The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-06 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, U ESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 6, 1863.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.

VALETTA, Sept. 29.—Her Majesty's iron paddle-
wheel sloop Trident, 3, Commander C. J. Balfour,
left Malta harbour on the 23d inst. for Athens, with
a mail for the Commander-in-Chief. She took with
her as passengers Commander Comber, R.N., to
command the Pelican, and Lieut. Harris, R.N., and
Lieut. Ching, R.N., to join their respective ships.
Her Majesty's screw gunboat Foxhound, 4, Cam-
mender W. H. Anderson, left port the same day, to
show the British flag at Syracuse, and returned on
the 26th inst. She will leave again on the 30th for
Athens, with the mail due from Marseilles on that
day. Her Majesty's screw frigate Phoebe, 35, Capt.
T. D. A, Fortescue, returned from Corfu on the 26th
inst. in consequence of a breakdown in her machi-
nery. It will probably not be necessary for her to go
to England for repairs, which can be made good
here, and she is awaiting instructions on the subject
from England. Sir V. Houlton and Lady Houlton
returned to Malta by thiS vessel. Her Majesty's
screw line•of-battle ship Revenge, 73, bearing the
flag of Rear-Admiral H. R. Yelverton, C. 8., Capt.
the Hon. F. A. Foley, arrived this morning from
Corfu and Patras, in consequence of the receipt of a
telegraphic despatch ordering her immediate return
to this port. It is rumoured that she is to proceed
to Toulon, to escort the new King of Greece to
Athens, where,,after his Majesty's coronation, it is
expected she will relieve the Commander-in-Chief,
and remain for the winter. She is at present await-
ing telegraphic instructions from England. Her
Majesty's screw line-of-battle ship Meeanee,6o,Capt.
G. Wodehouse, is still here, and is to go up to Athens
with the mail expected on the 7th or Bth prox. There
are also in port her Majesty's ships Psyche, de-
spatch vessel, and the Medina, surveying ship.
Colonel Crawley is expected to-night from India,
on his way to England via Marseilles, to undergo
his trial by court-martial, and by the steamer
Ceylon for Southampton, 63 non.commissioned offi-
cers and privates are proceeding home to give evi-
dence in the case.

A letter from Corfu, dated Sept. 21, says—The
health of the troops has somewhat declined lately,
as the temperature is excessively hot for the season.
Rear-Admiral Yelverton in the Revenge steamed
into harbour on the 13th instant from Greece, the
Hon. Sir Victor Houlton and Lady Houlton being
passengers. A shock of earthquake was felt here
to-day at half-past 1 p.m., but it caused no damage
that I have heard of. The frigate Phoebe came in
on the 18th and a gunboat on the 19th inst. The
former I hear will leave for Malta and England on
the 23d of this month.

The screw steam corvette Scylla, 21, from Ports-
mouth for China, arrived at Plymouth yesterday

morning.

By direction of the Admiralty the apparatus in-
vented by Captain H. F. M'Killop for cleansing
the bottom of iron ships from seaweed and other
marine incrustations is to be tried at Chatham
dockyard. Their lordships have directed the first
trial to be made on the bottom of the iron paddle-
wheel steamer Recruit, which is to be placed at the
disposal of Captain M'Killop. The chief merit of
the invention lies in their being no necessity for
placing iron ships in dock every time their bottoms
require cleansing. If the trials ordered to be made
should prove satisfactory the invention will prove
of the greatest possible benefit, as the only draw-
back to the use of iron ships for lengthened voyages
undoubtedly is to be found in the necessity which
periodically exists for placing them in dock to un-
dergo the cleansing process. An examination was
yesterday made of the bottom of the iron steamer
Recruit by some of the staff connected with the mas-
ter shipwright's department, when it was found to
be very foul, many of the weeds which thickly cover
her bottom being frcm one to three feet in length,
while the other marine incrustations were likewise
found to be very thick, The bottom of the Recruit
had been paved over with one of the anti-fouling
compositions, none of which have proved better
than the Admiralty mixture of coal-tar and naphtha.
After the Recruit has been treated according to
Captain Maillop's method she will be placed in
dock in order to ascertain the extent to which her
bottom has been cleansed.

Yesterday the paddlewheel steamer Lucifer ar-
rived alongside the dockyard at Chatham from
Portsmouth with a cargo of timber, machinery, and
other stores for that establishment.

The Lords of the Admiralty have awarded a
silver medal and an annuity of £lO to Sergeant C.
Jeffery, of the Chatham division of Royal Marines,
for distinguished service and exemplary conduct.
The following appointments and promotions were
made yesterday at the Admiralty s—Commander M.
B. Cockraft to be an Inspecting Commander of the
Coastguard, vice Commander Symons, appointed to
the Indus; Lieut. C. G. Fegen, additional of the
Pembroke, for service in the Coastguard ; Lieut. G.
Parsons, additional of the Pembroke, for service in
tender; Lieut. C. R. T. Russell and Lieut. George
W. Allen to the Excellent, additional for study;
E. C. D. Phillips, master, to the Asia for the Wasp ;
R. C. P. Lawrenson, assist-surg., to the Camber-
land, for naval barracks; C. C. P. Bawden, mas•
ter's assistant, supernumerary, to the Fisgard ; J.
Anderson, of the Indus; Hugh Aitken, of the Ed-
gar; George Boyd, of the Asia; E. C. Legh, of the
Watson (b), and R. Blackwood, supernumeraries of
J. Ring (b), of the Havock ;J.
Dauntless;
the Indus, and C. E. Uffindell, supernumerary Of
the Fisgard, promoted to first-class assist. engineers;
J. M'Master, of the Vulcan ; T. Russell, of the
Tartar; G. O'Brien, of the Rapid; D. Grant, of
the St. George; James Jack, of the Aboukir; T. N.
Crowder, of the Jason ; and D. Ferguson, of the
Nile, promoted to acting first-class assist engineers.

Execution of Deserters from the Federal

Ranks.
The orders issued by Ole Federal authorities for
execution of all soldiers deserting their colours, are
being unsparingly carried out. The correspondent
of the New York Herald, with Meade's army, writ-
ing on Sept. 19, thus describes the shooting of two
deserters :—" Yesterday the solemn and impressive
scene of shooting two men for desertion took place
in the third division commanded by Gen. Hayes.
The unfortunate victims of this tragic event were
two substitutes who were sent out from Boston a
few weeks ago to the 14th Connecticut Volunteers.
Their names were Edward Elliot, Company B, and
Charles Eastman, Company I, both privates. As
the second corps had been on the march for several
days,the prisoners were brought in charge of the pro-
vost-marshal, and were removed from corps head-
quarters to General Hayes's on the morning of the
execution. As the sentence was to be carried out
before four o'clock p.m.; and it was now within half
an hour of the time, the door was thrown open, and
the two, prisoners, leaning on the chaplains' arms,
walked to the ambulance that was to carry them to
execution. From our elevated position we could
plainly see the troops forming in line around the
graves. The procession now formed. In front was
the band of the 14th Connecticut, playing the dead
march. After these the shooting party of sixteen
selected from the provost-guard of the division, and
belonging to the 10th New York battalion. After
these followed the coffin-bearears—eight conscripts
of the Ist Delaware. Next, the ambulance bear-
ing the prisoners, the chaplains, and myself,
followed by a guard. The procession moved along
slowly and solemnly, the prisoners all the time
either reading the Testament or conversing with
the chaplains. As the third brigade was out on
picket duty, only the first and second were present.
They were drawn up in the following order ;
The second brigade formed two lines of the
square, whilst the first brigade formed the other
line. As the procession reached the square the pri-
soners alighted from the ambulance, and the band
fell to the rear. Here the bearers took up the
coffins on 'their shoulders, in front of the prisoners.
The prisoners cast a timid, troublous look at the
coffins, and then moved on, leaning on the chaplains.
The coffins were placed beside the two graves, which
were dug about five feet deep. The Rev. Mr.
Murphy addressed the prisoners and the troops
present in feeling language, exhorting all to join
in prayer to God to have mercy on the two souls
so soon to appear in His presence. He strongly
exhorted others to take warning by the tragic fate
of the prisoners, and not desert their country's
service. Captain Fields now came up and bandaged
the prisoners' eyes. Elliot sat back on his coffin—
Eastman knelt in prayer. His voice was audible
above the click and sound of the guns as they ware
brought to " present." The word " fire" having
been given, Elliot fell back gently on his coffin, only
wounded, while Eastman jumped up and tore the
bandage from his eyes, evidently untouched. The
reserve was ordered up. Eastman appeared as if
electrified, and placed his hands before his eyes to
shut out the horrid sight. The men again missed.
The provost-marshal, during this, in mercy, pulled
out his revolver and shot him through the head; he
also fired another ball through Elliot's head.
After the 'two unfortunate men were pronounced
lifeless, the troops were marched by the corpses.

removed to Johnson's Island, from which place he
sent a letter to one of his friends in this city to go to
his late boarding house, settle his bill and get his
trunk, which was to be forwarded to him on the
island above named. This news being imparted to
the military circle generally the terrible truth
flashed across their minds for the first time that
they had been entertaining and giving important
information to a spy from the Confederate army.
Measures were immediately taken to fasten upon
the sharper Belville the charge of being a spy, and
District Provost Marshal Reaney went to Johnson's
Island for that purpose. Mr. Reaney has returned
from Johnson's Island, bringing with him the spy
Belville, who is at present lodged in the McLean
Barracks, on Third-street, to await the further
action of the authorities. His real name has not
yet been developed, the probabilities being that
Belville is fictitious. The marshal has further
learned that about two and a half years ago Bel-
vine entered the rebel service under John Morgan,
e portion of whose command, of which Belville war
a member, was detached and ordered to report to
Humphrey Marshall. General Marshall made Bel-
ville's acquaintance, and learning that he could speak
five different languages, and being exceedingly
shrewd withal, had charged him to come North in the
capacity of a spy. Belville went to Washington,
New York, Boston, Baltimore, St. Louis, and all the
leadng cities and posts, and adroitly succeeded in
gainieg the confidence of all the military authori-
ties, from President Lincoln down. The information
be gained at the capitol from the War Department
and the cabinet officers was of great importance, and
was continually forwarded South by the under-
ground railway. When he had occasion to visit the
armies ho would purchase stores for the Union
troops, and, as a sutler or agent for the Sanitary
commission, always had free passes to every part
of the Union camp. Such was his knowledge of
all our movements that no sooner were they deter-
mined upon by our commanders than the enemy was
posted at once, and our plans checkmated or f rns-
trate& It is truly marvellous how successfully he
carried on his operations. He is now kept in close
military confinement, and will be brought before a
military court-martial to be convened by General
Burnside, and tried as a spy, and, if convicted, of
which there is no possible doubt, he will suffer death
by being shot.—Cincinnati Enquirer.