The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-19 00:00:00

10 ; better protected, and more effective, probably,
than either of the squadrons which achieved such
signal success at Port Royal or Hatteras Inlet ;
before us a work, certainly not superior to some of
these in strength, and in some respe3!s more dan-
gerously fatal to its defenders in the event of a brisk
attack than most of the above named. Beyond, and
with only intervening some few defences not pro-
bably very formidable as yet, but becoming more
so with every day's delay, lies the city from which
the rebels are now drawing the chief supplies for
their vast army at Corinth, acknowledgedly their
last hope in this struggle. Already deserters repre-
sent that their stock of provisions is becoming short,
and at the same time reports from Memphis indi-
cate that all the available stores in that city are
being seized by the Confederate Government for the
sustenance of its troops. Arkansas, and Texas aleo,
which h,:ve latterly contributed largely to the main-
tenance of the rebel army, are now compelled, by
the occupation of New Orleans by the national
forces, to make Memphis their route of communica-
tion. Let these sources of supply be now cut off by
the occupation of Memphis, and the huge army col-
lected at Corinth must fall by its own weight.
" Yesterday afternoon one of the newly-arrived
'rams' made a reconnaissance below the Point, ap-
parently to watch the effect of our shells, and re-
mained in full view of the rebel fort some 20 minutes
without any attention apparently being paid to her
presence."
Later despatches are as follows
" CHICAGO, 6TH.
si Cairo despatches say the steamer Shinghers has
arrived from the fleet. At the time she left flames
were breaking out from the barracks at Fort Wright,
and the gunboats had dropped down the river. The
steamer De Soto is expected this forenoon with full
particulars.

" Cairo. 6th
" .rort Wright is evacuated, and we are now in
possession. The fleet has passed Fort Randolph,
en route to Memphis."
The following is General Banks's report of the
engagement near Wincheflter on the 26th ult
" Headquarters, 3d Brigade, Lamp near
Williamsport, Maryland.
" Agreeably to instructions received from head-
quarters of the division, I have the honour to report
the movements of my brigade in an engagement
with the enemy on the 25th inst., in front of, and
less than a third of a mile from, the town of Win •
cheater, Virginia. At dawn in the morning I re-
ceivedinformation through the officer commanding
the pickets that the enemy in large numbers were
driving them in and approaching the town. I im-
mediately formed my brigade in line of battle, the
right resting upon the commanding ridge, the left
extending into the valley. The ridge surrounds the
town, which it holds as in a basin. It is less than
one-third of a mile distant, and presents many key-
points for positions. I placed my artillery, battery
M of the Ist New York, composed of six 6-pounder
Parrott guns, under Lieutenant Peabody, upon the
ridge, and thus awaited further developments.
About 5 a.m. skirmishers from the 2d Massa-
chusetts, on the right and crest of the hill, became
sharply engaged. At about the same time I
directed the battery to open on the columns of the
enemy, evidently moving into position just to the
right and front of my centre. This was done with
admirable effect, the columns disappearing over
the crest. For more than an hour a fire of shell
and canister fromseveral rebel batteries was directed
upon my position. My brigade, being somewhat
protected by a ravine, suffered but little loss.
The fire of our skirmishers, and the spirited re-
plies of the battery, with heavy musketry and
artillery firing on our left in Donnelly's Brigade,
were the only marked features of the contest until
after 6 a.m. At about 6 30, perhaps nearer 7 a.m.,
large bodies of infantry could be seen making their
way in line of battle towards my right. They
moved under cover of the dense woods, thus con-
cealing somewhat their numbers. I directed the
29thPennsylvaniaRegiment, Colonel Murphy, and
the 27th Indiana Regiment, Colonel Colgrove, to
change position from the left to the right of line,
holding the 2d Massachusetts Regiment, Lieute-
nant-Colonel Andrews, first on the right in the
centre, cue oa YviLloonsin Itegiment, umbel .auger,

forming the left. This movement I had hardly
completed, despite a new battery which opened
upon my line, when three large battalions of in-
fantry, moving in order of battle, came out from
their cover, and approached my brigade. They
were received with a destructive fire of musketry,
poured in from all parts of my brigade that could
reach them. Confident in their numbers, and rely-
ing upon large sustaining bodies, suspicions of
which behind the covering timber in our front were
surely confirmed, the enemy's lines moved on, but
little shaken by our fire. At the same time, in our
front, a long line of infantry showed themselves
rising the crest of the hills just beyond our position.
My little brigade, numbering in all just 2,102 in
another moment would have been overwhelmed.
On its right, left, and centre, immensely superior
columns were pressing ; not another man was avail-
able, not a support to be found in the remnant of
his army corps left General Banks. To withdraw
was now possible ; in 'another moment it would have
been too late. At this moment I should have as-
sumed the responsibility of requesting permission
to withdraw, but the right fell back under great
pressure, which compelled the line to yield. I fell
back slowly, but generally in good order, the 2d
Massachusetts in column of companies moving by
flank, the 3d Wisconsin in line of battle moving to
the rear. On every side above the surrounding
crest surged the rebel forces. A sharp and wither-
ing fire of musketry was opened by the enemy from
the crest upon our centre, left and right. The yells of
a victorious and merciless foe were above tho din of
battle, but my command was not dismayed. The 2d
Massachusetts halted in a street of the town to
reform its line, and then pushed on with the column,
which, with its long train of baggage waggons,
division, brigade, and regimental, was making its
way in good order towards Martinsburg. My
retreating column suffered serious loss in the streets
of Winchester; men and women vied with each
other in increasing the number of their victims by
firing from the houses, throwing hand grenades, hot
water, and missiles of every description. The hellish
spirit of murder was carried on by the enemy's
cavalry, who fcllowed to butcher, and who struck
down with sabre and pistol the helpless soldier
sinking from fatigue, nnhcoding his cries for mercy,
indifferent to his claims as a prisoner of war. This
record of infamy is preserved forthe women of Win-
chester. But this is not all. Our wounded in hos-
pital, necessarily left to the mercies of our enemies,
I am credibly informed, were bayoneted by the
rebel infantry, in the same apartments where we,
\
alien victors on the fields of Winchester, so ten-
Qerllnursed the rebel wounded. The rebel cavalry,
doubted,
it would
tauppear, gave no quarter. It cannot be
they fight autuelhoy butchered our stragglers, that
a black flag, that they cried as
_____ yank:sly and
_ jaded, ' Give no quarter to
they slew the:
the
was The actual number of my
brigade engaged
as follows ;.___

2d Massachusett Regiment, I.etit Officers. Enlisted men.
Col. Andrew 5....,..,.
3d Wisconsin Regiment, ..
.. 27 580
27th Indiana Regiment, Col.Colgrtv% 24 550
29th Pennsylvania Regiment, col. 20 131
Murphy . ...................... 17
452

Total A .

2,014

Grand t0ta1......
From the testimony of our signal officers and from
fair estimate of the number in rebel lines drawn n
on the heights, from fugitives and deserters, the
number of regiments in the army opposite Winches_
ter was 28, being Ewell's division, Jackson's and
Johnson's forces, the whole being commanded by
General Jackson. These regiments were full, and
could not have numbered much less than 22,000
men, the corresponding proportion of artillery,
among which were included two of the English
Blakely guns. Less than 4 000 men in two brigades
with 16 pieces of artillery, kept this large and un-
equal force in check for about three hours ; then
retreating in generally good order, preserved its
entire train, and accomplished a march of 36 milP;
A despatch from Nashville of the 4th List.
lt is rnore expected.
an-
nounces the arrival of 1,600 Federal prisoners cap-
tured at Pittsburgh Landing; 400
ieleased them said that the Confederates
be-
cause provisions were boarce,