The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-09 00:00:00

TIMES.—The truth as to the last great battle in
front of Chattanooga has had a long struggle to
reach the light. It was fought on the 19th and 20th
of September, and through nearly three weeks the
fragments of intelligence have been arriving by no
less than five steamers—the Scotia, the Adriatic,
the Damaecus, the Hansa, and the Etna. It is only
by the last vessel that full particulars of the en-
gagement, and distinct admissions of the disaster
the result has brought upon the Federal army of
the -West, have been received. Three of these
steamers left New York between the 24th and 26th,
when the result must have been completely known
to the Government, since on the latter date a long
description of the battle, the positions occupied,
the alternations of success during the two days of
conflict, and the total confusion of the disorderly
retreat that closes the story, was published. Most of
the main incidents, and certainly the final catas-
trophe, we might have received several days ago,
had they not been purposely kept back by the
Northern Government, that prohibits the transmis-
sion of any news not acceptable to the offieial party
from New York northward to Boston or Cape Race
in time for the steamers bound to Europe. To delay
the arrival of disastrous tidings on this side of the
ocean, even for a single day, is considered a great
point gained, and if the suppression is well-timed
the supposed advantage of perplexing European
opinion may be increased by a silence of three or lour
days longer. The telegraph thus becomes a very im-
perfect speaker that we are always asking " to tell
us more." Bat it does not; its liberty of speech is
suspended, along with the Habeas Corpus Act, end
the few fitful utterances it makes always break off, in
a provoking manner, at the most interesting points
of the narration. tis felt that there is much to
come, but the thread is effectually snapped, and the
end has to be inferred and deduced from the few
very enigmatical sentences that are allowed to pass.
The superiority of the modern telegraph system
has thus been acquired in vain. The messages of
the old post and board telegraph of our fathers
wore very liable to be " interrupted by a fog."
But the puzzling mists that surround most of
the American war news are wilfully raised by the
wizards of the official departments at Washington,
Fortunately, their spells are soon broken by
another power. The truth in a few days is re-
vealed, more or less willingly, by the Press. And
though in their comments on patent facts the
official journals express very singular opinions, and
draw conclusions opposed to all the premises, the
reports of the correspondents are compelled to a
general accuracy. A bias can be perceived, but
it does not go so far as total perversion. They
are not so bold in assertion as the first telegrams,
that, by the official announcement of "substantial
victory," prepare;the Northern cities for intelligence
that turns it into a " crushing defeat." But it is
from the earliest details, in which so much is sup-
pressed together, while most of what is given has
been " manipulated" by the Government, we are
compelled to form our conclusions as the broken and
perverted tale arrives. It is some satisfaction to find
that the later and full accounts of a military opera-
tion quite confirm, even in points of detail. The
small policy of concealing the truth from Europe
is defeated when, by a constructive process, a very
near approach to the actual history of affairs can be
given from a series of fragments intended to mislead.
The ample details of the battle of Chicamauga
that had reached New York on the 26th so fully
confirms our previous conclusions from all we could
deduce from the official style, that we need not go
over the whole story of the conflict again. The re-
sults are in no respect modified. The defeat was
total, as we inferred, and the disorder of the retreat
greater than we were prepared to expect from the
character of the Western troops. But the causes of
the disaster are now explained. Tne defeat of
Rosencranz is ascribed to the better tactics of the
Southern commanders rather than their superiority
in numbers. By the manner in which the Southern
attack was made Rosencranz was compelled to
change the disposition of the greater part of his
army after the battle had actually begun. He seems
to have divined where the real assault was to be
made, but not to have discovered it soon enough.
The shifting of the divisions, moved to strengthen
the weak points of his position, gave the Confede-
rates an opportunity of throwing a crushing force
on the points left imperfectly protected by the corps
moved up to fill the vacancies. The result of the
fighting on 'she 19th was not decisive. The Federals
held their ground, but part of their army had been
badly shattered, and the day could hardly be
claimed as a triumph of the Union arms. It was
at this crisis the first telegram stopped, with the
alarming announcement of a substantial victory.
During the night of the 19th the Federal position
had to he changed again, and on the 20th the Con-
federates repeated the tactics of the previous day.
First attacking the left of the line and pushing it
blck, the Southerners threw all their force on the
Federal centre, which had been weakened to the
extent of one-third. It could not sustain the shock.
The regiments began to spread out like a fan, wider
and wider, till at last they were brokers into frag-
ments. The breaks caused by the shiftings of divi-
sions from one point of the line to another were so
promptly perceived and turned to advantage by
the Confederate Generals that they proved fatal
and caused the loss of the day. The Federal line,
after being thus broken, could not again be formed.
The army was in fact, as we had previously stated,
cut in two. At this point of time the disorder
began. Streams of denaora ized, uncontrollable
troops, flying to the rear, were all that remained of
a large portion of the army. Four divisions were
thus broken and dispersed, only one retiring in
tolerable order. All afterwards was the contusion
of a rout, crowds of stragglers in mob-like disorder
making good speed towards Chattanooga. A
partial rally was made, and General Thomas was
enabled so far to check the pursuit as to save the
Northern Army from total destruction. The whole
incidents of the two days, it must be admitted, are
very candidly summed up by the American narra-
tor,—" While the struggle of the first day ended
in a drawn battle that of the second resulted in
a disastrous defeat." Bed formation of the line
of battle, bad tactics on the field, and the
absence of some commanders at the most critical
period of the fight, are alleged as the causes of the
disaster. Two seem to have disappeared, though
nothing is said of their having been wounded.
Rosencranz himself had also to quit the field before
the battle was quite over. It is added that
' while the army may be considered as safe enough,
it is certain, if the enemy have the advantage of
greater numbers, flanking movements will compel
Rosencranz to retreat across the Tennessee, in
case reinforcements should not promptly reach
him." This was also a contingency we ventured
to anticipate, and, considering the position of Burn-
side, already threatened with an attack, it seems
extremely probable. There is also a chance of the
Federals having their supplies cut off and being
compelled to surrender. If this should occur it
would be the first capitulation of the war. In the
old War of Independence the surrender of two. Eng-
lish Generals and their forces hastened the end of
the contest. Nothing so decisive has yet occurred
in the present American struggle, but the present
situation of Rosencranz, liable to be surrounded, un-
able to advance, and with a difficult line of retreat,
is in a peril not dissimilar to those of the English
troops that could neither be moved or supported.
But the scene of this last great battle is so distant
from the populous Northern cities that we doubt if
it will very deeply affect public opinion or advance
the prospect of peace. The Indian name of the battle-
field means the " Stream of Death." The great losses
on both sides give the name a new and terrible fit-
ness. But the oft-repeated tale of carnage makes
small impression on the American mind, even
though the difficulty of filling the thinned ranks is
becoming every day more evident.
HERALD.—The proprietor of a public-house must
be driving a roaring trade, of one sort or another,
when his potboy wears a gold watch appraised at 70
guineas. So many curious points of interest present
themselves in the story just told at the Middlesex
sessions, where a Mr. Binks attended for the ends of
justice and for the recovery of his watch, which was
stolen from him on the 16th of last month, that we
cannot forbear drawing attention to the narrative of
the prosecution. The watch was traced into the pos-
session of Thomas Skondall, barman, aged 24, " of
very respectable appearance," in the employ of the
landlord of the Bull and Anchor publichouse, High
Holborn. Mr. Binks, it was stated, had lost the
watch on the morning of the St. Leger race day,
whilst he was leaving the King's-cross station. He
had bought it of a friend some time before for £7O,
and the face or dial was ornamented with 12 dia-
monds—one for each hour. When the unlucky
owner next saw his choice and valuable property the
diamonds were gone, and the white dial had been
gilt so as to totally change its appearance. More-
over, the name of the original maker" Adams," had
been altered to that of the popular chronometer ma-
nufacturer " Dent." It came out on the trial of
this Thomas Skendall, for feloniously receiving the
watch, knowing it to have been stolen, that all these
alterations had beer made at his request by a watch-
maker in the neighbourhood, who apparently, ac-
cording to his own innocent declaration, saw nothing
unusual in substituting one maker's name for
another, or in despoiling the dial-plate of its dia-
mond attractions, or in affixing a new ring or bow
to the handle of the watch. Nothing would evi-
dently stimulate this guileless tradesman's senses
into a suspicion of wrong-doing ; and probably,
until the judge reminded him that he was liable to
an indictment for being "accessory after the fact,"