The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-21 00:00:00

CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA.

LIVERPOOL, SATURDAY.
The Royal Mail steamship Arabia, Capt. Stone,
from Boston on the 9th, and Halifax on the 11 th

inst , via Queenstown yesterday, has arrived.
A telegraphic summary of her news has already
been received. _ ..

Tb,e New York Post is informed that Gen. Scott
had been in Washington several days, and had
a room at the War Department. It is rumoured
in Washington that the general is to become Secre-
tary of War, with General Banks as assistant

secretary.
The latest fighting before Richmond of which
the papers contain any account, appears to have
taken place on the 3a inst., and the following ac-
count of it, and of the proceedings of the army of
the Potomac on the 4th of July, is from the corre-
spondence of the World, dated on the last-men-

:tinned day :
" The enemy on Thursday morning, at about 9
o'clock, commenced an attack with cavalry, artillery,
and infantry, on the rear of the army, and it was
feared that another heavy engagement was about to
take place. The whole army was immediately
drawn up in line of battle. By a reconnoissance,
however, it was discovered that the attacking force

-was not very considerable, and General Davidson,
with his brigade, was ordered to attempt to cut
them off and capture or disperse them. He suc-

ceded in taking a number of prisoners and six guns.
The rest sought safety by skedaddling, and were
pursued by our troops four or five miles with much
loss. The first firing was into the woods in front

of the lines of the army, as the rebels evidently sup-

posed that we were occupying the woods in force.
" The Monitor, Galena, Naugatuck, and the re-
sidue of the gunboats, threw a large quantity of
shot and shell over our army into the woods and
beyond them, making any position in the vicinity
very unpleasant to rebel occupants. The enemy,
however, continued casual firing until four p.m.,
when the bold dash of General Davidson, and the

general ineligibility of the place, caused them to

retr eat.

" The anniversary of the nation's independence
was celebrated by the army appropriately. The
following exercises were ordered for the day by

GeneralM'Clellan:—A national salute at noon at

the head-quarters of each army corps ; immediately
thereafter bands to play appropriate national airs.

The general commanding will visit the troops dur-
ing the afternoon, when the troops will be paraded,
and a major-general's salute fired in each corps.
Hereafter the usual calls may be sounded, and the
bands permitted to play.
" General M'Clellan reviewed the troops in the

afternoon, as announced, and was received with the
utmost enthusiasm along the lines. The soldiers
lithe most unlimited confidence in the general's
military capacity. They express no apprehensions
For the future under his command. They do not
consider their retreat a defeat, but believe that it
is a part of M'Clellan's plan. They do not believe
that their leader has made a movement that was
not justified by sound military policy. They think
that the capture of Richmond will come in good
time, in accordance with M'Clellan's plans, and are
anxious to be led whenever he gives the word to
do their part towards that result, so the troops, of
young commander as he rode
course, cheered their
along the lines. As he passed on he made a few
remarks to them, thanking them for their gallant
conduct, encouraging them for the future, and tell-
ing them their labours were not yet over. The ad-
vance of six miles, as I stated, has changed the
front of the army towards Richmond. General
Sumner's corps, which previously lay on the banks
of the river, has been advanced two miles. The
divisions of General Franklin, Keyes, and Heint-
zelman have been moved back on the road and face
outward. There is considerable difference of opi-
nion as to the capture of Richmond from this posi-
tion. It would look to be a tedious operation, re-
quiring great force, but with the help of the gun-
boats might not be so difficult as it seems. There
are many that think that a general ad-
vance towards Richmond is not improbable
at no distant day. Richmond papers claim
a victory in the eight days' fight on the peninsula,
although they acknowledge a loss of 30,000 men.
The death of Stonewall Jackson is positively de-
nied, and he is said to be now in command on the
left bank of the Chickahominy."
A letter in the Boston Journal of the 9th gives
the following as the state of affairs with M'Clellan's
army, as furnished by gentlemen who left it on the
sth inst. :
" General M'Clellan has secured his army from
further assaults. He is safe, but there can be no
immediate advance upon Richmond. He is con-
fronted by an immense army, while his own is
weakened. He must be reinforced. His men are
not disheartened, but, on the contrary, are sharp-
ened for the final fight. They have no thought of
,giving up. They want to be put on an even footing
with the enemy for a second fight. They defeated
the rebels in every battle on the south side of the
Chickahominy. How long General M'Clellan had
premeditated a change of his base I do not know,
but when he found that the rebels had been largely
reinforced, and intended to attack him, wisdom de-
manded activity on his part in carrying out his
plan. The falling back from Mechanicsville on
Friday encouraged the rebels. The crossing to the
south side of the Chickahominy raised their expec-
tations to the highest pitch. It is plain that the
rebel commanders were out-generalled. They did
not find out General M'Clellan's plan till too late
to prevent its execution. They thought they had
his supplies when they rushed pell-mell towards
the White House, but they found an empty nest
instead of a bird with golden plumage. Had
they known his plan, they could have precipi-
tated the 50,000 troops which afterwards came
down upon Heintzelman along the Charles City-
road, south of White Oak swamp, and M'Clellan
would have been annihilated. His escape was
another of those narrow margins which
have marked this war, an evidence to all thought-
ful reverential minds that He who holdeth the sea
in the hollow of his hand has this cause in his keep-
ing.
„He has left the Chickahominy and
River. His camps swamp is
upon James are upon high land.
ITe has water in abundance. His men can bathe
daily. He has water communication. The enemy
cannot attack hhimi
except in front.
A Baltimore
captain informs
me that the situation I. very un-
healthy. City Point s said to be one of the
worst
I shall nots.
places in the world for feversay how
large an army Gen. M'Clellan has under his Com_
mend, but if he could be adequately reinforced there
need be no delay in the campaign' Without rein-
tenements he must wait.
They mean
" The rebels are madly in earnest.
to win. Human life is to them so much capital stock
to be sunk if need be to ensure success. They fought
through the six days with desperation.
ad-
batteries cut great gashes in their ranks ; but ill
dened by whisky, heedless of life, they rushed on
heedless of their fallen comrades and of the sure
death awaiting them. The slaughter on both sides
was fearful. Not less than 30,000 men were put
hors de combat. I have the authority of a general
for saying that that is an under estimate."
The war correspondent of the New York Times
places the Federal losses before Richmond at about
25,000. The New 1 ork, Tribune gives General
Andrew Potter's name as the authority for the
statement that the rebels have lost 75,000 men in
the recent battles.

The Aew York Herald having stated that the
plans of the commander of the Potomac army have
been thwarted by the interference of the War De-
partment, the
New Tork %sicngton correspondent of the
Evening Post says that this statement is
pronounced entirety false 1
'fl N
he ew 1 orb Tribu el 3 the highest authority.
by
of the sth says—
" Yesterday our pickets
and
avanced from four to
five rciik,s from the river,
retirsaw no enemy, who
seem to have mysteriously
General M'Clel-
now down to the Chicka-
lan has advanced his lines doet•
entertained of a
hominy, and no fears are
Rank movement in that direction,
noon to-day
have his position
General M'Clellan expected tobiahava
so fortified as to be able to
to the
enemy in any shape they might choose to come."
• The Herald of the 6th says --
"some of the gunboats have gone up the river