Chicago Specials

CHICAGO, March 13            . – The Times Washington special of the 12th says our scouts have arrested seven rebel bridge burners caught in the very act near Manassas.

Refugees say the rebels had no very heavy guns mounted in earthworks at Centreville.  The forts all commanded the approaches from Washington.  There were more to prevent our forces coming on either flank.  Ten days ago the rebels had sixty thousand troops there.  The rear guard did not leave until Monday.  Five caissons, five hundred barrels of flour, several hundred barrels molasses were found to-day, all damaged.

The Tribune specials says that it is now estimated that the rebel army has gone to Gordonsville Junction, ninety-three miles from the Potomac and fifty-nine from Manassas.

Our scouts have penetrated as far as Culpepper Court House.  The country around Gordonsville is represented to be well adapted for defences and the railroad connection being vastly more important than those at Manassas.

Evidence before the Committee on the Conduct of the War to-day, shows that the whole rebel army army [sic] opposite less than thirty thousand – fifteen thousand at Centreville and ten thousand and Manassas.

The Committee of investigation at St. Louis has finished sitting the aggregate of claims passed on was upward of ten millions.  The amount was much reduced.

The Naval Committee of the Senate to-day agreed to appropriate twenty five thousand dollars for the manufacture of twenty inch Dalghgreen [sic] guns.  The committee was brought to this conclusion by a telegraph from Assistant Secretary Fox now at Fortress Monroe, urging that orders for their manufacture should be given at once.  He adds that the Monitor can sink the Merrimac but that it will be a terrible struggle.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 15, 1862, p. 3