The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-09 00:00:00

THE INTERCEPTED DESPATCHES.

The following Confederate vers,on of the Virginia, Mary-
land, and West ern campaigns is contained in the Intercepted
Despatches :—" The first letter, from Mr. Benjamin to Mr.
Slidell, is dated Department of State, Richmond, Sept. 26.
1862, and is occupied with an abstract of Pope's campaign
in Virginia, M'Clellan's in aryland, and the movements
in the West, with a summary of losses of the Union
armies. Pope's army is said to have been composed of
the shattered remnants of the army of Fremont, Milroy,
and Banks, of M 'Dowell's forces. Burnside's, Hunter's, and
Stevens's, who were recalled from South Carolina, com-
p, ising in all a strength of 90,000 men, and urged on
by the renewal of the old 'On to Richmond' cry. To
meet Pope, Lee first sent fin ward Jackson with 25,000
m..n, and then, satisfied that a small torte would be suffi-
cient to wath M'Clellan on the peninsula, proceeded with
the main body of his army to join Jackson, meaning to
comb Pope before M'Clellan, if such a movement were con-
templated, could come to his relief. But the sudden rise of
the Rapidan and the want of transportation delayed the
movement till Pope took the alarm and retired behind the
Rappahannock, where he was joined by l\PClellan. Their
combined forces were met by General Lee in a series of suc-
cessful battles on the plains of Manassas on the 28th, 29th,
and 30th of August, in which the enemy were totally
routed. Their army was withdr,wn into the fortifications
around Washington, Pope disgraced and banished,
and M'Clellan reappointed to the command of the
army collected for the defence of Washington.
Lee then entered Maryland by the fords at Edwards'
Ferry, established his headquarters at Frederica,
amused the en, my with feints against Baltimore and Penn-
sylvania; then suddenly enveloped Harper's Ferry and
forced it to surrender. M'Clellan, becoming too late aware
of its danger, moved from Washington, and the day before
its surrender attacked the rear guard of 15,000 men, under
D. H. Hill, with his whole army of 80,000, who was com-
pelled to give way, till Lee and Longstreet arrived with re
inforcements and repulsed the enemy. [Battle of South
Mountain.] The rapid arrival of reinforcements for
M'Clellan induced Lee to withdraw his army to Sharps-
burg, where with only 40,000 he was attacked by M'Clel-
lan with 150,000, who resisted the enemy with unbroken
front till noon, when Jackson arrived and, with the help
of A. P. Hill at 4 o'clock, repulsed the enemy's attack.
Lee prepared to renew the engagement next morning,
" but the enemy had disappeared from his front and left
him master of the field." Lee, after burying his dead,
crossed the river to Shepherdstown to rest, which led
M'Clellan to claim a victory and attempt a pursuit,
which was repulsed with terrible loss. General Loring, in
Western Virginia, has just conducted a snccessful cam-
paign, and driven the enemy after a series of defeats across
the Ohio. Signal triumphs have illustrated our arms in
the West. Morgan and Forrest broke upthe enemy's com-
munications, and destroyed their supplies and depots ; the
army at Cumberland Gap was forced to flee, hotly pursued,
and was nearly annihilated. Nelson was utterly routed at
Richmond by Kirby Smith, and his army absolutely de-
stroyed, all its arms being placed in the hands of Ken-
tuckians, who are rising en masse. No doubt is entertained

that that great State is at last permanently joined to our
Confederacy. Bragg captured 5,000 men at Mumfordsville,
cut off Bull from his base, forced him to evacuate Nash-

vile, restored Tennessee to our possession, and we are in
daily expectation of the news of the capture of Louisville.
Benjamin thus comments on the magical change in their
condition within 90 days, declares that our entire frontier
"is reforming in peace behind our victorious forces; Ohio
and Pennsylvania are shrinking in terror, and New York is
demanding the removal of the mint from Philadelphia."
The retaliatory measures against Pope's officers are ex.'
plained, and it is alleged that that confinement was the same
as that of our own officers, but that they were not exchanged
till Pope's murderous orders m ere set aside. The following
summary of Union losses is given : 1. M'Clellan's army
lost 100,000 ; he landed on the peninsula with nearly
100,000 men, was afterwards re-enforced to 158,000, and
left with a remnant of about 55,000 men. 2. Pope's army
in the battle of Cedar Run and of Manassas Plains, 30,000.
3. The armies of Banks, Milroy, M'Dowell, Shields, and
Fremont, in the I attles of the Valley of Virginia, 30„,00.
4. Halleck's army in the West, originally 220,000, was
reduced by battles, at Shiloh and elsewhere, by sickness and
desertion, to less than 100,000 men, but let the loss be stated
at 100,000. 5. On the coasts of North and South Carolina,
Georgia, Florida' and Louisiana, principally by sickness and
deserti n, at least 10,000. 6. In North and South-Western
Virginia, 5,000. 7. In the battle of Boonesborough and
Sharpsburg, 15,000. 8. In the surrender of Harper
's
Ferry, 11,000. In the battle at Boteler's Mills, 2,500. 10.
the army of General Morgan at Cumberland Gap, 5,000
11. In the battle of Richmond, Kentucky, 7,000. 12. In
the surrender of Mumlordsville, 5,000. 13. In the campaigns
of Morgan and Forrest, and other partisan leaders, in lien:
tucky and Tennessee, 4,000. 14. In the trans-MississiPll
campaign, including partisan warfare in Missouri ant
Arkansas, 25,000. '1 otal, 349,500. In this enormous nunli,!:
I am not now able to state what General Officers were and
eluded, but in the single battle of Sharpsburg of 16tht;o3
17th inst. 11 Generals were killed or wounded, among
four Major-Generals."