The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-12 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON,

and he passed the hearse with it in his
month, and halting at a corner with his comrade,
surveyed the cortege with the philosophical indiffe-
rence to which tobacco is supposed to be favourable.
A foreigner cannot help being struck by such things,
but the genuine grief of the personal friends and
many of the attendants of the deceased disarms cri-
ticism in reference to other matters which were ob-
vious enough.

WASHINGTON, OCT. 25.
There is no use in giving advice to an angry man.
The North is very angry just now, and all the coun-
sels which are addressed to it from Europe in the

interests of moderation and peace are disregarded,

or employed to incite it to fury as affording proof
that the great Powers are determined to interfere
with the blockade, or that their sympathies are with
the South. It is certainly difficult for the North, or

for the Government of the United States, to listen to

such advice as long as the South is in arms. Defeat
exasperates the Northerner, but does not intimidate,
and it will be long before he can believe the South-
erner is able to meet and beat him in the open field.
If two large armies are assembled, at vast expense,
to look at each other for indefinite periods, the peo-

ple on both sides will become tared of paying for an
empty and enormously expensive pageantry ; and it
is of some moment to see which is likely to show

the first symptoms of weariness. I have already
pointed out the difficulties in Gen. M'Clellan's posi-
tion here. The last thing he would like to do
would be to attack the lines at Manassas' in his pre-
sent state. And yet he cannot venture much beyond
his present lines without bringing on an engage-
ment which would lead him to that very point; nor
can he debouch his columns on either flank with-
out incurring similar danger and risk, which the
results of the action on Monday will not induce
him to encounter. But there is impatience breaking
oat now and then. It shows itself North and South.
The latter will show greater self-control and greater
qualities than their enemies give them credit for if
they bear the depressing effects of inaction better
than the Northerners. Any offensive movement

would be an indication that their leaders were

obliged to yield to popular pressure, for in a defen-
sive attitude they are infinitely stronger ; it is, in
fact, the exponent of their whole case, and the best
representation of their strength. It fortifies the
arguments of their friends, and furnishes excuses
for the lukewarmness of those who would be forced
into the ranks for the Union if any invasion of the
Free States were attempted. Cn the other hand,
the North is bound, by its declarations and by the
nature of the war, to invade the Southern :totes.
" It is humiliating to reflect," says an American
journal, " that the world would go ou if the Great
F.epublic were broken up." The expression indi-
cates very clearly, though unwittingly on the part
of the writer, the sentiment which has an enormous
influence on the actions of men in the United States.
In the old days in Ireland there was a small yeo-
manry corps much given to convivial meetings, at
which the standing toast was " The Kilkishen Yeo-
manry, the terror of Bonaparte!" But the gallant
fellows scarcely ventured in their finest moments
to imagine that the great orb would suffer serious
disturbance in its course if they were by any means
to become non-existent. Why should Americans be
" humiliated" to find the world was not regulated
by special reference to the cohesion of the United
States? Unquestionably, any serious shock to the
system of the Confederation would be felt by Eu-
rope and by the rest of the world, and no people
would deplore any disruption of the happy and
prosperous communities which existed on this side
of the Atlantic more sincerely than the people who
are so industriously abused for want of sympathy
with their kinsfolk. As there is no necessary man
in the world, so there is no necessary nation or form
of government ; and we all feel, without being
humiliated, that if we disappeared, or underwent
total metamorphosis, the world would adapt itself
to the change without any sustained difficulty. Both
sides have abandoned all hope of a short war,
although in the secret heart there is some lingering
hope that an unexpected event may finish it or lead
to an adjustment. If, as I am assured by the Balti-
more papers, the great bulk of the people of Mary-
land, particularly of the landed gentry, are strong
Unionists, and it nevertheless requires martial law,
General Dix, Federal Hill, Fort M'Henry, fortified
camps, and some 25,000 men to keep down the mise•
rable minority of Secessionists—if their violence is
so great that in order to keep them from walking
Maryland out of the Union it is absolutely neces-
sary to break up the Legislature by aimed force,
and commit the members of it to prison without a
chance of appealing to a jury—what, I ask, must
be done with the States in the South, where, it
must be admitted, the Union sentiment is so sound
asleep it is to all appearance stone dead ? The
Northern papers are beginning to find out the
whole South is in earnest in the matter ; nay,
more, they are actually holding up their unanimity,
their sacrifices, their resolution, as examples to
be imitated by the Unionists. in proportion as
the time when ngland was to be suil'ering the
extramest pangs of want from the exclusion of
cotton draws nigh, without any exhibition of the
dangerous symptoms, the North renews its invec-
tive against our neutrality, and the South reiterates
its assurances that I mance and Great Britain must
recognise the Confedere.ion. Yobacca is the prep of
the --Trench Tnrcne, as cotton is the base or the
English Monarchy. But cotton has a good deal to
say to the destinies of the Bonaparte dynasty also.
It is largely used, not only in the factories of Rouen
anti Lae v,:diey of the Seine, and at Mulhouse, but it
is essential to the manufacture of numerous fabric.
mixed with silk made by the dangerous people who
live in that t.-rrible city of Lyons. M. Belmont,
whose visit to the Charleston Convention is said to
have been est...aided with such direful results, has
had a severe lesson in the seizure of his tobacco at
Richmond, and may now feel that his quondum
friends are very sincere enemies. But beyond the
personal question there is a real conviction that
France must have tobacco and cotton from America
ar perish, and I am assured if the Northerners sue-
din landing at any port on the Souththe planters,
a a proof of their determination, and as a punish-
ment for nun-recognition, will lay their cotton in
flames int every acre of their soil threatened by an
enemy. I, wbo have seen the fierce beatings of
that fervid Southern heart, can well believe in a
cotton Moscow—nobody here does. They all be-
lieve in dollars; they are satistisd the planters will
yield to so many cents per lb. for cotton. Stand by
and let. us see. In spite of the animosity which
exists, the efforts of the regular officers to abolish
the savage practice of sentry stalking have met
with success, and the war is now conducted in a more
civilised manner. It is, however, lamentable to wit-
ness the depredations committed by the troops in
Virginia, and I shall have occasion some day to de-
scribe what I have seen over there lately as illus-
trations of the excesses of the contest between North
and South. The debateable land between the out-
posts must be indeed a land of grief and mourning,
of dreadful suspense—days of fear, and nights of
torture.
As the facts of the Leesburg disaster become
known doubts arise respecting the capability of
commanders higher than those who were actually
engaged in the operation. The loss is three guns
and some 600 men out of a column of I,Boo—a de-
moralising depression among the survivors. Who
ordered the movement ? It is incerdible that Gen.
Banks or Gen. Stone, on their own responsibility,
and without the direct command of the General-in-
Chief of their army should have ventured on such
an important operation. The division of WCall, on
the extreme right of the line at the other side of the
river, had advanced to Drainsville, and Vienna was
all but occupied by the Federalists. It is obvious,
on looking at the map, that if Leesburg were seized
upon by the Federalists from Poolesville and Darns-
town, they could effect a junction with the extreme
right of the army at Drainsville, and thus complete
the whole line from Alexandria to the chain of
mountains which closes in the valley of the Shen-
andoah, and thus they could prevent any demon-
stration on their right flask in case of an advance
Leesburg to fall back on a Oew line of communiqa-
towards Manassas, and fth:ce the corps which held
ts,the Confederates. In
tions with the main body o
order to effect this it was obvious that a very care-
ful advance well sustained in al; points should be
made. The Potomac—rapid and broad—too deep

for fording and easily swollen by rain, lay in • front
of the Federalists. The enemy was known to be in
possession of the country, and to be in a posit: ion to
which reinforcements could be rapidly given 'by the
army at Manassas. Generals Banks and Stoi Le were
not in immediate communication with, th e army
of Washington, and must have considered them-
selves in an independent command, which, in event
of success, wouldopen communications with the army
in Virginia, but mustuatil that success was ttchieved
rely on its own efforts. At 2 p.m. on Sund'. ay, Oct.
22, General Stone is said to have sent the following
order to Acting Brigadier-General Baker :--
" Sir,—As soon as you get your force in position make a
dash at Leesburg, and shoot down any lawless de/ predator
who may leave the ranks. General Gorman moving on
your left, and I expect to be in possession. of Leesbu rg to-
night. "STON-E."
The order is brief enough. So far as call be
made out, the means of transport available for the
purpose of carrying over this force consisted of two
or three large flat-bottomed boats called scows and
a canal boat or two, which were not easily
managed in a rapid stream. Instead of land-
ing with caution, and throwing out pickets and
sentries to prevent surprise till the whole force in-
tended for the movement was landed, a company
was at once pushed on in advance on a " scouting"
expedition, nearly as far as Leesburg, in the night-
time, and from information thus gained, that there
was only a small cimp visible, it was considered
judicious to send on a small detachment to at-
tack the force in those tents before the bulk of
the column had begun to move across the
Jiver. The march of this small body was opposed
by the enemy, who appeared in front, and on their
flanks, and the detachment fell back, we may ine-
sume, in disorder upon the reinforcements which
were coming slowly across the river. The enemy,
following their success, pushed the Federalists, who
were hastily formed, with vigour, and poured in a
heavy musketry fire upon them from the woods
surrounding the open field in which the latter were
forming. Although they had no artillery, the Con-
federates, being superior in numbers, were able to
direct such a powerful fasillade upon the Federalists
that the advantage they possessed in the aid of three
pieces of artillery did not avail to sustain them in
line. No adequate supports arrived till too late,
and the pro wised co-operation of General Gorman
?loos not appear to have been Cective. Gn the fall
of Gcneral T.2,aker there was a retrograde movement,
which terminated in a rout, during which the Fe-
deralists, throwing down their arms, or casting
them into the river, fell into the utmost confusion,
and, in siAte of the exertions of their &lacers and
personal gallantry on the part of some of the troops,
which is said to have been conspicuous, but can
hardly have been, as one solution of the catastrophe
made it " too great," were driven or fled into the
stream, overcrowding one of the boats till it sank,
and endeavouring, often unsuccessfully, to escape
by swimming. The descriptions of the scene
which ensued are frightful. One third at least of
the whole force of 1,800 which crossed over were
killed, wounded, drowned, or taken prisoners, and
the guns, if not captured, were lost. The Confede-
rates might have destroyed the whole force if they
had guns or cavalry, but they were obliged to rest
contented with the signal repulse of the unhappy
force, for the enemy had collected in strength on the
other side, and were reported to have crossed lower
down the river.

OCTOBER 26.

To-day there was a review of General Fitz John
Porter's division, consisting, as well as I could judge,
of 7,500 infantry, 16 guns, and a couple of weak
squadrons of cavalry, on the ground beyond Ball's
Cross-roads, in front of their camp. General
M'Clellan has not succeeded in carrying out the
project attributed to him of organising complete
divisions in fixed proportions of each of the three
arms, and to which there is some opposition. The
sky was hazy, but the day was warm and pleasant,
and as the distance across the river does not exceed
four miles and a-half, a considerable number of
persons crossed over to witness the spectacle.
There is no ground in this part of Virginia where 1
so many troops could form in line—indeed, it is dif-
cult to find a spot about the camps where a brigade
could be deployed. All is wood or undergrowth,
patched with fields of Indian corn, undulating, and
cut up with small ravines and watercourses. The
division, therefore, was formed in double columns
on parallel lines, and a good deal of the effect was
lost because from no one point could all the troops
be seen at one time. The Prince of Jcinville, the
Count of Paris, and the Duke of Chartres were on
the ground, the former in plain clothes, long riding
boots, and a felt hat, the latter in the undress uni-
form of captains in the United States' army. The
young Princes generally remained by the side of
General M'Dowell, whose French is unexception-
able, and for whose character and attainments they
have a high regard; and, as they have taken a
house in Washington, it may be presumed they in-
tend to remain here for some time. There were some
fair ladies on horseback, and 25 or 30 carriages from
the city, and a small crowd of civilians. It must
be remembered that no one can cross the river with-
out passes, and it is not always easy to procure them.
There are only two means of crossing over near
the city—one by the Long-bridge to Arlington, the
other by the ferry at Georgetown, a couple of miles
higher up. At the latter place two large floating
stages are hauled across the river, and each to the
opposite shore simultaneously by means of ropes,
aud this is still persisted in, though a bridge of
boats could be easily made in a few hours. It is all
very well, so long as the army lies close at hand on
the other side of the river; but if ever it should
be found necessary to transport provisions and ma-
teriel for a corps of 100,000 men 50 miles away
from this eenrll depot, difßealties, which may
become disastrous, will inevitably ensue, unless the
communica'cien 3 fix improved and multiplied. It is
proposed to meet the effects of the obstructions to
the Potomac by laying down a second line of rail
from Annapolis to the junction with the Washing-
ton or uch of the Baltimore Railroad, and thus ob-
tain supplies by the Chesapeake beyond all danger
of interruption. Indeed, if we are to believe the
most recent statements respecting the blockade of
the river, it would appear•that there are no guns at
Mathias Point at all! This is the most formidable
site for the Confederate batteries, as the channel
passes close to the bluff; and, if there are no guns
there, there,is no reason for putting them anywhere
else. It is not probable, however, that any one
landed as has been reported. The vessels which are
lying below the batteries are not insured against
war risks, and the masters and owners are anxious
that the Government should give them some guar-
antee in reference to their property, in case they
should be burnt or sunk before they try to run the
gauntlet. The non-arrival of the vessels places
Washington in the position of being blockaded.
There is nothing the Federalists would desire more
ardently than the crossing of a Confederate corps
into Maryland. They will soon have upwards of
20,000 men to reinforce the men of the Sickles Bri-
gade, who are guarding the shore opposite Acquia
Creek.

OCTOBER 27.

The exigencies of war transcend even general
orders. Long trains of waggons moved through
the city during church hcurs, and men and horses
were worked, notwithstanding General M'Clellan's
desire to give them a day of rest. Woe betide the
man who next fights, and losses, a battle on the Sab-
bath, on the side of the Federalists. As to winning
a battle on that day, no doubt good warranty would
be found for it, and even in Massachusetts it has
been found necessary to work the men in the Water-
town Arsenal on the seventh day.

OCTOBER 28.

Therelis a cabinet council sitting, at whichMr Fox,
the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, is present, and
it is supposed that the subject under discussion and
consideration is the employment of the great
naval expeditionary flotilla at Fortress Monroe. I
enclose en account of the composition of this for-
midable flotilla, respecting the destination of which
the profoundest secrecy is observed. Perhaps there
are conflicting opinions as to the best use to be made
of it. There are many who think it is intended for
Texas, but it is more probable that it will be em-
ployed far nearer home, and that the Confederates
will be rudely assailed on their flank. The weather
is becoming favourable for naval expeditions, and
the troops are enjoying by day the glories of the