The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1861-12-31
THE NEW YORK SUN
TUIslAI MORNING, DIG 81. 1861.


cccupist with the Sidell and Mason surrcn ier
not one y thom. the Journal or CoNNeRc
excepted, falling 10 bostow upon the moasur
an unqualified approval, AMI upon the ropl
ebetod from se-retsry Seward, their warr
com s'onda,ioD', it being truly characterized a
tho aheot state paper WhSh has fI years bscr
hsued by our government. Ths JouRNAl
stsnts silent a1s slosc in quio,ly cs,illng a
its tone, mi disse noing from some of its couclu
sioEs.
THE wcsip of SSuriay, sAiy urge, that
after the Erglhh question shall have been set
tied witboui blows hpt ono great duty vii
remain TO the ccuttr, ,--glich is TO h,.ht Ton.
gress should THROW ssdt ~ loss impcriint uI..s
tionS about ccrt.cition aud en- ucipaticn, aud
address itself seriously TO tho heavy blows which
ought To f.ll thi.k nni Lcavy up,u tho Rcb !
states. fig'tng-Ni'll q ,ht.n.-.s ats wric1
word tpf su'cc =. X. iorrins 60 the h,ia ON ,ni.
tested IN Ctni-s toNatr. ne Jujt,d St.ty.. g.
saNccit itc1 low i,r tl,w, nld tho .ipui,.it.o r.,
pea, oi ,hc Rccp o-,.y acc, which h,s aid.
that county Al out expense, and uoyei aided
us.
hs ST Louis coucsPord.ui, 9Th, li,cs uo
following narrative Of tho a tiysl Of IA, Lately
captured rclols in that city.
Yesterday aitorf oon certain long-hairel
glsss-cytd, rcstculatirg Young men might
have bccu secu on Fourth street Of ~ Louis
ohetlpg to bet Fabulous sums OF money that no
rebt Is had been captured, that no. mo,o than
thr1e hundttd hid bcen ttkon, and finally that
within week IL would dwindle doAn that we
had lost more men in battle than We had can
tuted. The little success which has hitherto
ATTENDED their sympathlers Ia arms has adite
uIsct their capacity Of sobcr thinking Fjriu-
natelN Tor our loyal people, Con. naleck ha,
given every one Uf them an opportunity to test
tie matter With their eyes. Towards njsht
dense crowd had gathered at the Pacific railroad
depot To 500 the expected train arrive with
the prisoners, outstanding the intsn ,ely
cold and unpleasant wea'h,r. II began to leak
out that the train would not be in till near mid
night, when the great majority 10 ia disgust.
At III O'Clock the long traiu made its appear.
ance-th,rty five ears, drawn by six locomo.
iVes-whcn, on account Of the Atensss of tho
hour, they were kop in tho cars all night the
blinds drawn down, and heavy guard kept
over them. This morning they wore takon
under an escort to the college building u DIR.
Mcdowell, few squares from the depot.
The eyes and ears Of the "seceshets' were
not little astOnished TO find, instead OF throe
hundred, twelve hundrod and this only the
first instalmont. General Pope, II il under.
stool has nearly a thousand more, which will
follow ia a train today. Not long sincs IT was
announced in the Memphis papers that Price
would ho In 81. Louis by New Years, and that
the con mand would revel In Christmas fostivi
ties in tho well filled liquor saloons OF the city.
IL e little remarkable that their prediction
should come so near the truth
THE TrMEs Port Royal correspondent $50,
advancing intimations that the slave population
of South Carolina l. gradually but surely tend.
ing TO a general instruction. This, he claims,
is not view gathered from isolated cases, but
Is tha genaral tondencv of tho whole eops-. cr
Its Washipgto correspondence, 21th has the
following interesting details in refc renee TO the
return Of Congressman Ely
Hon. Alfred Ely arrived at : o'clock thb
evening from Baltimore, and proceeded at olce
u Wilard's, where he was Immediately rocog-
nized and warmly welcomed by large numOer
of friends. HiS robust appearances woald hardly
indicate that hc had been five months prisoner
Of war. The following statement oi facts have
gathered from Mr.. Ely.
lie was captured by South Carolina COM
pany Of infantry, about o'clock ". Nj. OF the
DAY Of battle. He had stopped at black.
smiths shop To have his carriage mended, and
afler that, waited awhile for Senator Flster,
of Connecticut, who had gone out with him.
While waiting ho walked down towards ra
vine. in which he saw company Of National
troops fkulking or in ambush, but "a he ap-
preached them they Tecodei, and Just as Nc.
Fly paused, TO return to his carriage, spent
musket ball struck the earth near him. lie
stepped behind large tree near by to DO out
of danger and continued his observations. In
q moment cannon ball went crashing through
the branches Of the tree, AMI seemed 10 be iell-
ing the whole top upon him. By the time he
recovered from his surprise, company OF
soldiers accompanied by two well dressed Off
..ra from thA NOOls near by,
On perceivng Mr.. Ely, the two officers ad-
yanced and demanded his name. lie answered,
"Air. Ely, of New York" The question fol
lowed, 'Do you hold any civil office 10 the Go
yerumenii" For the r,t time Mr. LILY said he
felt no was in trouble. lIe replied that hs was
a Member Of Congress, and theroupon one of
the eficeIs clapped bis hand upon him and dsi
clared him a prisoner, but assured him he should
bs treated with every consideration They took
him TO their Colonel and introduced him Tor
mally as "Hon. Mr.. Ely, Member Of Congress
from New York" Instantly the Colonel drew
q pistol, cooked it and levvlsd II a. Me-. Elys
head, not two PAGES distant, and said, "iou
d--d rascal, I'll blow your brains out. The two
officers who had arrested Mr. Ely instantly
| threw themselves upon the Colonel, forced his
| pistol back and persuaded him away. They
| then apologized to Mr.. Ely, saying they were
| ,shaIned OF their Colonel, who was excited by
| drinking.
Mir, Ejy was pu' with large herl o. is
| oners. and all were started TO MinissLs. |. was
| a march of seven weary miles, and the prison.
| era suffered tortures from the dust, heat AMI
| III rst. At Mana sas, which they reached at
| o'clock 7. NJ, they were driven into an open
| pace, 81 rounded thickly by guards, and all
| legan to fall on the ground then wet Win a
| iast falling rain TO seek rest and sleep. While
| Mr.. Ely was preparing for similar move
| ment, an officer ode into the yard aud called
| aloud 10 know IL 'Mr. Ely, of New York wis
present. Mr. Ely thought his time had come
now 10 be shot. Nevertheless ho answer
ell the call and was told that Gen. Beauregard
required him TO come to his headquarters. He
followed the officer and reached the log house
surrounded by verandah, on the porch Of
which, with single candle burning on II, was
A table, and around the table sat jeff. Davis,
BeauIegard, Extra Billy Smith, Porcher NJ les,
and other rebel officers, apparently reckonin
| nm the result of the days battle.
porcher Miles approached Mr. Ely, and ex-
pressed regret at his situation, but IN )meht
changed his tone, remarking that he had no
opif ion OF Congressman who would come 10 au
an army in invading state. Mr. Ely was sent
of 10 sleep in a barn, whore he found the cap
turcd National officers.
The next day they we're all started to Rich
mnnd.
The position Of our hostages at Richmond II
painiul. Seven OF them arc confined IN room
about twelve by fifteen ieet, in tho Richmond
iai, having two email Windows which alml
but little light. They arc permittei to SEQ NJ
person but the j4ilor and the negro who war
upon them, and are only permitted to leaV'
their cells thirty minutes in the morning, am