The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-22 00:00:00

AMERICA.

NEW YORK, April 9.

Fair weather is rapidly drying the mud in Vir•
ginia, and the roads will soon be in p9ssable con-
dition. General Grant is with the Army of the
Potomac, superintending its re-organization. The
army is represented to be in fine condition. The
rebels are said to be strengthening their position on
the Rapidan by constructing additional earthworks
and riflepits. They are also repairing tho railroad
bridge over the Rapid:.n.
There is no further news from Chattanooga or
Knoxville.

The rebels are in large force in North Eastern
Tennessee. Buckner with about 12,000 mounted
men is at Moranville, and the bulk of the rebel
army was in that vicinity.
The reports from Kentucky in relation to the
movements of the rebel General Forrest, are very
contradictory. One account represents that Forrest
is endeavouring to get out of the state, and for that
purpose has divided his command into small squads.
Another report places him with his entire command
at Mayfield, Kentucky. A rumour prevailed in
Memphis that Forrest was about to attack that
place with a large force.
In the fight on the 2d inst., at Summerville, be.
tween Forrest's and Grierson's cavalry, the Federals,
failing to receive expected reinforcements, were
forced to retreat from superior numbers.
An order issued by General Buford, commanding
a division of Forrest's cavalry, congratulates his
troops on the suocass of their Kentucky campaign.
He asserts that they silenced the forts at Paducah,
and drove off a Federal gunboat. He concludes by
assuring his troops that he intends to hold Western
Kentucky. Rebel prisoners admit their losses
before Paducah to amount to three hundred in killed
alone.

Much suspense is felt that General Grierson has
❑ot overtaken the main body of Forrest's rebels and
attacked them ; but it is no'v generally understood
that Grierson's force is inadequate to the task before
it, a the affair at Summerville proves.
An attack made by rebel guerillas upon some
Federal gunboats, near Hickman, Kentucky, re-
sulted in the repulse of the rebels, who lost quite a
number of prisoners captured by a force landed by
the gunboats. The inhabitants of this portion of
Kentucky are said, in many instances, to have
materially aidtd Forrest in his operations.
Latest accounts from Charleston state that the
city was being shelled at intervals, but the active
bombardment had been suspended. The Federal
fire was directed, in fair weather, against the new
rebel rams on the stocks. The vessels had been
hulled several times, and the workmen driven off.
It was thought that the rebels would attempt to
launch the cams and tow them out of the range of
the Federal guns. Several rebel torpedo boats
patrol the harbour, evidently watching an oppor-
tunity to attack the blockading vessels, which,
however, were guarded with the utmost vigilance.
It is reported that the rebel ram Tennessee was
sunk during a heavy squall off Grant's Pass, near
Mobile, in seven fathoms of water. Her armament
consisted of six 100 pounder Parrot rifles and seve-
ral guns of smaller calibre.
Advices from Louisiana state that a Federal
column under General A. J. Smith was advancing
ui.on Snrieveport, on the Red River. The rebel
force near Alexandria is estimated at 20,000, and
it was thought that they would offer battle near
Shrieveport, as they were falling back in that
direction.

It is rumoured that a fight occurred at Cane
River between 8,000 Union infantry, under General
Mower, and Dudley's brigade of Federal cavalry,
and the rebels under General Dick Taylor, 17,000
strong, and posted in an advantageous position. The
fight lasted about three hours, and the rebels are
said to have been repulsed, losing 500 prisoners
and 200 in killed and wouurled. The Federal loss
is stated at 18 killed and 100 wounded. General
Smith was following up the rebels and endeavour-
ing to bring on a general engagement.
A despatch from Fort Smith, Arkansas, dated
April 6th, states that General Steele had driven
the rebels out of Arkadipnia, and was advancing
against General Price, who, with a considerable
force, was between Camden and Washington,
Arkansas. 'I be rebel forces of Cabell were raiding
in the rear of General Steele's army. A force of
500 Texans had been repulsed in an attack upon
the Federal garrison at Rossville.
A force of Federal cavalry, under Colonel Clay-
ton, attacked and routed a body of Longview, Ar-
kansas, capturing 300 prisoners, and destroying a
pontoon bridge and train of waggons.
An election was held on April 6 in Maryland to
elect delegates to the Convention to be heal for the
purpose of amending the State Constitution. The
delegates elected were all unconditional Emancipa-
tionists, and the Convention will, therefore, un-
doubtedly make Maryland a free Sate. In the
City of Baltimore the Emancipation ticket received
over 9,000 votes, only 41 Opposition votes being
polled. The Democrats generally avoided the
polls.
In the Federal Senate a resolution of the Judi-
ciary Committee to amend the Federal Constitu-
tion so as to prohibit slavery, was adopted by a
vote of 38 against 0. If the House of Representa-
tives should ratify the action of the Senate by a
two-thirds vote, it will then require, to make their
joint action valid, a three.tourths vote of the State
legislatures or State conventions, either according
to the decisim2 of Congress.
In the House of Representatives Mr. Long, of
Ohio, spoke boldly in favour of stopping the war,
and recognising the South. He declared that the
democratic party was in favour of peace, and that
there was no rawer under the constitution to coerce
sovereign States. Mr. Long was replied to by Mr.
Garfield, of Ohio, who warmly advocated the sup-
pression of the rebellion.

FINS NCIAL.
NEW YORK, April 8 p.m.
The money market continusac,:ive; at 7 per cent.
capital is freely offered at that rate. Gold remains
steady at 169 i. Exchange is firm at 18x to a fur
bankers bills. Government Securities are s:r"g•
Five Twenties sold at 114 ; Registered sixes ‘.'t
'Bl, 114 ; do. Coupon, 114 ; Seven Thirties, 114 ;
One Year Certificates, 994.
The Share Market was irregular at the following
quotations ;—Erie 1251 ; Hudson River 158 ; Har-
lem 159; New York Central 143; Reading 160* ;
Illinois Central 149 ; Michigan Central 153;7',-- ;
Michigan Southern 115; Galena anti Chicago 132.

COMMERCIAL.

NEW YORK, April 8.

Flour market quiet, prices 5 to 10 cents higher,
6 dols. 75 cents to 6 dole. 90 cents for superfine
State and Wester❑ ; 7 dole. 20 cents to 7 dole, 25
cents for extra State ; 7 dole. 30 cents to 7 dole. 50
cents for choice State.

Provisions—Pork is active and higher-23 dols.
to 23 dole. 25c. for mess ; 23 dpla. for old do; 21
dols. 75c. to 25 dots, Oc. for new do. ; and 19 dole.
50c. to 22 dole, Oc. for old and new prime. Beef is
firm and active-10 dols. 50c. to 16 dols. 50c. for
repacked mess; 18 dols. Oc. for extra mess ; and 25
doss. to 26 do!s. Oc. for prime mess.
Cotton quiet. 76 cents. for middling up.ands.

THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE.—Lord Edward Clin-
ton has addressed the following letter, dated the
18th inst., to Mr. R. Allen, Provincial Grand Secretary of
the Freemasons of Nottingham, who had made an official
inquiry respecting the health of his Grace the Duke of
Newcastle, the Provincial Grand Master of the Masons :
It gives me groat pleasure to be able to say that my father,
the Duke of Newcastle, has so far recovered from his last
serious attack of nine Gays ago that I was this day able to
road your kind and sympathetic letter to him ; it would have
been usaless to do so before,as my father would not have been
able to understand the full meaning of it. He wishes me to
express to the Freemasons of Nottingham his heartfelt gra-
titude for their wishes fur his restoration to health, ex-
pressed in such a very touching manner. I fear that it is
useless to shut our eyes altogether to the critical condition
that my father is in, but I am happy to be able to tell you
that a consultation of four medical men has just taken place,
and they pronounce him rather better than he has been t( r
the last few days. I think, therefore, that while gradual
improvement outi!nues we have more and more hope for the
future,