The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-20 00:00:00

GENERAL 111EADE'S DESPATCHES.

Headquarters, Army of the Potomac, near
Gettysburg, July 3, 8.30 p.m.
Major Gen. Halleck, General-in-Chief,
The enemy opened at one o'clock p.m. from
about 150 guns, concentrated upon my left centre,
continuing without intermission for about three
hours, at the expiration of which time he assaulted
my left centre twice, being upon both occasions
handsomely repulsed with severe loss to lives, leav-
ing in our hands nearly 3,000 prisoners.
Among the prisoners are Brigadier-
Geo. Armisted
and many colonels and officers of lesser rank.
The enemy left many dead upon the
field and a
large number of wounded in our hands.
Major-General Hancock and Brigadier-General
The loss upon both sides has been considerable.
Gibbon were wounded.
assault, inclinations
After the repelling of the might be with-
leading to the belief that the enemy
drawing, an armed reconnoissance was pushed for-
wardfound
from the left, and the enemy to be in

force.
At the present
beenlr is quiet.
and vigorously
engaged all day on both
My cavalry heanvemy,
flanks of the
with groat success, notwithstanding
attacking illtrnred superior numbers, both of cavalry
they encountered
and infantry:
The arms is in
fine spirits.
GEORGE G. MEADE,
Major-General Commanding.
WASHINGTON, July 5, 4 p.m.
The latest official despatch received here up to
this hour from General Meade, is dated at head.
quarters, Army of the Potomac, 7 a.m., July 4,
which merely state that the enemy had withdrawn
from his positions occupied for attack on Friday.
The information in the possession of Gen. Meade
that hour did not develope the charaecttrrote, or a
fde at
the
enemy's movement—whether it wasiiaab
informa-
tion retreat,
manoeuvre for other purposes.
ite
General Lee's
tion received here to-day asserts that
liinf
headquarters were at Coshtowo
nyesterday after-
the rebels were
noon, and further represents
fortify.ng at Newman's Cut,
in the South iat
Moun-
tains, apparently to cover a retreat. Later official
despatches are expected this

SECOND DESPATCH.
Headquarters, Army of the Potomac, July 4, Noon.
To Major-General Halleck :
The position of affairs is not materially changed
since my last despatch of 7 a.m.
We now hold Gettysburg.
The enemy had abandoned large numbers of his
killed and wounded on the field.
I shall probably be able to give you a return of
our captures and losses before night, and a return

batteries could command our position on Cematery-
hill. It was evidently with a view of gaining this
position that the enemy made the assault. For this

purpose Hill's corps, that had fought on the left on
the previous day, were brought around to the right,
to reinforce Early, and as the scheme was developed
it appeared that the early attack on the left was
intended as a diversion to cover this movement,
From a distance the progress of the fight could be
observed by the curling smoke rising above this
wood, marking the line of the fierce contest.
In this struggle our reserved artillery was brought
into play, and did most excellent service in im-
promptu positions on the elevated points, back of
Cemetery-hill, shelling the face of the mountains,
where the enemy were supposed to be. His reserve
fire of shells, added to the steady and unflinching
ardour of the glorious 12th Corps, ultimately
checked the vastly superior force of the enemy, who
for an hour or two had been gradually advancing,
At the critical juncture, about 11 o'clock in the fore-
noon, one or two brigades of New York troops, sup-
posed to be militia from Pennsylvania, arrived,
and were immediately thrown into position to re-
inforce the right wing, which was being so badly
pressed.

This assistance determined the fate of the day.
The enemy quailed before it, and soon the curling
smoke that marked the line of the contest began
to recede, surely indicating that the enemy were
falling bick ; but if they gave way at all it was
but slowly, fighting at every step ; and thus the
battle raged for hours, and until the afternoon, when
the enemy abandoned the field in that direction.
But they did not yet yield the day. For a period
hostilities seemed to be suspended, but the suspen-
sion was very brief.
The rebel columns seemed to be moved as if by
magic, and within an hour their whole force was
massed directly in our front, and once more the
fierce and deadly contest opened. This time it was
an ass,ult along the entire line—a last resort, the
forlorn hope of the enemy.

They were weakened in numbers and utterly de-
moralised, yet Lee had a reputation to save and a
name to make, and at any sacrifice of life he seemed
bound to win the day ; but he strove in vain. Tho
Union troops were fighting at home, and among
their own people. They fought like heroes, and,
inspirited by success, they had no thought of de-
feat. They could have withstood three times the
force the enemy hurled against them. It was a
mere play for them to drive back the columns of the
rebels, and so they did drive them back, and at five
o'clock, after more than 12 hours' constant fighting,
the contest terminated, the national troops victo-
rious at every point, and having nearly the entire
battlefield in their possession.
Time fails me to dwell upon the details of this
brilliant and glorious battle. It would be interest-
ing to state how we took thousands on thousands
of prisoners, how the enemy wore slaughtered, how
our men fell by thousands heroically defending their
national emblem, but let all this be deferred; the
day is ours, the victory is won, the country is saved.
At the close of the action General Lee had the int-
ge
intended ofprisoners. Gen.
sPiriodeneetsotisleintides, into
a flag
of truce asking a suspen-
nof hostilities, giro him time for the burial of
mthesaddeeadr,epalniedd an exchange chhaen
to recapture
all the prisoners the enemy had taken, and
that he would bury their dead for them. Fail-
ivg in this attempt to gain • •
time, and badly worsted
at all hands, the rebels had no other recourse but
to avail themselves
of
the fast approaching night
to fall back to the
mountains. So precipitate was
their retreat last ni • ght that their guards and sen-
tinels in town were not relieved, and were cap-
tured.

taken in
This morning upwards of 1,100 stranglers were
Gettysburg, besides our wounded who had
fallen into the enemy's hands on Wednesday. At
early daybreak Gen. Pleasanton was started in pur-
suit of the rebels with his artillery, and at last ac-
counts was pressing them hard.
The summary of the battle it would be difficult
to give at this time, Both sides have lost heavily.
The country about Gettysburg is crowded with
wounded men. Every house and every barn is a
hospital. Probably in the aggregate of both armies
at least 50,000 men have been placed hors de combat.
The apportionment of this loss would probably be
20,000 Union and 30,000 rebels. In addition to
this, we have captured from 12,000 to 20,000 pri-
soners, which is more than quadruple what they
have taken from us, including our wounded who
fell into their hands on Wednesday, and who
were recaptured by ns in Gettysburg this morning.
It is exceedingly doubtful if we have taken either
Longstreet or Hill, as reported, though the report
is based upon statements of rebel prisoners. Other
reports say that Locgstreet is badly wounded, and
some say he is dead.

COMMERCIAL IN'IELLIGENGE.
NEW YORK, July 9, Evening.
Money easy. Gold, 311 per cent, premium. Ex-
change on London—Bankers' bills, 144. Stocks
very f rm. New York Centrals, 1181 ; Illinois
Centrals, 106:;' ; Eric, 94Z ; Six per Cent. United
States Bonds, 104. Cotton improving. Middling
Upland, 55e. to 57c. Flour heavy. Wheat and
corn, good inquiry. There has been a continued
heavy fall in breadstuffs during the week, sympa-
thising with the rate of exchange, but the market
closes steadier. Provisions steady. Coffee heavy.
Sugar and molasses tending downwards. Petro-
leum quiet, bnt unchanged.

Miss Braddon's " Aurora Floyd," recently drama-
tised for the Theatre du Cbatelet, Paris, and, aided by the
ghostly inventions of Messrs. Dircks and Pepper, seems to
be making some sensation there.