
onslaught just made upon Mr. Chase in Congress
by General Blair, brother of the Postmaster-Ge-
neeal, who, in defending himself against a charge
of peculation levelled at him by one of his cols
leagues in the representation of Missouri, twit oc-
casion to accuse the Secretary of the 'Treasury of
personal corruption iu the
ttt,.. leanagetnent of the
affairs of his depart me
of stating that He also went the length
`:er. Chase was not in favour of the
proeecutio
"e of the war; that he desired the South
811°111').., be let go in peace; and though he had ap-
-parently withdrawn his pretensions to the Presi-
dential chair, he was still a candidate, and was
playing off General Fremont against Mr. Lincoln,
with the hope at the last moment of uniting in his
own 'person the party vote which neither of those
gentlemen would secure. Immediately after the
delivery of this speech General Blair, who is a
strong supporter of Mr. Lincoln, was appointed to
the command of the 17th Army Corps, in the de-
partment of the Mississippi. The speech was his
parting, a Parthian shot in the House of Repre-
sentatives, before resigning his seat, and was aimed,
not eo much against his personal detractors, who
accused him of making a profit on whiskey illicitly
conveyed into the army, as against Mr. Chase,
whom he suspected, rightfully or wrongfully, of
being the instigator of the calumny.
Both Houses of the Legislature of the wealthy
and hitherto honourable State of New York have
decided that they will day the interest of the public
debt in greenbacks. They hold that greenbacks
are legal tender ; that Congress has so ordained ;
and that as they bear on the face of them that they
are receivable for all debts, public and private, ex-
cept Customs' Duties and interest on the debt of
the liaited States, they are clearly receivable by
the creditors of the State of New York. Anything
more impudently dishonest than teis it is difficult
to imagine. A large portion, if not a majority, of
the persons who advanced their money to New York
to enable it to construct its canals and public works
are Englishmen, or other foreigners, not bound in
law or equity to participate in the burdens imposed
upon or assumed by Americans in the preeee'ation
of their civil war, and who have the riget to insist
upon payment of the interest in the coin eutreet at
the time the debt was contracted. To pay ICO dols.
in greenbacks to the foreign creditor instead of 100
dols. in gold is simply to rob such creditor of 45 per
cent, of his property, and is not only a first step,
but a very large stride towards repudiation, Last
year the Legislature, having some small remnant of
shame or conscience, paid itB fotselen creditors in
coin, as it was bound to de, but cheated its fellow-
citizens with deneeciated paper. As these latter
were accused
is:.
presuo- disloyalty, if net treaeob, if theY
ed to remnntAttatn) thq eutomitted to the
robbery veith the best grace tili4 could assume ;
WA if they made wry fades; said I.mbol-
dened by this partial success, the Legislature has
thin reel• completed the fraud, which it began in the
last—both houses agreeing to the propoital, with a
very significant Red 'eery shametul unanimity.
Governor •s.eyneottr, who it seems has no power to
veto the measure, has done what he nould under
the circumstances to befall the members to a sense
of honoree; end transmitted a special message, urging
the two houses to reconsider the matter as one of
the highest moment to the welfare and character
of the Ste.te. It remains to be seen whether next
year—it is too late this, as the session has closed—
they will have the good sense, and the decency, to
retraas their steps, or whether, for the sake of a
small temporary savings they are willing to injure
the credit Of their state to all future time, and render
it Oetatle to borrow in the markets of the world,
unless at such onerous rates as will cover the extra
risk of repudiation.
New York, however, does not stand alone in its
dishonesty. The State of Ohio, which had a re-
serve in gold sufficient to discharge the interest of
the debt due to its domestic and foreign creditors,
had the meanness to sell at a high premium the
gold which it held in reserve to meet its liabilities,
to pay its creditors in greenbacks at par, and to
pocket the difference. The repudiation of the State
of Mississippi in bygone years was bad enough,
but it was not so shabby as the semi-repudiation
of these wealthy Northern States, which have not
the justification of poverty, or the sorrier pretext
of an alleged illegality in the contraction of the
debt, to plead in extenuation of their conduct.
After a prosperous existence of three weeks, the
Great Sanitary Fair for the benefit of the wounded
soldiers and of the widows and children of the slain,
was brought to a close on Saturday evening. The
total receipts were nearly 1,100,000 dols., inclusive
of a sum of 44,963 dols. for a sword that was not
worth 1,000 dols. In a lucky moment for the inte•
rests of the fair, the givers and makers of this
sword suggested that it should be presented, or, in
American slang, " donated" to the Federal general
to whom it should be noted by the visitors, and that
any person should have the privilege of a vote on
payment of a dollar, The names of a dozen gene-
rals were speedily inscribed on the voting-book, but
it became evident on the first day that the contest
would lie between two only—Generals M'Clellan
and Grani. Had it been stipulated that no person
should have more than one vote, the sword would
have been Gen. M'Clellan's ; but when it was agreed
that any one might give a thousand votes on pay-
ment of a thousand dollars, or a hundred thousand,
or any Urger number on the same terms, the con-
test became one in which length of purse and per-
sonal zeal would carry the day over a merely nume-
rical majority. Yet up to within half an hour of the
close of the fair General APCiellan had a majority
of nearly 2,500 votes, and at the shutting of the
books a mai )rity of 2,256. This was in reality de-
cisive of the contest. Nevertheless it was deter-
mined by the heads of the Republican party, end
by the contractors, who entertain for M'Clellan a
hatred which grows in proportion to his popularity

Army of the Potomac, April 24.
The Richmond &nlinel of April 22 says the following
despatcb, ha? been received by General Bragg :

" Plymouth, North Carolina, April 20.

I, To General Braxton Bragg,-1 have stormed and car-
ried this place, capturing one brigadier, 1,600 men, stores,
and 25 pieces of artillery.
d. R. Y. 1101 LE, Brigadier-General."

A telegram teat also received by the President from
Col, John Taylor W)od, dated Rocky Mount, 21st inst.,
eying further particulars of the capture of Plymouth by
the force under Gen, Hoke, with naval co-operati n. He
says that about 2,500 prisoners were taken (300 or 405 of
them negroes), 30 pieces of artillery, 100,0001 b of meat,

1,000 barrels of flour, and a full garrison outfit. Our loss
waa about 300 in all. Colonel Merco was among the killed.
Two gunboats were sunk, another disabled, and a small
steamer captured,

Fortress Monroe, April 22,

The rebel ram at P,ymouth, North Carolina, has had the
effect of net only dein; great damage to our shipping there,
but has precipitated uovements materially. The news we
received from there is conflicting, yet painful. ,The ram, of
which so much has been said, and precaution taken to
guard against, ran past Fort (hay on Monday night, after
the moon had disappeared on the opposite bank of the Roa-
noke river, and thus 3luded the vigilance of our gunboats.
This rebel monster heel no sl eam on, but floated down with
the current. After leaving the range of Fort Gray her en-
gines were sit in motion, and bow on, she pushed for our
gunboats, and succeeded in sinking the gunboat Southfield
--a ferryboat carrying a battery of six heavy guns. The
Southfield and Miami, flagship of Captain LFlusser, were
chained together to present a more formidable front to the
ram, and to keep the other afloat in case one was disabled
The ram shot past the Miami and bored ;her prow into the
quarter of the SouthfiAd with great force. The crunching of
the saw-like prow of the rebel ram among the timber was
fearful, and the orifice created thereby was probably 10 to
12 feet, The Southfield sank in 10 minutes after being
attacked,"
The General Press despatch, in reference to the
same affair, is as follows ;
- -

Newbern, April 20.
Our troops have been fighting day and night since Sun,
day. General Wessels, who has 60 days' provisions, ex-
presses his determination to hold the enemy at bay until he
is relieved. He and 'ais troops were in good spirits. The
enemy have made many assaults on our works of the most
desperate character, and have been repulsed with severe loss
each time. Every house in Plymouth is riddled by the
enemy's shells, the inhabitants having been sent to Roanoke
island. Gen. Peck ordered reinfcreements to Plymouth
the moment he received news of the attack. They have
doubtless failed to reach that place, owing to the presence
of the ram at the mouth of the Roanoke. This ram draws
nine feet of water. 11,r hull is 15 inches out of water. She
carries four guns, and is built much like the Merrimac. It
is reported that she can make 7 knots, but this is doubted.
The death of Capt. Flusser leaves Capt. French, an officer
of tried courage, in command of the naval force. He is
watching the movements of the ram, and will give her all
the annoyance in his power until assistance arrives. Gen.
Picket is in command of the rebel force engaged at Ply-
mouth. There is quite a force at Kinston, which it is be-
lieved intends an attack on this point, in connection with
their ram No, 2, now at Kinston.
Further partieu!ars, published on the 25th, by
the New York aro as follow :
evening,
repulsed the
four times,
The recent news from North Carolina isto
17th.th Theyeeffecttivlt
Plymouth was doubtlesa taken by the large force of rebels
numbered
bfierrsetaa attacked it
ri t n
12,000,5un andday w
with considerable slaughter. General Wessels commanded
our garrison at Plymouth, of 2,000 men. It is supposedthat they were obliged to surrender, but nothing is yet de-
finitely known. The report of the disasters by a rebel ram
is corroborated in detail. Our navy has lost the gunboats
llombsheil and Southfield. The latter was sunk by a rebel
battery during the attack early on Monday morning when
she went on a r,:eounoitering expedition a little way up the
Roanoke river to look out for the approach of the ram.
During the evening of Monday the enemy assaulted Fort
Wessell, and were repulsed three times, the Southfield
throwing shell among them. About 10.30 p.m. the South-
tieid dropved cloWn the river and reported to Lieut.-Cora-
eing on the port side of the
mander Ensser, who ordered the vessels to be lashed together
with haWs:ersi thet ,;:attbfield
Whitehead came down the Caclaie
Miami. At midnigust
and came alongside the Miami and rei;'7teti the ram coming
down. At 3 axe. on Tuesday the ram dropped itis:stVn al°l3g;
side the Miami; .eover of the shade of the trees, gn-
when near ran obliquely across into the etarboard bow of tab
Southfield: The vessels had been firing all the previous
evening at the enemy on shore, and were loaded with shell
which there was not time to draw, The lieutenant-com-
mander fired the first shell, and on its bursting, some frag-
ment either from that or the Southfield's shells rebounded,
which caused death, the fragments piercing his chest and
skull, also wounding the following officers and men :—Act-
ing Ensign Thomas G. Hargis—Acting 3d. Assistant-En-
gineer Harrington, and some six or eight men--none mor-
tally. -Upon the approach of the ram the Southfield fired at
her. The prow of the ram running into the Southfield
caused her to fill with water, and she sunk inside of 15
minutes. The forward lashings were parted by the pressure
of the ram between our vessels, and the after ones were cut,
and as many ad could get on the Miami did so, when the
Miami retired, and was pursued a short distance by
the ratn,
which was considered slow, making but tour knots per hour,
the Miami throwing solid shot at her as she retired. Some
of the men of the Southfield took to small boats, and were
picked up by the Whitehead and Ceres.
The World of the 25th has a lengthened account
of the battle in Louisiana. The following are ex-

tracts :
On the morning of the Bth the cavalry advanced and
discovered the rebels massed and occupying positions, from I
which a heavy fire was poured into our ranks. Our artillery
was put in action and the engagement was kept up until about
noon, when Gen. Ransom's brigade came up. Gen. Banks
also arrived on the field, and immediately sent. for General
Franklin's division, which was some distance in the rear.
About three o'clock the rebels commenced moving in
heavy columns on the right, and heavy skirmishing was
renewed. About four o'clock the engagement was at its
height, and the rebels deployed to the left, which was
then made the real point of attack. The enemy greatly out-
numbered us, and slowly pushed our lines back. General
Franklin came up, but his division was yet in the rear,
almost momentarily expected. Under these circumstances
the troops fought bravely, but unsuccessfully, and finally
gave way in confusion, losing 20 guns, all the official papers
of the Adjutant General, and leaving the dead and wounded
on the &LI. Gen. Ransom while endeavouring to remove
the guns of the First Indiana battery was wounded in the
knee and narrowly escaped capture. This engagement
took place at a place known as Sabine's Cross-roads. The
battle closed with nightfall, and ourtroops rted in the
woods into which they had been driven by thee enemy, he
pursuing no further than the battle-field, where he buried
our dead and removed the wounded to the rear at Mansfield,
Four brigade commanders were killed and wounded in this
fight. Our defeat is attributable to the cavalry division
pushing too far in advance of the main column, and the
panic and loss of guns fo the large cavalry train which
blocked up the road and rendered orderly retreat impossible.
The estimated loss in this battle is 1,500, killed, wounded,
and missing. At the close of the engagement a council of
war was called by Gan. Banks, when it was decided to with-
draw the army to Pleasant-bill, which place General A. J
Smith had reached. The retrograde movement was at once
commenced. While it was in progress the enemy pressed
the pickets in, but failed to discover the movement. In the
morning further concealment was impossible, and the rebels
sent forward their cavalry, but failed to come up with our
forces until they reached Pleasant-hill. Here Gen. Emory's
division of Franklin's corps proved serviceable in acting as
a rear guard and covering the retreat cf the Union army.
As soon as our forces had gained the shelter of Pleasant-
hill and arrangements could be made for receiving the attack
with the supports which had then arrived, a cavalry force
of General Emory's division was sent out and en-
' gaged the advancing enemy. The rebels appearing, how-