The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-15 00:00:00

LATEST NEWS.

IMPORTANT BATTLES

BEFORE RICHMOND.

(Per Jura, by telegraph. to Father Point and from

Londonderry.)

NEW YORK, JULY 5 (AFTERNOON).

Official despatches from General M'Clellan of
Friday, the 4th, say that no fighting has occurred
since Tuesday, when the rebels were repulsed with
heavy slaughter.

The Federal army moved into the position now
occupied because it affords greatly superior advan-
tages for the operations of the gunboats, 17 of which
are now in James River, protecting the flank of
the Federal army.

The Federal forces were not beaten in any con-
flict, nor could they be driven from the field by the
utmost efforts of the rebels. No guns have been
lost since the 27th ult., when General M'Clellan's
division was at first overwhelmed. and 25 pieces of
artillery fell into the hands of the Confederates.

Vicksburg is reported to have been captured by
the Federals ; but no particulars have been received.
A much more favourable impression has been
created to-day by the news of the safety of General
M'Clellan's army, and the arrival of reinforcements.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

NEW YORK, JULY 6 (Afternoon).

Money abundant ; gold 91 prem. Exchange on
London excited and unsettled, at 121*. Stocks
better ; New York Centrals, 90-1; Illinois, 581-,;
Erie, 34k. Cotton steady. Flour dull. Wheat
quiet. Corn very firm. Provisions very firm.
The Jura brings £13,700 in specie.
The Hibernia and Kangaroo passed Cape Race
on the sth, and the Europaon the 6th. The Great
Eastern passed St. Andrew's on the Bth. The
Anglo-Saxon has arrived out.

(LATEST BY TELEGRAPH TO CAPE RACE.)
NEW YORK, JULY 7, Evening.

The Confederate General Magruder has been
captured, and the report of General Jackson's death
is not confirmed.

Vicksburg has not been taken.
The Federals have captured the Confederate gun-
boat Teaser in James river.
Richmond has been illuminated.

The Southern newspapers claim that the Confe-
derates have captured 12,000 prisoners, all M'Clel-
lan's siege guns, and supplies sufficient to last the
Confederate army for three months.
The Federal War Department has ordered all
returned prisoners liberated on parole by the Con-
federates to report themselves immediately, and
they will be appointed to some duty compatible
with their parole.

The newspapers urge recourse to drafting.
General M'Clellan has issued an address to the
army, declaring that the Federals shall enter
Richmond, and that the Union shall be preserved,
no matter what the cost of time, of treasure, and of
blood.

The correspondent of the New York Times states
that, since the evacuation of James Island, the
Confederates are threatening Port Royal, in South
Carolina.

The Governors of all the Union States have
issued proclamations for more troops.
The Federal Commander before Vicksburg is
employing his troops to cut a canal across the land
opposite the city, so as to change the course of the
Mississippi, and render Vicksburg for ever an
inland town.

General M'Clellan has had another skirmish
with the Confederates, being the third, which has
resulted in tha latter being forced Lu retreat.

The Bavaria and Glasgow took two •and-a-half
million dollars in spEcie on freight for Europe on
the sth.

Money abundant. Exchange and gold rising.
Stocks depressed. Cotton quiet, but unchanged.
Breadstuffs lower.

NEW YORK, JULY 3 (Evening).

(Per Jura, via Quebec and Londonderry.)
Events of the highest importance have taken
place before Richmond.

A series of severe and bloody battles, extending
over seven days, have been fought before that place,
resulting in the defeat of General M'Clellan's army,
with heavy loss during four days' fighting.

The Federal army retreated 17 miles. _
The accounts received are very confused, only one
official report having been published.

The correspondents state that General M'Clellan's
army consisted of 95,000 effective troops, and that
the Confederates, with their reinforcements, num-
bered 185,000.

The Confederates must have suffered very heavily,
but appear to have continued to press on in over-
whelming numbers.
Nu estimate of loss can be made on either side
with accuracy. The estimates given vary from
10,000 to 30,000.

General M'Clellan with his army has fallen back
under cover of the gun-boats on the James River,
and is throwing up entrenchments.

The war department has received despatches from
General M'Clellan, dated Berkeley, Harrison's Bar,
July 2, 5.30 p.m., stating that he had succeeded
in getting his army to that place on the banks of
the James River, and that he had lost but one
gun and one waggon. He further states that
he had fought a severe battle upon the first, and
had beaten the enemy upon the second ; that the
men were In good spirits, and that reinforcements
from Washington had arrived.

This is the only official despatch published.
The correspondents of various newspapers men-
tion the loss of several Federal batteries and siege

guns.

It is reported that the Confederate generals,
Jackson and Rhett (?) were killed, and that Magru-
der was captured.
It is also reported that two Federal generals are
captured.

The news from Richmond caused great glom,
and a great deal of popular newspaper indignation
that General M'Clellan was outnumbered.
General M'Clellan's despatch from Berkeley
caused more cheerful feelings.
Some newspapers attack General M'Clellan ;
others blame the members of the Federal Cabinet.
There does not, however, appear to be a shadow
of feeling on the part of the press or the people in
favour of relinquishing the struggle.
The new levy of 300,000 men is urged on as of
more importance than ever, and a more energetic
prosecution of the war is demanded.
The New York Chamber of Commerce has passed
resolutions that it would by its influence continue
to sustain the Government in the determined effort
to put down the rebellion, and to maintain the
Union.
The Count of Paris and the Duke of Chartres
since the late battles have quitted the Federal army
and returned to Europe.
The editor of the Baltimore American is released

from prison.

General Hunter, in reply to an inquiry from
Congress, acknowledges that he has drilled and
armed negroes, and hopes by the end of the fall to