The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-24 00:00:00

TEE CIVIL TVA.R IN 4.31E.R1CA.

4From the Special Correspondent of the Times.)
WASHINGTON, APRIL 3.

Before I proceed to write the last letter, in all
probalMity, which I shall have occasion to date from
the United States of America, it will be necessary
to state the circumstances under which I am com-
pelled to abandon the post to which I have been so
long faithful, under an ordeal the severity of which
can be known to none but myself. While there
was a chance of my being useful in correcting the
exaggerations and misstatements which were sent
across the Atlantic, I endured the hostility that
had been engendered against me, and 1 did not
despair of the American people in the Northern
States eventually doing justice to the integrity of
my motives, particularly if fortune should give me
an opportunity of recording a victory, instead of
detailing the incidents and the close of a defeat.
Although I had extenuated much, I was conscious
I had never set down aught in malice concerning
them. I bore the attacks made upon me in silence
which I shall not qualify by any adjective, and
from time to time my patience was rewarded by
unexpected marks of sympathy and by tokens of
friendship and goodwill which I shall always cherish.
But new a power is brought to bear against me
which I cannot resist nor evade. The Government
ofLthe United States of America not merely refuses
me permission to accompany its armies in the field ;
it not only gives me orders not to do so, but the Se-
cretary of War, if not with the original sanction, at
least without the dissent of the President, prevents
the General in Command of the Army of the Poto-
mac rgeeiving me in his camp, after he had invited
me to mttend the progress of his army ; and, through
me, treats the officer who was but a few weeks ago
the idol of statesmen, journalists, and people, as he
is yet the favourite of his army, with marked dis-
courtesy. The guest of General M'Clellan is for-
bidden to embark on board the ship on which he had
received a passage, by his express authority, and
is removed by the express directions of Mr.
Stanton from under the charge of the officer of the
General's Staff to whom he had been consigned.

I shall now proceed to relate the circumstances
under which I was made subject to this interference,
without a word of comment, save such as may occur
incidentally in the way of correction in this brief
narrative. On my return to Washington, after the
time for winter quarters had passed away, and after
had waited vainly in daily expectation of an on-
Ward movement, I became aware that Gen. M'Clel-
lan was about to take the field. lat once made ap-
plication to him for permission to accompany the
Army, with any facilities he could grant me. To
that request I received no reply for some time.
Various officers of the army in command of corps or
brigades informed me they would gladly allow me
to go with them if I could obtain the leave of the
Commander-in- Chief. After several days had passed,
seeing the magnitude and completeness ofthe pre-
paratians, and feeling uneasy at the silence at Head
Quarters, I sought to obtain from the Secretary of
ent guarantee
War such letters as would be snfaci
for my friends to take me, in case Gen M'Clellan
did not object to. my presence with other corps in
was introduced
the field. Mr. Stanton, to whom I
at his own house, gave me to understand there
would be no objection whatever on his part ;to my
accompanying the army, and said that he vyntaksoe
whether he could grant my requeit: {o-'o anOt-r'ieß
to purchase food and forage frop,the
Co iglan at
at contract prices in ease of need, observing at, the
unn
same time that he had been obliged to refuse nume-
rous applications from the American
journalists of a
similar character,but that he would do everything in
his power to meet my wishes. Previous
to that inter-
view I had seen Mr. Watson, the
eder- Secretary
of War, who told me Mr. Stanton 11
had decided on
leaving all applications for authority to accompany
the army, and for facilities in doing
so, in the hands
of General M'Clellan, that he might deal with them
as he pleased, and that he had resolved not to inter-
fere at all in the matter. This latter conversation
took place at the War Department, in
the presence
of Mr. Ashman. Not having
heard from Mr.
Stanton in reference to my request, I wrote to him
again, begging he would be kind enough to decide
the point, as time was rapidly passing away, and I
also renewed my applications to General M'Clellan.
I pointed out in conversation to the authorities that
I had not the means of accompanying the army
which were possessed by the correspondents of the
actually in the A Americo journals, some of them