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

" MOVEMENTS OF TIIE RIGHT.

" Headquarters in the Field, three miles from
United States Ford, Monday, May 4.
" There has been very little of interest transpiring
to-day. A portion of the army has been engaged in
constructing rifle pits and abattis in divers and vari-
ous places. The larger part of the army has been
resting after th© severe labours of the past week.
Marches and countermarches, skirmishes, combats,

and battles have thoroughly wearied the men and
the horses. But to-day they are comparatively at
rest. Better than that, long trains of pack mules are
winding their way along the crooked wood-roads
and into every camp. The haversacks of the men
are being freighted with three days' rations of bread
meat, coffee, and sugar. The men are in excellent
spirits, and confident they shall whip the rebels.
"Early this morning the rebels succeeded in
bringing a battery to bear upon the wooded bluffs
north of the Rappahannock, near United States
Ford. Their shell were meant for our waggon train,
but by reason of the fact that a body of rebel pri-
soners had been halted for the night where they
supposed the waggon train to be they troubled their
friends more than they did their enemies.
" Many gallant deeds were performed by the staff
officers of the various generals. At the right of the
Chancellor house a battery of six guns was aban-
doned, the men and officers being killed and wounded.
Gen. Hancock directed his staff to bring them off.
Through the exertions of Major G. W. Scott, Lieut.
W. P. Wilson, and others of the staff, the guns
were dragged off by hand and saved.
" Hancock's division was under a cross fire from
three directions, and was the last to leave that por-

tion of the field. Gen. Hancock had his horse shot
under him, as did h:s aide, Lieut. Mitchell, and his
orderly, Daniel O'Rourk, 6th New York Cavalry.
Two of his orderlies were wounded.
" Gen. Couch had his horse shot under him, was
slightly wounded, and his clothes were twice struck.
" To-day all the Generals are praising the gallan-
try of Col. Miles, of the 61st New York, who be-
haved so gallantly and was wounded so severely
yesterday. He is said to be one of best officers and
bravest soldiers in the army. He had command of
several regiments upon the lines near the Chancel-
lor House, and with his skirmishers repulsed seve-
ral strong attacks without their being able to reach
his line of battle. If he should live he will certainly
be promoted. Every officer whom I have heard
speak of the matter has spoken with great enthu-
siasm of the colonel's conduct, and expressed a wish
that he may live to wear the honours he has so
justly earned.

" I was very sorry to learn that Gen. Whipple,
while sitting in his tent, was severely wounded to-
day by a chance ball from a rebel sharpshooter.
Our Generals, with a bravery entirely unparalleled
hitherto in the history of this war, have had their
headquarters, day and night, in the advance, among
their troops, and in every instance within reach of
shot and shell. This has done much to inspire the
troops with confidence, but in Gen. Whipple's case
has resulted disastrously to himself.
" This afternoon there was another dash upon our
lines near Hooker's headquarters, but a few rounds
of canister made them glad to take French leave.
" Battery K, 4th United States artillery, did most
excellent service at the battle. It lost 48 men,
killed and wounded. Sergeant Manion had three
horses shot under him in a few minutes. The bat-
tery having suffered so severely in men and horses
has gone to the rear to recuperate. Captain F. W.
Seeley, commanding, says that in three days he can
be ready for service again, and is anxious to go to
the front as soon as possible.
" We have heard guns in the direction of Sedg-
wick this afernoon."

CONFEDERATE ACCOUNTS.
The following is General Lee's official despatch to
President Davis :

" Milford, May 3.
" Yesterday General Jackson penetrated to the rear of
the enemy, and drove him from all his positions from the
Wilderness to within one mile of Chancellorsville.
" He was engaged at the same time in front by two of
Longstreet's divisions.

" Many prisoners were taken, and the enemy's loss in
killed and wounded is large.
" This morning the battle was renewed.
" He was dislodged from all his positions around Chancel-
lorsville, and driven back towards the Rappahannock, over
which he is now retreating.
" We have again to thank Almighty God for a great
victory.

" I regret to state that General Paxton was killed,
General Jackson severely and Generals Meth and A. P. Hill
slightly wounded.

‘, R. E. LEE, General Commanding,"

GENERAL STONEMAN'S GREAT RAID.
(From the Richmond Dispatch of the 4th.)
The city yesterday was in a high state of excite-
ment, which was caused by a number of reports of a
Yankee raid made on a scale which has heretofore
been unapproached by them. In the afternoon seve-
ral thousand persons wer, congregated at the depot
of the Richmond and Fredericksburg Railroad,
anxiously awaiting the news expected to at rive by
the train. The train, however, was destined not to
arrive. Yesterday the Yankees entered Co-
lumbia, Fluvanna county, Virginia, and destroyed
the canal banks there. At 7 o'clock yesterday
evening a force of Federals was within eight miles
of Farmville, with the intention of destroying
the high bridge on the Southside Railroad. In
the morning the Federals entered Ashland with
a largo force of cavalry and artillery, and, it is
stated, burnt the town, which consists of an
hotel end some 20 or 30 cottages. In the evening
they were reported to be at a station on the Rich-
mond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad, eight
miles distant from the city. This report is supposed
to be correct, though nothing was heard of them
afterwards. It is more likely that after the raid at
Ashland they turned their atteniion to the Central
Railroad, which last night, at 9 o'clock, had been
torn up near Peck's, about six miles from the city,
I The party performing this feat is evidently on its
way down the peninsula, to secure a safe retreat
within their lines. On their way they will meet
General Wise's command, and may be overpowered
by it and captured. When the raid on Ashland
was consummated our ambulance train, with 198
sick and 69 wounded, was captured, end it is stated
that the cars were burnt after the prisoners were
paroled. A. gentleman who arrived here last night
states that a body of Yankees, numbering 15,000
(an exaggeration, doubtless), were at Deitrick's
Store, in Goochland county, yesterday, and were
taking all the horses and negroes to be found in the
neighbourhood. The city has now troops enough
within its limits to defend it from any raid of the
nature above described, and enough, we hope, to
catch the raid makers. Last night, on the public
square, several regiments of citizens were formed,
in accordance with the general desire to have a hand
in protecting Richmond against the invaders should
they attempt to come to the city.
(From the Richmond Whig of the sth.)
We have some further accounts of the raid of the

Yankee cavalry upon the Fredericksburg Railroad
at Ashland. The engineer of the ambulance train
which was captured discovered smoke ahead as he
approached Ashland, and, suspecting something
wrong, slackened the speed of the train. A shower
of balls pelting against the side of the locomotive and
tender soon convinced him that the enemy were
near. He ensconced himself in the tender, and thus
escaped the bullets aimed at him, but was in a few
moments captured by several Yankees, who mounted
the engine and compelled him to move the train on
the village. Beside the sick and wounded soldiers
who were on the train were Colonel S. Bassett
French, aid to Governor Letcher ; Mr. Roy 0.
Crowley, Government electrician ; and several
others whose names we did not learn. There were
also two or three ladies. They were all treated
kindly by their captors, and concur in attributing
to Col. Davis, commander of the raiders, some gen-
tlemanly and humane qualities Rot generally mani-
fested by Yankee officers. When the passengers
discovered that they were at the mercy of the
Yankees several of them prudently thrust several
documents into the stove of the car, and applied a
match to them. A package of Confederate Treasury
notes, amounting to several thousand dollars, was
transferred to the custody of a lady, who kindly
concealed them in the folds of her skirts until the
Yankees had disappeared. We have not heard that
the passengers were searched. They, together with
the soldiers, were all paroled by Col. Davis. Most
of the former walked to the city yesterday on the
railroad. The main body of the Yankees remained
for some time at Ashland, while a detachment pro-
ceeded to Hanover Court-house, tore up the Central
Railroad track at that point, cut the telegraph wire,
and also, it is stated, burnt the Court-house. This
was Yankee-like. The detachment afterwards
united, if we are correctly informed, at Hungary
station, on the Fredericksburg Railroad, and en-
camped during the night in that vicinity. They de-
stroyed several small trestle bridges across the runs
and gullies this side of Ashland, and also the
water tank at Hungary. Already a force is en-
gaged in repairing the road, and it is hoped that
communication will be re-established to-day. From
Hungary the raiders proceeded in squads to the
Brooke turnpike, passing along unfrequented roads
and bridle paths, evidently guided by some person
familiar with the country. They seemed to have
remained in this vicinity for some time, long enough
for a resolute body of mounted men to have killed
or captured the entire party ; but, so far as we are
informed, no demonstration of the kind was made,
though any number of armed men on horseback
were galloping to and fro through the streets of the
city during their stay on the Brooke-road. After
the Yankees had "cavorted" around on the Brooke-
pike to their hearts' content, fed themselves and
their horses, exchanged their most jaded animals for
fresh steeds, and waited in vain for somebody to
come and take them, they crossed over into the
Meadow-bridge-road, and visited the scene rendered
memorable by the opening of the battles around
Richmond on the 26th June last year. They crossed
the Chickahominy, and prevented pursuit by tear-
ing up the planks of the short bridges over this
sluggish stream, which can be easily replaced. Un-
luckily they captured near this point a locomotive
and tender which had been sent out on a reconnais-
sance in the morning. The Central Railroad bridge
or trestle work crosses the Chickahominy parallel
with and near the county road bridge or rather
bridges. The Yankees burnt one or two sections of
this trestle work and then ran the locomotive
into the gap, precipitating it, of course, into
the mud and water of the Chickahominy. The

injury done to the railroad at this point is not
so serious that it may not be repaired in a day.
After leaving the shades of the Meadow bridges the
marauders, full of glee, no doubt, trotted on to Me.
chanicsville, and thence towards the York River
Railroad. At Tunstall's station they fortunately en-
countered a small portion of General Wise's brigade,
who gave them a volley, which emptied several
saddles, and sent the rest of the party in the direc-
tion of the Pamunkey River. The number of men
engaged in this bold raid is variously estimated at
from 500 to 3,000. Colonel Sherwin M.Rae and
Capt. Blackford, who made a reconnaissance yester-
day, close upon the trail of the enemy, report, as
their opinion, that the force did not exceed 500 or
600, and from the best information they could gain,
there was no artillery in the expedition. General
Pryor, who reconnoitred their camp on Sunday
night, reports, we understand, that the marauders
numbered, as well as he could judge, about 1,000 or
1,200 men. They had evidently aimed at deception
in this respect by dividing their forces into squads,
and industriously circulating the lie that they were
a formidable host—the advance guard of a terrible
army, Since the above was in type we have learnt
that the Yankees destroyed seven cartloads of Go-

vernment stores at Hanover Court-house. The en.

gineer of the locomotive Augusta, Mr. J. H. Crone,
and Conductor John T. Phillips, who went up to the
Chickahominy-bridge, had a very narrow escape.
When they saw the Yankees both in front and rear

they leaped from the engine, and eluded pursuit by
dashing through the swamp into the woods. The
Latest.—The Yankee cavalry, which came into
Louisa County were 10,000 strong, under General

Stoneman. The detachment sent to the canal were

driven back by Gen. Fitzhugh Lee. Stoneman wa,

still in Louisa yesterday morning.

The following official despatches report the cap-
ture of Grand Gulf, on the Mississippi, by Admira,
Porter :

" Flagship Benton, below Grand Gulf, Mississippi,
April 29.
" I have the honour to inform you that by an arrange-
ment with General Grant I attacked the batteries at Grand
Gulf this morning, which were very formidable. After a
fight of five hours and 30 minutes we silenced the lower
batteries, but failed to silence the upper one, which was
high, strongly built, had guns of very heavy calibre ; and
the vessels were unmanageable in the heavy current. It
fired but feebly towards the last, and the vessels all laid by
and enfiladed it, while I went up a short distance to com-
municate with General Grant, who concluded to land the
troops and march over to a point two miles below Grand
Gulf. I sent the Lafayette back to engage the upper
batteries, which she did, and drove the persons out of it.
As it did not respond after a few fires, at 6 p.m. we attacked
the batteries again, and, under cover of the fire, all the
transports passed by in good condition. The Benton, the
Tuscumbia, and the Pittsburg were much cut up, having
24 killed and 56 wounded, but they are all ready for service.
We land the army in the morning on the other side and
march on Vicksburg.
" DAVID D. PORTER, Acting Rear-Admiral.
"Hon. G deon Welles, Secretary of the Navy."
"Flagship Benton, Grand Gulf, Misaissippi, May 3.
" Sir,—l have the honour to report that I got under way
this morning with the Lafayette, the Carondelet, the Mound
City, and the Pittsburg, and proceeded up to the forts at
Grand Gulf for the purpose of attacking them again, if they
had not been abandoned. The enemy had left before we got
up, blowing up their ammunition, spiking their large guns,
and burying or taking away the lighter ones. The arma-
ment consisted of 13 guns in all. The works are of
the most extensive kind, and would seem to defy the
efforts of a much heavier fleet than the one which
silenced them. The forts were literally torn to pieces by
the accuracy of our fire. Colonel Wade, the Commandant
of the batteries, was killed; also his Chief of Staff. Eleven
men were killed that Ni e know of, and our informant says
that many were wounded, and that no one was permitted
to go inside the forts after the action except those belonging
there.

" We had a hard fight for these forts, and it is withgreat
pleasure that I report that the navy holds the door to Vicks-
burg. Grand Gulf is the strongest place on the Mississippi.
Had the enemy succeeded in finishing the fortifications no
fleet could have taken them
" I have been all over the works, and found them as fol-
lows :—One fort, on a point of rocks 75 high, calculated for
six or seven guns, mounting two 7.inch rifles and one 8-
inch and one Parrot gun on wheels, which was carried off.
On the loft of this work is a triangular work, calculated to
mount one heavy gun. These works are connected with
another fort by a covered way and double riflepits extending
one quarter of a mile, constructed with much labour, and
showing great skill on the part of the constructor. The third
fort commands the river in all directions. It mounted one
splendid Blakely 100-pounder, one 8-inch, and two 30-poun-
ders. The latter were lying burst or broken on the ground.
" The gunboats had so covered up everything with earth
that it was impossible to see at first what was there, with
the exception of the guns, that were dismounted or broken.
" Every gun that fell into our hands was in good condi-
tion, and we found a large quantity of ammunition.
" These are by far the most extensively built works, with
the exception of those at Vicksburg, I have yet seen, and I
am happy to say that we hold them.
" I am dismounting the guns and getting on board the
ammunition.

" Since making the above examination new forth have
been passed nearly finished, They had no guns, but were

complete of the kind, as regards position, and bad heavy
field pieces in them.
" DAVID D. PORTER, Acting Rear-Admiral,
Commanding :Mississippi Squadron,
" Hon, Gideon Wells, Secretary of the Navy."
The following important proclamation had been
issued by the President :

"BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
" A PROCLAMATION.
" Whereas the Congress of the United States, at its last
session, enacted a law entitled An Act for enrolling and
calling out the national forces, and for other purposes,'
which was approved on the 3d day of March last; and
" Whereas it is recited in the said Act that there now
exists in the United States an insurrection and rebellion
against the authority thereof, and it is, under the constitu-
tion of the United States, the duty of the Government to
suppress insubordination and rebellion, to guarantee to each
State a republican form of government, and to preserve
the public tranquillity ; and
" Whereas for these high purposes a military force is
indispensable, to raise and support which all persons ought
willingly to contribute; and
"Whereas no service can be more praiseworthy and
honourable than that which is rendered for the maintenance
of the constitution and the Union, and the consequent pre-
servation of free government ; and
" Whereas for the reason thus recited, it was enacted by
the said statute that all able-bodied male citizens of the
United States and parsons of foreign birth who shall have
declared on oath their intentions to become citizens under
and in persuance of the laws thereof, between the ages of
20 and 45 years, with certain exemptions not necessary to
be here mentioned, are declared to constitute the national
forces, and shall be liable to perform military duty in the
service of the United States when called out by the Presi-
dent for that purpose; and
"Whereas it is claimed for and on behalf of persons of
foreign birth within the ages specified in said Act who
have hitherto declared on oath their intentions to become
citizens under and in pursuance of the laws of the United
States, and who have not exercised the right of suffrage or
any other political franchise under the laws of the United
States, or of any of the States thereof, that they are
not absolutely precluded by their aforesaid declaration of
intention from renouncing their purpose to beeline citizens
—and that, on the contrary, such persons, under treaties or
the law of nations, retain a right to renounce that purpose,
and to forego the privilege of citizenship and residence
within the United States, under the obligations employed
in the aforesaid Act of Congress ;
" Now, therefore, to avoid all misapprehensions concern-
ing the liability of persons concerned to perform the service
required by such enactment, and to give it full effect, I do
hereby order and proclaim that no plea of alienage will be
received or allowed to exempt from the obligations imposed
by the aforesaid Act of Congress any person of foreign birth
who shall have declared on oath his intention to become a
citizen of the United States under the laws thereof, and
who shall be found within the United States at any time
during the continuance of the present insurrection and re-
bellion, at or after the expiration of 65 days from the date of
this proclamation; nor shall any such plea of alienage be
allowed in favour cf any such person who has so, as afore-
said, declared his intention of becoming a citizen of the
United States, and shall have exercised at any time the
right of suffrage, or any other political franchise within the
United States, under the laws thereof, or under the laws of
any of the several States.
"In witness whereof I have hereunto set my seal, and
caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at
the city of Washington, this Bth day of May, in the year
of our ,Lord, 1863, and of the Independence of the United
States the 87th. "ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

" By the President,
" W, H. SEWARD, Secretary of State,"

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

From the New York Shipping and Commercial List of
May 9.)
The retrograde movement of the Army of the Rappahan-
nock has been the all-important theme for discussion in
financial and commercial circles during the past two or three
days, and the total unexpectedness of such an event has
entirely upset the calculations of each class. The promul-
gation of the news caused the utmost excitement to pre-
vail everywhere, as it was very generally regarded as the
result of the defeat of the entire army under General
Hooker. But advices subsequently received put an emi-
nently more favourable, or rather less unfavourable con-
struction upon the movements of the army, and would
seem to afford conclusive proof that the retrogression was
simply precautionary, and not the result of any reverse.
The promulgation of this encouraging news produced a
marked effect, especially in financial circles, and the market
for Government securities, which had materially declined,
assumed a firmer tone, while a more buoyant feeling gene-
rally prevailed. But while the public mind was greatly
depressed by the unlooked for adverse intelligence from the
immense army which had been concentrated in Virginia it
was a significant fact that nothing akin to discouragement
was anywhere manifest, but, on the contrary, it was the
universal demand that the Union force should be aug-
mented to a degree commensurate with the herculean task
which is required of them, and sent on their mission under
circumstances which would render defeat an impossibility,
And while there remains so manifest a determina-
tion on the part of the people to pers€vere in
their endeavours, and to put down the rebellion at any and
every hazard, the final issue cannot be doubtful. Mote-
over, the general situation is remarkably favourable, and
though the movement in some ene department may not be
characterised by that success which marks the whole,
the country will not see in this cause for any
discouragement. The complexion of the foreign news
per recent arrivals is not of a reassuring character, and
some people are exceedingly apprehensive of approach-
ing difficulties between this country and Great Britain,
if not with France also. But there is little doubt
that these fears will eventually prove groundless.
The mercantile public regard the " unexampled" act
of Minister Adams, in virtually throwing his protec-
tion over a cargo of munitions of war intended for
the Mexicans, as somewhat extraordinary, and many con-
sider it a stretch of his official powers. But the great
excitement in England growing out of it occasions much
surprise, notwithstanding the proverbial excitability of our
British cousins, as the cause for so much indignation and
bluster does not manifest itself on this side of the Atlantic.
The severe rain storm which has prevailed during the past
three or four days has rendered the dullness previously
existing in commercial circles still more conspicuous, and
business in nearly all articles has been very circumscribed.
This is particularly the case with foreign merchandise,
which, owing in part to the violent fluctuations in gold and
exchange, has been very little dealt in. Breadatuffs and
provisions have moved quite freely, all things considered,
and prices, with few exceptions, have been pretty well
sustained. Gold, which had advanced to 1501 previous
to our last, subsequently jumped up to 158 to 160 per cent.
on the announcement of the defeat of Gen. Hooker's army,
but afterwards fell off to 1522, at which there were some
street sales, the market closing at that rate. Foreign ex-
change has fluctuated violently in sympathy with the move-
ment in gold, but business has been very light, and confined
mainly to sterling bills, which have sold at an unusually
wide range. The bulk of the sales yesterday were at 1674 to
1684 per cent. Under a temporary active demand for
money which sprung up on Thursday the market ruled
firmer,and rates were neat ly Ito 1 per cent, higher. This
was the result of fears n hich were engendered by the retro-
grade movement of the army of the Rappahannock, rather
than the increased demand for accommodation, however,
and as the more timid capi, alists were reassured yesterday
rates were again lower, or about as quoted in our last.