The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-23 00:00:00

THE SOU7IIERN CONFEDERACY.

The Washington correspondent of the New
York Herald writes:—" No persons unacquainted in
secession circles in Maryland and the district can have
a true idea of the extent to which contraband travel
and communication are now carried on between the
secret sympathisers of the South within our lines
and the rebels in Richmond. The lower counties
of Maryland, bordering on the river, embrace the
strongest secession districts in the State, and the
community of inhabitants are secretly engaged in
eluding the gunboat patrol on the Potomac, and
keeping open regular routes of trade, travel, and
communication with the region of the Rappahan-
nock, where the Virginia rebels take charge of the
operations and extend the route to Richmond. • This
is the principal route now ; regular mails are re-
ceived over it by parties in Baltimore, Maryland,
and the district, and travellers pass with apparent
impunity. If private accounts from Richmond, via
underground, are to bo believed, somebody has been
terribly fooled in regard to the demoralised and ineffi-
cient condition of the rebel army around Richmond.
These accounts represent it to be well drilled,
severely disciplined, well clothed, and now well fed
since the commissary and supply departments have
been organised on a scale in proportion to the sud-
den increase of numbers which the situation there
demands. The men are drilled daily in the cool
hours, and it is understood that on no account will
these regular exercises be dispensed with. Promo-
tions are made strictly according to merit. Position

or wealth are of no avail to procure a commission,

and cases are plenty where the officers are poor men
from the common grade of society, while the pri-
vates under them number some of the wealthiest
men in the land." The Baltimore correspondent of
the same paper declares that " the rebels have now
700,000 men in the field, and their war department
has made provision for keeping up that number by
sending to each regiment new recruits (conscripts)
as they are wanted. This obviates much delay ; a
few new recruits in each regiment, surrounded
on all sides by disciplined soldiers, very soon
become as proficient as they. Of course
there is an abundant supply both of cannon and
muskets, as well as swords and equipments for
the cavalry and artillery. The rebels had to
start with, when the rebellion broke out, the
580,000 muskets which John B. Floyd had sent to
them from the national armories, besides the
110,000 muskets which were seized by the insur-
gents in the Southern arsenals. They have since
received, by means of 32 vessels that ran the block-
ade, between the Ist May, 1861, and the Ist July,
1862, 270,000 more. They have had also, during
the last 12 months, factories for the manufacture of
muskets at Charleston, Savannah ; Augusta and
Columbus, in Georgia; Branchville, in South Caro-
lina ; Mobile and Tuscaloosa, in Alabama; Jackson,
in Mississippi ; Fayetteville, in North Carolina;
Lynchburg and Richmond. The struggle is for
independence. I have myself, during the progress
of the war, and particularly since last March, con-
versed with dozens of the rebel officers, prisoners,
all men of education and intelligence, and I have
always remarked that they speak of Southern in-
dependence as the cause for which they took up
arms and for which they are struggling. I have
yet to find the worst one who went into the war
on account of slavery. They say they like the
institution of slavery because it is suited to their
climate and productions, and because their inte-
rests, in the light of political economy, require

slave labour. they say, 'we would sacri-
flee that, as we are sacrificing our lives and our
fortunes, if it is necessary, in order to achieve our
independence."

A CONFEDERATE ACCOUNT OF THE
LATE BATTLES BEFORE RICHMOND.

We (Charleston Daily Courier) have been fa-
voured with the following letter, descriptive of the
late battles near Richmond, from the pen of a gal-
lant young captain, not yet of age, in Kershaw's
brigade :

" Camp on James River, Thursday
Morning, July 3, 1862.

" Dear Father,—l take the advantage of this,
my first opportunity, of penning a few lines to let
you know that I am quite well, and, with the ex-
ception of a few bruises, am, by the mercy of God,
still on my feet, and ready for another round. But
I will endeavour, in my limited time and space, to
give you a few details of our experience since I
wrote to you on last Thursday. On the next day
our regiment was sent down to make a demonstra-
tion in front of the enemy's batteries, to attract
their attention from Jackson's forces, who were
moving in their rear. After waiting until the
afternoon, the regiment was drawn up in a line of
battle, and my company and Harrison's thrown out
as skirmishers. We advanced in front of our
pickets, and encountered those of the enemy in a
very thick wood, where they waited our coming,
and opened on us with a heavy fire of rifles, which
killed Albert Miles, and wounded two of Harrison's
men. I received a shot through the breast of my
jacket, but none of my men were hurt. We drove
the picket to the reserve, and the reserve to the
regiments in rear, when the enemy opened on us a
terrible fire of grape and shell, which wounded se-
veral men in the regiments in our rear. Having
discovered the enemy's position, and accomplished
our object, we fell back, and were much compli-
mented on our little action. This having been the
first time our men had been under musketry or
fired a gun, I was much pleased with the gallant
manner in which they stood their ground.
Night closing in soon after, we returned to camp,
where we spent the next day in resting. On
Sunday morning about two o'clock we were
roused with orders to cook rations and prepare to
march, as the enemy were falling back from
their position in our front. About five o'clock
the regiment was formed, and the brigade moved on
towards the Chickahominy. About 8 o'clock we
passed through the enemy's fortifications, and came
upon the rear of their column. As soon as we came
in sight our brigade was formed into line of battle,
skirmishers thrown
out, and immediately after their
artillery opened upon us. We advanced slowly
through some terrible swamps in which we often
sunk waist deep in mud and water. About sun-
down we came upon their position, just beyond a
skirt of thick reaching
woods, upon which they
opened on us with
;a very heavy fire
of grapeshot
and shell, which cut down the basi.„,a
and trees on
every side of us. For a while we lay down in the
bushes, when a volley cutting down many of our
men, and taking off both legs of Sergeaantlr Hill
(a particular friend of Ben's and mine),
n volley
poured into us by a line of infantry just in 0,,
front, proving too hot, we rose and charged about
a quarter of a mile, driving back the enemy's line
about 300 yards, and coming within about 40 yards
of a brigade of infantry, which was formed just in
front of our regiment ; here we halted under a ter-
rible fire, and begun to return volley for volley, our
men coolly loading and firing, and making every
shot tell. During the fight the right and left wings
became separated, and I took command of the left
wing. Just then the fire was most deadly, and our
men were fulling on every side, but not one quailed.
As I passed down the line encouraging the men, a
grapeshot struck me on the left thigh, and brought
me to my knees, but, concealing the pain, I moved
down to the rear of my company, and took my po-
sition where I could watch them. Just then Ben
Taylor, who was capping his gun alongside of his
brother, turned his head to the rear rank, and said,
Give it to them, boys,' and put his gun to his
shoulder to fire when a ball struck him in the head,
and he fell upon his face dead. He never spoke
again. Poor Jim, I felt so sorry for him ; he laid
down his gun, turned Ben over, and gazed upon
him in mute sorrow. Stepping up to him, I put
my hand upon his shoulder, and said, Jim, I have
no consolation to offer you except that Ben has fallen
at his post; there he
es, yonder is the enemy,
avenge He picked up his. gun, and turning his
pale, quivering face to me, he said, Captain, I can
fight them now, and he did fight them right gal-
lantly. About the same time Dolphua Johnson was
shot in the thigh, the ball
. ranging
Upwards and
Bill German, shot lodging in his groin. through
the lower part of the ankle, Sergeant West through
the arm just above the wrist, and Corporal 8.. Rear-
don through the arm above the elbow. Not a in=

of them uttered a groan, but coolly crawled to the
rear. When Johnson was shot I took his rifle and
cartridges and used them until we retir,sl.. During
the fight Colonel Bluna was shot throus h the arm,
and I was left Lieutenant-Colonel, an i Sentall was
shot through the ear. While loadin ; a Minie ball
took off the top of the second knife, le of my first
finger, and a second struck me in the breast, the
first brought the blood pretty freely, but the second
striking just upon a Yankee Bible, razor, and bullet
moulds, which I had picked up and stuck in my
pocket, paralyzed my whole side for some time, and
keeled me over, and was much the more painful.
Soon after we were ordered to retire, as our friends
in the rear were firing into us, and bad killed
several of our men. This we did, falling back in
beautiful order, and being highly complimented by
General Kershaw. We fell back to the skirt of the
woods from which we had advanced, and the firing
having ceased we threw our pickets upon the battle
ground, and started to bring in our wounded. By
this time night had closed in, and a heavy rain was
falling. Worn out, the men lay down in the water
and slept until morning, except when awakened by
the cries of some poor wounded fellow, who was
suffering, waiting, watching, and praying for the
appearance of daylight and relief. Thus the night
passed and the morning dawned, and the sun came
out ; but the enemy, under cover of night, had left,
leaving a line of ghastly dead and wounded
Yankees, to mark the spot where the conflict had
raged hotteat. In the engagement, out of 300 men,
we lost 100 killed and wounded. The 3d Regiment
lost 150 out of 300, and the 2d and Bth lost heavily.
The enemy fought desperately but unavailingly,
and left the ground strewn with men from the sth
and 6th Vermont and some regiments of regulars,
with which forces our regiments had to contend.
We were employed during the early portion of the
day in burying our dead and caring for the wounded,
and about ten o'clock, being relieved by Stonewall
Jackson, we marched to the support of Long-
street, who was trying to cut the Federals off from
the river. We pushed on all day, and after a weary
march of 20 miles, by a very circuitous route, over
a rocky road, where my shoes were actually torn off
my feet (I performing the latter part of the march
barefooted), we reached the ground (where our forces
had fought terribly for several hours, and from which
they bad finally driven the enemy) about 3 o'clock
a.m., footsore, weary, and exhausted. Moving in
front of Longatreet's lines, our division formed in line
of battle, just as the gray dawn broke in the east,
and discovered to us piles of dead and wounded, who
were thickly strewn over the field and woods as far
as the eye could reach. Here was where our men
and the enemy had met in the shock of battle, and
where they had fallen thickest, and there we lay
down to rest and wait until we could see sufficiently
well to make another attack. What the reflections
of men were, who, worn out, dispirited, and around
whom lay all the scenes of carnage which characterise
a battle field under these circumstances, you may
imagine, but I cannot describe. About sunset we
advanced upon what we supposed the enemy's posi-
tion, but not a gun opened upon us. Scores of dead
men, whose glazed and open eyes stared glassily at
the sun, and whose blood stained the grass, showed
where they had been. Dismounted guns, shattered
caissons, dead horses, and mangled limbs and trunks
showed where they had fought, and a line of bag-
gage, knapsacks, coats, guns, &c., showed the direc-
tion in which they had fled, and in that direction we
pursued, marching often through swamps that
seemed almost too thick for a bird to penetrate, and
again across fields and down lanes where we were
almost stifled with dust, and forced to yield to the
power of the sun. At length about 5 o'clock p.m., the
enemy were reported occupying a very strong posi-
tion just in our front, where they had fortified. Our
artillery was ordered out to open on the enemy, and a
brigade of Georgians and Alabamians to support it.
No sooner had our guns opened than they were dis-
mounted, the caissons torn to atoms, and the horses
and men piled and mangled together. Other batte-
ries were ordered out with the same success, and the
few men and horses who were left came dashing
back, panic stricken, and sought refuge in flight.
Then we saw what was coming. Oar brigade was
ordered to the front, to support the one already sent
out, and, forming in line, we marched to the skirt
of woods, which separated us from the opan ground,
where the enemy had formed to receive us. His
position could not have been better selected. Upon
a hill, about half a mile in our front, were planted
30 siege guns and 20 light batteries, manned by
United States' regulars, while in front the ground
descended gradually to our position, midway be-
tween which and their batteries was a line of 30,000
of their best troops, who were selected to cover their
gunboats, two miles distant. upon this line and
their batteries we advanced. For the first half mile
of the mile and a half we marched the shells burst
around us incessantly. After that, just as we got
into the woods, the gunboats opened upon us with
their broadsides of rifled guns, the shells from which
came hurtling through the woods, crushing and
bursting, and tearing down numbers of the largest
trees in their course. Then came the grape and
canister from the batteries in our front, and soon
the musketry opened, actually sweeping down whole
lines of men in our front and from our own ranks,
and making our path one over dead and dying men.
We passed over four lines of men, who, sent out
before us, were unable to stand the fire, and lay
close to the ground, from which no threats or per-
suasion could move them. Our men trampled them
into the mud like logs, and moved on in an un-
wavering line, perfectly regardless of the numbers
who were falling around them. It was just here that
Arthur Parker, who had been quite sick, said, Boys,
I am almost done ; but I'll go as close to them as I
can.' Scarcely had he spoken when a ball passed
through his bowels. He did not speak, only pressed
his hand to his side and turned round, when a second
ball passed through his head, and he fell dead.
Keedle was shot through below the knee, at the same
time, and Lieut. Burcknight through the head, while
Ebby Butler and Sergeant Miles were both killed
instantaneously by grape-shot passing through
their breasts, and Warren Brooks was struck in the
leg by a ball. But we pushed on until we found
the line we were to support within 600 yards of
the battery, and there we halted under cover of a
hedgerow, and lay down to rest. The line in front
of us, unable to stand up in front of the fire, had
laid down, while the troops in our rear poured
several volleys into us, wounding and killing many
men. Finding the place untenable between friend
and foe, General Kershaw proposed to the General
in our front to charge the battery, and let us sup-
port him. This he refused to do. Kershaw then
offered to charge it with our brigade, if they would
support him after he took it. This they also re-
fused, and, as the Georgians and Louisianians on
our right were moving up, we could not fire with-
°tit injuring them, and we could do no good where
we were, We were directed to fall back to our
Original .
Pointion and re-form line of battle. I held
our position
with the left wing until the right was
beyond range, and then directed the left to retire,
I keeping Borne .
which cut paths through
distance in the rear and falling back
I\l° sooner had our men retired when
the Confederate soldiery,
here
slowly. No
portion
of
likep a s t
me panic
tdoagsehtihnegr sheep, present.ficken, and huddled
lug elegant marks for
shoved me on one
g and digging, into
a canister the grape and cannon balls
wthriethisn
swamp. One man in
tteemma
mud
dd haunidiewdattheermef,
aide
la; setuedto i
,just
tt outat thouft danger,iueten
my face with
ss shot tore
his head off, and spatteredhis blood
much
and brains. As you may suppose, I was not
vexed at his impoliteness. On our wayout we
passed over the ground which we travelled in going
in, and found men lying dead in every direction.
Upon reaching the rear we were marched into a
skirt of woods to rest for the night,
the fight hav-
ing now closed, and the enemy ceased firing. When
morning dawned they were gone again,
having
reached James River, and being safely under cover
of their gunboats. Early in the morning I rode
over the battle ground, our brigade having been
marched up to occupy it, and the sight which was
there presented beggars description. Entering the
field at the point where our artillery had been posted
I came upon numbers of dead and dying horses,
who, with the drivers and gunners, lay in a pile
together, their several dismantled guns, their cais-
sons, fired and blown up by the enemy's balls, all