The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-21 00:00:00

leral Generals,

Daring Capture of Two Fedi

The Richmond Enquirer gives the following ac-
count of the capture of Generals Crook and Kelly
at Cumberland, in Maryland, by Lieut. M'Neill
and 30 Confederate troopers :—" The Confederate
party crossed the Potomac in front of the town at a
late hour on the night of the event, and capturing
the only sentinel to be seen, induced him to divulge
the countersign. The main body of the detachment
was then posted in a convenient posilion, and the
lieutenant commanding, with several of his men,
boldly rode into the town, which was garrisoned by
over 400 Union troops. The head-quarters of
General Crook were at one hotel, and those of
Kelly 'at another, and, their locations being duly
made known by the captured sentinel; the daring
partisans made their way to those of the former,
arriving just in front of which the lieutenant
halted, and inquired of the sentinel if the General
was in. Receiving an affirmative reply, he said he
had important despatches to him, and dismounting,
followed by his men, advanced to the sentinel, gave
the countersign, and passed in. Upon entering the
hotel, the squad was received by an old negro
woman, who, it appears, was the " night clerk" of
the establishment, and upon making known their
desire to be conducted to the room of General
Crook, the old domestic looked at them with a
kind of humorous suspicion, and remarked, ' Well,
you all is de strangest soldiers, I declar—you—
you—you must take de light ye'selves, and go fust ;
I'll pint de room out to you. I won't carry you
dar, though, no how.' It did not make any differ-
ence to our bold cavaliers which method the
old woman preferred; they took the light and the
lead, and, in a moment or two, were in front of the
door, where the old woman hastily left them. After
several responses from within, entrance was ob-
tained. "Is this General Crook?" asked the Lieu-
tenant, holding the light to give full view of the
General, as he drowsily looked at them from his bed.
' Yes ; what do you want ?" was the reply. ' I,' said
the Lieutenant, am General Rosser,' and, drawing
a pistol, and presenting it, added, I have some very
important business with you, General Crook, and
will give you precisely two minutes to get up and put
on your clothes.' The bewildered General did not
know how to reply, and did not dare to resist. He
saw at a glance that it would be as useless as danger-
ous to attempt escape by raising an alarm, and he
did not stop to solve the mystery of so unexpected
a call. He obeyed at once, and a gentle suggestion
of the propriety of keeping quiet being whispered in
his ear, he passed out with his escort as mute as a
mummy. On their egress, the party persuaded the
sentinel on duty to follow them, by inducements
similar to those submitted to the general, and, mak-
ing their prisoners mount behind them, rode back to
the main body. In the meantime a second detach-
ment rode up to the quarters of Gen. Kelly, when a
similar scene occurred, and that officer was, in due
time, under guard. But the party was not content.
Ascertaining the quarters of the adjutant-general,
they gave him a call, and found him in bed with his
wife. This capping the climax of the night's sport, the
rendezvous was regained, and, with their prisoners
riding behind them, the command recrossed the river,
and sped away through Hampshire. By some means
the affair was discovered soon after they left, and a
whole regiment pursued them to no purpose for 50
miles. Upon being presented to General Early at
his head-quarters in the Valley, the prisoners were
received with the homely but no doubt acceptable
greeting, ' Take seats, gentlemen, I presume you
are tired after your ride ; ' and then added the hero
of brilliant victories and stunning defeats, with an
intensification of that fine-tooth comb peculiarity
of his. enunciation, ' I expect some enterprising
Yankee will be stealing off with me in the same way
one of these days."

Extraordin Iry Affair.

A very extraordinary case came to light at Preston on
Saturday. For some time past there have been rumours
in the town to the effect that a young man, about 35 years
of age, named Thomas Wylie, who a few years ago occu-
pied a very good position in Preston, and was engaged in
the cotton trade, was fastened up in an old warehouse
behind the parish church, in St. John's-place ; that he had
never been out of the building for some years ; that he
was secretly fed through some mysterious hole or door ;
and that he was a most frightful spectacle in personal
appearance—filthy, ragged, haggard, and more like some
deserted, concealed savage than a human being. It was
also reported that he had lost his reason during his
long term of imprisonment, and that both bodily and
mentally he was in a most deplorable condition. The
real facts of the case have just been made known, and it
appears that the reports which have been prevalent,
although considerably exaggerated, have had far more
foundation in truth than many persons supposed; that
although there has been a good deal of exaggeration in the
case, much of a very singular and mysterious character
_ surrounds it. A few years ago Wylie, after having been
employed as a lawyer's clerk in Preston for some time,
commenced business as a reed maker and cotton manu-
facturer. He had four establishments—one at Preston,
two at Bolton, and one at Manchester. His usual place
of residence was at Preston, where his parents lived, and
where he "set up" his father in business. Wylie pros-
pered well in his trade for some time ; he employed
many operatives ; he regularly associated with gentle-
men connected with the cotton trade, and, like other
persons engaged in manufacturing pursuits, he went regu-
larly to the principal market of the county—Manchester,
Liverpool, and Blackburn. In 1857, however, when the
monetary panic set in, he lost a good deal of money, and
fortune ever afterwards seemed to recede from him. Three
years ago, while battling with misfortune, a Preston soli-
citor, who was the agent for the property he occupied in
St. John's-place, in that town, "distressed" him for a small
arrear of rent. Wylie wrote to the owner of the property
in London, but he simply referred him to the agent, who
was relentless as to the arrears, and eventually sold him
up. Wylie's goods, which had cost him a good deal of
money, and were still worth a considerable amount, were
sold for a sum which scarcely amounted to a twentieth part
of their value. The conduct of the agent so embittered Wylie's
mind that he determined to remain on the premises, which
he had on a lease, until the full expiration or period of his
tenancy ; and he has so far kept the determination intact.
For three long years he has lived in the empty building, re-
solved to avenge what he considered to be the injustice in-
flicted upon him by the agent. The building is at present
most dilapidated ; inside there is nothing in the world
but an old loom and a dirty old bed ; the floors are dusty,
filthy, and worm-eaten. Outside the windows are smashed,
the walls cracked, and the signboards, which used to refer
to a prosperous man's business, are paintless and illegible.
The place looks like the very image of some of those
dismal old buildings which grim writers love to tenant with
spectres and hobgoblins. For three years Wylie has been the
only occupant of these lonely rooms which used to reverbe-
rate with the noise of busy machinery; for months together
he has never stirred an inch from the place ; for a year at
once he has had no fire to cheer his isolation—day time has
been cold, night time has been entirely dark to him. The
people living in the neighbourhood knew that he was con-
cealed in this wretched old building; but this was all they
did know. They never saw him come into the street ; and
nobody except one of his old workmen, who now and then
visited him by stealth, seemed to have any idea as to
how be existed. The neighbours, out of curiosity, occa-
sionally knocked at the door; but the only response was
a dull echo through the empty rooms. For the first year of
his voluntary imprisonment no person appears to have vi-
sited him, and a man residing next door who kept a regular
look-out for him, never once saw him during that period.
Since then Wylie has crept out at intervals after dark, and
gone to a house adjoining, where he has got morsels of food
and portions of fuel. When he first showed himself to the
inmates of the house in question they were perfectly horri-
fied at his condition. They had known him in his better
days, and to see him as they did, when he quitted his hid-
ing-place in the dark for a few minutes, shirtless, shoeless,
ragged, and with a pale haggard face, the very picture of
starvation, they were naturally much shocked. Within
the past few months Wylie has improved a good deal in
appearance ; but he is still a most wretched, pitiable ob-
ject, and any one acquainted with him when he was a
smart,well-dressed, energetic young man would not recog-
nise him now in his squalor and abject misery. A few
weeks ago, his father died, and efforts were made to get
him to attend the funeral ; but neither the entreaties of his
mother nor the solicitations of hisfriends could induce him

---
to stir from his lair. He was ashamed, it was thought, of
his appearance ; at any rate, he had some strange objection
to leaving his dilapidated hiding-place. He watched from a

window the funeral cortege pass by the building to the

cemetery ; immediately afterwards he darted out of sight,
and was seen by no one for several days. Wylie is a man
of considerable mental ability, and his long period of con-
finement and separation from the world has neither dimmed

his intellect nor weakened his powers of conversation. It
is said that during the greater part of the time he has been

shut up in the old building referrod to he has been engaged
in studying certain chemical subjects: He has friends in

Preston, Bolton, and Manchester. The lease of the pre-

mises which he bolds will expire in May next, and he is
determined to remain " all along in his misery" until that
time, and longer if possible.

THE G

"NDAY.

60 COAL-LADEN BARGES SUNK IN THE THAMES.
The fearful gale which raged throughout the whole
of Sunday occasioned a serious loss of property in
that part of the river Thames known as Bugsby's
Hole, between Blackwall Point and Charlton. A
large derrick, belonging to Messrs. Cory and Co.,
the coal merchants, which is used for discharging
screw colliers and other vessels laden with coals from
the north, was moored in about the middle of
Bugsby's Hole, near to the south shore, and as the
coal is put into lighters for the purpose of conveying
it to the different wharves above the bridge the craft
lie off to moorings in the roadstead, near the derrick
laid down by the firm. It is stated that about 60
loaded barges were so moored when the storm set in
on Saturday evening, some of the craft being lashed
together. On Sunday morning, when the gale had
considerably increased, the barges were seen to be
labouring severely. As the wind blew in fearful
gusts with a force of almost a hurricane, the water
dashed over the barges in large quantities,°, and it
was evident that they were fast settling down. At
length they began to disappear. At times two or
three would go down together, some dragging others
more loaded. The crews of the collier ships, which
were lying in the section near, could see the barges
founder one after another, but could render no aid
with a view of relieving them. By nightfall the
whole of the 50 or 60 barges had disappeared, and
the damage to the craft and the loss of coals must
amount to a very considerable sum. It is stated
that the barges, after having been loaded from the
derrick, have been in the habit of lying in the road-
stead for several days, sometimes a fortnight, before
they went up to the wharves of the purchasers, and
that this practice is attended with some risk when
they lie for any lengthened period in so exposed a
position as Bugsby's Reach. Fortunately
the barges have gone down in a spot
rather.: out of the navigation, but the Thames
Conservancy, and a steamer, with the harbour
masters, were early at the scene, with a view to
preventing any accident to the passing shippiing,
and to see to the early lifting of the barges. Some
hundreds of tons of coal must be lying at the bot-
tom of the river in the barge roadstead near the
derrick. Many of the sunken craft belonged to
Messrs. Elmore and Scott, eleven to Mr. Williams,
and the remainder to other large barge owners.
Only three of the barges that went down were the
property of Mr. Cory. It is stated that the derrick
is moored in the most convenient position, and that
coal-laden craft should not remain near after they
have been loaded.
On land, the gale which commenced on Sunday
morning lasted the whole of that night and through-
out yesterday, doing, as it did the previous day, an
incalculable amount of mischief. About half-past
12 o'clock yesterday, the inhabitants of St. Bride's-
churchyard, Fleet-street, were greatly alarmed at
hearing a loud crash. It appears the high wind had
blown from the steeple of the church one of the
fell upon about a quarter of a
the roof of the vestry
cwt. ornamental
The asctoornnes,
room, breaking through the ceiling, and fell upon
the flooring. Mrs. Goode, the sextoness, had been
lighting the fire just before, and fortunately had
gone into the porch to procure a broom, or she
might have been killed, for the distance the stone
fell was about 208 ft., and when it reached the
ground it was actually split into three or four pieces.
A large range of wooden hoarding in front of some
buildings at St. Mary's, Newington, was blown down
by the gale, and sent completely over the footpath,
and a female passing at the time had a narrow
escape of being killed. The trees in the parks at
the West-end have had branches broken off. The
market and flower gardens in the neighbourhood
of Chiswick have suffered severely, and the
coverings thrown over the plants to protect them
from the cold were all blown away, and many of
the apple and pear trees were broken short off.
Conservatories and greenhouses have had all the
glass demolished. The scene both above and be-
low bridge on the River Thames throughout the
day can with difficulty be described, for coal barges
were kept dashing against each other, small craft
were broken from their moorings and carried away
by the tide. Many of the houses at the East-end
received extensive damage, chimney pots, and por-
tions of roofs being blown off. At Deptford a heavy
plank was blown from a stack and struck a gentle-
man, severely injuring him. At one part of the day
it was with difficulty people could pass through St.
Paul's Churchyard, owing to the violence of the
wind

TERRIBLE SHIPWRECKS AND LOSS OF LIFE.
SHIELDS, March 19.
One of the most terrific gales we have had this
winter has been encountered upon our coast to-day.
It has blown from SE for the last 24 hours. Several
hundred ships have run for the Tyne this day. The
schooner Quickstep, of Exeter, in coming into
harbour shifted her ballast, was thrown by the sea
on to her broadside, and it was thought she would
founder in this crippled state. However, she was
driven by force of the wind and sea into port,
where she was safe. Her mate is drowned and his
brother badly hurt. A Yarmouth schooner—name
unknown—has lost her mate overboard. The most
tragical scene, however, of the day's storm occurred
at four o'clock this afternoon. A coal-laden brig,
the Burton, of Colchester, was driven to the north-
ward of the harbour and struck on the foundation
of the North Pier. The Lifeguard Brigade fired a
line between her masts ; the crew had taken to the
rigging. While a sailor lad was endeavouring to
lay hold of the rocket line the vessel knocked her
bottom out, fell to pieces,
and drowned all hands,
except the mate, in the presence of thousands of
spectators who crowded the pier. The mate, George
Hazell, was picked up floating upon a deck-plank
by the Constance lifeboat, belonging to the National
Lifeboatinstitution, and stationed at Tynemouth. He
was very much exhausted when landed, but he was
recovered. The lifeboat was on the spot within ten

or twelve minutes after the brig had struck, but
the vessel broke up so quickly that the remainder
of the poor fellows had perished before assistance
could possibly reach them.
The body of Miss
Jane Ferguson, who was lost in the Stanley
steamship four months ago, was picked up to-day.
It has been identified by a ticket issued to her at
Aberdeen. No more casualties since dark. Wea-
ther still awfully stormy. Wind easterly.

It has been blowing a gale from E.S.E. all night,
with a high sea (writes P. J. Missent, Esq.) As
the brig Border Chieftain, of Hartlepool, coal laden,
was coming in this morning, about nine o'clock, in
charge of a pilot, a sea struck her and carried away
her steering wheel, injuring the man at the helm.
She was then driven on to the stones, south of the
North Pier. The Constance lifeboat, of the Na-
tional Institution, stationed here, was at once
manned and launched in a very heavy sea. She
soon reached the vessel, and succeeded in taking off
the captain,
in all eight men. T
crew, andpilot, including the injured
man, he
Shields boats came
down to the inside of the bar shortly after. The
sea is still fearfully high, and several vessels enter-
ing have had narrow escapes. Others are yet in
sight. so there may be further casualties.
On Friday afternoon (says the Northern Ensign),
shortly before half tide, the Norwegian schooner
Emmanuel, of Porsgrund, Capt. 11. C. Arveskaug,
with billetwood, for Wick, entered the bay, and the
tide being too far back to admit of her entrance,
she cast anchor in the vicinity of the harbour, too
near the shore under the circumstances, the wind
blowing a smart breeze from the eastward. Soon
after coming to anchor, a salmon coble was taken

alongside, and, as the night was threatening, it was
judged advisable to take the crew, four in number,
ashore, which was done, along with part of their
clothes, &c., in safety, and the vessel was left to

her fate. In the course of the night she dragged
from her anchor, and went ashore on the sand at the

back of the north quay, from which it is not at all

likely she will come off, as there is now a heavy sea
running, and a strong gale (with heavy surf) from
south-east is blowing. The Emmanuel is a vessel of

about 54 tons register, and is nearly 40 years old.

It is noticeable that the Emanuel was anchored con-
siderably within the lines of the now harbour in