The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-13 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 13, 1862,

THE CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA.

A correspondent of the New York, Herald, writ-
ing from the Federal squadron off New Orleans,
gives a description of the strength of the Federal
fleet and the defences of New Orleans:—

" The squadron (he says) consists of 8 sloops, of
from 10 to 28 guns each, 15 gunboats, carrying from
5 to 6 guns, 1 schooner, 9 guns, and 21 schooners,
each carrying a heavy mortar and two 32-pounders
—total, 45 vessels, carrying 286 guns and 21 mor-
tars. The first obstacles to be met with by this
formidable fleet in its approach to New Orleans are
Forts Jackson and St. Philip, the first on the west-
ern, the second on the eastern bank of the river.
Both are strong fortifications, and were pronounced
years ago to be capable of beating off any navy in
the world.

Fort St. Phillip commands some three miles of the
river, exposing an ascending fleet to a direct raking
fire for the distance of more than a mile. It is
supported by three or four batteries, and has in all
8;') channel-bearing guns, several of which are sup-
posed to be 100-pound rifles of English manufacture.
Fort Jackson, with its flanking batteries, mounts
90 guns, 16 being in casemate, and is a very formi-
dable work. Both forts are built of brick. Just
below the two forts, stretched diagonally across the
river, and supported by a raft and seven vessels,
are several heavy. zhains, which must in some man-
ner be removed before the forte can be passed.
These chains arc protected by earthworks at each
end, besides being under the fire of both forts. At
their western extremity, where they are made fast
to an anchored raft, a passage is left for the rebel
fleet to pass up and down, and through this passage
they daily issue.
The New 3 ork Times sums up the news on the
subject thus :
The news of the capture of New Orleans, which
we received from the South at a late hour last night,
clears up gloriously the mystery which for some time
has hung arovnd the movements of our navy and
army upon the Lower Mississippi. We had already
had intelligence that our bombketches had opened
fire upon Fort Jackson, 60 miles below the city,
and yesterday morning we published news, derived
from the rebels, that one of our gunboats had run
past that work. But the defenders of the fort, it
was said, had sent word to their friends that they
were confident of their strength, and were able to
endure the shelling as bng as our fleet was able to
keeps it up. That nom was up to Tuesday last.
It appears certain that, notwithstanding the rebel
bombast, Fort Jacksot, and probably also Fort St.
Phillip, on the oppositE side of the river,were reduced
that very day ; for by the gray dawn on Wednesday
morning our armada had steamed past the fortifica-
tions, and by noon it appeared, with power and
terror, before the Crescent City. At this point the
telegram stops short, and leaves us completely in the
dark as to what has been done during the last four
days. Whether Gen. Butler, as is probable, sent in
a demand for the capitulation of the city, and what
may have followed—a compliance with or refusal
of the terms of the deraand—we do not yet know.
But it is altogether unlikely that any serious at-
tempt was made to de:end the city itself. Indeed,
New Orleans was utterly incapable of defence,
when once our fleet got in front of it. With 100
gun and mortar boats riding high above the city,
ready to pour down tpon it a torrent of fire and
iron, it would be madness for the rebels to dream
of any other terms than unconditional surrender.
It has been thought that the land force accompany-
ing the expedition was too small to repossess a city
which must still count somewhat like 150,000 in-
habitants ; and so it would be if the military con-
tingent had to act alone ; but the fact is that the
naval arm, when once raised over the city, was of
itself sufficient to hold it in complete subjection ;
and the only work for the troops would be to seize
and garrison some few important positions in the
city, raise the stars and stripes _ over the United
a repressive police force. The rebels will be dis-
armed; the Union element, which is known to be
strong in New Orleans, will be organised ; and
General Butler, from his headquarters in the St.
Charles Hotel, will put in force whatever other
measures are necessary for the securing of public
order.

The seizure of this, the greatest city of the Je,
ferson Davis Confederacy, will be a terrible dis-
heartenment for the rebels, and is in itself almost
equivalent to a defeat of Beauregard's army at
Corinth, if that army has not yet been destroyed by
the forces of Gen. lialleck. At all events, it will
compel the rebels of the south-west to fight their
last battle on their present line of operation. Beau-
regard is pressed, if not already assailed, by Hal-
leek in front ; General Mitchel will prevent his re-
treat towards Mobile; Butler forbids his approach
to New Orleans ; and our gunboats can pass up the
Mississippi and attack Memphis in front—acting
in conjunction with Commodore Foote above.
The way is also opened for the gunboats to pass
up the Red River and across the entire of Lou-
isiana to Shreveport ; to pass up the Arkansas
River and through the entire State of
Arkansas to Fort Smith ; and to pass up the Yazoo
River and through a great part of the State of Mis-
sissippi. In fact, it opens up a passage through more
than a half of the remnant of a Confederacy still
nominally held by the rebel rulers, Thus, by this
splendid stroke of our river navy, we see not only
the fall of the Southern metropolis, but also a moral
and territorial gain for the national cause, which far
overshadows in importance even this. If the news
be allowed to reach the rebel army at Corinth—and
it certainly cannot be kept from it more than a day
or two—it must complete its demoralisation ; for it
will demonstrate beyond a peradventure that the
cause in which it fights is hopeless. There can be no
prospect to the rebels of recapturing the city, for the
railroad leading to it will be destroyed, and a de-
scent by the river is impossible. The whole of South
Louisiana is a vast plain, and in no event can the
rebels make a stand anywhere near the city.
New Orleans is the great commercial and finan-
cial emporium of the South. It is to the Gulf coast
what New York is to the Atlantic coast. Its fall
will be to the South a worse blow oven than the
capture of New York by an enemy would be to the
North, Through it more than half of the cotton
crop of the entire South passes to the world, while
its exports of sugar, molasses, tobacco, and corn ex-
ceed those of any other southern city. There is,
probably, not much cotton there now, but the fact
that we also virtually possess a great part of the
cotton-growing territory, will secure its speedy ex-
port with or without the will of the planters.
A New York telegram of the 29th, in the Boston
journals, says—" Special despatches from Washing-
ton state it is rumoured that the Government is in
possession of information which may possibly lead
to cessation of hostilities. A mediation and compro-
mise form the basis of the rumour. Doubtful."
The Yew York World publishes tho following
from its Washington correspondent :
(‘ I have reason to believe that there has been
discussion at the Treasury department respecting
the policy of raising the blockade of Southern ports
as they came into possession of the Union forces, and
I am assured by a gentleman who is in constant
communication with the Government, that there is
little doubt the blockade of New Orleans will be
raised immediately on the Union authority being
established there. It will be remembered that the
blockade was not established along the whole line
of the coast at one time, but part by part, and of
course it can be raised by the same method."
The Confederate papers were commenting upon
the possible chances of a
defeat at Yorktown. The
hfrobile News says :
Probably at least 200,000 of the best men Lincoln
has under arms compose the forces which the ea
the Confederates in front and flank. If they have
taken up the ad'ance line of march they mud fight
ten

us or retreat dishonoured and defeated without a
blow. If we decline to fight them we must yield
Richmond, and that is giving up Virginia. If we
fight them and are signally defeated, Richmond and
Virginia are lost, for nothing will exist to stem the
inpouring of the horde of victors. If we fight them
and defeat them we cripple, perhaps fatally, the
war power and war spirit of the North.

THE OVERLAND MAIL.

INDIA.

The news from India by this mail is scanty, and

its interest is eclipsed by that of Mr. Laing's Finan-
cial Statement, a telegraphic summary of which,
dated six days after the departure of the Calcutta
mail, appeared in our impression of yesterday.
The following is from the Frzend of India of the

10th April.
Lord Elgin has given great satisfaction by the
tone of his replies to two public bodies—the
Chamber of Commerce and the native gentry of
Bengal, who approached him with addresses of
congratulation. The latter took occasion to
mingle with their congratulatory observations
some remarks which appeared to evince a
feeling of general hostility to their European fel-
low-subjects. Alluding to the present facilities for
the introduction of British capital, skill, and energy

they hoped " that his excellency would see the in-
expediency of violent changes in the laws of the
land or of artificial aid to capitalists, incompatible
with justice to other classes of the community, such
as cannot fail to frustrate the end which all have in
view, as well as to tarnish the British name and
honour." Lord Elgin replied to this graceful hint
by dwelling upon "the maintenance of order, and
the vigorous repression at the earliest moment of
any attempt to disturb it," as his chief duties, ren-
dered indispensable by recent events, His answer
toithe Chamber of Commerce, on the other hand,
was distinguishedby a warmth and frankness which
were called forth by the fairness of some remarks
in their address. .He said—" I hail as one of the
most hopeful of the signs of the times, your assur-
ance that the belief in the supposed antagonism of
interests between the non-official Europeans and
the natives of the soil is passing away—and the
manly, creditable declaration contained in your
address, that nothing which injures the well-being
of the people at large can benefit you, and that you
ask for no privileges for yourselves which you are
not prepared to advocate for them. I invite you,
therefore, gentlemen, to communicate with me un-
reservedly end frankly on all questions by which
you suppose that your interests may be affected, or
where you believe that your knowledge and expe-
rience may be useful to me, and to give me credit
for sharing your conviction that, rightly understood
and fairly pursued, your interests—the interests,
namely, of that enterprising class which carries
into regions morally stagnant and materially un-
improved the vivifying influences of British energy
and British capital—are coincident with those of
the community at large."

CHINA AND JAPAN.
The following is from the Overland China Mai

of the Ist April:—
On the 13th ult. a rebel fleet with provisions and
munitions was dispersed and partly destroyed by
our gunboats some distance up the river, where
their presence was deemed hostile to the safety of
Shanghae. On the 14th ultimo, an Imperial force
encountered the rebels at Sooking, an unwalled
bwt ouawts nt
ah
tb, . . efi7Bte.el
likely
ek Shanghae
l2.?e.i.n..af.anjdojiT.rs.siontgtplioeoi;nstuht:ge flengshgt,
.;rilued Chinese gave the Imperial party a com-
pshl eatrepvf
acst otrhye ;
rebels,the engagement
ais l l said
uttoe
ah,amvea
ab
ee e na
desperate resistance. The defeated force fell back
upon Tsingpoo, which is 25 miles from Shanghae,
and forms their nearest head...quarters.
• • - I•

either reconnoitering, or driving off the enemy
The fight near Ming-Hong, in which our own force
took part, on Feb. 27, has been fully described by a
correspondent of the North China Mail. We quote
the concluding part of his letter :
From inquiry and observation the number of
Taiping rebels holding the place could not have
been less than 6,000 ; of these between 600 and 700
were killed, and upwards of 300 taken prisoners.
The streets and houses presented an awful specta-
cle. The bodies in some places lying in heaps, and
the plain beyond the village was strewed with those
who were shot down in the flight. The practice of
Bradshaw's mountain howitzers was good, as soon
as the range was obtained, but the rockets were a
failure. The French guns also played with great
effect. Every one engaged behaved with coolness
and courage, advancing gradually, and getting
through the before-mentioned formidable obstacles
forming the outer defences, through the trench, and
right up the breastwork long before the guns were
silenced. As for the Chinese organised under Col.
Ward, they seemed to know no fear, and perhaps
exposed themselves too much. The loss of this force
was one officer very badly wounded, about ten rank
and file killed, and 40 wounded, some severely.
Two or -three English marines were wounded;
but from their being kept better under cover,
the foreign portion of the force suffered slightly
in comparison. The British admiral him-
self, accompanied by Mr. Alabaster, the
consulate interpreter, was right in front, directing
the attack in that part ; while Ward and his men
vigorously assailed the enemy on the left. After
all was over, the village was set on fire, and the
foreign troops embarked for Shanghae.
In the foreign settlement of Shanghae the fore-
going facts form the leading subjects of public at-
tention. The admiral's conduct is censured by a
few, but approved of by many more. In addition
to the corps of volunteers at present organised, viz.
an infantry and a mounted corps, it is proposed to
have an artillery corps. Nearly 80,000 refugees
are at present in Shanghae, and it is a hard matter
to attend to their wants. Foreign and native as-
sistance has been liberally given them, but their
presence has caused a kind of dearth, and made
living more expensive. In this crisis the tea packers
combined to squeeze their foreign employers ; but
an appeal to the Taou-tae resulted in a proclamation
forbidding such combinations. It has been neces-
sary to warn the police in the foreign settlement
against joining the now popular corps commanded
by Col. Ward ; some of them had asked permission
,o do so, but were refused.
From Peking there is no intelligence of import-

ante.
From Japan, we learn that there has been a
destructive fire in the foreign settlement of
chants
Yoko-
hama, which has caused to one or two merhe second Minister of
very considerable loss. T
Theby a
m bandatter o
is
f
considered by
Foreign Affairs, who is also a member of the Goro.
gio, was lately set upon and assaulted
assassins; he escaped with his
life.
~ine to have a political significance,
advices,
The three Northern ports are still, by the
closed up with leo.
From Ilankow we hear that trade is promising
well. Mr. Thomas Dick, who has charge of the
customs at that port, has entered on his duties, and
is likely to prove a competent officer: The cold
The imperialist " braves" weather was abating.
quartered in the neighbourhood have been very
troublesome, so much so that a complaint has been
foc.v.rarded by the foreign residents to her Britannic
Majesty's consul at Shanghae. They have been
equally so at Kiukiang.
From Nanking, a correspondent of the North
China Berald says that the Imperial forces are ap-
pearing on the opposite bank of the river, and
seem to meditate hostilities against the holders of
the ancient Ming capital.
From Ningpo; we have news to the effect that a
rebel fleet is preparing to capture Chusan ; this