(Tribune’s Despatch.)
NEW YORK, April 2. – It is said the Senate Military
Committee dissents from the rule that the Volunteer officers must rank for
promotion in their own branch of service – only they think vacancies in the
regular army should be filled by experienced men from the Volunteer regiments.
Mr. Arms, of the Chickopee manufactory, has present Flagg
Officer Foote with a sword, and Lieut. Worden a cutlass.
(Times
Correspondence.)
Prisoners taken in the recent reconnoissance to the
Rappahannock state that the rebel force in that vicinity consists of eight
regiments of infantry, two of cavalry, and six pieces of artillery. Gen. Ewell of Drainsville notoriety, was in
command.
On the return of our forces to Warrenton Junction, the
rebels hover around the outskirts of our army and frequently succeed in packing
off small parties of our men who, contrary to commands, go out on foolhardy
foraging expeditions.
Information has just been received from the Times
correspondent on the lower Potomac that contrabands from Fredericksburg report
that town now occupied by thirty regiments of the enemy, the main part of which
have arrived there within the last three days.
They report the steamer St. Nicholas and one other, which formerly plied
to different points on the Rappahannock, as being held in readiness to
transport rebel troops down the Rappahannock to some point. Other rebel troops are reported as having
gone down York river to reinforce the enemy’s position at the mouth, where the
rebels have batteries.
A small detachment of rebel cavalry still occupy Acquia
Creek and as far up as Dumfrees.
Another magazine has been found at Shipping Point containing
a large quantity of shells.
(Herald’s Despatch.)
About one and a half millions of six per cent certificates
were issued to-day chiefly of the denomination of one hundred dollars. The checks and warrants now in all amount to
about ten millions.
Yesterday the Jacob Ball and Stone visited Evansport. A boat crew from each vessel was sent on
shore; they visited mostly all the batteries in that vicinity, including one on
a hill about half a mile back of Evansport, where was found the gun that Capt.
Roland had attempted unsuccessfully to burst it, it is a 32-pounder. This battery aided by field pieces was
intended to cover the retreat of the rebels through the woods in the rear in
the event of their being driven from the lower batteries. It was well defend[ed] by rifle pits. Several men went a considerable distance into
the country, but there were no signs of rebel troops nor inhabitants. Both parties of seamen subsequently returned
on shore in command of Lieutenant Commanding McGraw of the Jacob Ball,
proceeding inland where they found five rebel store houses containing hay,
cutting machines, platform scales and other useful implements. – They set fire
to the buildings which were entirely consumed.
A citizen of Cambridge, Massachusetts, who went to Bull Run
to recover the remains of his brother, who belonged to a Boston company, gives
a melancholy account of the sacrilege committed upon the graves of our soldiers
by the rebels. About twenty of the
Boston company and Chelsea company had been buried near each other, but every
skull had been taken away, and nearly all the principal bones of the bodies
were gone, some of the bodies had been dug out and others pressed out of the
graves with levers, and in some cases the sleeves of uniforms were slit to
obtain the bones of the arms.
(Tribune’s Dispatch.)
WASHINGTON, April 2. – A reporter sent to the other side of
the Potomac informed us this morning that Secretary Stanton had issued an order
forbidding newspaper correspondents, as well as all others not directly
connected in some way or other with the service, from accompanying any of the
corps de armie.
Many correspondents are now within the army, and it is
understood that an order was dispatched yesterday that the whole of them be
cleared out and sent back under the penalty of immediate arrest and confinement
if they attempt to stay.
Blenker’s brigade has been assigned to Fremont’s command.
Carl Schurz is to have command of a division under Fremont.
Col. Van Allan resigned his command of the New York Cavalry
yesterday. Lieut. Col. Mix will succeed
him.
(Times
Correspondence.)
It is not yet positively determined who will succeed Carl
Schurz as Minister to Spain, and no nomination will be made to the Senate by
the President until Schurz is confirmed as Brigadier General. Hon. Geo. Ashman of Mass., is talked of for
the place.
Major Donaldson, chief of the Quartermasters Department in
New Mexico arrived at Washington to-day.
He brings much important information in regard to the rebel raid into that
territory. He says the rebels hold every
position of value except Forts Craig and Vrain, the latter which is the most
important fort in the far west, contains millions of dollars worth of Government
stores, is now safe beyond peradventure, and garrisoned by fifteen hundred
soldiers, has water within the fortifications and provisions for a long siege. It will be the rallying point for the ample
Union forces now marching to expel the invaders. Maj. Donaldson relates many incidents of the
late battle near Fort Craig, he says that Major Lockridge of the Nicaragua filibusters
fell dead at the head of the Texas Rangers in the terrible charge upon McRea’s
battery.
Secretary Stanton will proceed to Fortress Monroe to-morrow to
give matters there his personal attention.
(Herald’s Dispatch.)
NEW YORK, April 3. – It is rumored here to-day that the
Rebel Cabinet has decided to burn the city of Richmond on the approach of the
Union army.
Business was never so brisk on the line of the Orange and
Alexandria Railroad as it now is.
Since the affair in the Sickles Brigade, where a master shot
at his servant, Gen. Hooker has positively refused passes to go into the camps
of his division to hunt contrabands.
Lieuts. J. H. Hall and W. McGungle have been ordered to
report to Flag Officer Foote.
The number of sick soldiers in the Government Hospitals in
the District, at the last weekly report was 2,314. Of those 536 are from N. Y. regiments.
Slight skirmishing continues to be the order of the day
along our front, each army lying in sight of each other, enlivening each other
with occasional artillery practice and cavalry charges.
Yesterday Col. Geary captured a number of rebels after a
spirited skirmish, in which several of the enemy were killed.
The completion of the railroad to within the immediate
neighborhood of the advance, places many of our forces in a much more
advantageous position and will be doubtless greatly accelerate the movements of
our advancing army.
The rebel cavalry continues to make incursions through the
country beyond Manassas Junction.
Woodstock, 2. p. m. – The rebels, when retreating yesterday,
attempted to burn a bridge over the creek near its narrow passage, but it was
extinguished. The Magentic Railroad bridge,
one hundred feet high, over the same stream, was burned by Jackson, when
retreating from Gen. Shields.
The gray stallion said to be Col. Ashley’s was shot
yesterday near this town. The ball must
have wounded the rider in the left thigh.
The current report, however, that Ashley was wounded is not credited at
head quarters.
Some of Ashley’s scouts made their appearance this morning early,
on the high wooden ridge, on the opposite side of Stoney Creek, beyond Edenburg. They were fired upon by some of the 29th Penn’a, when Ashley unmasked four guns and threw
several shells into the camp – He subsequently retreated under the fire of our
guns. During the day they frequently interfered
with our bridge builders, by shelling them at long range. The foot of the bridge, however has been
completed, and our skirmishers and some of the shop shooters are now on the
other side, beyond the town.
Lieut. Doll and two privates of Ashley’s cavalry were
captured yesterday while carrying dispatches, but refused to divulge the
contents or tell who they were from.
A late intercepted letter from a rebel line officer, speaks
of the anticipated negro rebellion in Maryland, but this is regarded as one of
the means resorted to by secession leaders to dupe their followers.
Ashley’s artillery was reinforced to-day by two guns with which
he practiced on us along our line. Gen.
Banks is here and General Shields at Strasburg.
– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye,
Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 5, 1862, p. 3
