The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-16 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

TIMES.—The Fourth of July, which accident
made the " great day " of the political history 01

America, seems destined to be marked less brightly
in the military annals of the nation. In the two

successive years of war the anniversary of the Inde-
pendence of the Republic has dawned on fields of
battle. In 1862 the " Glorious Fourth " found the
first Army of the Potomac toiled in its advance on
Richmond, and resting " safe," but r.t.t victorious,
on the bank of the James River. It was told by
President Lincoln that "it had not been beaten,"
but the ensuing months saw exhibited all the con-
,. ,

sequences of defeat, and the negative assurance 01
the President was probably but a slight consolation.
The day has come round again, and again it saw the
hostile hosts fronting each other after a sanguinary
conflict. Last year the series of battles of that
campaign had ended; but by the last intelligence it
is evident that on the morning of the fateful day
the decisive engagement had yet to be fought. To
the point of time to which the reports are brought
down, the incidents are much clearer than any,
details of the previous movements. From the mo-
ment General Hooker was superseded the Federal
army abandoned the line of the Rappahannock,
and, changing its front, marched northwards, and,
crossing the Potomac, placed itself between the Con-
federates and Washington. The advance was not
made an hour too soon, and was probably only de-
layed by the divisions between the Federal Govern-
ment and Hooker, and the shaken confidence of his
officers and troops, which had " repaired his effi.
ciencv." In the short time that ha., elapsed since he
took the command General Meade has displayed
considerable activity.
It was too late to press on
the rear of Lee or harass his advance. The
whole of the Confederate army had succeeded in
effecting a second invasion of Maryland, and had
gathered on the ueetheru frontier of that State
and in the neighbouring State of Pennsylvania.
The capitals of both were alarmed without being
roused, for the fear of occupation by the enemy had
not excited any violent iinpulae of self-defence.
The task of repelling the invasion, or at least saving
Washington from as attack, fell on General Meade
and his troops, which, compared with the hasty
etel levies of the States Militia, must be considered
veterans. But how comply all the conditions
of the war have changed is apparent from the pre-
sent position of the armies and the scene of the two
days' hard fighting the telegrams describe. The
field of battle is due north of Washington, at Get.
tysburg, little more than 50 miles from the seat of
the Federal Government. To the north and west I
of this locality the hulk of the Confederate army
appears to have been fou d at last, Roughly speak-
ing, both armies have described a circle from the
B,eppehannock, General Lee moving in the larger
"on
~r
courtrvae
stomahlilesrpze,nt position, and General Meade
keeping
closer to Washington
commerced on the Ist of Zuly. A corps ot
itself as his centre. The battle, or the series of
battles,
the Federal army, entering (-4
—eyseutg on the
eastern side of the town, Passed terough, and en-
countered a pert of the Confederate force, under
General Hill, to the ',vest of it. The Confederates
were coming frosea the direction of Charebersburg, a'
town a few Hales to the west of the spot where the
armies ceeene upon each other. The engagement
commenced immediately, and for two hours the Fe-
deeal General Reynolds held his ground. He was
then reinforced by General Howard, but both were
evidently outnumbered. They had met a portion
of the Confederate troops superior to their own.
They were outflanked on the right, and were con-
tending with this difficulty when General Ewell
came up with a force which was an army in itself,
and it is estimated at no less than 25,000 men. The
Confederates opened a cross fire of artillery, which
is described• by the Federal reports as " destruc-
tive," flanks,
and, Reynolds' corps
not hold his ground, and
ton south of Gettysburg—
thatgiving
fellturnedbackHoward
both
is, retreated. General Reynolds was killed,
General Paul also fell, and the Federal loss in this
engagement "they state to have been 4,500 men,
with an "immense number of officers." The battle
was renewed in the afternoon of the 2d, south of
Gettysburg, the two corps repulsed on the previona
day having fallen back on the main body of the
Federal force. Of the second day's engagement
the Government have published portions of Gene-
ral Meade's report. He states that the Confedee
t
that
the distance
have been
it, wereshbteaene
hostile
oe
spotr
irfeli
epntucwbli spoietadti
mel
eea:an.
firing,
rTipnhogei
dt
oas
ay. '
rates, " after one of the most severe conflicts of
engagementoon et ot seems
point
was not decisive. The fighting was stopped by the
close of night, and each army occupied nearly the
same ground as when the battle commenced. Gen.
Meade thought he perceived indications that Lee
was retiring, but a reconnaissance discovered that
he was still "in force" on the field. There is no
report, official or other, later than the night of the
3d. The whole result, therefore, appears to be that
the Federals in second engagement did not recover
the ground they had lost in the first. But the con-
flict must have been, as Gen. Meade describes it,
severe. He more than once mentions the heavy
losses his troops have sustained, and infers that the
pro-
portionatr et Threeun rtofnheFadse
das
eose
erffiwan
Federal
wounded.
nsoe
dnukeegi
mfi
though nai
sl unusually
nnins
andut
thahel
the
yGc
fouroolvan
Govern-
ment nree
e.
Confederates must have suffered equally. The
drl
enough
el
ods f I nhi,s,a factvapegroa,
t.
of the second day to justify the President in issuing
an address to the public on the event, his words
seem saddened by a sense of a loss among the troops
too heavy for the slight result their courage has
purchased. A retreat, a drawn battle, and another,
probably a greater, engagement inevitable, there
was scarcely enough of success in the achievement
of the army to enable the President to rise to the
full tone of congratulation.
POST.—The Limerick Assizes, which havejust ter-
minated, may, we hope, prove to mark an era in the
history of Irish crime. It -is little more than. a
twelvemonth since our readers were startled by the
details of what it is the fashion to term an " agra-