The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-15 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY l5, 1863

war—has gone so far to-day as to write a letter, not
yet published, in which he declares that he would
hail with gratitude the mediation and kind offices
of any European Power that has not hitherto
taken a side or expressed an opinion on the strug-
gle, and that he is prepared to recommend to his
party to welcome such mediation, and abide by the
decision. Air. Lincoln himself, if not greatly be-
lied, believes that the Union is at an end—that
nothing which either he or the Northern people can
do will be able to restore it, and only fights out the
fight to its bitter end, because pride or shame, to
the fear of a public opinion that he does not rightly

understand, prevents him from accepting a result
humiliating to himself, his party, and his people.
It is the old story over again. It is a Brummagem
George 111, in the shape of an elected President,
re-enacting the old obstinacy, without the Royal
jurisdiction that made George 111. respectable.
_ _

Mr. Lincoln has more power than George 111., and
less authority. He assumes a responsibility which

his legal predecessor did not incur, and will have to

bear it in the page of history, if he escapes it now.

General Butler has arrived in New York on his
way to Wash'ngton. Most of the journals that ap-

prove of the " vigorous prosecution of the war" in

he sense which General Butler attributes to these

words insist that the President shall immediately

nominate him to high office, or high command,
if it were only that by so doing he might
show his contempt for the proclamation of Mr.
Jefferson Davis, and gratify the malignant phil-
anthropists of New England. They do not per-
haps consider that by so distinguished a mark

of favour Mr. Lincoln would also show his con-

tempt for a power much more formidable than that

of the Southern President—namely, the World's
Opinion, not only in Europe, but throughout

America, where General Butler is held to have dis-
graced the national good name as sorely as Gene-
ral Haynau disgraced that of Austria. General
Butler only remained one night in New York, where
he had the bad taste to dine in public, in the crowded
saloon of the St. Nicholas Hotel, where he was
greatly stared at by the ladies. It is to be supposed
that he excited as much curiosity in their gentle
bosoms as a live gorilla might have done, and that
he was considered almost ab handsome. He had
the honour of a hearty accolade from the Rev.

Henry Ward Beecher ; but it does not appear that
_ _

any lady shook hands with him or allowed herself
to come into:very close proximity with a person who
was unanimously and unmannerly enough to make
no distinction between femiJii.e spite and the most
shameful crime that a woman can commit.
If the President, so deficient in vigour himself,

admires Gen. Butler's vigour, it is evident that Gen,
Banks is of a different opinion. In the enigmatic&

speech which the latter addressed to Mr. Opdyke,
the mayor, and other hospitable entertainers, on
leaving the harbour of New York, he promised that
something should be done in his new sphere of ope-
rations to satisfy the country and to " ennoble hu-
manity." People wondered what General Banks
meant by the last phrase, for he is so modest a man
that nobody imagined he intended to boast that any
achievements of his, however great and glorious
they might be, would deserve so splendid an epithet.
The supposition now is that the speech was misre-
ported, and that he desired, without disclosing a
secret which was not wholly his own, to convey an
impression to the minds of his hearers that he was
going to restore the reign of "humanity" in some
district where humanity had been banished. Consi-
dered in the light which after events have thrown
upon it, it would seem as if the phrase pointed at
General Butler. And certainly General Banks has
lost not a single day in proving to the people of
Louisiana that he is a man of another stamp. He
has liberated the political prisoners in Ship Island,
Fort Pickens, Fort Jackson, and other bastiles with-
in his jurisdiction. He has stopped the sale of con-
fiscated estates, extended the term allowed for the
departure of those whose consciences will not allow
them to take the oath of allegiance to the Federal
Government, placed the officers of his staffin modest
lodgings to be duly paid for, instead of installing
them in the mansions of the wealthiest merchants
and planters, to levy tribute on the wine-cellar and
the larder without stint and without cost ; and ma-
nifested in a variety of other ways that he thinks
the people of New Orleans his fellow-citizens, and
not the conquered aborigines of a savage or uncivi-
lised country.
General Banks has also taken an early occasion
to explain to the people of Louisiana his views on
the great question of emancipation. He does not
appear, in all respects, to be in accord with the
President on the subject. He says the war is not
waged by the Government for the overthrow of
slavery ; though he asserts that the abolition of
slavery is the inevitable result of the contest. He
advises the slaves of loyal proprietors in Louisiana
—who, if they love freedom very dearly, must wish
with all their hearts that their masters were rebels
—to remain quietly upon the plantations: to rest
assured that whatever benefit the Government in-
tends them will be secured ; but that they cannot
be allowed to take the law into their own hands.
As the slaves of rebels may take the law into their
own hands, this might se. 'n a hardship upon the
slaves of loyal men, were they not consoled by the
promise that before the year 1900, when more than
three-fourths of them will be in the grave, their pe-
culiar case will be taken into kindly consideration.
This kindness, however, is one that will hardly re-
commend itself to the negro imagination—especially
if the slaves of rebels in the immediate vicinity of
the loyal plantations should rise against their mas-
ters, and implore the slaves of loyal men to aid them
in the enterprise. General Banks has not perhaps
considered how he would act on such an occasion ;
but would he not be bound to give all the military
and naval aid at his command to the liberation of
one set of negroes, and to the re-enslavement of an-
other ? And would such a spectacle be edifying, or
worthy of a Christian general or people ?
General Banks should beware of the proclama-
tion mania. If he and other Federal functionaries
would write and speak less it would be the better
for their fame. General Butler's letters were models
of argumentation. Their taste may have been ques-
tionable, but their logic was irrefutable. General
Banks is not likely, however, if his first proclama-
tion be a sample of what is to follow from his pen,
to establish as great a reputation as his unpopular
predecessor. It would appear as if too intimate
contact with the pleasant Mayor of New York had
made him also an optimist of the school of the
great Candide. Mr. Opdyke was eloquent in praise
of war, as the great purifier and ennobler of nations.
General Banks is enthusiastic enough to believe
that the tremendous struggle in which the coun-
try is dashing itself to pieces is the very best thing
that could have happened to it. " Contest," he
says, "in public and in social life, strengthens and
consolidates brotherly affection. England, France,
Austria, Italy—every land fertile enough to make a
history, has had its desolating civil wars. It is a
baseless nationality that has not tested its strength
against domestic enemies. The success of local in-
terests narrows the destiny of a people and is fol-
lowed by secession, poverty, and degradation. A
divided country and perpetual war make possession
a delusion and life a calamity. The triumph of na-
i tional interests widens the scope of human history,
and is attended with peace, prosperity, and power.
It is out of such contests that great nations are
born." General Banks may, perhaps, prove a truer
prophet in this magniloquent paragraph than he
imagined. He does not say that out of such contests
a great nation is to be born—but great nations. 31r.
Jefferson Davis is perhaps of he same opinion, and
which are of opinion that
tis
joaullrEnaulrsope.
there is nothing so likely to restore tho Union as a
so,
Tnhoe doubt,violen
stir ill-blood. They persist in calling
Alabama to up .
sharp war with England, are making the most of the
that vessel
by British mechanics, of
built in a British port,
" a British pin. e,' b 3ause " she was
k" and hint that
3
the infliction
although will have to bear
British materials, bought with British money, sub-
scribed by British cotton brokers;" .
the North
for the present, " the time will come for sending in
to the British Government a little bill for every
dollar's
tteiys should
moment
i n
re
people,c
hinese
are but i
at
i a ids
t a
o s
be well
a t worth of property the Alabama has de-
stroyed." Of course it is no use to argue with such
the
need
of fast vessels such as the Alabama—that two, if
great thatt

not more, are building in the Clyde, and one at
Toulon, for that mysterious Government; and that
it is confidently alleged in New York that the
commercial agents of the Emperor have been at
work in this cosmopolitan city, and ordered one, if
not two steamers, of light draught, great swiftness,
and formidable armament, to be built and launched
without delay, and that the money, or the money's
worth, is ready to pay for them. There is, it is
true, a report, which may or may not be baseless,
that the Emperor of China knows nothing of the
matter, and that his name is a convenient cloak to
disguise that of a much nearer potentate; but the
shipbuilder, whether in the Clyde or at Toulon, or
in the East or North rivers that wash the parallel
shores of the prosperous island of Manhattan, does
not care to look too closely into the matter. Suffi-
cient for him to get a good order and to execute it
for prompt payment. Why should he disbelieve
the respectable agents of the Emperor of China ?
Why should he take it upon himself to be incre-
dulous ? Is not the payment safe ? Does the money
smell ? Is the transaction not a fair commercial
business ? And may he not, being a shipbuilder,
build the hulls of ships for all the world ? Should

it turn out to be true, as confidently asserted, that
such a vessel is building in this port, ostensibly
for the Emperor of China, shall the Federal Go-
vernment do more than watch its progress and
act upon real, not supposed, evidence, with regard
to its character and destination ? If such vessel,
after being built here, shall be duly launched, and
make her way to mid-ocean, and there meet ano-
ther vessel—say from Greenock or Toulon—with
arms, ammunition, supplies, and a hardy and deter-
mined crew—and should she immediately after wards
hoist the Confederate flag—will she, though under
Confederate colours and acting for a Confederate
purpose, be justly liable to be denounced as " a
Federal pirate ?" Perhaps, when that question is
answered in the affirmative, it will be time enough
for the Anglophobists of this country to treat the
Alabama as a British vessel. In the meantime the
Federal Government, if it have any leisure for the
purpose, may inquire whether New York specula-
tors are not represented with those of Liverpool in
the ownership of the Alabama; and whether it be
possible for the sharpest and cutest Government in
the world—whether that be the happily permanent
Government of Queen Victoria, or the happily short-

lived Government of Abraham Lincoln—to be a
match for a sharp man of business who is content
to take a large risk for the sake of a large profit.
Mr. Seymour's inaugural address, as Governor of
New York, was an emphatic avowal of bis deter-
mination to upholo, not only the Federal Constitu-
tion,:but the constitution and laws of the states.
He carefully avoided all mention of national affairs,
reserving them, it is supposed, for his message to
the Legislature, which will be sent in on the• 6th

inst. He has signalized his assumption of office
by summoning the Police Commissioners of this
city to Albany to show cause why they should not
be dismissed for breach of duty
in upholding the
notorious Kennedy snd maintaining him in his posi-
tion after his behaviour in the case of Mrs. Brins-
made and others equally flagrant. Mr. Seymour
is the sole judge in this matter, from his decision
there is no appeal; and there is
no doubt in the
public mind that an entirely new set of Commis-
sioners will immediately be appointed.

The Battle of Murfreesboro.

Special Correspondent
(From the Sp of the New York Tribune

NASIIVILLE,orrnIaunR.e32AY, JAN. 1, 1863.
I have just arrived from a terrific battle on
Stones River, in front of Murfreesboro, west side.
It has raged with unremitting fury two days,
and at last report was not yet decided. It is one of
the most ferocious battles of modern times, sustained
by both aides with splendid determination. General
Rosecrans marched from Nashville last Friday with
about 45,000 effective men and 100 pieces of artil-
lery, and skirmished all the way to the battle-field,
the enemy resisting bitterly. The whole of Tues-
day was spent by our forces reconnoitering. The
enemy was found strongly posted with artillery on
the bank of Stones River, west side, his flanks rest-
ing on Murfreesboro, west side. The centre also
had the advantage, on high ground, with a dense
growth of cedar masking them completely. Their
position gave them the advantage of a cross fire.
General M'Cook's corps closed in on their left on
Wilkerson's Pike; Negley, of Thomas's corps,
worked with great difficulty to the front of the
rebel centre, Rossesu's division being in reserve;
Crittenden's corps was posted in comparatively clear
ground on their left; Palmer's and Van Cleve's
divisions in front; Wood's in reserve. A battle
was expected all day on Tuesday, but the enemy
merely skirmished and threw a few shells, one of
which killed Orderly M'Donald, 4th United States
Cavalry, not 10ft. from General Rosencrans. That
afternoon the Anderson Pennsylvania Cavalry, on
M'Cook's flanks, were drawn into an ambuscade,
and its two majors, Rosegarten and Ward, were
killed. Crittenden's corps lost four killed and 21
wounded that day, including Adjutant Abbott, of
the 57th Indiana, severely. M'Cook's loss was
about 50. On the same day the rebel cavalry made
a dash in the rear on Lavergne, burnt a few wag-
gons, and captured 35 prisoners. That night dis-
positions were made to attack the enemy in the
morning. After dark the enemy was reported
massing near M'Cook, obviously to turn our right
wing. This corresponded with the wishes of
General Rosecrans, who instructed General M'Cook
to hold him in check stubbornly, while the left
wing should be thrown into Murfreesboro behind
the enemy. At daybreak on the last day of De-
cember everything appeared working well. The
battle had opened on the right, and our left wing was
in hand. At 7 o'clock ominous sounds indicated
that a fire was approaching our left. Aides were
Meantime
soldiers, who
despatched for information, and found the forests
reportedfull
whole
yi n g n
regimentsrs
e ne and
fallingstraggling
back.one of M'Cook's Aides had announced to General
Rosecrans that Gen. Johnson had permitted the
three batteries of his division to be captured by a
sudden attack of the enemy, and that it had some-
what demoralized our troops was obvious. The
brave Gen. Sill, one of our beat officers, was killed ;
Gen. Kirk wounded, and Gen. Willich killed or mis-
sing, beside other valuable officers wounded. Gen
M'Cook sent word to hold the front and he would
help him, that it would all work right. He now
galloped to the front of Crittenden's. left with his
staff to order the line of battle, when the enemy
opened a fail battery, and emptied two saddles of
the escort. Van Cleve's division was sent to the
right, and Col. Beatty's brigade in front. The fire
continued to approach on the right with alarming
rapidity, extending to the centre, and it was clear
that the right was doubling upon the left. The
enemy bad compelled us to make a complete change
' of front on that wing, and were pressing the centre.
Gen. Rosecrans, with splendid daring, dashed into
the furious fire, and sending his staff along the lines,
started Beatty's brigadeforward. Some sixbatteries
opened and sustaining a magnificent fire directly a
tremendous shout was raised along the whole line,
and the enemy began to fall back rapidly. The
General himself urged the troops forward. The
rebels, terribly punished,
were driven back fully
a mile. The same l •
sp endid bravery was displayed
in the lines, and they advanced, though the ene-
my made formidable demonstrations on our left,
while they prepared for another onslaught on our
right. Mean time orders had been issued to
move our left upon the enemy, but before we
had time to execute them they burst upon our
centre with awful fury, and it began to break.
Rosecrans'a division •
was carried into the breach
magnificently by their glorious
leader. The enemy
into
again retreated hastily•
the dense cedar thickets.
Again they essayed
our right, and again we were
driven back. By this ' •
time the number of our strag-
glers was formidable,
and the prospect was discou-
raging, but there was no '
panic. The general, con-
fident of success, continued to visit other parts of
the field, and with the aid of
Generals Thomas,
M'Cook, Crittenden, Rousseau, Negley, and Wood,
the tide of battle
Was turned early in the day. We
were seriously embarrassed by the enterprise of the
rebel cavalry, who
made
some serious dashes upon
some of M'Cook's ammunition and subsistence
trains, capturing a number of waggons, '1•
and arti
lery ammunition grew alarmingly scarce. At one

time it was announced that not a single waggon

load of it could be found. Some of our batteries

were quiet on that account. This misfortune was
caused by the capture of M'Cook's trains. About

2 o'clock the battle had shifted again from right to
left. The enemy discovering the impossibility of

succeeding in their main design had suddenly
massed their forces on the left, crossing the river,
or moving under cover of bluffs Gn the right, and
for about two hours the fight raged with unremit-
ting fury to the advantage of the enemy fora con-

sieerable length of time, when they were checked
by our murderous fire of both musketry and artil-
lery. The scene at this point was magnificently

terrible. The whole battle was in full view, the
enemy deploying right and left, bringing up their
batteries in fine style, our own vomiting smoke and
iron missiles upon them with awful fury, and our
gallant fellows moving to the front with unflinch-

ing courage, and lying flat upon their face to escape
the rebel fire until the moment for action. Shell

and shot fell around like hail. General Rosecrans
was himself incessantly exposed. It is wonder-
ful that he escaped. His chief of staff, the noble
Lieut.-Col. Garesche, had his head taken off by a
round shot, and the blood bespattered the General
and some of the staff. Lieut. Lylan Kirk, just be-
hind him, was lifted clear out of his saddle by a
bullet, which shattered his left arm. Three orderlies
and the gallant Sergeant Richmond, of the 4th
United States' Cavalry, were killed, not 10ft. from
him, and five or six horses in the staff escort were
struck. Between 5 and 6 o'clock the enemy, ap-

parently exhausted by his rapid and incessant as.

saults, took up a position not assailable without
abundant artillery, and the fire on both sides
slackened, and finally silenced at dark, the battle
having raged 11 hours, the loss of life on our side
being considerable, and the terrific nature of the
field comparatively limited. Our casualty list
that day, excluding captures, did not exceed,

perhaps, 1,500, of whom not more than one.

fourth were killed. This is attributable to the
care taken to make our men lie down. The
enany's loss must have been more severe. But
among our losses we mourn such noble souls as Gen.
Sill, Gen. August Willich, Col. Garesche, Coi. Miner
Milliken, Ist Ohio Cavalry ; Col. Hawkins, 13th
Ohio ; Col. M'Kee, 3d Kentucky ; Col. Forman, 15th
Kentucky ; Col. Hill and Second Lieut.-Col. Shep-
herd, 18th Regulars; Major Carpenter, 10th Regu-
lars; Capt. Edgerton, Ist Ohio Battery, and his two
lieutenants, and many more. No other generals were
killed. Among our wounded are Gen. Kirk, Gen.
Van Cleve (so reported) ; Col. Moody, 74th Ohio,
who established a splendid reputation ; Col. Ler-
raby, 99th Ohio, and King, 15th Regulars; Majors
Foot, Rieker, and Slemmer, 11th Regulars; Capts.
Bell, Wise, M'Donnell, Power, and York, and Lieut.
M'Allister, 15th regulars; Major Townsen, 18th
regulars ; Capt. Long, 4th regulars; Cavalry Lieuts.
M'Clellan, Miller, and Foster, 27th Ohio. When
the battle closed the enemy occupied the ground
which was- ours in the morning, and the advantage
was theirs. Their object in attacking us was to cut
us off from Nashville. They played their old game.
If M'Cook's force had held more firmly against
Hardee's corps and Cheatham's division, when he
fought Rosecrans, the plan of battle would have
succeeded, At dark they had a heavy force on our
right, leading to the belief that they intended to
pursue. Their cavalry meantime was excessively
troublesome, cutting deeply into our trains behind
us, and we had not cavalry enough to protect our-
selves. The 4th Regulars made one splendid dash
at them, capturing 67 and releasing 300 prisoners
they had taken from us, recapturing 500 prisoners
of the enemy. General Rosecrans determined to
begin the attack this morning, and opened fu-
riously with our left at dawn. The enemy, how-
ever, would not retire from our right, and the battle
worked that way. At 11 o'clock matters were not
flattering on either side. At 12 our batteries re-
ceived new supplies of ammunition, were massed,
and a terrible fire was opened. The enemy began
to give way. General Thomas pressing on their
centre, and Crittenden advancing on their left. The
battle was more severe at that hour than it had
been, and the result was yet doubtful, Both sides
were uneasy, but determined. General Rose-
crane feels its importance fully. If he is de-
feated he will be defeated badly, because
he will fight as long as he has a bri-
gade. If he is victorious the enemy will be de-
stroyed. At this hour we are apprehensive. Some
of our troops behaved badly, bat most of them
were heroes. I believe all but Walker's brigade,
consisting of the 17th and 31st Ohio and two other
regiments, were not in Wednesday's battles, being
on guard, but they were engaged to-day. The
enemy seemed fully as numerous as we. They did
not use as much artillery. Generals Joe Johnston
and Bragg were in command. Prisoners say they
lost largely. General M'Cook was brave to a fault,
and self-possessed. He narrowly escaped death
many times. His horse was killed under him, and
he was severely hurt by his horse falling under him.
11 15 A.M.
No later tidings of to-day's battle. The Rebels
are destroying our waggon train on Murfrees-
borough-pike. To night additional casualties have
been received, as follows :
Killed.—Colonel Stem, 101st Ohio ; Lieutenant-
Colonel M'Kee, 15th 'Wisconsin ; Colonel Almonde,
21st Illinois ; Colonel Roberts, 42d Illinois; Colonel
Walker, 31st Ohio, Cavalry Brigade; Colonel Har-
rington, 27th Illinois, Captain John Johnson, 15th
Wisconsin.
Wounded.—General Rousseau, slightly ; General
Wood, severely ; Lieutenant-Colonel, 101st Ohio,
badly; Cartin, •38th Illinois, commanding brigade;
Captain Oscar F. Mark, acting inspector-General of
Thomas's staff, severely ; and Captain Douglas,
18th Regulars.