The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-19 00:00:00

HAINAULT AND EPPING FORESTS.

On the motion of Mr. TORRENS the following motion
was agreed to :—Address for return of the nature of the
forest rights possessed by the Crown over the forests of
Epping and Ilainault ; what rights the Crown has parted
with ; ;he date when they were sold , and the sum of money
or equivalent for which they were disposed of, from the Bth
day of May, 1862, to the 13th day of February, 1863 (in
continuati(.n of Parliamentary Paper, No. 604, of Session
1862).

£lie house adjourned a few minutes before four o'clock.

THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL LEE.

The following sketch is extracted from the
letters of the army correspondent of the ' avannah
Republican :
If the battles around Richmond elevated this officer in
the public estimation as a military leader, his conduct of
affairs since his return from Maryland should stamp him as
one of the gr atest living masters of the art of war. By the
skilful disposition of his forces in front of \A inehester he
rendered it impracticable for M'Clellan to invade the Valley
of the Shenandoah, and forced him to adopt the route on the
east side of the Blue Ridge. The Federal commander ac-
cepted this alternative the more readily since he hoped, by
an ostentatious display of a part of his forces near Shep-
herdstown to deceive Gen. Lee to gain his fhtak and rear at
Warrenton. On his arrival at this la ter place, however,
much to his surprise and dismay, he fou- d our far-seeing
General quietly awaiting him on the south bank of the Rap-
pahannock. This unexpected discovery rendered it necessary
for the enemy to change the plan of the campaign, and to
adopt e new base of operations and a different route to Rich-
mond. Accordingly, M'Clellan having been superseded by
Burnside, the latter officer, after consultation with Halleck,
the General-in-Chief, who visited the headquarters at War-
renton, caused a series of imposing demonstrations to be
made along our front, as if he intended to give battle at an
early day. In the meantime he put the main body of his
army in motion, and marched it rapidly down the north
bank of the Rappahannock, with the view of throwing it
across that stream at Fredericksburg, gaining Lee's rear,
and descending by forced marches upon Richmond before
our army could get into position to check his advance.
But if M'Clellan was surprised to find Lee awaiting
him at Warrenton, Burnside was amazed upon his arrival
at Fredericksburg to learn that the sagacious Confederate
commander had not only anticipated his movement, but had
completely blocked the passage of the Rappahannock. So
confident were Burnside and his army of the successful issue
of his clever stratagem, that the army correspondents under-
took to furnish the Federal Press with minut and glowing
accounts of the triumphal march. Public expectation was
raised to the highest pitch. The Government, the Press,
and even officers in the field, so far forgot the bitter disap-
pointment of the past as to indulge the pleasant hallucination
of the early downfall of the rebel capital. When Burnside
reached the heights overlooking Fredericksburg, therefore,
and cast his anxious eyes across the river, great must 11, ve
been his astonishment when he discovered the Confederates,
who he vainly supposed were still awaiting his attack near
Warrenton, drawn up on the opposite hills, and the gate-
way to Richmond completely closed. The Federal Press,
in its disappointment and mortification, indulges in charges
of treason against its own people, and says some one in the
confidence of Burnside must have communicated his plans to
Gen. Lee. But this is not true. Gen. Lee, by his superior
genius and penetration, was enabled to fathom his adver-
sary's designs, and baffle his well laid plans ; and that, too,
without the assistance of traitors from the Federal army.
As was remarked in a former letter, the Confederacy is for-
tunate in having such a man as Gen. Lee in its service. He
is still in the prime and vigour of physical and intellectual
manhood, being about 45 years of age. He is six feet in
height, weighs about 1901b5., is erect, well formed, and of
imposing appearance, has clear, bright, benignant black
eyes, dark gray hair, and a heavy gray beard. He is ex-
ceedingly plain in his dress, and one looks at his costume
in vain for those insignia of rank for which most offi era
show such a weakness. Ho wears an unassuming black
felt hat, with a narrow strip of gold lace around it, and a
plain brigadier's coat with three stars on the collar, but
without the usual braiding upon the sleeves. He travels
and sleeps in an ambulance when the army is in motion,
and occupies a tent when it is stationary, and not the largest
and best house in the neighbourhood, as is the custom of
some officers. Iu a few words, he cares but little for appear-
ances, though ore of the handsomest men in the Confede-
racy, and is content to take the same fare soldiershis
all that
re-
ceive. In character and personal deportment is
the most ardent patriot can desire. Grave and dignified,
is yet modest and painfully distrustful of hie own abilities.
The descendant of a gallant officer of the elder revolution,
the husband of the grand-daughter state,
adoption) of Gen.
ate,
and the
Washington, the inheritor of a large
he is Leverthetrusteless acd-
leader of a great and victorious army,
most rugged soldier in the
cessible to the hurnbh3st and
ranks, courteous to his officers, just and kind to the citizen,
and withal and above all, a meek and humble Christian.
During the time the army was inMaryland,an officer of high
position in the country suggested a number of reasons to
Gen. Lee, in support of a grave measure then under discus-
.ion Among others, he remarked to him that he was trusted
by his Government, had the hearts of his soldiers, and pos-
sessed the entire confidence of his country, and that the
array, the Government, sad people relied implicitly upon

his patriotism and genius. Tears rushed to his eyes, and he
exclaimed, "Do not say that—do not say that, lam sen-
sible of my weakness, and such a responsibility as your re-
mark implies wo d crush me to the earth." He said, in
the same cony, rsation, that there was nothing he so much
desired as pace and independence. All he had, and all
he hoped tor—all that ambition could suggest or glory
give—he would freely surrender them all to stop the flow
of blood and secure freedom to the country. He did not
doubt that these blessings would come in due season;
but he wanted them now, and would readily sacrifice
every thought of personal aggrandisement to save the life
of even one soldier. General Lee is endowed with rare
judgment and equanimity, unerring sagacity, great self-
control and extraordinary powers of combination. Like
Washington, he is a wise man, and a good man, and pos-
sesses in an eminent degree those qualities which are indis-
pensable in the great leader and champion upon whom the
country rests its hope of present success and future inde-
pendence, In simple intellect there are other officers in the
service who are his equals, and perhaps his superiors, and
as a mere fighter there are some who may excel him. But
in the qualities of a commander, entrusted with the duty of
planning and executing a campaign on a broad scale, and
with the direction and government of a large army, whether
scattered over a wide extent of territory, or massed together
as at Richmond, he surpasses them all, and is the peer of
any living chieftain in the New World or the Old.