Special to New York Papers

(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