The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-13 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY E V 1.4 IN a A matTsT igne

on, in opening a way for that servile war, which, if
it shall be permitted to come, will produce infinite
suffering throughout the world, and can only at last
result in an entirely new system of trade and com-
merce between the United States and all foreign
nations.

I need not say that these views are not grounded
on any proceedings or expressions of the British
Government, and are to be submitted to them only
as they will be to other states, from a strong desire
on the part: of the President that the true condi-
tion.of the present strife may be everywhere fully
understood:—l am, &c.,
(Signed)

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

No. 2.
EARL RUSSELL TO MR. STUART.

Foreign Office, July 28, 1862.

Sir,—l have left hitherto unanswered and un-
noticed a dispatch of Mr. Seward's, which Mr-
Adams delivered to me more than a month ago.

I have done so partly because the military events
referred to in it were, in the opinion of her Majes-
ty's Government, far from being decisive, and partly
because there was no proposal in it upon which her
Majesty's Government were called upon to come to
any conclusion.
Events subsequent to the date of Mr. Seward's
letter have shown that her Majesty's Government
in their opinion upon the first of these points were
mistaken. Victories have been gained, reverses
have followed ; positions have been reached in the
near neighbourhood of the capital of the Confede-
se positions have been again aban-
events have been accompanied by
life in battle and in hospital ; while
rdaotneesd,
.an dlhtehsee
measures as the Confiscation Bill, passed
through
sgurcehat loss of
both Houses of Congress, and the procla-
mation of General Butler at New Orleans, bear
evidence of the increasing bitterness of the strife.
The approach of a servile war, so much insisted on
by Mr. Seward in his despatch, only forewarns us
that another element of destruction may be added
to the slaughter, loss of property, and waste of in-
dustry, which already afflict a country so lately
prosperous and tranquil.
Nor on the other point to which I have adverted
have I anything new to say.
From the moment when the intelligence first
reached this country, that nine states and several
millions of inhabitants of the great American Union
had seceded and had made war on the government
of the President, down to the present time, her Ma-
jesty's Government have pursued a friendly, an
open, and a consistent course. They have been
neutral between the two parties to a civil war.
Neither the loss of the raw material of manufacture,
so necessary to a great portion of our people, nor
the insults constantly heaped upon the British
name in speeches and newspapers, nor the rigour
beyond the usual practice of nations with which
the Queen's subjects attempting to break the loose
blockade of the Southern ports have been treated,
have induced her Majesty's Government to swerve
an inch from an impartial neutrality.
At this moment they have nothing more at heart
than to see that communication of which the Presi-
dent speaks in his answer to the governors of eigh-
teen states—namely, the bringing this unnecessary
and injurious civil war to a speedy and satisfactory
conclusion.

As to the course of opinion in this country, the
President is aware that perfect freedom of comment
upon all public events is in this country the invari-
able practice, sanctioned by law, and approved by
the universal sense of the nation.—l am, &c.,
(Signed) RUSSELL;

sary. As soon as the Arkansas appeared in eight
the Carondelet fired on her, and received her heavy
ordnance in return, several shot and shell passing
through the wooden portion of the national ship,
killing 9 men and wounding 22. For a few minutes
the fight was very brisk, but it soon became evident
to Capt. Walks that he was no match for his anta-
gonist, and he concluded, therefore, to board her.
An order was given to that effect, and the Caron-
delet ran alongside her iron foe, and a number of
brave fellows leaped aboard ; but, finding there was
no apparent possibility of getting below, or induc-
ing the enemy to come out, they were compelled to
return to their own vessel. A brave and gallant act
was theirs, though in this instance valour did not
obtain its reward. The Arkansas steamed off from
not before one of her shot
hadhe her antagonist,
steamthough
pipe in the Carondelet, causing
some 40 or 50 of her crew to jump overboard, and,
as a few of them are missing, there is little doubt
they were drowned.

" The heavy firing up the Yazoo w as plainly heard
on the fleet, and it was supposed the Tyler was
shelling the woods; but when, about 6 o'clock, the
reports grew louder and louder, denoting the ap-
proach of the vessels, it was generally surmised the
Union boats must have met an enemy in the river.
Speculation grew rife, and anxiety and curiosity
large, and many wistful eyes were turned up the
Mississippi.
" The eyes were not long strained. Just before '7
o'clock the ram Queen of the West was observed
coming at a high rate of speed around the bend, and
two or three shots struck near her almost as soon as
she came in sight. That the Queen was hotly pur-
sued by an enemy there could be no longer any
reasonable doubt. If there had been, the appearance
of the Tyler in the wake of the ram would have
removed the lingering scepticism. In less than two
minutes more, the formidable foe was perceived
steaming down after her adversaries—the sole sign
of life about her being a thick, heavy column of
smoke proceeding from her solitary chimney. She
soon diminished her speed, and it was generally
supposed she would ascend the Yazoo. No one be-
lieved she would dare to come down to the fleet,
where it seemed certain she must be overpowered
by the vastly superior force. The iron monster did
not stop, however, but continued her course steadily
and slowly toward our vessels, keeping in the
channel, without turning to the right or left, but
firing her guns every few seconds at the nearest
vessels.

" That was a formidable gauntlet to run. Fifteen
war vessels and seven rams. Would she contend.
with them alone ? Could she hope to escape them
all ? Did she dare to rush upon her own destruc-
tion ? From her movements she evidently did.
" There were the Hartford and the Richmond,
with their huge batteries of 26 guns each ; the
Oneida, the Iriquois, Wissahickon, Scioto, De Soto,
and Wyoming, of Farragut's fleet; and the iron-
clad Benton, Essex, Cincinnati, Louisville, Sumter,
and General Bragg, of Davis's flotilla, with the
rams Switzerland, Queen of the West, Lancaster,
Mingo, Lioness, Hornet, and Fulton. This formi-
dable array had no terrors for the Arkansas. She
moved on as if they had not been there ; and many
of the officers of the fleet were for a moment lost in
wonderment at the extreme boldness of her most
perilous attempt. As she moved down one of Far-
ragut's gunboats opened fire upon her; then another
and another. Whether they struck her or not I
could not perceive ; but their shot could not
have harmed her. She replied promptly, and the
fire soon grew warm.

"The hot summer morning thrilled with the roar
of battle ; and the shells went hissing through the
air like great serpents, writhing destructively
through space. The few silences were impressive
—almost awful ; and I could hardly turn my eyes
away from the small, strange, fearless craft de-
scending the river, with the black trail above and
behind her, and the baleful flash of her
,steadily-
replying guns.
"The Arkansas soon arrived where several of the
rams were lying, and the Lancaster turned to butt
her. Just as the ram had presented her side the
rebels fired two of her guns, and instantly steam in
great volumes was seen to pour out of the Lancas-
ter. The mud-receiver of the ram had exploded.
The casualties have been ascertained to be 11, in
killed, wounded, and missing. The second engineer
is missing, and is supposed to be lost. John
Wylsant, chief engineer, is very badly scalded, and
can hardly survive. One of the firemen and the
second cook, both negroes, are dead. John Dowell,
first cook, dangerously scalded. The other rams
had not slfficient steam to do any damage, and were
compelled, therefore, to let the enemy go by. A
skiff, crowded to its utmost capacity, put
off from the Lancaster, but before she reached
the shore she sank, but nearly all her
inmates (some 12 or 15), save two or three,
were picked up by tugs that went to their assist-
ance. The Lancaster was severely injured by the
Arkansas' shots, and seemed to be sinking. She
made signals of distress, and the Switzerland,
Queen of the West, and Champion No. 3, went to
her aid and towed her up the river, down which she
had been for some time helplessly drifting.

" The Richmond and Hartford fired a number of
guns as the dangerous enemy passed ; but strange
to say, gave her no magnificent broadside as I had
expected they would. The Oneida blazed, the
Sumter and General Bragg let off their Dahlgrens,
Farragut's gun-boats threw ponderous shot, the
Cincinnati and Louisville thundered, the Essex and
Benton howled forth their rage in-the shape of im-
mense shells at the arch foe. But the arch foehesi-
tated not, reeked not, turned not aside. Onward
and forward the Arkansas moved, as if she were
covered with the armour of invincibility, and be-
yond the power of harm. Again and again her
guns flashed. She paid her respects to all, and the
water and the trees and the shores bore the marks
of the falling shot. In the distant forest a live
oak was rent as by a thunderbolt, and in the remote
fields the earth was ploughed up by a shell as if a
mine had exploded in the earth..
" The scene was grand and impressive. It was
sad, however, to a loyal spirit to observe the inso-
lent but fearless foe passing the long line of fire un-
scathed, running the dangerous gauntlet without
receiving an apparent wound. After she had
passed all the Union vessels she sent back their
shots defiantly, and at last disappeared around the
head of the
the water batteries of Vicksburg, where she had
peninsula, and run under the guns of
been anxiously
expected, and where she must have
been received with profuse welcome. She merited
such
award her praise for her brilliant daring in a most
unholy welcome,
cause.

None of
Davis's or Farragut's vessels had suffi-
cient steam to enable them to follow the Arkansas.
They had no thought, much less fear, of a hostile
gun-boat, and of course they were surprised and
unprepared for the occasion. How many times
more before the war is ended will we be surprised.
Will we never learn wisdom by severe and painful
experience ?
" Some 20 minutes after the Arkansas had
disappeared, the
Benton, Captain W. L. Phelps,
and then the
Cincinnati went down, and engaged
the Arkansas and the upper batteries in a most
times, but unhurt. The Benton went immediately
The Cincinnati was struck several
animated way.
under the guns of the enemy, and fought them and
the Secession ram for more than half an hour with
great spirit and skill.
" Several shots Passed into Davis's
flag ship, and
as they were large
and plunging, they injured the
boat materially, though not so seriously as to pre-
vent her repairs from being made here.
" Three of her crew
were injured, W. H. Lewis,
killed; John H. Grey and W. H. Travis mortally
wounded. Lewis was standing with the pipe of a
his hand, prepared for the enemy
hot-waterifhe
shouldhos e in
attelt t
p to board, when the shot
enteredat
of the ship, and passing along
k him im in h
the bow
upper part of the breast, carrying
strustruck
the
away his head and rendering him a horrid and un-
distinguishable corpse.
si One 128-pou
lacier entered the port quarters,
passed through the
third master's room into the
cooking apartment, and then into the Commodore's
cabin, and finally rolled upon the bed and lay upon
the pillow. The enemy fired with much precision
and seemed well acquainted with the most vulnerable

portions of our iron-clad. The fire upon the Benton
was tremendous, and she gained much honour for
the heroic manner in which she opposed herself to
great odds, almost alone and unassisted.

" The total loss will probably be about 22 in
killed and missing, and 55 or 60 in wounded. No
officers were lost except those I have mentioned on
the Tyler, and it is fortunate so many escaped.
"The Arkansas, which is a ram as well as a gun-
boat, is not more than half as large as one of Davis's
gunboats; is low and flat, covered with double
railway-iron (T rail); built with slanting sides,
without decks or any openings or apertures save
the ports; carries 12 large guns, three on each side,
two forward and two aft ; has one chimney, and
looks almost, if not quite, invulnerable. She is of
a light Drown or reddish brown hue, much like the
banks of the Mississippi, and at a distance could
not well be distinguished therefrom.
" No human being was visible on or about her as
she passed down the river, though her guns were
promptly and accurately fired, and her unseen
sharpshooters directed their pieces at every man
they could see within range. The sharpshooters
were very industrious and energetic, and their balls
were constantly whistling through the air, though
their sharp note was generally swallowed up in the
deep roar or loud shriek of the heavy guns.
"It is something singular that no proper recon-
noissance was ever made up the Yazoo. Everyone
knew the Arkansas had been taken there from
Memphis in an unfinished state, and there were
various reports about her. No one attempted to
learn what was true or false, though Lieutenant-
Ellett urged the importance and necessity of a gun-
boat expedition day after day, and even sent up
the Queen of the West and Switzerland to do the
best they could under the circumstances. The
mouth of the Old River was not even guarded, and
so the Arkansas came like a thief in the night,
albeit Farragut had been officially assured the
Rebel gunboat would leave Liverpool Landing at
midnight on Monday, July 14. This neglect or in-
difference seems almost criminally culpable. We
are paying its cost in a way no one would regard
as cheap—in wounded feeling and mortified pride.
When the flotilla first arrived hero there was
nothing to do for awhile, and such leisure should
have been made advantageous by a thorongh com-
prehension of the situation there. What the
Arkansas meant, unless bravado, I do not perceive,
for she had valuable property to protect in the
Yazoo, and was not needed at Vicksburg, where the
batteries are sufficient defence for the city. Per-
haps the formidable rebel had her own purpose.
Perhaps she has a mission to perform. She is
splendidly daring. She may be exceedingly dis-
creet. Therefore we will not criticise her severely;
for she has surprised us once by a brilliant achieve-
ment. She may surprise us again.
" On the 15th, about noon, Commodore Farragut
and Davis agreed to make a general attack on Vicks-
burg, and, if possible, sink and capture the Arkan-
sas, even under the protection of the enemy's guns.
Doubtless they burned to wipe away the stain of
the morning. That their self-love diminished some-
what after they saw the Arkansas go around the
bend apparently unscathed, there can be little ques-
tion. No marvel they desired to do something to
forget their mortification. _ _

"A little after 6 o'clock the vessels of both fleets
gave signs of moving down the river, and just be-
fore 7 Davis's boats steamed toward the bend, and
opened the evening's entertainment by a vigorous
attack on the upper batteries, which did not reply
for some time. The Hartford, Richmond, Oneida,
and the gunboats of the Gulf squadron soon de-
scended the stream, and swelled the roar of battle
to an impressive volume.

" Davis's vessels engaged the upper batteries,
while Farragut's ships passed below. The rebels
thundered from above the town at the gunboats, and
struck them a number of times, but did no material
injury; while the nether guns cut Faragut's rigging,
but usually shot too high to do harm. Shots aimed
at the passing Union boats often crossed the penin-
sula and alighted in the river, so elevated and harm-
less was the aim of the enemy, who must have been
greatly excited or alarmed, Whatever the cause, he
did not fire with anything like the accuracy or cool-
ness he exhibited in the morning, or at any previ-
ous time since the commencement of the siege.
"The enemy, after 20 minutes' fighting, was
driven from the upper batteries, but it is probable
he has since returned. Whether any of his guns
were dismounted or not is unknown, though it is
reasonable to suppose they might have been, under
such a continuousand heavy fire as was poured upon
them from our gallant gunboats. During the last
hour of the engagement the upper batteries were
entirely silent, the action being confined to Farra-
gut's vessels far below the city.
"The Arkansas lay off the town under the water
batteries of the rebels, but did not fire at all during
the bombardment. Though the Sumter was sent
down purposely to sink her, she did not succeed in
doing so ; but it is said she butted and crippled her
during the action. This noon the Arkansas still
lies, without steam, in her old position, and no one,
apparently, in or about her. She seems to be a
good deal hurt, and it is reported there are several
large holes in her, and that her crew were indus-
triously engaged the greater part of yesterday in
pumping her out. I hope her last battle has been
fought, but I greatly fear she will yet give us much
trouble. Until we capture or destroy her we can-
not feel very secure; for she has demonstrated her
ability to set our fleet at defiance. That, however,
was under peculiar circumstances, and we trust and
think it will be different when she meets our ves-
sels under different auspices.

,‘ Since writing the above I have received the
names of the following persons who were killed and
wounded on board the gunboat Tyler during her
engagement with the Arkansas :—Oscar T. Davis,
third assistant-engineer, killed ; T. J. Hood, sea-
man, killed ; David Hines, pilot, slightly wounded;
John Sebastian, pilot, seriously wounded; R. H.
Smith, pilot (of ram Lancaster), slightly wounded;
J. W. Holly, seaman, dangerously; S. T. Milford,
seaman, seriously ; James Hughes, seaman, slightly;
James Morris, seaman; S.Tracey, seaman, slightly(;
R. Carter, coal-heaver, slightly ; Fred. Crosier, fire-
man, slightly. Of the Fourth Wisconsin Sharp-
shooters, Captain Linn, Company I; F. Burton,
private, Company E ; H, Randall, private, Com-
pany B ; L. Goodridge, private, Company K ; A.
Palmer, private, Company G ; and C. Shafer, pri-
vate, Company D—were all killed. These were
wounded—C. Van Omand, private; Peter Tracy,
private ; W. Kent, private ; Anson Ayers, private ;
J. Doyle, private.
" Capt. Henry Walke of the Carondelet, reports
four killed, 16 wounded, and 10 missing ; no officers
hurt. The gunboats were struck 13 times by the
Arkansas, and fired 75 shots during the action.
" The Sidney, C. Jones, one of Commodore
Porter's mortar fl3et, I have forgotten to mention,
was blown up by her own men yesterday, for
fear, as she was hard aground, that she would be
captured by the Arkansas. The 13-inch mortar
and two 32-pounders the Jones carried were spiked,
and are now lying in the mud at the bottom of the
river. The carelessness of the crew had caused the
beaching of the Jones, but her destruction was a
military necessity under the circumstances."

THE CONDEMNED MURDERESS AT LEWES.-
The Secretary of State for the Home Department having
had under his consideration the whole of the circumstances
of the case of Elizabeth Jane llunnisett, who was tried,
convicted, and se3 tented to death at Lewes assizes for the
wilful murder o:3 her infant child, en the sth of April last,
has recommended that the mercy of the Crown should be
extended, and the capital sentence will not, therefore, be
carried into effect. The ultimate punishment of the
wretched woman has not yet been decided on. In the case
of Flood the matter is still under the consideration of Sir
George Grey.

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