The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-22 00:00:00

THE REBEL COMMANDERS ON 711 E

POTOMAC.

The three principal rebel commanders on the
Potomac, says a letter from the States, are General
Joseph E. Johnston, commander-in-chief ; General
Beauregard, who commands the second division ;
and Gustavus W. Smith, who commands the first
division, having recently been made a major
general by Jefferson Davis. General M'Clellan,
Federal commander, graduated from West Point
in the class of 1846. General Smith, rebel,
graduated in the class of 1842. He commands now
the division formerly commanded by General J.
Johnston before he was promoted to be commander-
in-chief. Smith, of course, outranks Beauregard.
General Smith, as he is called here by the politi-
cians, was recently our " street commissioner." The
way that he reached the latter local dignity is
amusing. Smith was out in Mexico, and behaved
bravely through the war. In 1854 he resigned the
army, and shortly after your readers may remember
to have heard of Peter Cooper. His Royal High-
ness the Prince of Wales will never forget him, for
he is the same old joker that led the Prince about
on the night of the grand ball, given in honour of
the English Prince at the Academy of Music, and
as master of ceremonies Peter would not permit the
Prince to dance with any of the really lovely girls
that the Prince wished to dance with, but made
him dance with a lot of unexceptionable married
women, none of them I believe under 45 years of
age. Peter made his money in the patent glue
business, and then bought iron-mines , ill New
Jersey, and started a company called the Trenton
Iron Company, and was chief engineer. About two
years after , the brother-in-law of _Peter became
mayor, under the name of Tieman, and- he appointed
Edward Cooper, Peter's son, " street commissioner."
Not being competent for the duties Cooper junior
ggraevaet wiaayanins
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soldier, engineer, or street commissioner. Now
comes in a rich local joke. Fernando Wood is
and has been mayor for some years. He found that
he could not control Smith, and determined to
have him removed. This was easily achieved by a
money arrangement with the " ring,"—a major
part of the board of aldermen, who vote for any
measure whereby money can be made, and
' they share and share alike. About the time
Mayor Wood was ready "to cut off the
head" of the new Major General Smith, the latter
auandexrepeeecetdedhliym :_walk„ Mr. Mayor,—led into the mayor's office and thus
understand
you are about to recommend t
eboardofaldermen
to remove me from the office of street commissioner.
Now I wish you to understand that I am in bad
health. Ido not expect to live a long life. Now,
sir, I have a large number of friends all over the
Southern States, and when I am removed they will
all hear of it, and will all naturally suppose that I
am removed because of incompetency or malfeasance
in (_face. Now, sir, I shall not live long enough to
exp:ain to all my friends why I have been re-
moved, and therefore I have but one way left to
vindicate my cause. The man that causes my re-
moval has got to die. Good morning, Mr. Mayor."
He was not removed, and held the office two years
after. I mention this to give an idea of the cha-
racter of Major-General Smith, who you know is
now with his old friends Beauregard, Davis, and
company.

SUDDEN DEATH ON THE RlVER.—Yesterday
morning Mr. Sergeant Payne, the coroner, received infor-
mation of the following melancholy case of sudden death
It appears that a pilot who had charge of a sloop had
navigated the vessel from Gravesend, and had put into
Queenhithe-wharf. Whilst walking aft of the sloop he was
noticed to stagger twice, and then fell to the ground. Seve-
ral persons ran to his assistance, who picked up the unfor-
tunate man, who was then found to be insensible. A medical
man was sent for, and life was pronounced to be extinct.
The precise cause of death is at present unknown. An in-
quest will be forthwith held on the body.