The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-30 00:00:00

THE WAR IN AMERICA.

ARRIVAL OF THE CITY OF WASHINGTON.
LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY.
The Liverpool, New York, and Philadelphia
Steam-ship Company's screw steamer City of
Washington, Capt. Mirehouse, which sailed from
New York on the 18th, and Cape Race on the 22d
inst., arrived in the Mersey about one o'clock this
afternoon, via Queenstown, where she called to
land mails and passengers.

A telegraph summary of her news has already
been published.

The New York limes of the 18th gives the fol-
lowing resume of the state of affairs in general on
that day :

Our advices from the army of the Potomac this
morning indicate unmistakeably that Gen. M'Clellan
is again about to measure strength with the rebel
hosts under Lee. There appears to be no doubt that
the latter intends to give battle at or near their pre-
sent location, which is now well known to our gene-
rals through the reconnaissances recently made.
Simultaneously with the movement of Gen. Han-
cock's division to Charlestown on Thursday, an-
other movement was made across the Potomac at
Shepherdstown Ford by Gen. Woodbury's division,
which took the road leading to Smithfield, a small
village half-way between Charlestown and Bunker's
Hill. This division encamped on Thursday night
between Leetown and Kearneysville, having met
with but slight resistance during the advance.es-
terday morning the cavalry attached to the division
advanced towards Smithfield, and formed a junction
with Hancock's cavalry, having meantime disco-
vered the enemy in very heavy force. The object
of the reconnaissance was thus attained without
loss. To-day may bring us news of another great
battle.

" Official dispatches, received in Louisville from
Nashville, state that the rebels were in large force
near the latter city on the 11th inst., and that they
sent a flag of truce demanding a surrender. This
modest demand General Nag ley declined to accede
to, as he had a national force ample for defence.
g, Within the last two or thrse days the rebels
have run two trains of cars from the other side of
the Rappahannock to Bristow. They selected their
opportunities immediately after Union recon-
noitring parties had passed through and about the
intervening country. These trains doubtless carried
tattle and horses for the use of Lee's army, which
could be rapidly driven up from Bristow, through
Thoroughfare Gap and Front Royal to Lee's posi-
tion.

" The subjoined letter from the staff of General
Terrill, who was killed at the battle of Perryville,
will correct newspaper accounts The papers are
in error in regard to Bragg attach ing M'Cook. It
was the combined forces of Hardee and Polk, or
two of the rebel army divisions against one of ours.
The rebels are in retreat toward Harrodsburg for
the purpose of forming a junction with Kirby
Smith and cutting off General Sill, who has the
flower of the Western army. Our army fought after
being two days without adequate supplies of water
or provisions, and all of them green troops never
before in action ; nevertheless, they withstood the
combined attack, and were able to follow the re-
treating rebels 20 hours afterwards."

The Washington correspondent of the Philadel-
pizza North Amerwa n hears that the naval expeditions
that have been in progress at several points for a
number of weeks past are now ready, and will sail
for their destination as soon as the troops for land
service are ready to accompany them. When
this will be, however, is not at present known,
though possibly a month hence will find every-
thing in perfect readiness fcr a repetition of
the splendid achievements at New Orleans and Port
Royal. Admiral Dupont, who is now in New York,
will leave for Port Royal in a few days.
Head-quarters in St. Louis have received dis-
patches to the following purport :—" Papers and
dispatches as late as the 6th inst. have been received
by Gen. Combs from Little Rock, Arkansas. Hind-
man was then at Duval's Bluffs. Parsons. was re-
presented as moving towards North Missouri, and
seeking to unite his forces with Stearn and M'Bride
at Pocahontas. The rebel commander Holmes was
at Little Rock. Gen. Schofield had arrived at Cass-
vine, in Barry County, near the Arkansas line
South-Western Missouri is once more cleared of
rebel forces, and the telegraphic communication is
complete to Cassville. Two divisions of the army
are left at Helena, under Gen. Carr. Gen. Curtis
has issued an order which reads thus—' The com-
bined forces of Missouri and Kansas, as an army
in the field, now commanded by Brigadier-Gen. J.
M. Schofield, will be denominated the army of the
frontier.'"
The Washington correspondent of the New York
Times writes as follows Gen. Prentiss, who has
just been released by the Confederates, and arrived
here, had the compliment of a serenade this even-
ing at Willard's. He spoke to a large and enthu-
siastic audience, detailing the incidents of his cap-
ture and imprisonment. His description of the in-
sults endured and the hardships sustained was
graphic and powerful. In the course of his narra-
tive he had occasion to speak of the negroes, who,
he said, were the best Union men of the South,w hen
a voice exclaimed, We are fighting for the negro.'
Yes, sir,' replied the general, I fight for the free-
dom of every man on earth.' He spoke of the
cruelty with which Federal officers and soldiers
were treated, and of the reign of terror existing
throughout the South. They were determined to
fight it out, and they did fight desperately, because
they knew their cause was desperate. No one
dared to express any love for the Union at the
South, and there was more real slavery there now
over the whites than there ever was over the blacks.
There are more men, too, in the Southern army
than people of the North think for. Now is the
time to strike, for their army is somewhat demo-
ralised. He saw thousands of men were going
home on parole, and at the battle of Antietam the
rebels were punished a great deal more severely
than was generally thought. He saw train after
train of their wounded ; and Union prisoners, if
they did not rejoice at the misfortunes of their ene-
mies, cheered lustily for the success of the Union
arms. He also remarked that President Lincoln's
proclamation had done more to end the rebellion
than all the battles that had been fought, or any-
thing else that has been done. He would take the
field again at any moment he was ordered by his
commanding general. He would obey orders; but
let him once get 24 hours ahead of orders in Georgia
and he would do everything in his power to crush
out this hellish rebellion. The general's speech was
received with immense applause.
" The Government is preparing a remonstrance
addressed to the rebel military authorities on the
subject of their infamous treatment of our prisoners
of war. It is said that the speech made here to-
n'ght by General Prentiss receives the sanction of
Governmentth. as to some extent an indication of
thee
v'vs it intends to u
Ile_ n ge.
nithouugh
the
here concur in believing that
recent elections in that state indicate
a D,meerat,
yet tichamtajority in one branch of the legis-
lature,liean United 54.11.1)°n a joint ballot a Union-Repub-
e The 1 steXteets senator will be chosen.
returns from Ohio show
a gain far the DerLeti`'n
ties. In Indiana
the-ate of 28,000 votes in 31 coun-
elect d by 8,000 majcirrealecratic state-ticket was
e
elected five members of Coated the Democrats had
the part of the Reptiblicansrae''s against three on
districts still to be heard from-eld there was three
The latest returns from lowa iodic .
of all the six members of Congress hay to
the election
t
cane, and a Republican majority of a, Ile RePubli-
omit 10,000 on
the state ticket.
The Secretary of War had informed Governor
Yates, of Illinois, that it is definitely settled
that
there will be no drafting in that state.
A -Washington telegram says :
"An impression prevails here that there is some
truth in the rumour that in Maryland the rebel
general Lee forwarded to this government overtures
for peace, which leading Southern men believed
by the
Federal be accepted. If such a propositio was made
there was no doubt that
Federal Government. it has been declined
" A correspondent of the Savanntzh RePublic"n,
alluding to a previous statement that Gen. Lee had