The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-01 00:00:00

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" This limning-. the sun peeped out of the hoti-
zon, and seen illumined a clear sky; a slight haze
was perceptible on the water, which for a short
time obscured the vision, but at 7 a.m., it cleared
up, and instanter the rebel fleet was seen abreast
of ewell's Point. The announcement of the ap-
proach of the rebels created no little excitement, as
at the tithe their fleet appeared running directly
for this point. The signal gun at the fortress was
fired, and in a few minutes the garrison was under
arms; and the artillerists,. composed of rl.etach-
ments of -the Naval Brigade and Wisconsin Artil-
lery, Seem after manned the guns on the parapet of
the fortress. The large fleet of Union schooner
.transports which was anchored in the roaes,-on
seeing the rebel fleet, slipped their moorings, and,
favoured by wind and tide, were aeon out of harm's
way. Many of those in Hampton Cove, restricted
by the narrow and serpentine channels, not being
able to get cut of themselves, were assisted by thu
steamtugs, of which there are a number here. Thu
little Monitor, which. has bEen anxiously awaiting
the reoppearanco of the Merrimec, on seeing the
latter approach got ready for action by clearing her
decks, lowering her smoke and steam pipes, slip-
ping her anchor, and in less than 10 minutes was
ready for action. The orders from Flag officer
Goldsborough were, however, to act strictly on the
defensive, and to give battle only when
the rebel craft should approach a certain
given point. The Merrimac and her consorts mean-
while had approached to within four miles of the

Lortress, and there she stopped, having, as it after-
wards proved, a certain boundary, without the
range of the guns of the fort, over which she
would not pass. The French war steamer Catinat,
which was anchored near the Monitor when the
Merrimac hove in sight, and was taking in water
from a Union schooner, took up her anchor•,
and, taking the schooner under the protection
of her flag, proceeded to a point between hero and
Newport's News, where she had already been pre-
ceded by the French war steamer Gassendi, and
the British steamer Rinaldo. The steam transports
State of Maine, Mystic, South America, and others
with troops, were in the harbnur, but soon moved
to a haven of safety out :*of the range of the
threatened point. The Monitor, in her defensive
attitude, joined by the Stevens battery Naugatuck,
steamed around in the roads, at times showing their
broadsides defiantly at the rebel fleet. The rebel
fleet seemed to take a cowardly advantage of the
presence of the foreign vessels in the roads, and
kept continually under their cover, so that had our
policy been on the offensive, we could not have fired
a shot at the rebels without endangering the neu-
tral vessels. Things remained pretty much, in
state quo, the rebel fleet baCking and filling, at
times running up to the Merrimac fOr orders, and
then steaming away. At nine P'elook, a.m., the
rebel gunboat Patrick Henry left the fleet and ran
into Hampton Cove by the inside channel leading
from Newport's News Point towards Hampton
village. At first it seemed to be a manoeuvre t®
induce the Monitor to change her position ; and
others supposed the rebel steamer had hostile de-
signs on the Federal camp at Hampton' (Camp
Hamilton). The sequel to the problem was soon
discovered, when the rebel craft subsequently joined
by the rebel steamer Teaser, was seen cutting out
two Union brigs and a schooner, which were at
anchor about two miles from shore. The affair
was deeply humiliating, and no efforts were
made by our fleet to prevent the outrage until
after the rebel steamers were escaping with their
prizes and under full headway for Norfolk, when
the gunboats Octarora and Naugatuck were sent up
Hampton Cove to a point near where the stolen
vessels had been anchored. The Patrick Henry
towed her prizes to Norfolk, and returned to join
the rebel fleet shortly after 12 (noon). A. largo
number of rebel excursionists on steamers followed
the fleet down from Norfolk to see the fun ; but
were doomed to disappointment, as no fight occurred
up to five p.m., up to which time the rebel fleet
confined themselves to the bounds established by
them in the morning. At this time the Monitor ie
at her old moorings, but ready for action at any
moment. The flagship did not approach the
threatened scene of conflict, but was anchored
several miles down the bay, from which point all
orders had to be communicated. General 'Wool,
with his Staff, was busy throughout the day, mak-
ing the most ample preparation to guard against
and meet the assaults of the rebel fleet. The Merii-
mac and her rebel consorts returned to Norfolk from
the roads at half-past five o'clock last evening,
without having induced our fleet, including the
Monitor, to give battle on equal grounds. Before
leaving, however, she exchanged a few shots •at
long ranges with the Union gunboats Octarora and
Stevens battery Naugatuck, the latter lying at
anchor in Hampton Cove. The practice of the
Merrimac was very poor, her best gun. not throwing
a-shot over three miles, while her opponents throw
shot over three and a half miles—the Naugatuck,
-with her superior 100-pound Parrot gun, throwing
even further."

Tho next point of attack on the Mississippi is
thus described:—" Fort Randolph is on the east
bank of the Mississippi river, near the town of
Randolph, Tipton county, Tennessee, about 60 miles
above Memphis, 160 below Columbus, and 180 be-
low Cairo. The position is naturally a strong one.
Th e fort is a rough and incomplete earthwork, con-
structed last fall. It is built upon the Second
Chickasaw Bluffs, more than 100 feet above the
river, and immediately south of Island No. 34.
The lower part commands the three mouths of the
Hatohie river, and empties into the Mississippi,just
above the town of Randolph, at the upper edge of
the bluffs. These bluffs form natural parapets of
batteries, and at this point command a view of the
Mississippi river for six miles each way. Our iron.
clad gunboats, however, by silencing whatever guns
may be placed on island No. 34, might enter the
northern mouth of the Hatchie out of the range of
Fort Randolph. The town of Randolph, near which
the town stands, consists of half a dozen or so dila-
pidated frame houses, and is approached in the rear
by several good roads ; but the country behind it,
being full of ravines and gorges, is capable of being
fortified to an almost indefinite extent. The posi-
tion, however, is of no manner of use or benefit, ex-
cept to dispute the navigation of the river. It has
no railroad communication,and as an army stationed
there would have to depend upon the river exclu-
sively for the transportation of supplies, it would
not require long to cut it off and starve it out."

THE SHIPBUILDING ON THE CLYDE.—Messri.
Burns have contracted with Messrs. R. Napier and Co. for
a paddle to be placed on their line between Glasgow and
Belfast. Messrs. J. and G. Thomson, have launched at
Govan a screw named the Clydesdale, owned by Messrs.
David Hutcheson and Co., of Glasgow, and intended for the
West Highland trade, The Clydesdale is 500 tons burden,
builder's measurement, and will be fitted with engines of
110-horse power on the inverted cylinder principle, with
surface condensers and other recent improvements. Messrs.
W. Denny and Brothers, of Dumbarton, are laying down
two screws of 600 tons each, for Mr. W. M‘Farlane, who
proposes to employ them in trading on the Chinese coasts.
Messrs. Denny and Co. will supply each vessel with en-
gines of 100-horse power nominal. The Lotus, screw, re-,
cently launched from the yard of Messrs. Henderson,
Coulburn, and Co., of Renfrew, has made a satisfactory
trial trip. Tho Lotus, which will carry 700 tons with loft.
fore and aft of water, is also intended for the China trace,
She is propelled by a pair of inverted diagonal oscillating
engines, and attained on the trial trip an average speed of
13 miles an hour. She is 210 ft. long, 27ft. breadth of
1
beam, and 16ft. deep.
A SCENE AT THE DUMFRIES EXECUTION.—The
Liverpool illereurY of yesterday (Wednesday) states that
"a most extraordinary scene took place. After Crderaft
had pinioned the culprit, and the usual officers of justice
appeared on the scaffold, a messenger in breathless haste,
and bearing in his hand a document fr, m the railway
office, was observed to be making his way through the
crowd. Instantly the execution was stopped, it being con-
sidered certain that the man was the bearer of a reprieve
from the. Borne Secretary. The document, which was ad-
dressed to the Governor of the prison, proved to be a letter
forwarded to that office by a Mr. Butterfield, of Stamford-
street, Blackfriars-road, and requesting that the Governor
would immediately forward a telegraphic message contain-
ing information as to the last moments of the unhappy
woman. A telegraphic frank was enclosed, with an inti-
mation that the message must be in London immediately
after the execution, as the writer wished to send a report to
the evening papers, which "went to press" at one o'clock,
The arrival of this request at such a moment caused some
amount of indignation, and the Governor handed the
letter to the reporter present, by whore A was copied.”