The press. (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1857-1880, May 29, 1862, Image 1

icor,lbstmaizizi
PUBLISUZD DAI LY
. (SUNDAYS UNORPTI ) ,)
BY JOHN W. FORNEY.
OFFICE, No. 111 SOUTH FOURTH STREET.
THE DAILY PRESS,
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THE TRI-WEEKLY PRESS,
Mailodto Subscribers out of the City at Tumor Dot,
Lius Pia Annuli, In adTance,
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THURSDAY. MAY 29, 1862.
0 R VAR CORREPOINDENCE,
OUR ARMY NEAR RICHMOND.
A SLAVER ESCAPES PROM HAMPTON ROADS
The Inhabitants Ireand 11,9hmond.
?MOW THEY LIVE IN OLD VIRGINIA.
A High Premium on Whisky.
'THE REBELS TEARING U • RAILROADS
HeCILELLIN INVESTING RICHMOND.
FROM GEN. McCLELLAN'S DIVISION.
[Special Correspondence of The Prem..] e n
Cane PIVIS MILES Wigs. Or TUNSTALL'S RSATIO*I
May SO, 1882. I
Te.day, at three o'clock, we left our map at Tuustall's
:elation and marched until six o'clock, pitching one tents
in a field belonging to a Secemioniet wholes sous in the
rebel army. Wo came some the miles, and, le near ea I I
can say, aro between thirteen and seventeen miles from
Richmond. General Smith's troops mid General Stone
rran's force are in advance of no. Alt day heavy thing
lies been heard on au• left, dietent some ten sauce, which
etild not appear to be answered by the enemy. A remn
et:distance) in force, to shell out ride-pit., was giant not Oa
loft aisle morning, and no doubt the aboto came from
their artillery. General McClellar; {hefted tho right t
and rode to the outposts, retuning to headquarters
,at five o'clock. Ifeadquarters *lll nut be moved from
- their position at Tunstall's steam..
OUR IRON-CLADS.
It is reporied hero the gut boat Galena has been terri
bly need up on James river, but that the Monitor sus
tained the fire beautifully, rooming out of the fight un
scattml, If ruiner is to be believed the gunboats have
.heeu driven back. General Keys to reported as having
meession of Bottom's Brldoo.
A half gill of whisky wilt be served out to all the
troops morning and evening to. morrow. An order het
hecit heaved from hoeulquartere requesting officers and
omen to be very careful in their corrotipondeuce, and not
eves in private lettere, inform/non which may be
, useful to the e nemy.
We are marching with groat precaution. Skint died
pline is ant reed, and no private property, oven of Se
ceesionlme, to allowed to be oohed. At ovary home and
fence there is a guard. This system of guarding the
fences of avowed Seceestonista, when the men have to go
, miles for firewood, meets with universal condemnation.
Negroes become thicker and thicker as wo advance, and
every one of them declares for the Uoion.
A 11550185.
As we passed the house of Dr. Webb, !shoat two miles
Lack on our much, there appeared, by the roadside,
founts dressed in ooidior•alotbee, who, with tears running
down her cheap, piteously begged for perzuleilon to go
.on the beggazo-train and go with the hoops. She was a
most melancholy eight; and, on inquiry, I learned her
'Mudge story. Sho came from doweling° county, New
York, and her hitebond was an armorer in the Slat New
Turk Begiment. Ever since lei tenllettmout she had gone
with him, aolieg as LIMO for tbo tick eoldiors. At Alex
andria she became separated from the regiment, and lost
all her baggage. Without money, friends, or advice, she
knew not what to do, but finally concluded to milex her
self, and did so. She joined a Pennsylvania dragoon
.rps, but was soon discovered. An officer promised to take
charge of her. Ho cared for her for a few days, end, when
he thought iii time had arrived, made infamous grope
sale to her, which she resisted. -This angered him, and
he turned her out in a etraege land, among an unfriendly
people, and &dangerous, anti, in many case e, brutal army.
At the doctor's bowie they roughly told she meet move on,
and she ivied come to the roadside to bo3 permission to go
And find her trthand, no matter in what capacity, so :
that it be an honorable one. lam rejoiced to state that
• she at last found shelter. •Tbo kind hearts of tho team
sters of Geceral Sloctum's behind° were soon touched; she
- wee monnted on a wagon and went on her way happy.
The notnan'e lax could easily Lave been discovered.
Voice, looks, actions, and shape wore all tell-tales, yet
she load successfully passed gnarde and broke through
orders, until the•brutality of a men who druid be in.
eteustly.emehlered turned her out by the roadside s home
leas and friendless. Alter this. let no ono think that
American women have degenerated in those days of cola
-fortune and tremble. J. 0.
FROM THE ADVANCE
I:Spcclal Correopondenoe of The Proem] •
WITII TUB ADVANCE GUARD,
CAur NIILN MA) , al, 186/.
A +PunTultn ADVANCE.
At 4 o'clock this morning we were ad turned out of our
meets In the midet•of n den , e fog, and fold to be pro pared
!Ur marching of once. A cation of (reel) meet woo SOMA
out and cooked in the camp kettlee, and a half gill of
.bittly given to each man. Ilyerything was picked in
and at precteely the whole cores of forty
immand men started on their march. - All the preview
Iglu not l early morning cavalry, infantry; and artillery
ad been tramping along the road to Richmond, mid
cury one-of them, eager for the fray, was pressing onward
•amo peat end of ltte ambition. We marched throe
lee in a northwesterly direction, acd font southwesterly,
whole bringing us within three mile' of the Chicks-
Airy, mind within ten and a half of Richmond. The
Mel is weat•touthwest from us.
All the morning merle from nitst and shell could be
, ird from Itbe•dietat i t southwest, no doubt either on the
oesriver or nom Bottom's bridge. 'Our advance is on
Chickaboreloy, and the troops had a ekirmish with
ml pickets, who are represented .aa beiug very thick
ong the swamps In that region. The bridge over that
sr wee burning and Impassable when the Union sid
les reached it, and its repair zany tame some slight
ay. 'Our advance on the river is within eight miles of
almond. We are evidently rapidly outflanking the
bet left, and bringing him to close quarters.
We travelled to.day through a beautiful country—...
wily woodland, and but little coltirated. But few
',Rants were to be even, and, with two or three tiznesp..
to, they were very DOCOMIPIUDICPUTe. An sinigrsitt.
?Jaime, and a polite miller, were the only Moult?!
pie on the whole road We panted another church
Jay, of the came character as that described In my
ter of yesterday. It bind about two spittoons for °Sob
ion It could accommodate.
A VIRGINIA STORE.
On the left-land side of the road, we passed a store
Lich had been deserted by its proprietors. It was a
building, a story and a half high, with two rooms on
- sound floor and uo cellar. The building, which was
td dilapidated, wee set upon four - piles, one at each
sr. Inside, a pail fence ran across one of the rooms
is what in the style of a Northern counter, Some
lves were fastened to tho walls, and boxes and barrels
around, belt no merchandise could be emu The
ter room seemed to have been a stable, rte it was
taped upon and divided into atolls. inside the store
about the door lay scattered the account books and
.r papers of the concern, and also parts of a OM of
statutes of Virginia. Being booed on a voyage of
overy, I, of 'course, ponoced upon those as trophies,
amid on some of the more curious. This store, from
poicre I saw, seemed to be engaged in a pa
ir kind of bueiness—a business which is entirely
and in Northern States. Nino-tenths of the men ,
Wise bold woe whisky, and from the prices, .
Lid judge the article generally furnished was
the most villainous character. If other Virginia
•a are anything like tide one, Nee can be at no lose to
tad fer the cause of that manta which seized on its
le In the spring of 1361, and finally took the State
of the Vision. I picked up a page of the day-book,
, dated June 3, but of what year I could not
There wore thirty-seven entries upon it, and of
a thirty-one were for rem and whisky. Credit was
cols Pen given, oven for a shirk. Ono man gave a
at four months fur one dollar and seventeen cents.
sky was ao•d at seventy cents a gallon and ram at
ler. A think coat four canto (cheap:r than in the
1.) Liquor wart, in ninny eases, sold upon orders—
:, there was not a single order to be found which
tot, in some way, refer to the article. I picked up
Ail and six. orders one after the other, and they all
-od to whisky. I cannot do bettor than send them.
illwnM:
letters. Frailty and Brown bought of Wilson Wil-
January 8. 11303, one barrel rectified whisky, 43
le, at 24c., $10.32) , •
I stuff, bought at 24 cents, woe retailed at TO cents
,en then, if good whisky', sold at a low price. The
• will observe that the above bill is not receipted,
ippoao the firm, whose ptentiees I walked over this
2g, are some of the defaulting Southern debtors
"Southern trade" was made of an much import
'ln the Lincoln campaign. The six orders, which I
without comment, are these:
"Mena 8, 1857.
Brown you will Pleas" rue 1 gallon of
Respectfully yours('
..ELLIAII KELLEY."
.r. lirown &Palely you will 'mod mo ono lb of coffee
./ of Auger S; Aye Ibis of elx. penny nails a quoit of
whisky and much oblige
larch 12, 1857
Ir. Drown you will pleas send me half gallon of
'Course Respectfully
ELIJAfi KELLEY!,
' , Jape the 5,1856.
Brown you - will please aural ma a half pound of
and a quart of common whiskey and a halt gal
"lanes. I have Brat you 25 coats to pal for the
and whiskey—tile unlasee you wtll please charge.
ALARGRE r K. 11.1.12,5.TT."
.. Pirate) , end Brown will please send by the bear-
Its of Dow 2 lbs of coffee I lb of candles 1 (mart
st whiskey 1 pair of lines and one plug of tobaco.
"W. F. ROBLNE&U."
tiy the 27, 1860.”
Brown pleat) send me lot 'pounds of brown elm
'undo of wrieo 1 pound of crackers for which I
)11 the money.
u will Vaasa send 3 ponds of lard
,2 yards of your
low cotton, 1 bottle of whiskey that )ou sell at 60
gallon piers send a bill I wi ARE II set!S.tle In a coree
EY.'I or a
t. t h e In
19th, 1860."
Ihor quotation and lam done. Foy people ont of
re States know of tho reqniroments of tbo slave
In Virginia, a slave found wandering or engaged
business at a distance from hie home without a
permission, is liable to be Reined as a fugitive,
ton who intercepts him getting a spoiled roward
'portant survicos. My quotation in one of then
sees, found on the door of that deserted etore. It
toe:
bearer of this, Joe, belonging to Mr. Joseph
of this county, has permintton to sell, for my
VOL. 5.-NO. 251.,
woman Betaey,lwo and it half dozen chickens in the city
of Richmond, mid in tho county of Hanover and fran
tic°, as he may dtem beat. WIC 0. SMITH.
RASTXIOI Yicw, Remover, Aug. 24, 1855."
Tbie store, exhibiting the vice and ignorance of Vir-
Biplane, Is Viitbin twelve miles of the rebel capital, the
boasted centre of Southern virtue, education, mid art.
If a community is judged by IM mode of domestic life,
Hanover county, Virginia," meat be a most wretched place.
e expect in go to church hi Richmond on Sandal',
and that, too, without much of a battle. We have coma
ao near time capitol, and found soca little opposition, that
it Rem almost foolish to anticipate any. The army has
advanced very rapidly, overcoming every kind of ob
stacit 0, both human and natural.
BAGGAGE TRAIN CAPTURED.
Lest night, a regiment of cavalry in Gen. Stoneman's
corps brooght in a largo towage train, with forty pullers
and eighty mien, which land been captnr.•d from the
annoy. The wagons are parked eix mtlaa from 113, and I
can give no particulars.
The good nows from North Carolina gives universa'
joy. J. G.'
CAMP 103 MILKS FROM RIOTIIIOND, MIL 7 23, 1862
[Special 'Correspondence of The Pros.]
Yesterday was a busy day in all parts of the army.
Our advances, delayed by burned bridges and swamps,
baited the day before on the ridges skirting the °bloke
hominy river, and, early yesterday morning, strong
parties were sent out to protect bridge-builders find road_
makers,. and to scour the woods, clearing them of prowl-
log rebels., -
The morning was very warm, and fiord noon until night
thunder ohowers peered over She country, deluging us
with rein, and tilling up all the streams and gullios. The
remit, however, even after the storm, coutinned good,
and heavy wagons and artillery could pees over them
without difficulty. s lily ;coition in the acivauce of the
main body, whilst T am out of danger, (very Important
yon knows) is one of the beet for observation in the whole
army. Except in groat battles, the advance corps are
the only ones who over ere the enemy. They aro en
rotted in ell the skirmishes; they capture all the prison
ers; recrire all the contrabands; do all the picket dusty.
They see the war to all its romance, and counteract
every move the enemy may make.
' Yesterday afternoon your correspondent WU within
eta miles of Richmond, and whtlat looking on at a
skirmish, whirl was being fought between the enemy's
cavalry and a detachment of the 16th New York Infan
try, enjnred a plate of fine strawberries. raided on the
farm of Captain Hudson, of the rebel army. Thu Mackie
hominy river ran along, diagonally, about half a mile in
front of my position, there being between it and me two
ridges, running parallel with the river, the one nearest
the strinun being skirted by 'woods. A party et rebel.
cavalry came out of the woods in front or me galloped
about a mile along the ridge, and took to the wools
again. Our men followed closely, upon thong, firing
volleys into the woody, and then entering it. Previously
to this, a cavalry vldette was killed, and another wounded
and Mkt n prieoner, at a place a few hundred yards In
the rear of Captain Bruison'e farm, our forces having
ofterwaida advanced and driven the enemy beck. The
farthest point to which the Union (mope marched was
about five miles northeast of Richmond. Our scouts
may have been further. The enemy were supposed to
be in great force in front of our men, bet, as General
McClellan was too far off to bo able to be present for two
er three hours to take .command, an oegagautent was
thought to be Imprudent, and our troops amel htrictly
on the . deformities,. We did not bold this advance peti
tion after sundown, the troops retreating ataboutS P. At.
I could distinctly hear the whistles and humming of
constantly running trains during the half hour I was at
Capt. Rutidon'e residence.
The land, ae wo near lticlemond, secme better cultivated
and mere clear of woods. Market gardens, to reapply the
capital, become very plenty, and vegetables and fruita for
the 'chat tables, which when sold for Confederate p‘per
being extravagant prices, are extensively grown. The
appearance of the country is beautifuL A gently rolling
land, with patches of timber here and there, and varie
gated with alt the hues of an opening spring, gro4sta the
aye. The houses aro of a better style, and the people
evidently of a higher class than those to Efatover and
New Rest counties.
CONTIIABAND STOIIIES-11ICIIIIOND TO DH DEFENDED
Several contrabands were captured yesterday, and
they all tell the same 'dory an to the great preparations
made for the defence of Richmond—plenty of artillery,
ammunition, and men. One of Oapt. Hudson's negroes,
Of. which I new three, had a team hitched up to go to his
;neater in Richmond, but our sudden advance stopped
his calculations, and, before he was three hours older,
he was seized, taken to headquartere, and made to tell
all he knew of the enemy. I cannot avoid saying, in this
Connection, that the nearer we get to Itiomond the less
confidence is to be placed in either negroei or lull:slit
buts. Tile former are evidently Secessionists at heart—
the latter, principally women and children, knowing no
thing which can be useful to mi. Our owu scouts can
Ming us information enough to keep us posted as to the
enemy's movements, and frounent recoanoiasences will
no; fail to discover the strength of their positions.
(Special Correspondence cf The Press.]
CAMP !ISAR CMICABOMINT RITXR, Dllll 21,1862.
ON TUN MARCH.
Our march to this
y leco Wes one of the moat fatigniag
ewhich our army has • experienced for about two weeks.
The tun was intensely but, and at noon the men were
halted for rest. No shade could be found by the larger
portion of the division, but the men experienced much
relief by the rest, althOugh it wee not a very coil ono.
The sun was so warm that I wrapped my blanket amnad
me, raid found much more comfort than without it, After
a couple of boors the march was resumed. A strong
corps of pioneers was In advance of Gen. Smith's division,
but by the time his troops and baggage train lied passed
it wee neceseary to repair the road for the Mennen of the
other divisions. The advance of this division is by this
time (night) at the Ohickahominy, and the road from
there to. Tunetall's Station is filled with troops and
baggage trains. The trains of gill division did not all
arrive until after midnight, though the distance was .
i
I only coven miles, and they started at flee o'clock this
morning. After the first four miles had been accom
plished, the men began to fall out of line, and to sock
rest in the woods.' When the column reached the camp
! ing place many of the companies had been reduced to
twelve or foutteen men each. Not only the privates
1
were overcome, by the heat, but the officere also experi
enced Its effects. Atter nightfall the stragglers 08111111 Int
in squads, until nearly all were in before midnight. The
men carried their ration's in their haversacks, and they
darted small fires and boiled their eaten in their
l' cope. Au they did not always extinguish the Ore, the
Iflames spread to the underbrush, which, being deny,
burned but slowly, and the trains were aided in their
march by the light of the burnme brush, which could be
seen blazing in:the dietanco like some huge beacon. No
other effect than the destruction of the underbrush wig
be caused by the fires. Themen soon had their tents tm i
their coffee boiled, and !nipper over, and were nearly all
asleep by eleven o'clock.
i The section of country over which the men Marched
to.day was poorly' eupplied with water, and nearly all
that was found was of a very Meteor quality. This in
' fluted the men to go to the neighboring houses and en
deavor to purchsee milk, eggs, etc., neither of which
could lie had. 'I he bridge across a millpond had boon
' weakened by the passage of the advanced portions of the
divisions, and the trains were stopped to allow it to los
repaired. The baggage guard then earead themselves
through the neighborhood after eatables. , Many of the
men went about smile into the woods and gathered quan
tities of excellent strawberries, which were eagerly
Bought after by the officers, at fifty cents a quart. per-
sons residing on the road were compelled to sell their
chickens, geese, guinea fowls, etc., or else the men would
have taken them by foree. If the farmers would sell,
the men would pay; if the farmers refused to sell, the
men helped themselves. The men bare a liking for
mutton, and nearly all the sheep on the road are bought
or stolen. They are but few, however, as most of them
are bidden in the woods.
smcgsstofersx.
There are but fow of the planters along the route who
were not Secessioniste, and who have not eons in the
rebel army. One old man on the route pretended to be a
Union man, and, when asked if ho had no family, said
that Ids wife was dead, (which wee true,) and than men
tioned his daughters, and gave us to understand that he
had no eons. We ascertained, on arriving at the neat
house, that he had three sons in the rebel army, and had
been one of the most violent Socestionints in the country.
The man who told no this factwaa not so cOmmUrdentiTh
but freely nnawered all questions. Be told several un
truths, however. His name wee Parsley. One of Gen.
Smith's facers naked him whaled become of the cattle
on his Place, to which Parsley replied that he had had
none. His darkey told us that the cattle had been soot
into the woods along with a parcel of the Degrees, whom
he had frightened into going by telling them stories of
the cruelties perpetrated by our troops.
This man Parsley sold a cart to the °Mears for forty
dollars in gold, while they offered him fifty dollars in
Treasury notes, but he chose the forty in gold. Ho af
terwards told ue he was sorry that he lied not taken the
notes. He sold about twenty-five chickens at thirty
cents each, and he received silver. A quantity of corn
and flour was receipted for by the proper officers. It
will, therefore, be seen that nothing was taken from him
*without hie receiving an equitable return. Yet the next
morning Parsley sent word to his daughter-in-law that
the men bad taken nearly everything from his place, and
ruined what they had not taken, Hie daughter-in-law
resided further along the route, and her husband was in
the rebel service, acting es lieutenant. She said he had
belonged to the militia, and had been taken with them,
but ebe would not say that he went unwillingly. She
said ebe wished wo would capture him and sand him Immo. -
She did not appear to care which aide wee trumps, so that
the war came to an early end. •
D. GOODLY."
It may be
. safely granted that there Is not A Onion man
in this district who resides on hie property. Appear
ances all go to prove this. Plantations requiring about
a hundred slaves to properly cultivate the soil, now have
leer than a dozen. No cattle are seen on the route,
though there is every sign that they wore there only a
few days ago. The planters have plenty of provisions
on hand, and yet rerun to sell, lmlose at the most exorbi
tant vices. Who would pay twenty.five cents for a
drink of buttermilk in Philadelphia, aeventy.live cents
for a dozen of eggs, fifteen cents for a, biscuit smeller
than a baker's roll, which sells fora cent? And yet, the
farmers any that these prices are very moderate. The
slaves say_ that lost week a regiment of rebel cavalry went
along this road, and that the officers trac e taken into the
table and fed with the beet of food, and that their mantel e
did Ibis willingly, and refused pay when offered. Such
Is the character of their assumed Union principles.
Great diversity of opinion exists among the officer.] as
to the manner in which the planters still remaining on
their properties should be treated. Xany think that the
officers should take seirything Off the places needed by
the army, leaving the owners enough subsistence to last
for the next three months. Acting on this opinion,
these Officers do not restrain their men unless they go to
excesses. Other officers think that men'are sufficiently
•
• „sat , • 4 ` 1 " 4,
•
• • ti I I - • ••• *tr .. t r .'
v as .
t• _ _
•
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01-
f•CT,i' t Ole- -'" . -121 M •
•
,• 5r..... - `! •- • .
• . •
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1
oun HOPES
I=2
TERN INHABITANTS
provided for by Uncle Sam, and that they need nothing
which that benevolent person does not provide. Thai,
however; do not go to any trouble in restraining their
men, en that on the latter depends the character of the
treatment received by the residents ou the route. All
the mollusk for le s.mothing to oat, nothing else is dis
turbed. When the roads aro had, indeed of taking the
fume rails, the men go to the trouble of cutting down the
trete in the woods for the purpose of obtaining the ma
terial for the construction of the corduroy roads. In.
vicinities where some regiments encamp, not a fence
rail is taken for firewood or tent poles, nor a fence
thrown down, mama to allow entrance and exit for the
teems.
MOVING ON
The operations of the army are being energetically
carried on. Not a day is allowed to pam in any division,
without MIT othing being accomplished towards that end.
The divitions aro marching rapidly nt present. eo ne to
throw them into the roads leading to Richmond, and to
place them in order for the final advance. Nothing do
Mao has yet been ascertained as to the condition of the
defenCes around Richmond, but may bo in a couple of
day r, as the balloon is coming into use once more. It
cannot be raid that we will certainly have a fight; the
probabilities are the same for a tight or for another eva
cuation, and then another long charo after the rebel
army further into the Euittli. Lee and Magruder wore
both in Richmond at last accounts. Whether Richmond.
will txporionce the fate of Hampton, through the influ
ence of Magruder, N greatly to be doubled. It will =-
Willi not be the case if the Virginians hove the power
to prcvont it. W
ETKohtl Conorrondenco of Tho Press.)
• NEd B TEM 011101[6110MINT, Mar 22,1884
Our advance in close on the heels of the retreating - re.
bele. They aro continually firing at each other, but
with little effect. One of the members of the Lincoln (lo
yalty was wounded this morning by a rebel picket: The
distance between the advance and Richmond is only
about seven ranee, which is the same distance as that
made by the troops yesterday. Ournsen are anxious lest
the rebels should not make a stand but evacuate, and
tins render it necessary to follow lheni into the South
during the rearm° warmth of the summer. There will
be no further advance of this body of troops t,-day.
The men do not regret it, as the day will ho much warm
er Oven ycsierdity, and they will thus have a ammo of
recruititg themselves after the fatigues of yesterday.
The divisions In the rear are closing up as fast as
possible.
&rim. Laren, ION A. IL—The rebels have just ap
reared on the Oblelatominy, and a strong force from this
divit.ien is now forming ranke, for the purpose of march
ing there at d driving them back. I will not be able to
send soy particulate in this letter, es the mail is retriy
to start W. K.
[Special Correepondence of The Press.]
Naw COAL. lIARnon, VA., May 24, 1802.
VIE ROADS.
Last night a steady, call ruin eat Ire, which continued
till late tide 'talent:oil, greatly to the, discomfort of the •
soldiers. The' soil in this part of the country is very
light and sandy, so that the ground underneath the tents
woe soon almost as wet as that withotit. The weather is
still cloudy, but [hero is a slight prospect of Menage from
stormy to fair. The weather has bean so warm that the
tiddlers have generally alma away their overcoats, and
even their freekcoals when biomes could be had. Insulters
Were, therefore, greatly in demand, and the men re
roaMed in lheir tents, so that from a distance the aaraps
seemed quite deserted. The roads are now in a terrible
condition; in many pieces they are completely blocked
up by heavily- laden huggagoteame, which are sunk
almost to the body to mud. The artillery can, with the
greatest dlliMulty, bo broaglitup and soot to the advance.
7n many cases the gun•cartiagea are se deep in the mud
that the breeches are imbedded, and, in one or two cams,
almost covered in bind and water. To-morrow is Sun
day; however, and, as . the army does not march on the
Sabbath, the roads will leave ii - chance to dry, and be In
condition to allow the march to be resumed, perhaps, ou
Monday morning. An advence would have been made
this morning if it had not been for the severe storm.
A SielestiSff.
Time affair of the afternoon of the `221, near Idochanica
elite, in which ono sergeant was killed and a corpora
taken prisoner, was en act of the greatest barbarity,
Sergeant George Cummings, of Company X, Lincoln Ca
valry, with a corporal and six men, was some diatanco in
advance of two companies of infantry, commanded by
lieutenant of the 16th New York, and, with his smal
party, was marching along a road, oa each side of which
was a high kill, when they were suddenly fired down
upon by a large party of the rebels, who at the sometime
appeared on the edge of the hill. Cummings was shot
through the heart, and his horse instantly killed, both
failing to the ground at the same time. The corporal,
William Anderson, alms fell, and was left on the ground,
our whole party immediately falling 'back. After some
time a strong, r force was cent forward, the rebels falling
beck, and the body of the aergeant was found, but not
that of the corporal, who is, therefore, supposed to ho a
prier. n, r. The frequent occurrence of these barber. us
attacks on smell parties of our men, by strong parties of
the ecemy, has induced the sending out of stronger ekir•
n eebieg parties, in the hope of avoiding their repetition.
POSITION OF TEE ARMY.
The main portion of the army is now within ten miles
of Richmond, while the advance is to-day in force within
six milts of the city. The rebels still appear in force on
the other side of the Obickehomlay, and advance in fah
sight of our pickets on this side of the river, as if to defy
theni into opening fire. Oar pickets are out in every
direction, strongly supported by infantry and. artillery;
sod as our main force is not far off from them, any show
of nu attack on our lines would be instantly roaisted by a
sufficient force, and tho rebels turned hack.
WILL TEE REDELS FIGHT?
Our men still agitate the question as to whether or not
the rebelawilifight at Richmond. The prevailing opinion
seems to be that if they hed intended to defend that city
they would not have suffered themselves to be so coin.
ptetely outwitted at Yorktown, and would make a des
perate resistance to so dote an approach to their lima.
The capture of Richmond hy our forces is regarded by
a great number of our officers as the virtual termination
of the war, and many will resign their ignitions soon
after the occupation. This will be the case more gene
rally among the officers 'who have families thAn with
these who are single, many of whom announce their set
tled idea of remaining in Dials.
stECRANICSVILiR TAKES.
Notaithstambng that the storm prevented — a
general
advance of our forces, reoonnossances in considerable
strewth hnvebeen made along the whole line. An ad
moo had been determined : on in the direction of life
chanicaville, a small town, about Ave and a belt miles
from Richmond. A tarty of oar men having boon fired
en from one of the houses, a piece of artillery was sent
forward, and the house shelled, when the rebels evacu
ated, and made a hasty retreat. The town itself tea one
horse affair, consisting of not more than half a dozen
houses, of unpretending dimensions sod appearance.
Soon after the night of the rebel pickets, Gen. Stoneman
determined to occupy the place, and a portion of General
Davidson's command was ordered forward. The rebels •
appeared in force, and disputed our advance. , A brilliant
charge was made by our men urea four companies of the
rebel,, tat 0 fled after a brief stand, and our force imme
diately advanced and occupted the place. Goa. Stone
man is therefore close en Richmond, as his pickets ex
tend beyond the town.
OUR LOSS IN THE FIGHT.
Our loss In the engagement was three killed and eight
wormiltd. Twenty-two of the rebels wore taken pri
soners, but their loss to killed and wounded is not yet
known. .Ambulances have been sent to remove the
wounded from the mid. The prisoners say that they are
the only ones net killed or wounded in thu four compa
nies which they had in the fight.
IMPRESSED SOLDIERS.
Thice of the prisoners are Northern men, and say they
• were impressed into the army. Two of them were re
cognized by members of a Now York regiment. Ono ill
from Courtland county, NOV York, another from New
York city, and a third is from the interior of New
Jersey. W. M.
Special Correspondence of The Preee.)
BITOND New 00AT, HARBOR, Va., May 26, 188
The order to march has not yet been glen, and the
men are beginning to show impatience at the delay. They
have been ready for an immediate istart since four o'clock
this morning, but no orders to start bare yet been re. :
celveri from the headquarters opposite. Thu morning is
slowly passing away, and the sun le becoming inteneely
'worm, so that the march will probably not begin until
lato in the afternoon. All is quiet around the encamp.
wilt, which is now left solitary and alone, instead of
being the centre of a vast army. The greater portion of
the men are a considerable dietance ahead, but this day's
march will bring tie up to them, after which we will follow
Close on their heels, and be among the first to outer Rich
mond.
A PIICEIIAL
The funeral of Sergeant George .oammings, late of
Company K, of the Lincoln Cnvalry,..took place on Satur
day afternoon, and was a solemn and impressive scene.
Ihe chaplain paid a touching tribute to the bravery of
the deceased, and his worth as a soldier. Ihe body was
interred in the woods, about half a mile distant, and wee
followed to its last resting. place by hie comrades of the
regiment.
01111 lIAILS
'We may hereafter expect more regularity in the mails,
as after to-day they will be brought here from West
Point by railroad. The lint mall by this route will ar
rive here to-night at 9 o'clock. When I say here, I mean
wherever the poet office may be. A largo namber of care
and locomotives hero been placed on the York River
railroad, and the trains will run as far as Dispatch, a
station about nine paths from Richmond. Hitherto the
mails were brought from Fortress Monroe, via the Pa
monkey river, to the White House, and were then car
ried in a wagon to the poet office at headquarters. Con:
siderable time was consumed by this arrangement.
TRD RAILROADS.
That portion of the railroad within the rebel linen
will no doubt be destroyed before we occupy the town,
if it ben not been torn up before this ; and each has
been the case if the ryporte of the contrabands are relia
ble. The delay will be but trifling, however, and within
a few days there will be a complete railroad connnaaica
lion between West Point and Richmond, via White
House.
The 4th Connocticat Rigirnent, which hae been doing
such efficient eery - Ice as an artillery organization, hoe
been supplied with muskets, and are again acting as In
fantry. This is one of the etrongest regiments fu ser
vice
WILL THERE BE A BATTLE ?
A heavy trnin of artillery is being brought up and wan-
Plied to the army, so that if the rebels make a firm stand
at Richmond, there will be no lees of time in making an
immediate and force attack along the whole line. The
Probabilities of a great light are growing more doubtful
every day, for it is reasonable to suppose that if therebels
detigt.ed making a desperate stand, they would. not have
allowed our army to approach eo near without contesting
every incitef ground. But, as there will elapse such a
abort lime before the question will bo mottled practically,
there is no use of indulging in random auPtamitione
This morning our usually small supply of newspapers
wan even smaller, and consequently they sold at very
exothttent prices. The price of apy paper wet fifteen
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, MAY 29, 1862.
ceuts at find, but ae the euprly fell the price rose fu
corresponding ratio. No Philadelphia paper has been
hero for four days, and we arc se ignorant of affairs
at home ns if we were priFoners at Richmond.
Con. S)lies` divfoion of regulat troops has gone for
ward, and at fart the order has been given to our mon,
and they are row :arming, and iu a few minutes will be
on (Le road. W. M.
FROM GEN. WOOL'S DIVISION.
Spec Sal Correepordence of lho Props.)
FORTRESS MONROE, Itlhy
Tho news from the Valley of the Shennndoah is the all
absorbing topic hero to-day. Nothing abort of the cap
ture of 'Richmond would be considered a ett-oIY to the
poor success of Ger.eral Berate, in holding hie position at
Winchester.
The following stat Ging intelligence, which we obtain
from I% gintialllell Cupposed to be in the confidence of the
military antheritiee here, we publish for the benefit of
the Government:
For some weeks past, a Tend (bark) has been quietly
lying at anchor homed the fortress, ostensibly for the
purpose of communicating with her consignees in Now
York, and in the meantime sending to thorn daily for" a
number cf contra's:noir to work in her hold, but, on no
condition, were these men allowed to return to this
point. This game was played on until, It is Bahl, twohun
dred and ee'eniytwro contrabands were ferried out to
the ship. Deeming this about as far as he could safely
gci, the "tattooer" "skipped ''' out to sea last night,
under the cover of darkness. "Brother" Wilder; su
perintendent of ountrabands hem, has thus been foiled
in his charitable intentions of reforming the blacks, at
least as regards this lot of " culled paSsona," who are,
by this, time, far on their way to Cuba or, the West
Indies. We learn that the fleet gunboat Warnautta has
been sent after the slaver, end it is hoped that she may
be overtaken, and these poor contraband, returned. The
cargo is made lied sprightly lade, worth, in Cuba, from
$1,900 to $1,600 each.
IVe am sorry to observe that, owing to the embargo
recently ;laced non naval °dicers, who t• say their
mouths are sealed," we are not able to present the facts
of the case well authenticated.
TUE NAUG&TIICK.
It fis understood that the E. A. Storm (Naugatuck)
pill be sent Not tit for repaire. Tito publioation of a
private letter written by her captain. Lieutenant D. 0.
Constable, to Captain rannce, in the New York Tri
bune, a few days since, is a breach of confidence on the
part of somebody which cemprotnisee the exalted charac
ter of a worthy officer. It is due to Captain Constable
to say that the later was not* intended for publication
under any circumstances.
The boat from White House Point he arrived, bring
ing &variety of rumors, among the most important of
which is one to the effect that our advance are within
.the .enenn'll entrenchments before Richmond.
The a ebele In h.furfulk had the news of our reverse In
the valley of the Shenandoah by noon to-day, and are
the teller pleased because it is what they predicted would
happen ten dire ago. L. W. W.
AFFAIRS AT NEW ORLEANS.
Another Proclamation from Gen. Butler.
The Now Orleans Delta of May 13th announces the
death of Captain T. B. Huger, Confederate' Slates navy.
lie was commander of the steamer Mcßae, and was
wounded in the battle at Fort Jackson.
The Delta alto continua the following news items :
fix large mare-rigged vossole errived yesterday team
sea leaded with United States tr: ord.
The flag of the consulate of me Netherlands is not
flying to•dap.
Va learn that the residences of General Twinge and.
Colonel Arms, in restanie street, have both been taken
for cccupency by the Federal forces.
We learn that W. B. Mulford, who is charged with
being ounplcuous as the leader of the party that, before
the arrival of Gen. Butler, tore down the Federal flag
which wee hoisted on the MM by the forces under Capt .
Fetragu", wee yeeteyday arrested by the United States
tautberttite.
We understand that the authorities of the United States
On Sunday arrested Mr. Esnard, who was formerly a
clerk of Mr. A.. 1. Guirot, an officer of the mint, togothor
With the books of Mr. G , and on yesterday they arrested
Mr. Bernard Avegno, ono of Mr. GuiroVe securities on his
bond to tho United States.
The presidents cf the banks were requested to meet
Gen. Briefer yesterday, and Ito learn he Invited them to
return the specie, which they bad cent out of the city, to
their vaults, assuring them be would not seize or inter
fere with it. We did nut ascertain tho determination of
the pre sideuts, but suppose the specie to bebeyond their
reach.
Aasing Brig. Gen. George T. Shepley, colonel of the
12th Regiment of Bahia volunteers, has been appointed
by Gen. Butler military commandant of New Orleans.
rroelanattiun of General Batter.
• GENERAL OIDERS—NO. 25.
MaDOVAILTians DEFARTWINT OF Tag GULF,
OHLBe ?fa; May 0, 1804;
The deplorable state of destitution and banger of the
mechanics and winking cleats in this city, hat bees
brought to the knowledge o. the commanding general,
ire has yielded to every suggestion mode by the city
government, and ordered every method of famishing
food to the people of Now Orleans 'that thee government.
desired. No relief by those officials has yet been afford
ed. This hunger does not pinch the wealthy and influ
ential, the lenders of the rebellion, who have gotten up
this war, and are now endenvotiug to prosecute it, with
out regard to the starring poor, the working man, his
wife and children. Unmindful of slier suffering fellow
citizens at home, they have caused, or suffered provi
sions to be carried out of the city for Confederate ser
vice since the occupation by the United States forces.
Lafayette Square, their home of affluence, was made
the depot of stores nud munition' of war for the rebel
armies, and not of provisions for their poor neighbors.
Striking bands with the Tile, the gambler, the idler, and
the ruffian, they base destroyed the sugar and cotton
which might have been exchanged for food for tho indus
trious and sped, sod regrated the price of that which is
left by discrediting the very currency they had fur
nished, while they eloped with the specie, as well that
stolen from the United States as the banks, the property
of the good people of New Orleans, thns lasving them to
ruin and starvation.
Fugitives from justice, many of them, and others,
their associatee, staying because tto puerile and infitg_
nifiCent to be efijec'e of punishment by the clement lo
verhment of the United Steles.
They have betrayed their country.
They leave been false to every treat.
They have shown themselves incapable of defend
the State they have seized upon, although they'''. .-;;;.
forced story poor man's child into their se
soldiers for that purpose, while they made their eon. ''yot;
norhewstiicent
They marmot protect those whom they havarniMed:brit
have left them to the mercies and assamivations of a
chronic mob.
They will not feed those trborn they are starving.
Mostly without property themselves, they have plun—
dered, stolen, aad destroyed the moans of those 11/110
Lad property, leaving children penniless and old age
hopelese.!
hien of Louisiana, Working men, Property holders,
merchants, and citizens of the United Slates, of what
ever nation you may have had birth, how long will you
uphold these flagrant wrongs, and, by inaction, suffer
yourselves to be made the serfs of these lenders?
The United States have sent land sod naval forces here
to Bert and eubdne - rebellions armies in array ageing
her authority. We And, substantially, only fugitive
masses, runaway property-owners, a - whisky-drinking
mob, and starving citizens with their wives and chil
dren. Itis our duty to . eall back the first, to punish the
second, root out the third, feed and protect the last.
'Ready only for what we had not prepared ourselves ; to
feed the hungry end relieve the distressed with provi
sions; but, to the extent possible within the power of the
commanding general, it shall be done.
He hes cultured a Quantity of beef and sugar intended
for the rebels in the field. A thousand barrels of these
stores will be distributed among the deserving poor of
this city, from whom the rebels had plundered it; even
although some of the food will go to supply tbo craving
wants of the wives and children of those now herding at
"Camp Moore' , and elsewhere, in arms against the
United States.
Captain John Clark, acting older commissary of sub- .
eistence, will be charged with the execution of this or
der, and will glee public notice of the place and manner
of distribution, which will be arranged, as fir as possi
ble, so that the unworthy and dissolute will not share its
benefite.
Dy command of Major General Ruder, '
GEO. 0. STRONG,
• A. A. 0., Chief of Bta
Secessionists in the North
[For The Press.)
If the loyal citizens of the North had, from the first,
treated the Secessionists then as they ehould have done—
that is, have condemned, despieedupd . avoided them as
they would the very lowest andWveiry,worit clam o
malefactors, for there is no thief, ofr . m . unleier so utterly
despicable, or so justly amenahlt4“.ltterhistred and con
tempt of all loyal citizens, as the4entarmitralterouscow
arde--the war would have bott;ti'llitied,lntlitre this; but
the mere fact of allowing theen'tviiiilisale alders and
&Lettere of greatest crime that ever was committed
those vivre, mhos° very breath is a taint upon the com
munity ; these cowardly, 'meeting, wretched villain'', to
Break to, or antedate with, gentlemen, has rendered them
so bravo in their hellish iniquities, that they are becoming
130 w even bolder in their efforts to hamper the-Govern
ment and create distrust in our generals than they were
at the commencement of hostilities. For God's sake, let
Northern men trent these wretches as they deserve; kick
them out of your clubs ; drive them from your doors as
you would vipers; cut them everywhere; never opan
your mouths in their preeence, except to spurn ttem, and
let the cowardly, sneaking wretches herd only together,
until they become so mutually disgue ed that they will,
one by one, crawl away from tho society they have tried
to contaminate and disgrace—to slink out of existence in
some hole filthy enough to receive them. You cannot by
any possibility induce them to go South, for there hap
pens B e be some, a little, fighting going ou there, and
than; a pert of the game they don't play at.
A YOUTHFUL CONVIC f.—Jamee Brady, only
nineteen years of Age, wbo wee arrested in Honeybro
Cheater county, some time ego, for robbing the
plead guilty in the United States Court on 4f
last. Brady was a etage driver, and the letter bag for
the town which be droro to was entrusted to hie keeping.
Be robbed it of its contents, and took the package of
letters to hie boarding house, where it wee found. The
shortest yeried to which be can be senunced, under the
law, le ten )ears.
AIVETER4N.—Captain Bailey, who lead the advance
of. Tarrant 's fleet, ban- been forty years in the service,
.snd ta said to have never been in action before. Ile so
licited and obtained permission to lead in ono of our gun
boats. One would have thought, from his conduct, that
he had lived under Ere.
INTERESTING SOUTHERN NEWS.
BUCHANAN :ON THE WAR
THE SOUTHERN PROSPECT.
THE DEFENCE OF MOBILE
THE FEDERAL FLEET AT NATCHEZ-THE SURRENIIER
OF THE'CITY DEMANDED
The Union Priiopere at Richmond.
is. 11614 tw S=lll
SHOCKING REVELATIONS.
AN OLD REBEL ACCOONT OF THE BAT-
• TLE OF SHILOH.
Destruction of the Merrimac.
&c., &c., &c.
Bochiinan on the War
[From the Norfolk Bey Book, Mstr 24.]
Mr. Buchanan, from his retirement lit Wheatland, has
ventilated his onntion that the rebellion cannot be put
down." lie argues that " hot weather is approachlog,
at d with it its concomitants of chow fever, ac., and
that the Federal soldiers will die like rotten sheep." Re
oleo entertains tho opinion that "the slayslieldere of the
eolith will never 3 told," eco. Time will reveal the truth
of M r. Buchatian's remarks, and will prove the truth of
the old saying, tbst ' 4 a prophet is not without honor
ense in bin own country."
The Lots of the Merrimac
[From the Ideruphis Argue.]
But why, in the mime of all that is infamon!, was the
filet rimar--the pride of the South and the terror of the
North, eta the wonder and admiration. of the world—
deitroyed at Crane, Island, when, if nothing more, she
colihl love run up either the James or York river, and
vaitrd the approach of the Union gunboatsl It is cer
tainly strange that this reusel, iinpervions tolihst and .
N%IIS racrificed by her commander, without having
her brought within range of . an ouorayle gunboat or
mac-of-war. Perhaps subsequent intelligence may divest
the matter of iti'meneut inexplicability, but just now
the• di etrucilon 'of the hlersiniao looks like a terrible
blonder. _ _
. The Norfolk Examiner For Sale.
The following. advertisement appears in the Norfolk
Day Book of May 24 :
TBE EXAMINER NEWSPAPER FOR SALE.
TDE PRESSES, TYPE, FIXTURES. AND GOODWILL OF TUE
NORFOLK EXARINER
are tarred for tale.
his payer cleand for Ha proprietor the ehm of $5,000
duripg the lett. year of its publication, as" the books,
alticb a ese faithfully-kept, wiU attest.
It will, be sold cLeap.
It has a complete Job Printing Office attached.
For further particulars and terms of sale apply at
• EWING'S Drug Store, Churca Street.
The Southern Prospect—Xerxes afsd'Pa
trick. 'Henry.
[From the Petersburg Express, May 23 ]
As the fallklm JD rapidly drawing to a close in which
the enemy's gunboats can be used en the Western rivers,
we may LOW confidently expect a favorable turn in the
straits in that quarter. The army at Corinth, reluforced
by the division of Price and 'Van Porn from Arkansas,
and by the column of General Lovell from New Orleans,
beside numerous other ac semitone from various directions,
la now in a condition to take advantage of the low stage
of water in the river, and strike a heavy and decisive
blow, which mill clear Tennessee and Kentucky of the
invaders who have temporarily'oecupied portions of the
tot mer State and nearly the whalt s of the latter. A vic
tory at Corinth, properly followed up; as it doubtless will
be, will open the way for. the recovery of all that we
have lo,t in the Valley of t'bo ; and alto, wo
trust, for agm cb across Me Ohio. We have genera's
in the West who can be relied on for a vigorous and ef
fectual execution of tho movement,' necessary to accom
plieh the grand results wit'ch will eecore tbo expulsion of
the Union forces tram the Confederate territory south of
the Ohio and Missouri rivers, which has been overrun by
ih,m. In this prospective view of affairs that import
net smarter we find everything to cheer us with the con
fident expectation that the Western campaign will close
brilliantly.
in Virginia, by evacuating Manassas, Yorktown, 'and
Norfolk, we haveconcentrated en army at Richmond suf
ficiently powerful to assail the enemy, and then drive
Lim from our soil, and follow him upon his. The dis
comfiture of his gunboats at Drury'eßluS, noel the Spar
tan spirit dieplayed by the Confederate and State gene-
Ws; le the publicly-declared determination to defend the
capital at all hazards, and never to surrender it, presage
the happiest results. What if Homo of our coast towns
and many of our interior. counties are in possession of
the invaders'! Xerxes at ono time had all Attica in his
poseeseion, ezcept the iUtk him/ of Salamis, to which
the Athenians retreated, after evacuating their beautiful
city, and here they resolved to make a final and despe
rate eland, knowirg that one defeat of the Persians in a
pitched battle would be their utter ruin, and that they
would time, by a single blow, recover every inch of their
territory. So it will be in the present case.
By drawing the war in Virginia to a focus, and by
compelling the Unionists to fight a great battle at or in
the vicinity of Richmond, Which will decide the fate of •
their grand army, our Government has followed, in effect,
the strategy of the Athenian general, Theinistocies ; and
our brave cormaandor 'and army have ontr to fight as
only the Greeks did at Salamis to 'achieve a similar "Baez
co-e, and mop the fruits of it. However much wo may
have regretted the abandonment of Norfolk and the- de
struction of its navy yard, together with the peerless
Merrimac, WO are consoled with the thought that a vic
tory at Richmond will be far more than en equivalent for
their sacrifices. We have disemberreesed ourselves of the
era tared defences which so -long divided awl weakened
our forces, and now we are in a condition to present a
front to the foe atihethreatenrd point which mantes
to Pis deep mortification, of an infinitely more
dangerous- and terrible
. eccounter than he has yet
dreamed of. Be has &trendy quailed under the new
and more formidable preparations for his reception,
which bare been made, and are still making, in and
around Richmond. Drury'. Bluff has given hint a pre
liminary taste of the castigation which IN In reserve for
him. His boasted gunboats have been taught a lemon
which will make them exceedingly careful how they
again' get within range of the elevated and a ell-served
batteries stitch played such havoc with them in their
first attempt to pass them McClellan, with his 'famous
army, now finds a general battle a considerably different
sort of arair from what ho deemed it when he 'first
started op the Peninsula. He has now to meet in a single
sharp and decisive coottict a compact Confederate farce
fully competent to crush him In Manassas style. A
_light
with him is what they want, and it e should suppose that
a fight *Rh them was all that he wanted, for surely
when he began his march upon Richmond he mast have
intended and expected to engage our army inst as soon
as be could get it within range of his guns. •
'llia war is to be terminated only by fighting. "To
this complexion it has come at Wt." Not only must
thus be fighting, but the hardest kind of fighting, and
we hope that our generale, after waiting a reasonable
lime for Maclellan and lialleck to load an attack, will at
tack them at all points, and in the most vigorous man
ner, and that when they begin this game they will keep
on with it. We ere not at nil afraid of our troops when
fighting is the order of the day. It is only when they
are cooped up in camps and languishing in inaction that
they tease to be a terror to the enemy. We are sick and
tired of spades and thovels, of marching np the hill and
then marching down again. of entrenched camps, and all
the paraphernalia of actidemic warfare—we must fight.
Yes, as Patrick Henry exclaimed on a memorable occa
elan, " (we) RkI'ILIT IT, WR MOST FIGUR." If the ene
my won t in a manly way give us battle, we must give it
1. to bim.
The Defence of ,Mo bile.
tale brobile 'Uprise.)
• pleased to learn that Mobile city, Savannah,
taluuond are to be defended to the last extremity
1 , I lint the Union army. Gen-John T. Forney hal pub
cly declared each to bo hie purpose. and the Mayor,
aldermen, and Common Council have resolved to second
him In any way they can.
Confederate Disloyalty.
no Express also blows np " various parties" for re
fining to receive postage stamps in change, but eager to
spend the supplies they had on hand ; and denounces
"these attempts to bring Oottfellerate issues into disre
pute, as seprehenstble" and " evidence of dialOYalt/."
Markets in Norfolk.
[From the Norfolk Day Book, May 24.]
Saturday'e market, usually so replete with all the sub
tantials and delicacies of the season, bee "fallen front
its high estate," and this morning presented a rather sad
speotacle to the epicure. Irish, green pawl; strawberries,
and come few other articles of the season wore to be
found ou sale, but that profusion which formerly charac
terized Saturday's market was the more painfully re
membered by the contrast with the present scarcity.
Ideate of all kinds wire scarce; and co high that many
were forced to buy sparingly, while some few, like Mo
ther Hubbard's canine friend, went home without oven
1,0 much as a bone.
The Movements of General Jackson.
From the Richmond Dispatch.] •
We expect to receive stirring news from the valley,
Where Generals Jackson and Ewell command, bolero the
expiration of another week..
Provision Boats at New Orleans.
[Thom the Delta, Kay 4
We learn that there are several steamers up the river
loiuled with Urovlsions for this city, which will not come
into our port unless assurances are given by the com
mander of the United States equadron that they will not
be pelted or interrupted in their business. Such mien
rexces- have become necessary, since it is elated that
several steamers—the private property of citizens—have
already been, detained by the United States vessels in
port. 'We do not understand upon what grounds these
seizures wire made, especially as Commodore Forragut,
in his first meltinge to the mayor, plidited himself to pro
tect private property. The Dee Passage of steamer.' to
the city from the up-river is absolutely necessary to the
sustenance. of this population, and we hope that Com
modore nonrigid does not intend to add the threat of
starvation to the other menaces which he has launched
against the city.
Federal Fleet at Natchez—The Surrender
of the City Demanded.
['From the Natchez Courier of the 11th.)
OFFICIAL CORRESI.O3DENCE
CITY BALL, May 13.—The Mayor and select mon of
the city of Natchez assembled in special meeting at
O'clock A. M.
Present—John Banter, Req., Mayor; Messrs. Bald-
Itim Curry, Dix, Walworth, and Walker.
The Mayor stated that he had called the meeting for
the purpoto of taking Into emsideration the following
communication, viz :
UNITED STATES STEAMER IROQUOIS,
- AT ANCHOR OFT tIATEIIGZ. Miss
May 12th, 1802.
Sin: In advance of the squadron now cowing up the
Mississippi, I am Instructed by the flag-officer to demand
the surrender of the city of Natchez to the naval forces
of the United- States.
Th e same terms will be accorded ne those granted to
New ()neaps anil.Biton Rouge. The rights and proper
ty of all peaceable , citizens shall be .respeeted ; but all
property In this city, belonging to the so-called Confede
rate States most be delivered up, and the Rag of the
United States must wave unmolested and respected over
your town.
'Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JAS. S. PALMER, Commander.
To bie Donor the Mayor of Natchez.
To which communication the mayor was directed to
make the following reply, viz :
IdAvon's °Price, Z
NATCITEE, Sties., may 13,111 i. $
SIC : Your communication of tine .12(11 instant has
been received by me and laid before the Board of Select
men of this city, and I am directed to return the follow
ing reply .
Coming as a conqueror, you need not the interposition
of the eity awhoritles to possess this place. An uuforti
tied city, an entirely defenceless people. have no alterna
tive but to yield to an irresistible force, or uselessly to im
peril innocent blood. Formalities are absurd in the face
of such realities.
So far as the city authorities can prevent there will be
no opposition to your 'possession of the city ; they cannot,
however, guargntee that your Rag shall wave unmolested
in tbo eight of an excited' people •; but such authority as
thiy possess shell be exercised for the preservation of
good order in the City.
As to property belonging td the Confederate Strata,
they are not aware of any such within the limits of
the city.
Very respectfully, TOUT obedient servant,
JOHN BUNTED, Meyer.
To JAMES 13 . :TALstsn, Commander U. S. S. Irequels, at
anchor off Natchez, Miss.
The board then, adjourned.
0. If, M.EIIRIORi City Clerk..
The Union Prisoners at Richmond.
We copy fr• m tee Harlfor I Evening Press Um follow
ing extracts from a private letter, written by an officer
now in litchmeed. Its genuineness in voucher' for:
* * * Onr condition is most dark and dreary.
nitro are only three windows to the room, and those on
One end. The floor is alwaya in a filthy coodition. It
having been used for a pork warehouse (immediately he
fore we were removed to It, however, for a alavo• pen),
the floor is perfectly saturated with grease. This makes
it impossible to got it char, * and canoes it to be coated
with an anoslgnin of pork -rat and nil kinds or dlr...
. •
wilting, Ole vile Muff adheres to tho phone, and we neod
a scram' more to walking hero than you do in walking
in the Mreot. Then add to thin the filth that comes from
shore. Almost 900 men are on the two Hoort above us,
ami frequently, as it has row been the case for two days,
their water-cloetts overflow, and di.charge their awful
contoots upon us This comes down mistimes In
torreuts. Yesterday it poured . down where P esp.
tarn was 13 tug with es broken leg. Ile had to be
moved as quickly as posalblo, and has not been able
to occupy his vacs .since, on acconot of this stream
of pollution flowing from shove. Aif holler stream, with
scarmly an inteindmion, has been now for two days
pouting down into the cook. room, wbich is a room parti.
tionect off In one corner of the one which we occupy.
AII our cooking is donu In this room.. Von will say,
Bow can tou eat ?" I answer, I have tcarcely thought
of the matter in relation to taiing. Our achuoling has
prepared ne tor it. You will wish to know what my food
This I csa soon tell you, though I might give you
dietetic history which would painfully inleieat you
food, as fetnlehed by the Eouthern Oonfederscy, consists
in the looming of breed and meat; for dinner. meat and
bread; for toe, meat and broad, and bread and meat.
This ie all ; and this is all wo gtt. unless we hare money
to tend out for articles. Many times we cannot do' this
when we have the money, as we have not bee» able to
do EC) now for three days. Therefore, we Lave had no
supar, no coffee, no potatoec, no money. - All thee°
erildes are rarities, c.stfog Immsnsely. We base mule
out to supply out - raves comfortably well. by the blessing
of a hind Providence.
MAT itl Moy-day, but what a droary oue ! dark
aud lowering without, and the goods which have con
tinued all night still pour down upon ustromthe sinks and
pixy- bake above. We are the newer tar near 400 men.
There la not a foot in the cook-room, excepting under the
stove, which 14 not eovered with water. A.beie hes been
out in the ceiling, which lets most of the water down in
ono place, instead of sifting it down all over. Sever At
Lch e in the plank of this floor have boon cat thin morn-
to allow the water etanding on It to pan through
into the hatement, which bee long since become en isw.
fol muck-bele. Ilaus overything is being prepare). for
Imago xhen the warm weather flail cane. Tho maiska
have already broken out f mono us
On the whole, we aro lo a most deplorable condition;
and what very much aggravates this unbearable state, la
the sending home of the men and nou•commiseioued ofll
ct-Tak while the Meets era still held in custody. All the
c films weer the most gloomy Como. Our tato is tumor-
tain. Eo far as we can judge (being denied the papers
entirely, cue man being it itlY days ago gagged, and then
made to keep time half a day at a time, in order to coin
prl him to ttll bow a paper was got iu) our army from
the Rappahannock teeran to be moving on this place. In
this cAu we shall by no moans be suffered to remain in
Itlchmood, but will undoubtedly be sent South. You
can Imagine the undmirableuess antis.
NAT 2.—The rumor le that the carmen] are Who taken
&nth. S his is Very probable. Report says NVO are to be
taken to Sal/thou, North Carolina. It may be interost
leg to you and others to know something about what are
bete called 'citzeu prisoners. They are Union moo, citi
zens ot the Southern States. Ido not know whether thls
is the only dna for this kind of prutomrs. But there
are hundreds in this place. I know but few of them.
Scmo act as cooks in the lower kitchen, and bring our
meat end bread in to us. All then men are, in every
respect, very worthy. There were three ministers among
them. One boa died. The cause of his sickness and
death revi ale the barbarian' of the rebels, and at the same
time what the Unicri men suffer. This Mr. Webster, for
such was his name, was a citizen of Fairfax county,
ten prisoner about a month before his death. Ho was
take:n*lth the following men who were engaged in the
;anoint oemations of life: William S. Spur, aged
filly-two years i Isaac Wibirt, sixty-five yeara3 of
ape; O. White, William Showers, seventy years
old. These .men were not, in one instance, per
mitted to go into their houses for money or clothing, or
to bid their friends good-bye. They were marched with
the army eight days, during which time they slept oat
decrs—it being hr the month of January—and had but
one meal per day. When the age of these area is con
=lend, the barbarism is unparalleled. But something
worse than this follows. On the second day's march,
Mr. Showers, who had reached his three score years and
ten, dropped dead on the road. The battalion halted not
for a moment, and the officer in command forbade any
attention whatever to be paid to the dead man, Bev° to
carry the body and place it by the wayside. There it
was lest. On the third day's march a negro dropped
down dead, and his remains were eervsd in the BOOM
way. The desdation wrought by these headless resiets
Is actually beyond description. I have seep men by
scores taken to the prison, frequently fellowe by their
wises and children until they were repulsed by the
Imelda; and, in one case, the husband and wife hissed.
over the bayonet, the husband disappearing within the
prison, while the wife went weeping away. I could
write much more on this painful subject, but this will
suffice to give you some idea of the slate of things.
Ev Fmk°, Max 2.—We have bad a most terrible day.
The floods iron' above continue. At ono time, while
writing this letter, the pipe from the upper closets buret
and discharged the excrement of 400 men upon us, filling
the room with the villainous odor. t fell within a few
feet of our dining table. Every man lit his pipe and
smoked for his life. The awful stench is still in the
reom. Ido not mite this to add to your affliction, but I
have'concluded you would like to know just how we are
situated, and lam convinced also that the people of the
North ought to know bowl their oill.:ers are treated.
litany who have gone home have not given the true view.
I have told the truth in this letter. You ere at liberty to
publish extsacta from it. You must not permit my name
to appear. for one man, for gettivg a letter through, tell
ing Mete, was put into a criminal call, and fetl on bread
sad water h.r ten days. Many of the haute of the gni
sonera published at the North appear lathe Southern pa
pere.
An Old Rebel Account of the Battle of
Shiloh.
In a number of the Weekly Picayune of the
28th of April, which has been banded to us by a
friend, we find a letter dated Corinth, April 9th,
written by a private in the Washington • Artillery,
from whiot we make the following extract, which
Eheas that there was terrific fighting in Wet tor
rible two•days battle :
We got orders to fly to another part of the field and
Resist a regiment to take another battery. Away we
went, and after ten minutes' firing, that wag hushed op.
We then went back to our old position to stop a column
that was advancing. They charged on us three times,
and each time were repulsed. During this whole time
there was ono continual storm of shot, shell, and /ante
belle. Onr men were ell as vale as death, but stood man
fully at their guns. I thought every moment would be
laet. Alter a rest of about twenty miontee we had
orders to go to another part of the geld, where wo wore
in one of the most murderous fires ever seen. There was
a c o lumn of Infantry advancing to charge a lilissiadippi
battery, pouring in a tremendous volley, a battery trying
to &Ilene° the Mississippi battery at not =re than throe
bunched ' , swell,' distance..
We went into position and opened fire on both bat
teries lied infantry, when a regiment of sharpshooters,
conceeled in a wood not more than one hundred and
filly 3 arde.off, firing with a kind of white powder which
wake no report, began pickfrg off our mon. The Miasts-
Wept battery had their horses killed, and their mon all
lolled or wounded, to we were left to fight the whole, and
it is miraculous that three-fourths of us were not killed.
Men who bare been in several battles any they never sew
anything that could begin to ermal it. Heretofore. artil
lery envoy's fought at a distance of a mile and a half to
two miles, but we were at speaking distance, point-blank
range, end In the fiercest part of the fight. It is impos
sible for me to convey an idea of the terrible storm that
fell swung us. I don't exaggerate when I say that the
!hot fell like bail. I verily believe that a thousand balls
pseetil within a foot of we; the air seemed full of thorn
in every beatable place except where I stood. In lees
than fifteen minutes we had three men killed and twelve
wounded. Gen. Beauregard was standing within fifty
paces of tie, with a mile upon his face, seemingly un
conscious of any danger. Near him stood General
Polk, calmly !coking on ; and with our battery
elood General Hardee, directing us where to fire,
which we did in such a rapid and precise manner
that in twenty minutes the sharpsbooters took to
their heels in regular Bell Run style. The battery
was silenced and the infantry thrown into confusion.
This twenty minutes seemed to me fully as many years.
It appeared to me I w•as one minute for this world and
the lest for eternity. We bad been fighting for seven
hones; I thought I should faint at my gun for want of
water, my throat woo welted, my face as black as gun
powder could make it, my clothes ton in ribbons, covered
in mud—indeed, we were all a eight to behold At this
place our captain had bis horse killed under him and was
bit five times by anent balls. When the enemy gave way
tinder our fire a Kentucky regiment followed them up at
a beautiful charge for a mile, when a Yankee battery
opened upon them, end we were called again to support
them, and after a tremendous cannomule of twenty
minutes we silenced that also, making four batteries we
bad silenced besides several minor duties we had per
formed. We next took up a line of march for another
part of the field where see were met with a astute of a
shower of ehellefrom those enormous mortars of the Yankee
gunboats; it had now Lemma dark, so it was useless to ad
vance further, and we got orders to bivouac in an old corn
field in close proximity to the enemy. Thus ended our
first day's, fight, which was Bald by one generale to be the
bordeat fought battle that ever took place on this coutt
vent. The enemy had been driven entirely front their
,
encampnwrite, losing everything they had. -
It was astonishing to see the amount of cannon, small
slue, commissary and quartermanters' stores and tents
we took; there were seventy-five pieces of cannon of the
very finest kind, and all of heavy calibre. We were so
much exhausted that in fiveminntes after lying down eve
were asleep, but were awakened at 12 o'clock by a heavy
rain, which continued all night, so there was no deep
after for us, es moat of us lost our only blanket in the
action, and were compelled to stand by the fire to keep
warm. At 5 o'clock next morning, WO again received
ordure to proceed to a point whore the enemy wore ap
proaching, they having been heavily reinforced - during
tbe night. Never did 1 hear such an unwelcome order;
the thought of witnessing such scenes as I saw the day
before was perfectly awful to think of—our brave and
noble ones dead and maimed, but missing before the
boepitel was worse to me than the battle itself.
At 7 o'clock we were again in action, in a regular at
tillery duel, which lasted half an hour, when the Yankees,
of course, withdrew. At about 10 o'clock we got orders
to march to the support of Breckineidee's brigade, which
was then marching teetop an advance of a derision of
the enemy against our centre, we following at a distance
of fifty yards, only in our van by the Oreemmt
Regiment ; we advanced but a short distance when there
was a tremendous fire opened on us, the Kentucky bri
gade standing fire for about ten minutes., when they ran,
leaving us exposed to a fire five times more terrible than
that of the day before. There was no whizzing of belle
this time, but one . continued whtzzing sound. We got
orders to give them grape, canister, shells. and spherical
case as rapidly as possible, but there was no nee, they
were toe strong. # * * Wegot orders to limber up
and'get away, when the horses to our gun got unmet:loge
• able, and the fire was so terrific, that the boys, loving all
hope of saving their piece, ran off the field, leaving only
- Joe Duggan and myself tit the gun, who, seeing the folly
of remaining longer, with our horses killed, the enemy
within fifty yards of us at a full charge, and our own
snptort firing into us, were compelled also to quit our
piece. flow under heaven we escaped the balls of the
en. my and of our own men, is more than I can con
ceive, vre baying to make our way through their linos
while firing. Wo found the rest of out battery on a
entail bill, about three hundred yards in the rear.
* W * The enemy continued charging,
mid onr borece being nearly all dead, we had to
leave •our battery, which the boys did with team in
their eyes. However, a Louisiana and Tennessee
regiment came up, repulsed the enemy, and retook
our guns, when we Jumped to them, and gave their
retreating cohnen a parting salute. Harriet) himself says
this was the most ninrilerous fire he ever saw. This was
the last pert we played in the tight. Our battery was
hors de combat, two men killed, eight wounded, thirty
horses killed, and our anuunnition exhausted; we re
ceived orders to leave the field, and while doing so, we
halted a moment. Gen. Beauregard passed, raised hie
cap, end said, .. Young eentlemen, you havedone nobly;
yon have done nobly; yon have fought as mon never
fought before !" I really think this was one of the hap
piest minutes of my life. Tbeso word. can never be for
gotten. Deanregard's aid passed no and said: "Bore,
you may tell your comrades In Virginia 'hat they have
seen it whine." You will ho - sorry to hear that the brave
and gallant Johnsen was killed while leading a charge.
enemies can say nothing more against him ; he has
died nobly. * * *
On our way back we beard nothing but praise of the
Louletene troops, who fought like Ilona. The slissiesippi
troops also fought Ulm heroes.
I tear you may think that I boast on our company too
much. but I nmet tell you one thing more. General
Rodeo nays we did more in that battle than any company
over did before. All elong the route, we heard such ex-
Prebtielle as these: " There goes 3110 Washington Ar
tillery. G•r-i -a t God! can't they fight!" "Good
heavens! didn't those fellows go into It!" rec. We
achieved a glorious reputation, but paid dearly for it,
toeing six men, with twenty wounded, while nearly thirty
horses were kilted. Love to all.
Your affectionate nephew, WILLIAM.
TWO CENTS.
The Destruction of the Merrimac—Letter
from Commodore Taman.
ThOfollowirg in a copF of a letter addreaaed by Com
modore Talus!' to Mr. Mallory, tho Coofoderate Secreta
ry of the Nary :
RICIMOND. May 14, 180
Sin: In detailing to yon the circumstances which
context the destruction of the Confederate States steamer
Virginia, nud bee movetuouts afow days previous to that
event, I begin with tour telegraphic despatches to me of
the 4th and Sth instant, directing me to take such a pe
tition in the Jewell river as would entirely prevent tho
enemy's ascending it.
General linger, commanding at Norfolk, on learning
thnt I bed received hie order, called on me and declared
that its execution would oblige him to abhudon
immedi
atety bin forte on Cranes Island and SowelPe Point and
their gene to the enemy. I informed him that, 89 the
older tine impel ative, I must execute it, but euggeetad
thin he ebould telegraph you and state the consequences.
Tie old so, and 013 the 6th instant you telegraphed me to
endeavor to effold peotection to Norfolk as wall oa the
James river, which replaced me in our original position.
I then arranged with the general that he should notify
me when hie pre paratioos tor the evacutirion of Norfolk
were sufficiently advanced to enable me to act independ-
'Cr the 7th inst , Commodore trolling reached Norfolk,
with orders from you to ecnsolt with me and such
officers os I :night &feet in r--•gard to the brat disposition
to b made of tho Virginia, under the present nowt of
things.
Wo bad arranged the conference for the next day, the
litb, bet on that day, before the hour appointed, the
eiteiny attacked the Sewell's Point battery, and I left
immediately with the yirginia to defend it.
Wo fooud six of the enemy's vessels, including the
!row., clod steamers Monitor and Naugatuck, shelling the
battery. Wo pasted the battery and stood directly ter
the enemy, fur the pnrpoee of engaging him, and I thought
an action certain, particularly as the Minnesota and
Vanderbilt; which were anchored below Fortress Monroe,
got under way and stood up to that point apparently with
the'intentiou of yoinitig their squadron In the Medi.
fore, however, we got within gusehot, the enemy ceased
Bring and retired with all speed, under the protection of
the guns of the fortress, followed bl the Virginia, until
the shells from the Itip Baps passed over her.
The Virginia was then placed at her.moorings near
Seven's Point, abd I returned to Norfolk to hold the
conference referred to.
It was held on the 9th, end the officers present were
Colonel Ar.doraon and Captain—, of the army, selected
by General Huger, who was too unwell to attend himself,
and of the nary, myself, Commodore llollins. and Cap
tains fterrett and Lee, Commander Richard L. Jonee,
and Lieutenants Ap Cateeby Joins, and J. Pembroke
JOllO3.
The opinion was unanimous that the Virginia was
then t mployed to the best advantage, and that oho should
continue. for the peseta, to protect Norfolk, and thus
afford time to remove the public, property,
en the nest day, at 10 o'clock A. DE., we observed
front the Virginia that the flag was not flying on the
Sex c Point battery, and that it appeared to have been
abandoned. I despatched Lieut. J.P. Jones, the flag
lieutenant, to Craney Island, where the Confederate flag
wee still tit ing, and he there learned that a large force of
the enemy bed landed on the bay shore, and were march
ing rapidly on Norfolk ; that Sewell ' s. Point battery mu
abandoned, and our troops were retreating. • I then
despatched the same officer to Norfolk to confer with
Gen - Huger and Captain Lee. Mir found the navy yard
in timer, and that all its officers bad loft by railroad.
On reaching Norfolk he Mond that Gen. Huger and all
de other officers of the army bad also left; that the ene
my acre within a half mile of the city, and that the mayor
wee taeatii g for its surrender.
On returning to the ship he found that Cransy Island
and all the other batteries on the -river had been abau
dosed. It wee now seven o'clock in the evening, and
tbik, =expected confirmation rendered prompt measures
noccsitiry for the safety of the Virginia.
The pilots bad assured methattbey could tako the ship,
with a draught of eighteen feet, to within forty miles of
Richmond. This the chief pilot, Mr. Parrish, and his
chief assistant, Mr. Wright, bad assorted again and again;
on the afternoon of the 7th, in my cabin, in the profanes
of Commodore , Bottles and Captain Sterrett, in reply to a
Question of mine, they both emphatically deelarel their
ability to do so.
Confiding these asenrances, and after consulting
whit the Met end flag lieuteuantz, and learning that the
cficers genern4ly thought it the most judictone coarse, I
detetniincii to lighten the ship at once, and run up the
river for the protection of Rlchmord.
All hands baying been cdllcd on deck, I gated to them
the condition of things, and my hope that by getting rip
the river before the enemy could be made aware of our
designs, we might capture his vessels, which hal as
cended it, and render efficient aid in the defence of Rich.
mond i but that to effect this would require all their en
ergy in lightening the ship. They replied with thros
cheers, and went to work at once. The pilots were on
deck and heard this address to tho crew
Being quite unwell, I had retired to bed. Between one
and two o'clock in the morning the first lieutenant re
ported to me that, after the crow bad worked for five or
six hours, and lifted the ship so as to render her unfit for
action, the pilots bed declared their inability to carry
eighteen fie; above the Jamestown Flats, up to which
point the shore on each side was occupied by the enemy.
On demanding from the chief pilot. air. Parrish, en ex
hinallon of this palpable deception, he replied that
eighteen feet amid be carried all er the prevalence of
easterly winds, and that the wind for the last two days
had been westerly.
I had no time to lose. The ship was not in a condition
for battle, even with an enemy of canal force, and their
fines was overwhelming. I therefore determine', with
the ccncurrenco of the first and flag lieutenants, to save
the crew for future atreice by landing them at Craney
Island, the only mad for retreat open to its, and to de
',troy the ship to prevent her falling into the hands of the
ovemy. may add, that although not formally con
sulted, the conrsa was approved or every commissioned
officer in the ship.
There is no di-venting opinion. The ship was accord
irgly pat on shore as near the mainland, in the vicinity
of CitareY Island, as possible, and the crow lauded. She
wee then fired, and alter burning fiercely fore and aft for
newer de of en hour, blew up a little before five on the
morning of the 11th. We marched for Suffolk, twenty
two milieu and reached it in the evening, and from thence
wine by railroad to this city.
It whi be asked what motives the pilots could have bad
to deceive me The only imaginable one's that they
wished to avoid going into battle
lied the ship not been lighted, FO as to render her unfit
for action, n desperate contest must have ensued with a
ferco against us too great to justify much hope of success,
aud, as battle is not their occupation, they adopted this
deceitful course to avoid it. I cannot imagine another
motive, for I had seen no reason to distrust their gehed
faith to the Confederacy-.
My anknowlt dgenunte nro das to the first lieutenant,
Ap. Cuttntly JELOIN for his untiring exertions, and for
the aid he rendered me in all things. The details for
cuing the chip and landing the crew wore loft to him, and
everything was conducted with the most perfect order.
'Po the other officers of the ship, generally, I am also
thangful for the great zeal they Menlo) cd throughout.
•r lie Virgil is no longer exists. but 800 brave and
skil
ful officers and seamen are saved to the Confederacy. I
presume that a court of inquiry will he ordered to ex
amine lobo all the circemstitnces I have narrated, and I
earnestly solicit it. 'Public opinion will never be put
right without it.
I am, sir, sitb greet respect, your obedient eervaleo
JOSIAH. T&TNALL,
• Flag Officer Commanding.
Bon. B. B. ArALLor.T, Secretary of Navy.
Rebel Trenchers-Letter from Captain
Porter
In a letter from Captain D. D. Porter, United States
navy, to Senator Grimes, of lowa, dated Ship Island,
Alas ath, he says:
„ Four rams and floating batteries, such ns tho world
never before taw, have been destroyed in the late attack.
The Louisiana, an invincible esteem battery, was set on
Ore and sent down on the vessels while I was engaged in
drawing up a capitulation for the surrender of the forte
—a flag of truce was flying at the time. Sho exploded
within three hundred yards of us, at d sunk in ono mi
nute, her eplendid battery of rifled gang being lost to
TM Her fragments fairly covered Bort Bt. Philip, and
killed a man of theirs in the fort. There was Southern
honor for ; ou! That vessel was four thousand tuna, two
hundred and seventy feet long, and bad sixteen heavy
rifle grins, all made in Secessia.' she intended to take
position that sight, when she would have driven off ail
our fleet, for, as proof of her invulnerability, one of our
heaviest ships laid within ten feet of her, and delivered
her whole broadside, making no more impression on her
than if the was firing peas. The Louisiana's shot, on
the contrary, c ent through and through the above-men.
tinned sloop.of-war, as if she was glass.
.g The iron ralllllanneeses hit three vessels before her
commander ran her ashore and abandoned her. she has
been a troublesome customer all through.
In Now Orleans, our enaval [Mears found the moat
splendid ape charm of a floating battery the world has
ever seen, (a sea-going affair,) and bad the been finished
and succeeded in getting to sea, the whole Aznericen
navy would have been destroyed. She was six thousand
tone, two hundred and seventy feet long, sixty feet beam;
had four engines, three , propellors. four inches (and in
some places more) of iron, and would steam eleven knots
an hour. She coat ..M2. gallery k 00.' two millions of
dollars.
The beet ono I saw floating by one was a dry-dock
turn d into a floating battery, mounting sixteen guns,
and the entire engine, which was to propel it, hennotl
cally sealed by a thick iron turret against shot. bhp was
emits, but floated down to Southwest Pass,' and is now
aground on the bar and can be easily raised.
"Besides thew monsters, the naval part of the enemy's
defences at the forts consisted of six or seven iron-clad
gunboats ; almost impervionslo ehot, and certainly so
against vessel* coming bow on We bad nothing there
on our aide but twontyfrail mortar boats, five stooge-of
war, nine or ten poor gunboats (in all a little over one
hundred and fot ty guns), to contend against two of the
most impregnable forte in this or any . other country,
mounting one hundred and twenty-seven heavy guns
(many of • them •ritled), three iron-plated batteries,
mountlt g thhty-one guns, six or seven iron plated gun
boats, and nine or ten things got up for the occasion,
corn destroyed, and their power never to bo known.
* *
"Allow me to sond you a perfectly correct tracing of
Fort Jackson, nade by the coast survey party attached
to the mortar fleet. They acted in the same capacity as
the topographical party hold in the army. Without
thorn one work would have been tedious. They triongu
lett d every potation occupied by the mortar vessels, and
it is safe to say that we knew to a yard the exact dis
tance of the month of the mortars from the centre of the
fart. The enemy never saw us except for one day, when
ono of the divisions of Mx vessels was rasced in eight,
getting pretty roughly bandied. I moved them under a
point of woods, where, with their masts covered with
gr; en hushes, and their rigging with 'clues, they were
Inviaible. to the best glasses. Oar Bring was a matter
of calculation, and you may judge how accurate it was
when I tell 7ou that 1,813 bombs struck la the centre
and solid parts of the wort a; 2,880 struck in the moat
near the foundation, shaking the whole fort to its base•
nearly 1,500 exploded in and over the works, and 1,951
airuch about the 1e78..5, in the marsh close around, and in
tho Dante and near the water's edge, where the steamers
attempted to come. All email boats, scows, and armed
bargee, were sunk ; and if the garrison had desired to get
away, they could not have done so easily. I never saw
so perfect a scene of desolation and ruin, nor do I believe
there wee ever such perfect mortar practice. We could
clear the batteries whenever the soldiers appeared on the
ramparts. ' In fact, no guns there could be worked.
This sketch may interest your friends in the far
West. It will remind them that the ionuenee of the
navy in felt everywhere over this great country, stud
*lon the vast riches of the Weetotee States are floating
et moldy and peacefully 'to the seaboard on the swift
water sof the Id ississippi, let them remember that it was
the Levy which opened the doom to a commerce that
might have been abut uplor a wearier of a century, and
that they can dictate free trade now where they night
have been obliged to pay tribute..
"With coy best wishes, I remain, dear sir, yours very
truly, DAVID D. PORTER,
Commanding Flotilla.
ff Hon. JAMBS W. Galars, U. S. Senator."
A REBEL LADY.—A. letter from Winchester, Ta,
Oates that among the remittent of the rank Seceeston la
dies there , le Bire. Dandridge, better known as" Dotty
Bliss," the daughter of the late President, Zachary Tatt
ler. The lady recently paid a visit, to the prison there,
to see some of the rebel inmates, and during her stet had
the bed taste to express the benevolent wig) that our
iIOODIS might be destroyed by the yellow fever, If not by
rowder and lead.
ANOMIE, Iio.NITOR --The prepsiittions for build
ing en iron-clad shot-proof Boating battery, of the
;♦Monitor model, in Jersey City, are nearly completed,
and the vessel 'silt tw canmenced during the present
WI elf. The vessel is to he 200 feet in length, 40 feet
breadth of beam. and 11 feet 10 inches depth of hold,
She it to be built of the exact model of the United States
gunboat Monitor, with a few alight 'codifications In ro•
gard to machinery end the location of the pilot-house.
ENGLISH. 1110E1:Y.—Recent facts have come to light,
which shoe that English money Ards Its way South.
scarcely a dead body of the rebel soldiery on the tields of
the Peninsula but their pockets contained Eoglish
A friend and officer of the error, just trent the deld of
(4:orations, had an 'English shilling from the Carly of One
of the dead rebels, and be secures me tide is e.te cue with
ehnoet ell of their dead. Last fall English Bank of Eng.
land notes vete very coroutou in lliclar o nnt amongst the
rebel niegneree,
THE WAR PRESS.
THE Wan Pesos will be sent to imbecribere by
mail low annum In &titmice) at 82.00
Three Coning " CI 6. 00
FiVO " " II 8.00
Ten 64 " is 12.00
Larger Clubs will be charged at the same rate, Una t
20 copies will oast $24; 50 copies will coat 869; and 109
copies 8120.
For a Club of Twenty-one or over, we will send aw
„Extra Copy to the getter-up of tho Club.
11/7"Poetmastere are rcaueeted to act se Agents for
THR WAR PRXSS.
Jalr Advertiaernents inflected at the anal rates. WE
lines conaNtote a *lmmo.
FROM GE.N, BANKS' DIVISION.
DETAILS OF THE FIGHT AT FRONT ROYAL
GALLANT CONDUCT OF THE MARYLAND REGIMENT,
COLOIVEL MURPHY'S REGIMENT IN THU
RETREIT.
COLONEL KNIPE A PRISONER
COL: MURPHY REPORTED KILLED
Tho =respondent of the Now York World, writing
from Ilegeratoan, 111 d., on the 25th of May, Gaye;
Colonel Healy; the lamented officer of the Maryland
let, fereiVod notice of the aPPreatit of the enemy only
by the surprise and capture of some of hie picket•. No
Intimation of their coming bed been received, and it win,
therefore, imponaible to have eupport.d him in etasimn to
have provenud the sad havoc which succeeded.
But he defended himself through the entire day with
an ability and energy which speak loud praima for Mat
to the beads of all his loyal countm men. With aclr:ely
a thousand men in his command be was comp )led tto sus
tain himself against the three full brigades of General
Ewell, who bud abandoued his camp, fifty mdea abwo ip
the valley, for the purpose of making tufa descent upon a
regiment of loyal km ylandere.
The peculiar malignity which Southerners bear toward
those whom they fancy should be of Southern entipa
thies in the Corder States, wad, I think, the Peculiar
cause of the unecrumihme disregard of the ordinary
humanities of war, which was exhibited during the at
tack of Friday.
A Boothe:liter fighting against tie independence of the
South seems to excite alt the ceurot pedaious of a human
being in them. I can scarcely credit the etetemeuts made
to me by trustworthy men, and cob firmed by many where
of times who experienced and witnessed them, in regard
to the abandoetneut of all mercy and pity for a van
quished foe.
Daring the whole forenoon, and until 8 o'clock P. M.,
the fighting wee a blow intermittent struggle between the
enemy, who wets moving on gradually and cautiously,
end Col. Reelyet command, which he endeavored to
manage es carefully as possible, saving them from injury,
and retreating the advance until reinforcements should
come up to his a9ilstance. 9ltnea continnal tight, inure of
the nature of a skirmish than a battle, was kept up con
ttuttouely during the forenoon, and until the nildele of
the afiernoeu
Three o'clock, and a detachment of cavalry, one hun
dred men, Companies B and D, of the Ira Barrie Gutted,
commended by Major Vought, arrived from Stretburg e
and reported iudneelately to Col. Reidy, who ordered
bias at once to charge the enemy. The cavalry obeyed
the order, charging upon them with great force, though
gre ally inferior in numbers
.but the power of the enemy's Superior force soon sent
them backwards, and compelled them to retreat from too
charge, ecverely repulsed. The superiority of their
numbers could not be withstood by the excellent
bravery which wee ebown by the Ira Ranee Guard.
'lwo o'clock Wm. B. Mapes, commanding pioneer
corps, arrived and reported to Colonel Ready, who gave
coders immediately where they should be stationed, and
they continued with the remainder of the little force,
doing noble service, and holding in check enocedefnity
not lets than six times their number.
Seeing the danger of their position, this commander of
the brigade gave the order to retreat, which they did in
excellent older acres. the bridge of the south branch of
the Ehenandoah.
Mapes was then ordered to burn the bridge, which wet
accordingly Bred by placing upon it piles of fence rails,
but was not destroyed, for the rebels came on sa closely
and hotly that they wore driven away, and did not suc
ceed in the attempt.
They soon arrived at and crossed the bridge on the
meth branch of the elienandocch, which they succeeded
in firing and destroying, but nut, however, in dotalnieg
the rebels,-who, cavalry and truantry, plunged in and
forded it, and were soon upon the other aide.
Soon was received the unweicoute news that the enemy
Lad surrounded them, Ilaeiting them with tatty superior
numbers both by right said lett.
She loyal Marylanders encountered them hoed to
hand, fighting when a crowd of rebels were upon a dingle
opponent, and instances of individual bravery have been
mentioned to me which seem almost fabulous.
Ito man upon the field of battle ever managed his eel.
diens with more coolness, judgment, and bravery, then
dic Colonel Reply. Bid cry to Ids men wad not c • go,"
but "come with ma," and they did so, every man of
them.
When ordered to surrender, be shot the one who de-
mended it, aid when overpowered and summoned to
give up the sword he broke the blade iu halves, was shot
womaed, placed in an ambulance, and afterwards—l
tell it not on the testimony of one, but of many—while
being castled ewer was killed by a pistol shot, fixed at
him as he lay wounded in the vehicle.
The forces engaged upon our side comprised eight com
panies of, the Man lend Ist, two comtantea of the 29th
Petineylvanin, two companies Ira Harris Guard, two
Pieces artillery of Captain linap`e battery, and Captain
Mapes' pioneer corps of fifty. tdarnen.
Ore o'clock Saturday morning I wag awaked to make
preparation for immediate retreat—informed, too, of the
principal facts - in the account given above. The remnant
caved iron the battle nt Front Boyal had retreated, and
the enemy were known to he in close pursuit.
Their movement, too, seemed evidently intended to cut
off our connection with Winchester, end we saw, very
naturally, before us, the prospect of an enemy (Ewell) in
our front, while Jackson, whom we had known to be be
hind us near Harrisonburg, seemed more than probably
iutendiug to push upon us in cur roar, placing us be
tween two tires, each, doubtless, larger than the little
command which remained to Gen. Banks after the with
dowel of eo large a portion of it to reinforce other lett
Expos, d divisions of the army.
We soon hearted that the forces of Ewell were on the
road upon which we were retreating, cud In front of us.
The coldiers received the. intelligence with a shout, and
with aulmate 4 faces. Orders to belt, right TRW, were
immediately shouted front the head of the column, and
repeated all the war down to the other end. In a mo
ment alt were ordered to take off their knapsacks, which
were hunnolately stacked weby the roadside, and guards
were appointed over them. All were ordered forward at
once ' elud the men, though ordered to march, moved al
mcstat the spied of doublesentek.
The infantry were kept somewhat in the rear, until the
general and Lin body-guard bad advanced to ascertain
its position of the enemy, and the space between was
filled with the baggage wagons, which ware soon being
repossessed by their timorous potion:ore under the in
spiring thltneoce of the wagonneaster's whip, who, en
raged at their cowardly rout, was driving them back
-with moat unmerciful babel to their deserted charges.
Our early and meld march prevented the accomplish
ment of their contemplated plan to crash to between the
upper and nether millstone, and the disaster they would
base accomplished was postponed until the following day,
(Sunday.) This In the front.
The other cud of oar column encountered the force
which we. to have been sent to attack our rear. First
the Believes d'Afrique, body guard of General Banks,
had been Methanol in thereat to burn the bridge noose
Cedar creek, three miles from Strasburg, after all had
passed except the cavalry under Gen. Hatelt, who wore
yet to come np, and would ford the river. While they
were besmearing the bridge with tar, unsuspecting any
dancer, the enemy charged down upon them from the
mountain on the left, cutting them tip in a meet unmer
ciful manner, and capturing all of them except five.
Those are the names of those who escaped: W. J.
Miller, Wm. B. Dab, Robert Gilchrist, Herman Cling
manrßerdamln Reynolds, and Theodore Bard , arl.
_All the rest are gone. The others, whether tilled,
wounded, or prisoners, it is impossible for me to (too r
tain. More information may, possiely, be received
coon.
The r apid flight of cavalry caused • groat panic among
the teamsters, who Bed (tom their wagons, white south
upset nein, and otters of them broke down, cattle got
hose and mitred in the general stampede. and horses
breaking loose joined their neighing and galloping to the
great tee/es. The rebel cavalry came up, and more than
a hundred wagons were taken posamalon of toy the ens
my.
Ibe cevalry which were behind have enlisted ranch
mete than 1 am able now detiuttely to speak of. 'rhey
were ordered at daylight, when the infantry and artillery
and baggage had started toward Winchester, ty make a
reconnoimance to Woodstock to ace if anything could be
hearted of the anticipated attack la the rear. They wore
cut off by tire cavalry of the enemy, and unable to re
turn. More particidare in regard to this I will forward
50011.
Company A, however, of the Vermont Cavalry, were
all Jost, captured or killed, except Captain Platt, his lieu
tenant, and half a dozen men, who made good their escape
from the toile of the enemy moat creditably. Major Col
lins is anions the captured. and Major Sawyer, whose
horse fell under him and injured his foot, made good his
escape with no further injury.
The lose in the cavalry His impossible to state at pre
gent with any accuracy. After wandering through the
roads and forests they arrived in. Winchester by mid
night, and the remnant of them were on hand next day.
Sunday's Fighting.
After a long asst anxious clay's march, preceded by a
ball night's sleep, disturbed by uncertain rumors of the
dieaster of ()Gimlet Henley, I retired to rest in the teens
of Winchester, and dropped off into quiet slumbers, from
which, by daybreak neon the following morning, the
voices of cannon sad the rattle of musketry, corning in
through my open window, brought me suddenly to the
consciousness that another day must be broken of its
peaceful quiet by the fierce and unnatural pursuits of
war. I listened to the souuds and saw the smoke which
rose from the bine, but three miles distant.
The people with whom I zemained were gazing thither
ward as upon en interesting spectacle, rejoicing that
Jackson was again coming iota* them from the Northern
yoke.
During my breakfast I beard the tramping of horses
upon the road, and the heavy rolling of artillery over the
pavements. Certainly, I thought, there can be no baste;
we shall not be compelled to learn Winchester.
But I took to horse with all speed now, when the ene
my were in the other end of the town, es the rattle and
echo of the musketry up the streets and between the
houses moat plainly indicated.
The confusion and disorder were not of long duration.
Gen. Banks, riding continually mane the men, end ecle
dressing them kindly and firmly, shamed them to a min
sideration of their unbefitting consternation. At length,
stationing himself and staff, with several others, across a
field through which the eoldiers were rapidly fleeing, the
roan were ordered to stop their flight, were formed into
line, and made to mach on more in a soldier-like man
ner. -
What occurred in the extremh rear of the column I am
unable to etete with much confidence. Col. Donnelly,
acting brigadier genes al—the fate of one of whose regi
meets, the lst_Maryland, has been already stated—with
two of his regbeente, the 28th New York and bib Oen
necticht, is reported, and on good anther.ty, as cap-
During the fight, which continued for two hours before
the retreat from Winchester, the brigade behaved ad
mtrabfy and repulsed the enemy, hut being outflanked by
superior numbers, they were compelled to withdraw.
Our forces, Donnelly's brigade ou the left, and Gor
don's upon the right, were its position along a gorge
between two hills. The 2d alaesachusetts eras firing
u pon the enemy from behhel a atone wall, when, held .
•peeed apon by an onfiladiug fire from the enemy, who
had come upon our Bank, they Tad to escape from them,
coming as they were in vastly superior numbers.
- The enemy are said to have fought well. At one point
they came up in a large hollow square, single file upon
the front and hack, and double file upon either aide.
Iderching up thus to withiu a certain distance, they were
ordered to halt, to fix bayonets and charge, which they
did in good Order.
Col Gordon and staff are safe, also Gen. Williams and
stall'. While retreating through Winchester, women
from the houses opened fire of pistols upon our soldier°
and kilted a great many of them.
Lieu t. Col. Brown, 28th ew York, fe said to have
been killed. Col. Knipe, 46th Pennsylvania, Wounded
and taken prisoner. Col. Murphy, 29th Pennsylvania,
killed, and many others.
The column retreated, after the sliaht panic to which I
have alluded, in good order, pursued by the enemy be
ang. The bagage train proceeded al far
the Potomac, and many of the teams have been con-
Tel NJ across upon ferry boats this evening.
The Budden descent of the enemy's forces, though re
ally a surplice, was not by many altogether unexpected.
Kwell bed been well known to have his camps still lo
cated upon the Shenandoah, at Elk Rim. Jackson was
also known to beim tbe" valley, upon a road. comonmies
tit g directly with our own position, and Johnson was
aim:lnm by, having but lately attacked the advance
aimed of Genesil Ifr,mont.
, A portion of Ira Harris , guard and Vermont cavalry
supported the battery in the rear, and Majors Davidson
er.d Gal deer, New York, and Capt. Preston, Vermont
carelry, commutated them wills coolness and bravery.
Ge n. Banks was in the rear of the retreat, and a shell
pleded ouly font fest from him, fortunately. without
itchy hug bite.
Winchester is reported to be burned. Some aminnui
tie u was seen to explode. While we were leaving a loud
roved wag followed by the rising of a largo sphere MIL
en.olie high into the Mr like a balloon.
The enemy bad stationed a force at Berryville, to pre
vent our retreating towards Harper's Perry, and we were
eimialled to take the ,oad to Martinsburg.
General Beaky, this morning, on the other side of the
river, made a alert address to the soldiers, encouraging
them to maintain themselves until reinforcomoote shall
be received, which will, doubtless, arr.ve
and we shall coon recross (ho river, and drive neck OA.
enemy Pets' the ground we halal lost.