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

AMERICA

LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY.
The Royal Mail steamship America, Captain
Moodie, has arrived with "ativices 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,
atd 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 Donnelson :
" 'UNITED STATES FLAGSHIP ST. LOUIS, NEAR FORT
DONNELSON, NIA PADUCAH, Saturday, Feb. 15.
" To the Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy.
" I made as 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 and
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 br,t•
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 fore
upon the hill, while we only could return the fire with I.
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 hero, 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 re-Alder
the railroad bridge impassable.

(Signed) "A. H. FOOTE, Flag-officer Com,manding
Naval Force, Western Dtvi.sion."
" CAIRO-, 'FEB. 17, 1862.
"Hon. Gideon Wells, Secretary of tl•As Navy,
" The Carondelet has just arrived from Fort Donnelsenf
and brings information of the cf:,,pture of that fort by the
land forces, yesterday morning, with 15,000 prisoners.
" Johnson [not Albert Sydney Johnston, but Busb.rod
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 possible will
proceed up to Clarksville,

"Eight mortar boats are on their way, with which I ho.pO
to attack Clarksville.
" My foot is painful, but the wound is not dangerwae.
" The army has behaved gloriously.
"I shall be able to take but two iron-clad gur:Doats with
me, as the others are disabled.
" The trophies are immense.
"The particulars will soon be given.
"A. H. FOOTE, Flag-officer."
" CJAIRO, FEB. 17, 1862,

"To Major-Gen.
" The Unica flag floats over Fort Donnelson. The Caron"
delet, Captain Walker, brings the glorious intelligence.
"The fort surrendered at nine o'clock yesterday (Sun"
day) morning. Gene, 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 preview',
with 6,000 men, and is denounced by the rebels as 5
traitor. lam happy to inform you that Flag Officer Foote,
though suffering viith his foot, with the noble characteris-
tic of our nay, 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 now firing a national salute from Fort
Cairo, Gen. Grant's late post, in honour of the glorious
achievement.

(Signed) " GEO. W. CuLrum, 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-Genreral states
that the deaths in London were 1,322 in the week
that ended last Saturday. They exl...tbit a decrease
on the number in the previous -averk, which wile
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 der,
The average number of l',,eaths in the correspond-
ing weeks of ten years 1852-61, corrected, is 1,397'
It will be seen that tb e mortality of last week was
less )3y 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. St
was 61 ; and that of scarlatina, which likewise ie
not so high as it was a few weeks ago, was exactly
the same. Small-pax was recorded in only 2 west
measles in 12, croup in 21. There were 5 deathe'
from typhus in the sub-district of St. Margaret.
Westminster. Nine occurred in the London Fever
Hospital.

To bronchitis the deaths referred in the wriek
were 151 (the corrected average 185); while to
pneumonia there was ,ess than half that number.
Phthisis carried off 141 persons.
There were 20 deaths from diphtheria. Four
deaths from malignant ciphtheria occurred, in the
sub-district of the villag) of Lewisham, of which
three were in one family, that of an innkeeper at a•
place called Southend. Tie registrar adds that fi°l
deaths from diphtheria have occurred in the stone
family within a ',fortnight; and the mother, who
sustained so great a loss,had infrjrmed him tlia
about two months ago par, of -a large pond neat
the house had been emptiKl ; and that when the'
same pond was cleansed abrat two years ago tyPhu°
raged to a frightful ext:ent:
n Southend, a hamlet
containing 300 personas: andaa many as 40 in that'
small population 7fere:affecbd by it.
A needlewo-,nan, aged 2; years, died on the
28th ult. at 14, Mint-street., Borough-road, from
" privaton." Certified by nedical attendant. A
child., aged 5 months, died from an overdose of syrup
of. poppies.
_widowThme
atwn,oagoldedes9t6pyeresaorna!
and a 9-
whose deaths are returned
are a
Last week the births of 96
all 1,905 children, were registered
weeks of the years 1852-61 r
the average (corrected) was 1986.
6boys and 940 girls, i$
in London.
Lu
the tencorresponding
number