The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-06 00:00:00

711 E IVAVY.

Leaving a total active force, for all purposes, of
possibly ..
We have in this statement allowed more largely for the
resources of the rebels in proportion to the population than
we should have allowed for our own in a like estimate. That
the number here given is greater than the reality we have,
.4 August, unquestionable testimony,
which we are not allowed to disclose. We then gave as a
fact, of which we were not permitted to (mum, that the Mc-
five force of the rebels has never, at any time since the be-
ginning of the war, exceeded 350,000 men. Death, sick-
ness, wounds, and other causes must have reduced it far
below that amount, and he would be a bold man who, pos-
sessed of all the information which it is possible to obtain in
these latitudes, should take upon himself to affirm that the
rebels have more than 250,000 effective men under arms. d
There are to-day of Union men in the field not a man less
than 375,000 men, with not fewer absentees fit for duty than
65,000. This is no random estimate, but as exact a state-
ment as can well be given. In this force we do not include
a single soldier of the regiments stationed at forts and camps
north of Maryland and the Ohio, nor of new levies.
This will give us an active force of 376,000 men, and a
possible force of 440,000. To this should be added our
navy, which will counterbalance more than 100,000 men of
the rebel effective troops. A mighty force this—formidable,
almost irresistible, if ably and skilfully wielded, without
any addition of numbers. Can any man doubt that, by
the aid of these troops and all that originally
made a part of the loyal armies, if directed in their first
vigour and ardour against the enemy, with the requisite
enterprise and rapidity of movement, we might before this
have annihilated the rebellion ? Can it be doubted that with
half the number of additional troops recently called for we
might overrun the rebel provinces and crush the life out of
the Confederate government?
By rapidity of movement the rebels have effected all
that they have yet been able to do in keeping the rebellion
alive. They ha'e acted on a maxim somewhat like the
mercantile one, that the nimble sixpence is better than the
slow shilling. An army of a hundred thousand, mancouvred
with skilful celerity, may effect more than twice the num-
ber under a sluggish number.

DESPERATE CONFLICT BETWEEN A

21AN AIVD A DO(.

nol class
public
islefieevol evanehsli
house
tuigntslseeoanaignbeoootvahfeent
thusheomeusbithaheabr-doeoyua
-eastern
rbyteoerow;unewn
rsgesurmbae
uteetrnanbejsohofyeo ad;
t
Cork,
asthfipene
and jovial fellows they were, for their beer
going round in the ordinary quiet " pew-
gallons and half-gallons. Finding,
rea rs,n not
but
in
after partaking of a considerable quantity of it
that it did not cause that amount of hilarity amongst
them generally consequent upon a liberal imbibi-
tion, they set themselves to discover a pleasure of
a more exciting character. That chosen was wa-
gering, and although many offers were made and
accepted by several, yet there was one which none
of them seemed inclined to take a venture at, and
that extraordinary one was a wager of five
fihalf-
gallons of " Sir John's" that no man there would
fight the watch-dog belonging to the public-house
with no means of defence or attack but his hands.
Knowing the fierceness of the dog when aroused, no
one liked to accept the offer. However, after some
time, one young man who fills a situation under a
public company trading from this city accepted the
wager, and all preparations having been made, the
dog was called out. The man began the " sport"
by tantalising him, and the animal gradually grow-
ing maddened under the irritation, sprang at his
assailant and seized him by the left hand. A
struggle that is described as really fearful to wit-
ness then ensued. The dog is large and powerful,
and the young man is of a robust frame and deter-
mined disposition. Finding his left hand almost
altogether in the animal's mouth, he caught him by
the throat to try and make him loosen his
grip, but in this he failed, for the dog only
tightened his teeth on the hand until it was
almost bitten through. He then released his grip,
and attacked the man about the legs, on one side of
which he inflicted a deep and severe wound. The
man caught the dog by both hands round the
throat to try to strangle him,th ebuat
rtohne dog sheer
naanbay
atoollut the hands in a fearful
spectators com-
strengthmm eahneneedmanner.
bitingf
Tr cheed
seeing that the " game"
enough, and that there was
ineds the, one
dog of whichcanie is
off of
almost a dangerdan-
gerous proceeded
of
being killed, rescued him from
He the infuriated animal.
had in the encounter
the ma farn
rencreninsvedabout l 7 wounds,
character,
while
'unscathed.—Cork Constitution.

The paddlewheel steam yacht Osborne, Master
Commander Bower, took up her berth yesterday at
the Royal Arsenal Pier, Woolwich, in readiness to
receive his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales for
his voyage to the continent. The marked partially
manifested by his Royal Highness for the Osborne
has caused her to be called the Prince of Wales's
Yacht, and, from the important alterations and im-
provements which she is about to undergo, it is
stated to be the intention of the Prince to retain
her permanently for hia own use. The design of
building a new yacht has in consequence been totally
abandoned ; and the Osborne, it is said, will shortly
be docked at Portsmotith and stripped, in order to
her being lengthened 50 ft, at her bow and stern,
so as to give her a greater amount of cabin accom-
modation and additional berths for the officers and
crew. This will considerably augment her rate of
speed, and will afford the necessary capabilities for
stowage room, coals, &c.
Information was yesterday received at Woolwich
announcing the intention of their lordships to issue
an order for the abolition of the full-dress uniform
at present worn by officers of the navy, and to sub-
stitute in its stead a neat tunic, which is pronounced
to be a most satisfactory improvement and an eco-
nomy to the wearer, as instead of three coats, which
present constitute a portion of an officer's necessary
kit—namely, the full dress, only worn at Court, the
undress, rarely worn on duty, and the frock or great
coat in daily use, one coat will suffice, the difference
between dress and undress being the epaulettes only,
which it is stated are to be retained. It is sug-
gested that, to complete the comfort and advantage
to the wearer, a light and handsome headdress
might be adopted in place of the unsightly and
awkward cocked hat.
The Lords of the Admiralty have entered into an
agreement with the borough authorities at Cha-
tham for taking a piece of the vacant land at the
angle of the road leading from the dockyard to
Brompton, the site being required for the erection
of a police barracks to accommodate the married
men belonging to the Metropolitan Police who now
do duty at Chatham dockyard. The plans for the
proposed building have been prepared by Mr.
Rivers, under the direction of Colonel Greene, and
have received the final approval of their lordships.
Upwards of 300 tons of the forged 42-inch armour
plates for casing the sides of the iron-clad frigate
Royal Oak, 50, have been received at Chatham
during the past few weeks from the Thames Iron-
works, the Parkgate Foundry, and the other firms
under contract to supply the Admiralty. The whole
of these have been tested under the direction of the
leading officials of the establishment, and each sub-
mitted to the annealing process in the factory
erected for that purpose, in order to render the
iron as tough as it is possible to make it. Although
the operation of plating the Royal Oak has been
suspended for the last fortnight, to enable the ne-
cessary arrangements to be made for her launch, the
preparation of the plates is still carried on in the
factory, where upwards of 100 of the large slabs of
iron are now accumulated. Each plate before being
affixed to the frigate's side costs, on the lowest esti-
mate, £2OO, the contract price at which they are
supplied to the Admiralty being £37 per ton. The
plates average a weight of 80cwt. each, which will
give an original cost of £l4B, added to which there
are the charges for annealing, bending, planing, bor-
ing, and otherwise preparing them, to accomplish
which the most costly machinery has to be employed.
The War Department transport Bemarsund was
placed alongside the Ordnance-wharf at Chatham
yesterday, and commenced shipping a quantity of
the cast-iron 10-inch and 68-pounder guns for the
Pembroke, 60, 200-horse power, Capt. Fisher.
The appointment of Mr. J. Parsons, from Devon-
port dockyard, to be master-ropemaker at Chatham
dockyard, vice Mr. J. T. Taylor, superannuated,
was announced at Chatham yesterday. Mr. C. Cele-
gate, foreman of joiners at Sheerness dockyard, has
been promoted to be foreman at Chatham, succeed-
ing M. n. who had been superannuated
after upwards of 40 years' service. Mr. Taylor,
the late master-ropemaker at Chatham, retires on
a pension of £204 per annum.
The paddle-wheel steam-sloop Geyser, 6, Capt.
Colin Campbell, returned to Plymouth Sound on
Wednesday evening, after accompanying to the
westward of St. Anthony's the coal and bread depot
Vindictive. The Geyser is now in position at the
east end of the breakwater for shot practice.
The paddlewheel steam-frigate Leopard, 18, is
now in the North basin at Keyham steamyard,
Plymouth, fittiag for the first division of the Steam
Reserve.
The paddlewheel surveying-steamer Porcupine,
3, from Queenstown, arrived on Thursday evening
at Plymouth.
The lighter Falmouth, J. Carrich, master, which
left Plymouth on Wednesday, for Pembroke, having
reached as far as the Lizard, carried away the jaws
of her gaff, and was compelled to put back to the
Sound.
The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Lieut. M. L. Dunlop, to
the Narcissus, additional, for disposal ; Lieut. W.
M. Moger, to the Forte, additional, for disposal ;
Lieut. W. Binnington, to the Bacchante, additional,
for disposal; Lieut. W. H. Hall, to the Nile, addi-
tional, for disposal; E. B. Wallace and R. C.
Massie, naval cadets, to the Edgar ; A. Thomas,
master's-assist., to the Rattlesnake ; W. H. Purvis,
second master, to the Severn ; R. Jackson, second
master, to the Rattlesnake ; J. G. Liddell, second
master, to the Liffey ; and W. S. Crealock, pay-
master, to the Virago.

711 E ARMY.

A notification has been received at Chatham
garrison by Major-General Eyre, announcing that
the screw steamer Himalaya, which left England
on the 28th ult., will embark the 7th company of
Royal Engineers at Halifax, Nova Scotia, for
England, their period of colonial service having
expired. According to orders received at the garri-
son yesterday, the Himalaya will proceed direct to
Gravesend, where the 7th company will land, and
proceed direct to head-quarters, Chatham.
The Ist battalion 24th Regiment, Lieut.-Col.
Wodehouse, is expected to arrive at Aldershott
from Portsmouth, on Thursday next. C and G
batteriesßoyal Horse Artillery will arrive at Alder-
shott from Dublin, the former on the Bth, and the
latter on the 15th inst. I battery, Royal Horse
Artillery, Capt. Saunders, will march from Alder-
shott on Monday en route to Bristol, for embarcation
to Dublin on the following Friday. The Ist battalion
Coldstream Guards, Lieut.-Col. Steele, C. 8., left
their encampment on Cove Common on Thursday
and Friday for Windsor by march route ; four offi-
cers and 130 men on Thursday, and head-quarters
and remainder of the battalion yesterday, a small
detachment of about 25 men, in charge of baggage,
&c., also proceeding by rail on Friday. The
37th Regiment, which has since its arrival in
Aldershott been under canvass on Cove-common,
struck its encampment on Thursday and marched
into G and H lines, South Camp, vacated 9%,,
e
Ist battalion Bth (King's). The 37th iss no have
1
tached to the Ist brigade. The 13th .Ituostfiliers
West
moved from huts on the North Campii6ntb
Lancers.
Cavalry Barracks, vacated by the
left Aldershott
" A" Battery Royal Horse Artillery
Lanley ; the sth
cers on Tiles-
vurn
on Monday for Dublin ; the iv!h
day, for Preston, Sheffield,daaoy,a
for Norwich, Ips,
Lancers on the following' the Ist battalion Bth
wieb, and Northampton Sheffield, Bradford
, and
(King's) on Tuesday, for
Weedon.
company of Royal Engineers, Whichhas
The 22d
e to China, to
relieve one
of the._ companies about returning to
England, is in
been placed under orders to proceed
daily expectation of receivingits
route from the Horse Guards, when it will proceed