, 1862-05-09
LATE EURQpE COMMENTS.
What they say Of the
Battle Of Shiloh, Tenn.
THE M0VENIENT on YORKTOWN.
Capture Of New Orleans Anticipated.

From the London Times, April al
The tidingB OF a great battle fought in Amer
lea, and the report of tens Of thousands slain,
tagging Interest il the transatlantic civil var.
The indecisiyc and uncertain skirmishes of
the last SIX months had induced the English
public to wait with patience for ultimate re-
suits rather than to follow with excitement
the Tfcislitndes Of the contest The gradual
Of isolated expeditions upon different parts Of
the coast, the advance Of gunboats pushing
their way up great rivers, and the sudden en-
barkation Of the great army Of the Potomac,
if they were parts Of some. grand scheme,
so delicate in its details that it could not be con-
preheadetz at this great distance, and with the
Imperfect geographical knowledge Of the VII
lages and townships Of America which is pos
sessed in this country. The English people
have been content to wait and see what this
opening Of the game WAS to lead to. Either
to only the pawns had been pushed forward,
the important Confederate pieces had been
driven back upon the board, and the import
ant Federal pieces had been worked into
positionzfor attack. A few pawns had been
part begun to wait until some great swoop Of
the queen or some dangerous check from
knight should recall us to the table and giYe
IN anxious interest to the game.
At LAST this has happened. The China brings
US news Of three great events. The first
Island NO: u surrendered to the Federal gun
boats The Mississippi, therefore, is to this
extent clear Of Confederate obstruction, and
the gunhoats Of the Federa1s can descend the
pediment, OF, if they think it wise to trust
themselves 50 far, until they gain the neigh
borhood Of New Orleans. The Federal advices
boast that hundred siege guns and six thou
sand prisoners hare been captured upon this
is1and. Putting aside these numbers, which
experience teaches us to distrust, the proba-
| bility is that the loss Of the Confederates was
| very great upon the capture of SO important
| position. : So long as they shut themselves up
| in forts On the coast OF upon uavjg1blc rivers,
| even OF old-fshioned Wartare that all fortifca-
| tons maJ be taken with q given force and
| within given time. With the great superior
| ity possessed By the Federa1s in ships, stores,
and artillery, this becomes much more rapid
certainty; and in the present relative condi-
| granted that when the Confederates give bat
lie at point which can be reached BY ships
I they must be beaten. We do not pretend TO
t censure their tactics in defending these river
forts. We cannot tell what the c1igcncies OF
their general plan Of defence may demand, or
check OF the invaders. It may be that the
t siege artillery and the garrison Of this island
III the Mississippi were profltably sacrificed to
| the delay the defence obtained. The South Is,
uo doubt, fighting OF for the moment when
the greatest Of all rcinforcements shall come.
field with fever aud agle as his auxiIiarie5. Il
| may be that the Coniederates act advisedly in
holding posts where they must be surrounded
and Dombarded, and captured; but the result
can never occasion any surprise. Island No
| 10 was at last taken without the loss Of man
| mi a Fa1o,71 cid and
fore, Of course, attained by superior artillery
and a distant bombaTdmeut.
The second affair is by no means made sc
clear to us BY its result. It seems that Geu
Mcclellan, ''with from 10O, 900 to 150 0O(
men''-it Is remarkable with what ease ou1
numerals when speaking Of men or dollars
had at last come up with Confederate army
Advancing from his point Of debarkation b,
had reached the neighborhood Of Yorktown
on the mouth Of the York river, and he ther,
discovered tue Confeder1tes intrenched in
| strong position, extending two miles in length
armed with hesvy batteries, and with low ans
| sWamry ground in their front. The army 0
the Potomac, instead of advancing upon Rich
nlond by land, is now advancing upon tn
seat Of the Confederate Government from tn
coast. and if the army Of Manassas is still Il
defend their capital, we might expect that
would do SO as far from the sea and the rive
Us possible However, nothing decisive ha
brvn done.; The Federal General was sti
hombarding the Confederate position, an
this event hangs in suspense.
The great 1e;t Of this mail Is, however, III
: battle Which lasted two days, and which "
are asked to believe has put IS, 600 men Aors {
: combat. 1t is large chess board Te arc 1ooE
; | ing down upon etc, etc.
, [From The Timea, Of the 2sd.I
The great battle Of the Tennessee seems
I | deserve the fame which has been claimed #
I it. Disestiug it Of its spapgle5 and blue fir,
| the simple fact comes out il sufficient grant
, cur. There was two days conflict betwee
two very considerable armies.
It WAS o drawn battle, and the first credi
! able encounter on either side which ha5 take
] place during this war. We have too muc
blood relationship with these men on bot
sides, although the South are more purel
7 English than The others, not to wish that,
c they will fight, they may fight we'll Apa
I from the facilities which the great nayigab
rivers give to powerful invader, this woul
!, be great Confederate victory for to an inv
der, under the ordinary conditions OF invasion
7 check is defeat, and defeat ia ruin. But a
. former rules of warfare arc set at nought
this strange New World struggle. When n
a val supremacy can be made available man
hundred miles from the sea, and an army ca
+, be sustained in the midst Of a great contlue1
; By supplies brought by steamboats, from
+ pots hundreds Of miles distant; and whe
a gunboats can run up and down througho1
+ that continent, and take part in evey BAIT
i that happens within cannon-shot Of g rive
+ With such facilities in the hands Of the Fe
b erals, Gen. Grant may be able to afford eVt
n such victories as those he claims on the Te
. DcEEGe.