The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-06 00:00:00

AMERICA

LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY.
The Royal Mail steamship America, Captain
Moodie, has arrived with
.advices from Boston to
the 19th, Halifax to the 21st, and telegraphic ad-
vices from New York to the evening of the 20th
ult. She has 50,840 in specie.
She experienced heavy weather. On the 22d ult.
she passed a steamer, supposed to be the Canada,
aLd on the 3d inst. the Africa.

Flag-officer Foote had telegraphed the following
despatch to the Navy Department, giving an ac-
count of the attack on Fort Donnelsola :
" UNITED STATES FLAGSHIP ST. LOUIS, NEAR FORT
DONNELSON, NIA PADUCAH, Saturday, Feb. 15.
" To the Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy.
" I made an attack on the Fort Donnelson yesterday, at 3
o'clock p.m , with four iron-clad gunboats and two wooden
ones, and after one hour and a quarter's severe fighting, the
wheel of one vessel and the tiller of the Louisville
were shot away, rendering the two boats unmanage-
able. They then drifted down the river. The two remain-
ing boats were also greatly damaged between wind amd.
water. This vessel alone received 56 shots, and the other
about half that number each.

"There were 34 killed and wounded in the attack, which
we have reason to suppose would in 15 minutes more, could'
the action have been continued, have resulted in the capture
of the fort bearing upon us, as the enemy was running from.:
his batteries, when the two gunboats drifted helplessly-
down the river from disabled steering apparatus, as the re-
lieving tackles could not steer the vessels in the strong cur-
rent. When the fleeing enemy returned to the river bat-
tery guns, from which they had been driven, they again..
hotly poured fire upon us.

"The enemy must have brought over 20 guns to bear
upon our boats from the water battery and the main fort
upon the hill, while we only could return the lire with 1Z
boat guns from the four boats.

" One rifled gun aboard the Carondelet burst during the
action.

" The officers and men in this hotly-contested but unequal
fight behaved with the greatest gallantry and determination.
all deploring the accident which rendered two of our gun—
boats suddenly helpless in the narrow river and swift
current.

" On consultation with General Grant and my own
officers—as my services here, until we can repair damage
by bringing up a competent force from Cairo to attack the
fort, are much less required than they are at Cairo—l shall
proceed to that place.

" I have sent the Tyler to the Tennessee River to render•
the railroad bridge impassable.

(Signed) "A. H. FOOTE, Flag-officer Commanding
Naval Force, Western Divishjn."

" CAIRO, FEB. 17, 1862.
" Hon. Gideon Wells, Secretary of the Navy,
" The Carondelet has just arrived from Fort Donnelson,
and brings information of the capture of that fort by the
land forces, yesterday morning, with 15,000 prisoners.
" Johnson [not Albert Sydney "Johnston, but Bushrocl
Johnston, of Tennessee] and Buckner were taken prisoners.
"The loss is heavy on both sides.
"Floyd escaped with 5,000 men during the night.
" I go up with the gunboats, and as soon as possibly, will
proceed up to Clarksville.

" Eight mortar boats are on their way, with which I hope
to attack Clarksville.

" My foot is painful, but the wound 10 not'dangerous.
" The army has behaved gloriously.
" I shall be able to take but two, iron-clad gunboats with
me, as the others are disabled.

" The trophies are immense,
"The particulars will soon be givtn.
"A. IL FOOTE, Flag-officer."
" CAIRO, FEB. 17, 1862.
" To Major-Gen. M'Clellan.
"The Unioß flag float's over Fort Donnelson. The Caron-
delet, Captain Walker, brings the glorious intelligence.
"The fort surrendered at nine o'clock yesterday (Sun-
day) morning. Gens. Johnston (A. Sydney) and Buckner,
and 15,000 prisoners, and a large amount of material of
war, are the trophies of the victory. Loss heavy on both.
sides.

" Floyd, the thief, stole away during the night previous,
with 5,000 men, and is denounced by the rebels as
traitor. lam happy to inform you that Flag Officer Foote,
though suffering -a, ith his foot, with the noble characteris-
tic of our na'y, notwithstanding his disability, will take
up immediately two gunboats, and, with the eight mortar
boats which he will overtake, will make an immediate
attack on Clarksville, if the state of the weather will
permit. We are• how firing a national salute from Fort
Cairo, Gen:Praia-es late post, in honour of the glorious
achievement. •

(Signed) " GEO. W. CULLUM, Brig.-Gen. Vols.,
and U.S.A., and Chief of Staff and Engineers."

HEALTH OF LONDON _DURING' THE WEEK.

The return issued by the Registrar-General states
that the deaths in London were 1,322 in the week
that ended last Saturday. They exhibit a decrease
on the number in the previous week, which was
1,415. The mean temperature of the air, which
had fallen to 36.2 degs. in the second week of
February, rose in the third to 45.4 degs., and fell
again in the last to 37.4 degs.

The average number of deaths in the correspond-
ing weeks of ten years 1852-61, corrected, is 1,397.
It will be seen that the mortality of last week was
less by 75 deaths than it would have been if the
average rate, as found for the same period of the
year, had prevailed.

It is satisfactory to observe that fatal cases of
typhus have not become more numerous lately, but
that last week the number has rather declined, It
was 61; and that of scarlatina, which likewise is
not so high as it was a few weeks ago, was exactly
the same. Small-pox was recorded in only 2 cases,
measles in 12, croup in 21. .There were 5 deaths
from typhus in the sub-district of St. Margaret
Westminster. Nine occurred in the London Fever
Hospital.
To bronchitis the deaths referred in the week
were 151 (the corrected average 185); while to
pneumonia there was hes than half that number.
Phthisis carried off 148 persons.
There were 20 death; from diphtheria, Four
deaths from malignant diphtheria occurred in the
sub-district of the village of Lewisham, of which
three were in one family, .hat of an innkeeper at s
place called Southend. Th 3 registrar adds that five
deaths from diphtheria hase occurred in the same
family within a fortnight; and the mother, Who
sustained so great a loss, lad informed him that
about two months ago part of a large pond near
the house had been emptiel; and that when the
same pond was cleansed about two years ago typhus
raged to a frightful extent is Southend, a hamlet
containing 300 persons, and es many as 40 is that
small population were affectet by it.
A needlewoman, aged 27 years, died on the
28th ult. at 14, Mint-street, Borough-road, from
" privation." Certified by nedical attendant. A.
child, aged 5 months, died fron an overdose of syrup
of poppies.

The two oldest persons whose deaths are returned
are a man, aged 96 years, and a widow 98.
Last week the births of 965 boys and 940 girls, in
all 1,905 children, were registered in London. In
the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1852-61,
the average number (corrected) was 1986.