The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-05 00:00:00

THE SUN.

LONDON, MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 1861.

Ai length this terrible Civil War in America has
commenced in real earnest. The first of many battles,
we fear, has been fairly fought out between the bel-
ligerents. The consequences of this earliest collision
between the opposing armies of Federalists and
Confederalists being apparently—at the first blush
—something tremendous. Certainly, if we could
persuade ourselves to read with belief some of the
instructions coming flashing to us through the
Telegraph, we should be led to suppose that the
war has just now not only been at length
commenced, but that it must have been already
by this time pretty well terminated. It
is only reasonable, however, upon all accounts
to accept the news pouring in upon us, for
just what it is worth in itself, without jump-
ing immediately to any precipitate conclusions.
Everyone in this country will, as a matter of course,
eagerly devour the intelligence now brought to us
from the opposite shores of the Atlantic—but it will
be as well to devour it cum grano salts. Under-
taking dispassionately to devour it thus, aid thus
only, we find the facts of the case to unfold them-
selves to view in the manner following :

On the twenty-first of July—a date henceforth
memorable in the annals of America—a Battle of
considerable importance was fought at the Manassas
Junction between the Federal army of the North,
under General M'DOWELL, and the Southern army
of the Confederates, under President JEFFERSON
DAVIS (at the centre) as Commander in-Chief, with
General JOHNSTON in command of the left wing,
and General BEAUREGARD in command of the
right. General M‘DowELL having no more than
f roal 15,000 to 20,000 of the Federal troops alto-
gether with which to confront a formidable and
indeed overwhelming mass of from 90,000 to
100,000 Confederates, with the Southern Pre-
sident as their Generalissimo. As at Marengo,
those who were eventually defeated before sunset at
Manassas were, in the early part of the engagement,
the seeming conquerors. After nine
hours
fighting, the action beginning shortly
after
dawn at Bull Run, about three miles from the
Junction at Manassas, the advantage appeared to
rest entirely with the Federalists. There was great
loss upon both sides by the end of that nine hours'
engagement, but—as the most conspicuous result
of it—three of the Confederate Batteries were cap-
tured by the Northerns.
Thereupon, however, the tables appear to have
been completely turned—and with a vengeance. As
leader of the Confederates, General BEAUREGARD,
found the army under his command reinforced,
about this time, by the opportune arrival of 25,000
under General JOHNSTONE. The total number of
the Southern troops thus massed together at Man-
assas being stated by one account asbeing very litt_e
short of 100,000—as being at the least some 90,000
men altogether. A stupendous disadvantage for the
Federal army under Gen. 111‘DowELL—notwith-
standiug the prestige
~obtained after nine hours'
fighting by' the seizure* of those three batteries at
Bull Run from the Confederates.

The same identical words that passed between
DESSAIX and BONAPARTE upon the field of Marengo
--might have passed at this momentous junc-
tort—(probab ly something like this did pass)
the field, of Manassas between JOHNSTONE
and:BEAUREG.I RD. History has related it once--
"a 'nay an.,iE, for, as we all know, it is full of
repetition.. The COMMANDER-IN-CHlEF—(putting
up his watch after a glance at it)—"General, there
is yet time for ainother engagement !" Thus, lite-
rally, it happened
at Marengo. Thus apparently,
to all intents antd Purposes, it came to pass at
Manassas. Then ino hours,previous fighting went
for nothing. The capture of the three batteries
went for nothing, The Confederates there,
en masse 25,000 of then freshly arrived
attacked the t Inion army ender General
consequences related
serious cense
MTOWELL, with the'
Imes of the Telegram.
in a few startling sent( The
subjected to a Pert'Federal army being