The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-28 00:00:00

CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA.

The Cunard steam ship Scotia, from New York
on the 16th, has arrived at Liverpool.
The Washington correspondent of the New York
Times says rumours were current in Washington,
and generally believed, that important changes
were about to be made in high quarters. Whether
they refer to the army or the Cabinet does not ap-
pear.

Gen. Butler had written a characteristic letter
to a friend in Boston, defending his notorious woman
order. After alluding to the outrageous conduct of
the females when his soldiers took possession of the
city, he says:—" Pray how do you treat a com-
mon woman plying her vocation in the streets? You
pass her by unheeded. She cannot insult you. As
a gentleman you can and will take no notice of her.
If she speaks her words are not opprobrious. It is
only when she becomes a positive nuisance that you
cell a watchman and give her in charge to him."
The latest New York papers contain graphic ac-
counts of the great Union meeting which was held
in that city on the day prior to the Scotia's depar-
ture. It was a great and patriotic demonstration,
and was regarded as a grand success. Five stands
were erected in Union-square, and they were all
surrounded by great and enthusiastic crowds.
Speeches were made by Mr. Opdyke, mayor of New
York, General Fremont, and other distinguished
citizens. The New York Herald gives a great array
of characteristic headings to its account of the event.
Commencing with a picture of a spread eagle and
the motto " E pluribus unum," the following sen-
tences are displayed in large type :—" The Union
--the Crisis ;" "Overwhelming outpouring of the
people ;" "The enormous crowd at Union-square
yesterday ;" " The metropolis speaks in thunder
tones for the Union ;" " Over fifty thousand citi-
zens in council on the affairs of the nation ;" "No
foreign intervention to be tolerated ;" " The crush-
ing out of a white-flag-man in a flash ;" " One
united voice from fifty thousand throats for the
Union, and one inseparable ;" " No step backward;"
Speeches, songs, odes, and cheers ;" " The sudden
and refreshing shower of rain ;" " Thunders of ap-
plause from the people, and thunder from Heaven
for the great cause ;" " Terrible energy of the people
for the suppression of the rebellion ;" " One union,
one country, one destiny;" " Tremendous enthu-
siasm for Little Mac and our gallant army ;" " Mil-
lions of men and millions of money for the preser-
vation of our great republic ;" " Our country, 'tis
for thee ;" &c.
The resolutions adopted by the meeting fully
endorse the policy of the government, and urge the
most energetic measures for the prosecution of the
war. A mong the resolutions was the following :
Resolved,—That the Government of the United
States and its pbople, with an occasional exception
among the reckless inhabitants where this rebellion
was fostered, have wisely and studiously avoided all
interference with the concerns of other nations,
asking and usually enjoying a like non-interference
with their own, and that such is and should con-
tinue to be its policy. That this intimation of a con-
templated departure from this sound rule of conduct
on the part of some of the nations of Europe, by an
intervention in our present struggle, is as unjust to
them as it would be to us and to the great principles
for which we are contending; but we assure them
with a solemnity of conviction which admits of no
distrust or fear, and from a knowledge of and a firm
reliance upon the spirit and fortitude of twenty
millions of freemen, that any attempt thus to inter-
vene will meet a resistance unparalleled in its force,
unconquerable in its persistence, and fatal to those
whom it is intended to aid, and that it will tend
only to strengthen and elevate the Republic.
The Baltimore American has the following :
We learn from Mr. William Airey of this city,
who escaped from Richmond on Tuesday last, that
the rebel troops in and around the city, prior to the
recent battles, were estimated at from 217,000 to
220,000. Large reinforcements from the direction
of Petersburg had been arriving for the previous ten
days and nights, which were said to be from the
coast, but our informant could not ascertain whether
any portion of them were of Beauregard's army.
They arrived by railroad, and were marched during
the night toward Hanover Court House. General
Beauregard had been in Richmond several weeks,
suffering from a severe attack of fever, and was still
at Spotswood House confined to his room when Mr.
Airey left.
Generals M'Call and Reynolds are neither of
them wounded. After remaining a day at the Spots-
wood House they were taken to the officers' prison.
A gunboat, on the plan of the Merrimac, though
much smaller, is rapidly approaching completion at
Richmond, though great difficulty is experienced in
obtaining iron for her armour.

The obstructions in the James River were consi-
derably weakened by the recent freshets. One of
the sunken vessels had so swung round that the
Teaser was able to pass through, and was soon
afterwards captured.

Fort Darling has been greatly strengthened, and
the batteries are iron-clad. A whole division of
the army had crossed the James River on a pontoon
bridge, to assist in its defence against any land
force.

The bridges destroyed by General M'Clellan in
the vicinity of Hanover Court-house have not been

reconstructed.

The forces of General Jackson had moved off (it
was thought toward Fredricksburg), and it was
said would again strike a blow in the valley.
The Maryland rebel regiments with him, under
General Lowe and Bradley Johnson, had suffered

terribly in the fights with Fremont and Shields.

Bradley Johnson's regiment had been cut down from
700 to 2JO effective men.
The greatest confidence was felt at Richmond
among the rebels in their ability to destroy
APClellan's army, and those who had previously
sent their families away were bringing them back
again. The Union men were, however, confident
of the final capture of the city.
The cannon captured during the recent battles
were all brought into Richmond, numbering about
23 Pieces, some of them howitzers, and 3 army
rifled gun' They were all light pieces, and, with
the exception of the howitzers and one English
gun, were sent to the foundry to be recast, the
rebels having
no shells to fit rifled cannon. Not a
single
piece had been captured, and much sur-
prise
expressed that M'Clellan
was siege
had succeeded
in carrying all off.
them -
The falling back of the reßel army towards Rich-
action, as it
Rich-
mond had caused considerable dissatisr
was given out that 3ficiellan would be attacked in
L

,his present position.
The Petersburg Express says that General
M'Clellan has 100,000 men.
The Richmond _Dispatch, of the Bth, gives the
following address of Jeff. Davis to his men :
To the Army in Eastern Virginia.—Soldiers,—I
congratulate you on the series of brilliant victories

which, under the favour of Divine Providence, you
have lately won ; and, as the President of the Con-

federate States do heartily tender to you the
thanks of the country, whose just cause you have
so skilfully and heroically served. Ten days ago
an invading army, vastly superior to you in numbers
and in the material of war, closely beleaguered
your capital, and vauntingly proclaimed its speedy
conquest. You marched to attack the enemy in his
entrenchments; with well-directed movements and
death-defying valour you charged upon him in his
strong positions, drove him from field to field over
.a distance of more than 35 miles, and, despite his
reinforc( ments, compelled him to sPek shelter under

the cover of his gunboats, where he now lies,
cowering before the army so lately derided and
threatened with entire subjugation.
The fortitude with which you have borne toil and
privation, the gallantry with which you have
entered into each successive battle, must have been
witnessed to be fully appreciated; but a grateful
people will not fail to recognise you and to bear you
in loved remembrance. Well may it be said of you
that you have " done enough for glory" but duty
to a suffering country and to the cause of constitu-
tional liberty claims from you yet further effort.
let it be your pride to relax in nothing which can
promote your future efficiency, your one grand
drive the invader from your soil
object being to
our standards beyond the outer'
and; carrying your