From Washington

WASHINGTON, April 2.

Special to Tribune.

It is stated that the Senate military committee dissents from the rule that volunteer officers must seek from 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, in preference to civilians.

Mr. Ames of Chicopee manufactory, has presented flag officer Foote with a sword and Lieut. Worden with a cutlass.

Times’ Dispatch

Prisoners taken in the recent reconnoisance 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. E. Wells, 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 picking up 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 another boat 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 the York river to reinforce the enemy’s position at the mouth, where the rebels have batteries.  Small detachments of rebel cavalry still occupy Aquia Creek and as far up as Dumfries.

Another magazine has been found at Shipping Point, containing large quantities of shells.

Herald’s Dispatch.

About one and a half millions of six per cent. certificates were issued to-day, chiefly of the denomination of $100.  The checks and warrants now in amount to about ten millions.

Yesterday the Jacob Bell and Stepping Stone visited Evansport.  A boat’s crew from each vessel was sent to shore.  They visited nearly all the batteries in that vicinity, including one on a high hill about half a mile back of Evansport, where was mounted the gun that Capt. Eastman had attempted unsuccessfully to burst.  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 battery.  It was defended 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 Lieut. Commanding McCrea, of the Jacob Bell, and proceeded inland, where they found five rebel store houses containing hay, cutting machines, platform scales and other useful apparatus and implements.  They set fire to the buildings, which were entirely consumed.

A citizen of Cambridge, Mass., 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 thirty 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 some the sleeves of the uniforms were slit to obtain the bones of the arms.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Thursday Morning, April 3, 1862, p. 1