The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-28 00:00:00

THAMES.

JUVENILE CRlME.—George Nichols and Richard Moore,
each aged 14 years, were charged with stealing a coat,
valued at 55., from outside the shop door of Mr. Fossey, a
pawnbroker in Salmon-lane, Limehouse, and Elizabeth
Ward, a married woman with an infant in her arms, was
charged with feloniously receiving the property, she well
knowing it to be stolen.
The case of stealing the coat from the pawnbroker's
shop door was clearly made out, and it appeared they gave
the coat to the prisoner Ward, who pawned it for 3s. at the
shop of Mr. Ashbridge, a pawnbroker in the Commercial-
road, Rateliff. She stated that she met one of the boys at
the pawnbroker's door, and he asked her to pawn the coat
for him, and he said it belonged to his mother. It was,
however, proved that the coat was taken to her lodgings,
and that she received it there.

The magistrate sentenced Moore, who is an old offender,
to six months' imprisonment and hard labour, and Nicholls
to 14 days' imprisonment and hard labour. He commented
with great force on the scandalous conduct of the woman,
who was the mother of a family, and was encouraging
children to steal. He was afraid from what Inspector
Hayes of the K division had told him, that this was not
the first offence of which she had been guilty, and that she
had been pawning goods for children for some time. She
ought to be ashamed of herself. He was sorry the evidence
did not justify him in committing her for trial as a receiver
of stolen property, but he should convict her for illegally
pawning, and sentence her to pay 55., the value of the coat,
and a penalty of £5, the highest he could inflict, and in
default of payment three months' imprisonment and hard
labour.

James Sutherland, aged 14, Henry Read, 14, James
Briggs, 12, Joseph Organ, 15, and George Yules, 12, wore
charged with stealing ten brass door knobs, tenlescutcheons,
and eight iron hinges, tho property of Samuel Morgan,
proprietor of the Leopard Coffee-house, in High-street,
Poplar.

The prisoner, scaled the gates of a yard containing old
building materials removed from houses pulled down for
the construction of new railways on their site. The door
knobs, escutcheons, and hinges were knocked off old doors
taken away by the prisoners, who were captured with the
property in their possession.
The magistrate sentenced four of the prisoners to three
years' detention in the Industrial School at Feltham.
Their fathers would have to contribute towards their main--
tenance. Organ to 21 days' imprisonment and hard labo r.

AMERICA.

The following appeared in our late Edition of yesterday
evening :

NEW YORK, March 15.
Mr. Stanton has transmitted the following de-
spatch from General Sheridan, giving the particu-
lars of his operations since Early's defeat :
Headquarters, Middle Military Division,
Columbia, Virginia, March 10.
General—ln my last despatch, dated Waynes-
boro', I gave you a brief account of the defeat of
Early by Custer's division. The same night
this division was pushed across the Blue
Ridge and entered Charlottesville at 2 p.m.
the next day. The mayor of the place and the prin-
cipal inhabitants ,came out and delivered up the
keys of the public buildings. I had to remain at
Charlottesville two days. This time was consumed
in bringing over from Waynesborb' our ammuni-
tion and pontoon train. The weather was hor-
rible beyond description, and the rain incessant.
The 2d division were occupied during the time in
destroying the two large iron bridges, one over the
river and another over Moses Creek, near Charlottes-
ville and the railroad, for a distance of 8 miles in
the direction of Lynchburg. On the 6th March I
sent the first division, General Bevan commanding,
to Scottsville, on the James river, with directions to
send out light parties through the country and de-
stroy all merchandise, mills, factories, bridges, &c.,
on the Rivanna river, the parties to join
the division at Scottsville. The division then
proceeded along the canal to Dugmesville,
fifteen miles from Lynchburg, destroying every
lock, and in many places even the banks of the
canal. At Dugmesville we hoped to secure the
bridge to let us cross the river, as our pontoons
were useless on account of the high water. In this,
however, we were foiled, as the enemy on our ap-
proach had burnt both this bridge and the bridge at
Hardwicke. The third division started at the same
time from Charlottesville, and proceeded down the
Lynchburg railroad to Amhert Court House, de-
stroying every bridge. The bridges on this road are
numerous, some of them over five hundred feet in
length. We have found great abundance in this
country for our men and animals. In fact the canal
has been the great feeder of Richmond. At the
Rockfish river the bank of the canal was cut, and
at New Canton, where the dam is across the James,
the guard-lock was destroyed, and the James river
let into the Canal, carrying away the banks and
washing out the bottom of the canal. The dam
across the James at this point was also partially
destroyed. I have had no opposition. Everybody
is bewildered by our movements. I have had no
news of any kind since I left ; the latest Rich-
mond papers were of the 4th, but contained
nothing. I omitted to mention that the
bridges on the railroad from Swop depot on the
other side of Staunton, to Charlottesville, were
utterly destroyed ; also all the bridges for a distance
of ten miles on the Gordonsville Railroad. The
weather has been very bad, indeed, raining hard
every day, with the exception of four days, since
we started. My waggons have from the state of
the roads detained me.

Up to this time we have captured 14 pieces of
artillery ; 11 at Waynesboro' and 3 at Charlottes-
ville.

The party I sent back from Waynesboro' started
with 10 pieces, but they were obliged to destroy
two for want of animals. The remaining eight
pieces were thoroughly destroyed. We have cap-
tured up to the present time 12 canal boats, laden
with supplies, ammunition, rations, medical stores,
&c. I cannot speak in too high' terms of Generals
Merritts, Ousters, and Nevins, and the officers and
men of their command. They have waded through
mud and water during this continuous rain, and are
all in fine spirits and health.
Commodore boffins, of the rebel navy, was shot
near Gordonsville, while attempting to escape from
our advance in that direction.
(Signed) P. H. SHERIDAN, Major-General.

The following despatch from General Lee forms
the only Confederate account published in the
Northern journals in relation to the recent events
in the Shenandoah Valley :

To the Hon. John Breckenridge, Secretary of War.

March 10.

General Rosser reports that on the Gth he
attacked the enemy near Harrisburg and cl.ptured
a few prisoners. On the morning of the 7th inst.
he again attacked them near Reid's Hill, having
detained them for a day and a night at the river:;
he caused them to retire in haste, abandoning the
only piece of artillery they had and their ambu-
lances. He annoyed them a good deal and enabled
many of our men to escape.
NEW YORK, March 14.

General Schofield advanced from Newbern,
within four miles from Kinston, where General
Bragg attacked him on the Bth inst.

Lee announces the result of the battle in the fol-
lowing despatch to Mr. Breckenridge, the Secretary
of War :

" General Bragg reports that he attacked the
enemy yesterday four miles in front of Kinston,
North Carolina, and drove him from his position.
He disputed the ground obstinately, and took a
new line three miles from his first. We captured
three pieces of artillery and 1,500 prisoners. The
mumber of the enemy's dead and wounded left on
the field is large ; ours is comparatively small. The
troops behaved most handsomely, and Majors-Ge-
neral Hill and Hoke exhibited their accustomed
zeal and gallantry.
• '

The correspondent of the Herald says that the
troops captured were surprised, and consisted of
two entire cavalry regiments and a portion of

another.

General Schofield furnishes no report of this
battle, but has sent the following despatch, dated
Wises Fork, 10th March, to General Grant:—
The enemy made a heavy attack upon the centre,
and left to-day, but was decisively repulsed with
heavy loss. Their dead and wounded were left upon
the field. We also took several hundred prisoners.
Our loss is small. General Conch is only 12 miles
from here to-night, and will be up early in the
morning. We took prisoners from Lee's and
Stuart's corps. They say that two corps are here
and that the rest of Johnston's army is coming.
Correspondents estimate the total Federal loss at
2,000 men. They captured 2,000 prisoners.
Schofield reports, on the 12th inst., that on the
night of the 10th Bragg was fairly beaten near
South West Creek, and was retreating across the
Neuse. He is now on the north bank on that river,
at Kinston. The railroad from Newbern is com-
pleted to within three mile of Kinston, where the
Federals are entrenched.
The Confederate forces in Kinston is estimated at
from 15,000 to 25,000 strong, with a ram for the
protection of the bridge across the Neuse. It is
said that Lee and Breckenridge have visited and
inspected Kinston.
A despatch from General Lee announces that
General Hampton attacked General Kilpatrick at
daylight on the 10th inst., and drove him from the
camp, taking his guns, waggons, many horses,
several hundred prisoners, and relieving a great
number of Confederates who had been captured.
The guns and waggons could not be brought off for
want of horses. Many of the enemy were killed
and wounded. Our loss is not heavy. Lieutenant-
Colonel J. S. King was killed, and Brigadier Gene-
ral Hume, . Colonels Hagan and Morrison, and
Majors Davis and Fergusson, and others were
wounded. _ _

The locality of the fight is not mentioned.
General Sherman has informed Hampton that he
had ordered the execution of 26 prisoners in retalia-
tion for a similar number of foragers having been
murdered after capture. Hampton replied that he
would execute two prisoners for every Confederate
soldier murdered by Sherman. The foragers, he
said, had burned dwellings,- and he had ordered
the shooting down of all house-burners. He should
hold 56 hostages for the soldiers Sherman had or-
dered to be executed. The Confederate Senate has
endorsed Hampton's answer.
A despatch from Sherman, dated Laurel Hill,
North Carolina, Bth March, says—" We are all
well. We have done finely. I omit details for
obvious reasons." His base of supplies will be
established at Wilmington.
Mosby's guerillas defeated a detachment of

Federal cavalry, advanced within three miles of
Washington fortifications, and captured six horses,
The Richmond Sentinel says there are rumours
that the minority of the Southern States are threat-
ening to abandon the majority for not yielding to
their opinions, but discredits these threats' of inti.
midation and desertion.

MEXICO.
NEW YORK, MARCH 16.
Intelligence received here from Mexico states that,
the Emperor Maximilian had issued a decree dated
Feb. 26, in which he announced that he would pro-
tect the Roman Catholic Church as the State reli-
gion, but tolerate all religions which are not op-,
posed to morality and civilization. The esta:o-
lishment of new religions requires the Governraent
authorization. Abuses by local authorities against
the exercise of different religions will be keported
to the Council of State.