The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-20 00:00:00

THE CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA.

.-~~_~

SOU [HAMPTON, THURSDAY.
The North German Lloyd screw steamer New
York, Captain G. Wenke, which left New York on
the 7th inst., arrived in the river at 1 p.m., and will
proceed. to Bremen this evening, after coaling. She
brings 64 passengers for this port and Havre, and
150 for Bremen ; 407,683 dols. for England, 125,000
dols. for France, and 400 dole. for Bremen, with a
fell cargo.
The steamer Persia from LiverpooLand the screw
steamer Saxonia from Southampton,arrived at New
York on the sth inst., and the screw steamer City
of Washington from Liverpool was off Cape Race
on the evening of the 6th.
The New York spoke the following ships :—Off
Sandy Hook, the Bremen steamer Guagara, the
American ship Alexander Marshall, and the Ame-
rican barques Elizabeth Yeo and Arkwright, bound
to the eastward ; June 15, in lat. 48 3 N., long.
31 24 W., the barque Starling, from Trinidad,
bound eastward.
In the Senate, on the sth, a bill for the establish-
ment of national armouries was introduced by Mr.
Grimes, of lowa. The bill providing for a Govern-
ment for the territory ofArizona was taken up and
debated. Mr. Sumner, of Massachusetts, moved to
postpone its consideration, and take up the reso-
lution for the expulsion of Mr. Starke, of Oregon;
bat the motion failed, as it was decided by the Vice-
President that such a course would throw the Tax
811 over. The Tax Bill was then taken up and
debated until the adjournment. An amendment
was offered by Mr. Sumner and adopted, which
provides that every person claiming the services or
labour of persons held as slaves shall be taxed
2 dols. per head for every person so held. Mr.
Powell, of Kentucky, offered a resolution, which was
laid over, asking information relative to the regi-
ment of blacks alleged to have been raised by
General Hunter. Mr. Sumner, of Massachusetts,
offered a resolution that " the office of military
governor is contrary to the constitution and
lavis, destructive of the civil authority, and con-
trary to the spirit of all our institutions." This was
also laid over. Mr. Sumner then moved to take
up the case of Mr. Starke, of Oregon, but the Senate
refused, and proceeded to the consideration of the
Tax• Bill. The vote on Thursday, by which an
amendment was adopted providing for the laying
of a tax of 2 dols. each on slaves, was reconsidered,
and the amendment was rejected after a long de-
bate. The Tax Bill was then passed, 37 to 1, and
the Senate adjourned.
In the house there was no business of interest.
From the army of the Potomac the following are
the latest despatches and intelligence, from which
it will be seen Gen. M'Clellan corrects his former
telegraphic despatch :
" M'Clellan's Headquarters, June 6.
" Two deserters, who came in this morning, state
that Gen. Joe Johnson was seriously, if not mortally
wounded, through the groin, by a Minis ball, dur-
ing the late battle. Gen. G. W. Smith is now in
command. 'Other information received goes on to
corroborate the report. These deserters, state that
the rebel loss is estimated at 10,000 in killed,
wounded, and missing. No material change has
taken place in the position of the enemy. A con-
traband
has arrived who left Richmond yesterday.
He represents things there as in a terrible state of
confusion and uncertainty. No troops are in the
city excepting those doing guard duty and attend-
ing to the sick and wounded, all being compelled to
remain outside. There were no signs of evacuation,
but, on the contrary, everything goes to show a
determined resistance on the part of the rebels.
The contraband states that during the fight on Sun-
day the housetops and all elevated positions were
covered with people to witness the battle, every one
expecting to see our troops driven into the Chicka-
hominy, but when they saw the rebels running to-
wards the city the greatest consternation prevailed.
Many of the inhabitants have crossed the James
River, expecting the city to be occupied by our troops
soon. It is rumoured that Gen. Magruder is going
to resign, having become disgusted with the rebel
military administration. We are informed that there
are no troops between the Rappahannock and the
army of the Potomac, under the command of Gen.
M'Clellan. Everything has been very ouiet to-
day. A flag of truce came in to-day from General
Huger, asking for the bodies of General Pettigrew,
and Colonels Davis, Lightfoot, Long, and Britton,
who were supposed to have been killed in the late
battle. Colonel Davis was the only one killed.
Lightfoot and Long are prisoners, and Britton was
wounded, as also General Pettigrew. Col. Davis's
body will be returned."
" TO THE HON. E. M. STANTON, SECRETARY of

WAR.

"New•bridge, June, 5, 10 30 a.m.

"My telegraphic despatch of Juae 1, in regard
to the battle of Fair Oaks, was incorrectly pub-
lished
in the newspapers. I send with this a cor-
rect copy, which I request may be published at
once. lam the more anxious about this, since my
last despatch, as published, would seem to ignore
the services of General Sumner, which were too
valuable and brilliant to be overlooked, both in the
difficult passage of the stream and the subsequent
combat. The mistake seems to have occurred in the
transmittal of the despatch by the telegraph.

"G. B. M'CLELLAN,
" Major-General Commanding."
" THE CORRECTED DESPATCH.

"To THE HON. E. M. STANTON, SECRETARY OF

WAR.

"Field of Battle, 12 o'clock, June 1.

" We have had a desperate battle, in which the
corps of Sumner, Heinfzelman, and Keyes have
been engaged against greatly superior numbers.
Yesterday, at one o'clock, the enemy taking advan-
tage of a terrible storm, which had flooded the
valley of the Chickahominy, attacked our troops on
the right bank of the river. Grey's division, which
vas the first line, gave way unaccountably and dis-
creditably. This caused some temporary confusion,
during which some guns and baggage were lost ;
but liaintzelman and Kearney most gallantly
brought up their forces, which checked the enemy.
At the same
time, however, General Sumner suc-
ceeded, hy mat exertions, in bringing across Sedg- ;
wick's a" ili_ehardson's divibiona, who drove back i
the enemy at the
point of the bayonet, covering the J
ground with his dead. This morning the enemy at-
tempted to renewthe confikict,but was everywhere re-
pulsed. We have takenraany
prisoners, among whom
are General Pettigrew and Col. Loring. Oar loss is
heavy; but that of the enemy must be enormous.
With the exc?ption of Casey '$ division our men
Several fine bayonet charges
behaved spendidly.
have been made. The Second Excelsior made two
to-day.
" G. B. M'CLELLAN, General Commanding;,

M'Clellan's Headquarters,
"
Thursday Evening, Juna 5. 1
." The severe storm which set in on Tuesday after-
noon lasted during the whole of yesterday. The
water in the Chickahominy rose to an unprecedented
height. The railroad trains from White House to
the late battle-field were detained several hears, and
the telegraph line was down in many places. A
contraband, who left Richmond on Monday night,
states that all the carts, furniture ears, omnibuses,
and carriages to be found were impressed into the
Bel-rice for the carrying of the dead and wounded
from the battle-field ; and that the Spottswood and
Exchange Hotels, together with a number of public
and private buildings, were turned into hospitals.
All the information shows that the enemy suffered
terribly. The rebels opened n ith artillery this
morning from five different points opposite New
Midge, with a view of preventing its reconstruction.
Three of our batteries opened on them, causing them
toc. retreat after a hot fire of two hours. Out loss
_et:a One killed and two wounded. No further inter-
ference
t took place during the day."

Ifeadquartets,

Tuesday Evening, June 3.
" The folloving address was read to the army this
evening at dress parade, and was received with an
outburst of vociferous "cheering from every regi-
ment :

‘` Headquarters, Army of
the Potomac, Camp
neva-
New-bridge,-Virginia,
June 2.
" ' Soldiers of the
Army of the l'otoraae,—l have

fulfilled at least a part of my promise to you. You
are now face to face with the rebels, who are held at
bay in front of the Capital. The final and decisive
battle is at hand. Unless you belie your past his-
tory, the result cannot be for a moment doubtful. If
tho troops who laboured so faithfully and fought
so gallantly at Yorktown, and who eo bravely won
the hard fights at Williamsburgh, West Point,
Hanover Court-house, and Fair Oaks, now prove
worthy of their antecedents, the victory is surely
ours.

" ' The events of every day prove your supe-
riority. Wherever you have met the enemy you
have beaten him. Wherever you have used the
bayonet he has given way in panic and diserder.
" ' I ask of you now one last crowning effort.
The enemy has staked his all on the issue of the
coming battle. Let us meet him and crush him
here in the very centre of the rebellion.
" ' Soldiers, I will be with you in this battle, and
share its dangers with you. Our confidence
ucesinsteraikche
other is now founded upon the past.
the blow which is to restore peace and union to this
distracted land. Upon your valour, discipline, and
mutual confidence the result depends.
" ' GEO. B. M'CLELLAN,
" ' Major-General Commanding.'"
A correspondent of the Tribune gives the follow-
ing narrative of the "Battle of Fair Oaks," as the
engagement before Richmond is to be called :
~ Heintzelman's Head-quarters,
Monday, June 2.
~ Saturday night closed upon the battle-field of
that day with the enemy in full force in front. Our
troops were under arms all night along the entire
line of action, prepared for the renewal of the fight
the next morning. During the night the enemy
had advanced fully up to the furthest point made by
them the day before, and were strongly posted on
both sides of the railroad. General Sedgwick's
division had arrived on the right on Saturday
evening, too late to take part in the action of that
day, bat fresh and eager for that approaching.
During the night Birney's brigade had been
posted at better advantage of position than had
been the fortune of our troops occupying that and
the adjacent grounds of the day before; and with
the determination to redeem the losses of Satur-
day inspiriting our entire line the action com-
menced. The regiments to which the brunt of the
battle fell were those which had not suffered much
in the contest of the day before, although all
of Heintzelman's corps, or Hooker's and Kear-
ney's divisions, and Keyes's corps, were represented
in it. I cannot say that any organised body from
Casey's division participated in Sunday's work.
The affair is yet too recent to admit of a description
in full that would do justice to all the parties de-
serving especial mention, and to mention a part
might do injustice to others. Two brigades, how-
ever, whose spheres of action were within the field
of my personal observation I do not hesitate to
mention, although others may be equally deserving.
There can be no question that Sickles's brigade iu
Hooker's, and Birney's in Kearney's division covered
themselves with glory in their several charges, each
against a force much their superior in numbers.
Unfortunately for himself, General Birney was
ordered under arrest early in the morning for some
infraction of orders, and the command of his brigade
devolved on Colonel J. H. Hobert Ward, of the 38th
New York. Under this gallant officer the brigade,
consisting of the 38th and 40th New York and the
3d and 4th Maine, and to which the 7th Massachu_
setts had been temporarily attached, drove a much
stronger force of the enemy through a heavy
wooded swamp out of the woods into an open field,
where two regiments of the brigade were posted so
as to give them a galling fire that soon compelled
them to fall back; and when Colonel Ward ordered
the bayonet charge the entire brigade gave them
the point, and drove them for nearly a mile in a
perfect rout. Sickles's brigade also gave the
enemy a taste of the bayonet, and drove them with
great slaughter out of the rifle-pits from which
they were dealing death to our troops. These suc-
cesses, followed up with courage and promptness,
and sustained by the hard fighting in Sedgwick's
division, settled the fortune of the day, and changed
what had been the closest contested and severest
engagement east of the Alleghenies into a sub-
stantial triumph of our arms. The rebels fell back
i all afternoon, and a reconnoissance to- day discovers
none within a distance of three miles of our posi-
tion of Saturday. The conduct of the rebels in
the engagements of yesterday and the day
before was worthy of a better cause. General
efficers speak of some of their charges on Saturday
as splendid; but they were in strong force, the
attacking party, and had the choice of ground—
three points in their favour, and if they had any
good fight in them it should come out under such
circumstances. They outnumbered our troops about
five to one, according to the best reconnoissance
that could be made—five distinct lines of battle,
lying in order, supporting each other. Their loss
must be greater than our own in killed—perhaps
not so great in wounded. They used a cartridge
of one ball and three buckshot—moat effective in
short ranges, and more destructive than the most
prized rifle-ball, as they wound more than they kill.
From prisoners taken yesterday I hear cf one
Alabama regiment that went into the engagement
over 1,300 strong on Saturday morning. Sunday
1 morning it reported only 150. Colonel Bretton, of
the Ist South Carolina, taken prisoner by Birney's
brigade, confirms that statement, and gives similar
reports of other cases. His own regiment had more
than 50 killed by one fire of one of our regiments
armed with the Austrian rifle. But our own loss
was very heavy, particularly in wounded, and fully
up to the day before. Birney's brigade suffered
in killed and wounded less than 200, mostly in the
3d Maine and 40th New York. The latter has not
yet been able to ascertain the names of the killed
and wounded. The 38th New York suffered some-
what, but not to the extent of either of the others
named; while the 4th Maine, being posted near the
railroad track, and using it for a breastwork, lost
but very few, and all of its wounded being slightly.
But in Sedgwick's division the loss was very severe,
the number of wounded reported being near 1,000.
These are now being brought over for removal by
cars to White-house, all of the wounded in Heint zel-
man's corps having been rent on. The cars move
but slowly, and while waiting for return trains the
ground around head-quarters is covered with the
wounded—hundreds of them without shelter; and
to add to the horrors of their situation we have
had severe thunderstorms for two nights in suc-
cession, to which these wretched sufferers are
exposed. To-night the divisions on the left
took position in advance, yet not as far as
Casey's occupied before being routed on Satur-
day. The camps are• full of rumours • that
Richmond is evacuated, but whether or not there is
truth in the rumour it is impossible to determine
here, although so near. It is certain, however, that
our troops furthest' advanced can see no rebel camps
at this part of the line, and the theory that the fight
1 of Slturdav was to cover some movement in the rear
of it elm, be Rich o_
,11, correct. If they have not evacuated
I be no
tiiineati and do not immediately do so, there can
k
afternoon in that we are on the ETC of the most
terrible battle
;of
"1e f e'l the war. Gans were heard this
direction of James River, and there
is a rumour that the
gunboats hare passed the ob-
structions, but it is hardly believed. If true, then
the great struggle cannot muchafarata tloh ne loaner
Mississippi
sbsei
sds ei
prapyi e d.''
'The latest despatches
t that Fort Wright
port re-
Positively evacuated at
last, and that Fort-,
Was deserted, the
Federal Rna0
gunboats Having passed On the way to
Memphis : .

" 'Washington, m•
ridaY, June 6.
"The following do patch has just been received
at the War Department :

" Cairo, Friday, June 6,

" no De Soto h 's arrived direct from Fort Pit
low. Our forces occupy the fort. The enemy
burnt everything. A number of guns were found.
The large mortars had been destroyed. The gun-
boats have passed Fort Randolph.'
"The following was received to-day at the Navy
Department :

• "' Cairo, June 6.
"' Hon. G. Welles, Secretary to the Navy,—
" The despatch-boat of last night reports th(
evacuation of Fort Pillow and its occupation by