The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-20 00:00:00

it may, there is in the breasts of Gen. Lee and his
army, of Capt. Semmes and the James River squad-
ron (to which command the captain of the Alabama
has just been appointed), and of nine-tenths of the
inhabitants of Richmond that unshrinking firm-
ness which will triumph over the imbecility of
Congress and the cupidity of speculators, and,
unless I am wholly mistaken in reading the• signs
of the times, will teach President Lincoln to solicit
no recurrence of interviews at Fortress Monroe
unless he has terms to offer which can be accepted
without shame.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

On Saturday the Scorpion, ironclad ram, built by
Laird Brothers, of Birkenhead, and purchased from
them by the Government, left the Mersey for Holy..
head and Devonport, under the command of Capt.
Paynter, RN. of her Majesty's ship Donegal. The
Scorpion's dimensions are—length, 225 ft.; breadth,
42ift.; and depth, 20f t. ; and tonnage, 1,890. Her
nominal horse-power is 350. Her armour consists
of 4iin. iron plate and 10in. of teak. The thickness
of the plating is reduced towards the ends, so as to
insure buoyancy. Her machinery, turrets, and
magazines are thoroughly protected. aer decks are
of iron cemented over. She has two turrets, each
pierced for two 12-ton 300-pounder Armstrong
guns, so that the weight of her broad-
side will be 1,2001 b. The turrets, which are
on Captain Cowper Cole's principle, are plated
with si-in. armour-plates, doubled at the portholes.
In order to avoid the necessity of running back the
guns by manual labour, as is the case on board
the Royal Sovereign, Messrs. Laird have introduced
a small winch, which enables two men to do the
work. Since the vessel was bought by her Majesty's
Government several alterations have been made in
the arrangements for the accommodation of the
officers and the crew. The officers' cabins are
roomy, light, and well ventilated, and a comple-
ment of 165 men can be carried without the least
crowding. The gun slides have been fitted in the
turrets, and it was the intention of the Admiralty
to have put the guns on board before the vessel left
Birkenhead. Unfortunately, however, the vessel
which was bringing them round was wrecked on
the coast of Ireland, and it was thought better to
send the vessel to DevonpOrt without them. When
the Scorpion got under way on Saturday she had in
her bunkers coal for six and eight days' consump..
tion, and drew 15ft. 10in. aft, and 13ft. Gin. forward.
It is expected that when she has her guns, arma-
ment, and stores on board her draught will be about
one foot more. There was a strong breeze, and after
passing the rock at the mouth of the Mersey all her
square canvas was set, the wind being nearly right
aft. The vibration of the screw was scarcely per-
ceptible ; and, although a pretty heavy sea was run-
ning, she rolled very slightly, and that easily, ship-
ping a little water occasionally through her scuppers.
There was no lack of steam, and she made with tile
tide against her about 11 knots an hour, the engines
making 59 revolutions a minute (they have been
worked to nearly 70). When near Holyhead Cap-
tain Paynter furled the sails and put her about. She
came round very easily and showed great buoyancy.
The Scorpion was then put on her course again, and
came to anchor in Holyhead harbour shortly after
6 o'clock. She may remain there for a day or two
until the weather, which was very threatening,
moderates. Capt. Paynter appeared to be very well
satisfied with her behaviour. Her sister ship, the
Wyvern, is expected to be ready for sea in about a
mouth.

Her Majesty's screw corvette Harrier, 17 guns,
Commander W. H. Fenwick, arrived at Spithead
on Saturday morning from the Australian station,
and on coming to anchor at Spithead exchanged
salutes with the flagship of the Port Admiral and
Naval Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth, Ad-
miral Sir Michael Seymour, G.C.B. She brought
to England a few naval invalids and supernume-
raries, who were transferred soon after arrival to
her Majesty's ship Victory, in Portsmouth harbour.
The Harrier sailed from Auckland, New Zealand,
on the 10th of December, 1863, calling in at Port
Stanley, Falkland Islands, on the 24th of January,
1865, and she sailed thence again on the 28th of
January. Fine weather was experienced through..
out the voyage, which had been unusually rapid and
pleasant, until reaching the Bay of Biscay, when
she met with a strong gale from the north-east. On
the 14th of February the ship Dauntless of Liver-
pool, with emigrants on board, was spoken, 46 days
from the Mersey, and desired to be reported. The
Harrier is ordered to be officially inspected at Spit-
head this morning, and afterwards to go into Ports-
mouth harbour to dismantle and pay out of com-
mission, after 4i year's service under five different
commanders.

The Calcutta, sailing transport, Master Young,
anchored at Spithead on Saturday morning from
Calcutta with military invalids on board from Cal-
cutta amounting to 140 men, 14 women, and 21
children, accompanied by Capt. Thomas Smith
Robin, 54th, in military charge. Capt. J. W.
Hughes, 54th ; Lieut. Nolan, 46th ; and other
officers. The troops will be transferred to the
Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, this morning, by
Government steamer, and the Calcutta will imme-
diately afterwards resume her voyage for the port
of London, for which she has a general Indian
cargo.

Major-Gen. A. B. Stransham, Inspector-General
of the corps of Royal Marines Light Infantry, cora-

pleted his spring inspection of the Chatham divi-
sion on Saturday afternoon last with a review of

the entire battalion on Chatham Great Lines. Major
Gen. Stransham brought his inspection to a close by
_ _ _

visiting the Royal Marine Infirmary at Melville, over

which he was conducted by Deputy Inspector-Gen,
C. R. Kinnear, M.D., and the staff of the establish-
ment, and in the afternoon quitted the garrison for

the Admiralty.
The following appointments and promotions have
been made at the Admiralty :—G. W. L. Harrison,
assist.-surg., to the Sharpshooter; John E. C. Sulli-
van, assist.-paymaster, to the Lion; W. Roberts,
engineer, to the Saturn, for the Asp; H. Meredith,
acting first-class assist-engineer, to the Asia, for
Lighting; W. W. Watts, second-class asist. -engineer,
to the Saturn, for the Asp ; W. IL Sedgwick, Geo.
T. Allison (acting), Thos. Scott (acting), John G.
Taylor, James Daly, Thomas Bramley (acting),
Edmund J. Murphy, and Alex. Purvis (acting), pro-
moted to the rank of engineers, and Mr. Thomas F.
Pullen promoted to a naval cadetship ; Lieut. C.
Kent, Lieut. E. Drummond, and Lieut. A. C.
Littleton to the Sutlej ; Lieut. A. C. Harris to the
Duncan ; Lieut. G. G. Webber to the Rapid; Lieut.
W. C. J. Blount to the Princess Royal ; Lieut. G.
T. Morrell to the Espoir ; Dr. A. Armstrong to be
Deputy-Inspector of Haslar Hospital, vice Leonard,
promoted ; the Rev. F. E. Gutteres, chaplain and

naval instructor to the RoyafAdelaide,
for services in the Narcissus; the Rev. J. W. Grimes,
chaplain and naval instructor to the Resistance,
vice Gutteres • Gilbert L. Meason, nominated to a
naval cadetship • E. Keen, acting engineer, addi-
InTausA,. asWsZekrs:
tional, to the Frederick William ;
nseumconerd:Tlarlays.sisot.:enßgiedfneoerrd, toantdhe
G.
A.
Murray,
assist.-clerks, to the Edgar ; Colin C. Wilson,
assist.-clerk, to the Formidable ; J. Emerson, assist.-
clerk, to the Lion; D. C. Stephenson, assist.-clerk,
to the Trafalgar ; and J. Hamilton, to the Royal
George.

divisions, and, after sharp fightins_
the Confederates. But in this op:,
1865 there fell an officer whose dea
if
the whole of this affectionate little city it% m uaVA
grief. Gen. John Pegram, formerly of the old
United States army, had served throughout this
war both with the Eastern and Western Confederate
armies, bad proved himself a brave soldier, and was
specially dear to the people of Richmond as one of
the members of a family long resident in this city,
and esteemed wherever it is known. Upon the 10th
of January all that is gay and bright in Rich'mond
flocked to his wedding ; three weeks later many a
sorrowful and anguished mourner followed his
body to its honoured and glorious grave. Such
scenes have, alas, been of too frequent occurrence
in Richmond during the last three years for this par-
ticular case to merit special notice, were it not that
the untimely death of General Pegram has brought
the reality of this world's horrors fearfully home to
many a heart, and has taught men to anticipate
with unusual foreboding the carnage which seems
so rapidly approaching, and which has for four suc-
cessive springs identified that season of the year
which seems usually symbolical of vitality and hope
with mourning and woe. But, be the future what