The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-23 00:00:00

proved no disaster, but simply a failure, owing to
the impracticability of the position which the army
had gained with so much skill and ener r. Less
than three-eighths of the whole:force was engaged
as could be engaged, the ground being b ,ng covered
with forest, and being without au r practicable
roads.

"Our entire loss in killed, wounded, and missing
does not exceed 10,000. The enemy's loss must
have been double of this—honourably to the army,
but lamentably for the country, the greatest pro-
portion of them in killed and wounded.
" Our loss of prisoners does not exceed 1,700.
We have received 2,450 prisoners of the enemy.
" We lost eight guns, and took the same number
of pieces from the enemy.
"The relinquishment of the position was made
simply because it afforded no field for the manceuvr-
icg of the army, and not from any reverse or injury
sustained by it. The General and the entire army
are in excellent heart, and are ready for a new
movement. We shall probably not know where
this is to be made till after it has been commenced.
"Richmond papers show that Stoneman's corps
went within two miles of Richmond, and effected
many captures and a great destruction of property.
At least a part of all this gallant force has reached
Glocester in Keyes's command, opposite to York-
town, on the York River. There can now be no
impropriety in saying that the President and Major
General Halleck visited Gen. Hooker and the army
yesterday, and returned to the city to-night. At
nearly one this morning information was received
that Gen. Stoneman has safely arrived at Rappa-
hannock Station with the remainder of his force.
He has cut the railroad connections of the enemy in
all directions, and thus won a noble distinction."
" Washington, Wednesday, May 6.
"The news that Hooker and his army had re-
crossed the Rappahannock flashed through Wash-
ington about five o'clock this afternoon. The im-
pression produced by it was profound. Men's
minds were cast down from the congratulatory
cheerfulness with which all had for three days dis-
cussed the events which succeeded the brilliant pas-
sages of the Rappahannock and the Rapidan. The
fact that our army had recrossed was all-sufficient.
Scarcely any interest was excited by the details
attempted here and there of the restoration of head-
quarters at Falmouth—of the intrenchments thrown
up in the rain—of this measure for security, or that
measure. It made men thoughtful beyond any-
thing I have ever seen in Washington. And yet
what is the fact? The immense downfall of rain
had swollen the Rappahannock so deep and so rapid
as to endanger the existence of Hooker's bridges.
One statement is that the water rose seven feet in
24 hours.
" A council of war is said to have unanimously
agreed that the army should be transferred to the
other bank of the river in case of the loss of the
bridges and it was accordingly transferred. The ar-
tillery crossed at 3 o'clock this morning. The in-
fantry followed.
" All who have come from Fredericksburg and
from the upper fords to-day unite in unstinted praise
of the heroic fighting done by Sickles's and Sedg-
wick's corps, Birney's, Berry's, and Whipple's divi-
sions—particularly Birney's—covering themselves
with glory. The sad losses we have sustained fell
principally on these brave organisations. The large
captures made were mostly made by Sickles's regi-
ments. Experienced witnesses of the panoramic con-
test at Fredericksburg agree in their estimate that
Sedgwick's 15,000 fought at least twice the number
of the rebels.
"The losses at Chancellorsville and Fredericks-
bnrg are about even on each side. The number of
killed and wo'snded are about even, and of prisoners
captured, and of guns lost and taken, and justice
requires me to say that the fighting of the two
armies was equal. Each walked right up to the
muzzles of the others guns."
" Washington, Thursday, May 7.
The Evening Star says—
" Gen. Hooker, it is understood, estimates his
losses in the late battles at about 10,000, all told,
killed, wounded, and missing ; also that he brought
all his material away safely from his late position,
and that while we were so unfortunate as to lose
some artillery, we have taken at least as many
pieces as we have lost."
The special correspondent of the Xeto York 7 lines
gives the following account of the two battles fough
on the 4th—

" MOVEMENTS ON THE LEFT.
"Falmouth, Virginia, Tuesday, May 5.
" Yesterday two terrible battles were fought by
he 6th corps (Gen. Sedwick), resulting in fearful
carnage on both sides. Owing to the sudden appear-
ance of the enemy in rear, I was unable to complete
my account of Sunday's operations, and will now
go back and refer briefly to them. After the charge
of the flying division on the Washington Artillery
portions of Howe's charged up the hill further to
the right, under a most galling fire, capturing four
guns. They were taken by Mills's brigade and the
Vermont —, which suffered the most. One brass
12-pounder was charged and taken by the 33d
New York (Colonel Taylor), which afterwards,
together with the 77th New York, pushed on after
the fleeing rebels, who, getting under the protec-
tion of woods, returned a hot fire. They stood,
however, but a short time, and then fled. The
earthworks were stormed, 12 guns captured, and
the stars and stripes planted.
" The various divisions of the corps (6th, General
Sedgwick's) moved rapidly forward up the Gordons-
ville turnpike to the distance of four miles, skir-
mishing all the way, where they found the enemy
in force, when another battle ensued, in which
Brooks's, Newton's, and the flying division were
engaged—the first suffering severely. The rebels
were in a wood, and as we advanced to it opened a
galling fire. Russell's brigade, composed of the
95th and 117th Pennsylvania and 121st New York,
made a charge, and suffered severely, the 95th being
almost annihilated. While the battle was pro-
gressing the enemy suddenly commenced firing on
our left to the rear, and Brooks's division was obliged
to change front. The battle lasted till dark, with-
out any decisive results being obtained on either
side. During the night the woods took fire, and it
is feared that many of the wounded on both sides
perished in the flames. Monday morning the rebels
suddenly made their appearance on the hills to the
left of Fredericksburg, and coming down rapidly oc-
cupied the city, thus getting in the rear of the corps.
Your correspondent happened to be in a farm-house
at the point where they descended to the plain, and
you can judge of his astonishment on looking out
of the window to see this large force advancing in
the field in front of the house. Most of the supply
trains, ambulances,rr ulcs, and soldiers :n the vicinity
were taken. A fleet horse saved me from capture.
A serious blunder was perpetrated in pushing our
forces on so rapidly without ascertaining whether or
not tare were any rebels on the woody heights to
the left of the city. One whole corps came down, and
forming in line of battle, immediately marched after
the corps. The only way of retreat lay by Brooks's
Ford, five miles above the city. General Sedgwick
was s; g
on
fa led
affairs,
r o this
m and i smi dme
eodf ti
a ht
eel
yriverr
noifn tgh econ-
ditionabout
formed a line of battle facing this
way, holding the
rebels in check, and working down toward the ford.
The lines of battle remained in this condition until
about the middleof the day, when the rebels attacked
us,and were gallantly repulsed, Howe's division cap-
turing
aft
time
rgeehitt
or
wnl
eoasnss es,fienwacrelei idtlhe
300 prisoners. The rebel reinforcements had
et ohpuarr e
vtroops had been fighting
that
thei ou se
eTuesdayrps
could night. &n, hot;
make
For k
ea
communication at Banks's Ford, and that the whole
of it must be captured. But by
noon' a connexion. was
mtimadee,tahnedwGheunn.dSeeddginwicFkresdenertifeokrssbnuprpi supplies. Mean •
wl
le r
ofe beingt h
taken across the pontoons to this sideg
a being got away on the sudden appearance of
theem
enemy on the outskirts above. The doctors, suppos
ing, of course, that the enemy would come down and
take them, made all the arrangements for being
taken prisoners ; but for some reason, either through
fear of our forces above or siege guns on this side of
the river, the enemy did not advance into the town.
The positions of the respective armies were then as
follows :—Our main force on the north, then the
main force of the enemy, the sixth corps below, corps
Qi rcbcls Still lowed, !Ind eV 1107; 311.3$ on this side,