an invitation to large, and fully able to conquer any army the rebels 
o lecture them can bring against it. Gen. Grant is in command at 
iptto subjugate Fort llenry. The enemy’s force in this section is 
mon, Corcoran, variously estimated at from 30,000 to 100,000. Gen. 
said: “ 1 wish it Lewis Wallace's division went to Purdy, McGairy 
2 last time that county, yesterday, burned the bridge and took up 
to us. Though the track on the railroad leading Irora Humboldt to 
to listening to a Corinth, and thus threw off a train, heavily laden 
tant, but if you with troops, which arrived while the bridge was 
taring, I’ll pitch burning. 
i lam.” It was The remains of Col. Hendricks, of the 20th Indiana 
) turn the Fed- regiment, killed at the battle of Pea Ridge, arrived 
• ways. at Rolla on the 15th, accompanied by his brother 
blockade of the an( * <wo or ^ rPe other gentlemen who left the battle 
writes- “ Only F roun( ^ on the Monday following the battle. They 
leston in nincl v represent the contest as a terrible one. The rebels 
Savannah In ^ uu 8^t desperately, using stones in their cannon 
? fJreat Th-iNin when their shot gave out Their force is stated at 
leryraen cut down, and his support reported killed, 
wounded or flying from the battle field, Capt McRae 
eat down calmly and quietly on one of his guns, 
and with a revolver in his hand refusing to fly and 
desert his post, fought to the last and gloriously 
died like a hero, the last man at his guns. The 
Texans suffered terribly in (heir desperate charge. 
Many of our officers greatly distinguished them¬ 
selves on this day. Major Donelson, chief Aid- 
de-camp to Col. Canby, acted bravely, and was con¬ 
spicuous in every part of the field. His horse was 
wounded in several places, but the Major was not 
injured. Kit Carson was in command of a regiment 
ol volunteers, deployed as skirmishers. His com¬ 
mand did great service during the action, and 
behaved well. We have to lament the loss of Lieu¬ 
tenants Micbler and Stone, who, like Capt. McRae, 
nobly and bravely maintained the honor of our flag 
to the last, and died the death of patriots. Many 
other of our officers are wounded. Our loss is 
about 200 killed and wounded. The enemy’s loss 
is believed to be much greater. The greatest confi¬ 
dence is reposed in Col. Canby, and if the volun¬ 
teers will do their duty the Texans will be ignomin- 
iously driven from the country. 
Island No. 10 was captured on the 17tb inst., by 
Com. Foote’s flotilla. Large quantities, of ammuni¬ 
tion and the enemy’s transports were captured. 
Gen. Halieck announces that another victory has 
been gained in Arkansas. Three rebel Colonels 
were taken prisoners. 
of disturbance. The license money arising from 
the rapid increase of grog-shops would seem appro¬ 
priately employed in invigorating the police. II 
these furnaces of bell-lire are allowed to dispense at 
every corner what not merely intoxicates but crazes, 
surely the revenues which they pay into the city 
treasury should be expended in protecting the valu¬ 
able lives which they imperil, and in restoring the 
order which they disturb. The city, by tolerating a 
thousand dens of iniquity and passion, owes the 
duty to its population of affording it protection from 
the dangers and outrages thus engendered and pre¬ 
pared. The time has arri ved for vigilance and sum¬ 
mary reform, or else ruffianism, theft, arson, drunk¬ 
enness and murder will soon claim the city as their 
exclusive preserve." 
The Rebel Theory of Boll Run.— Events oc¬ 
curring since the battle of Bull Run have shaken the 
rebel doctrine of “ Yankee cowardice,” and the 
chivalry seem to be obliged to give it up. The fol¬ 
lowing from the Richmond Examiner of the 3d inst., 
is curiously significant: 
“ There is an important physiological fact to be 
recollected, also, in connection with this subject 
For men to fight well and long, they must not have 
before undergone fatigue and loss of rest If an 
army is required to rise early and march several 
hours, it is a physical impossibility for them to ex¬ 
hibit, for any length ol time, the proper nerve on 
the field. On the morning of Manassas, the. Federal 
army were required to rise at 3 o'clock, after a fatigu¬ 
ing previous day, and march a full (lay’s journey 
before reaching the, bailie field . They fought pretty 
well until nature became overtaxed, and at 3 o'clock 
in the afternoon, just twelve hours alter they had 
risen from sleep, they took that panic which has 
brought upon them so much ridicule , and which has 
excited so much disgust amortg all intelligent men, ex¬ 
cept the more observant of our physiologists. The 
case was very much the same at Bethel. The panic 
into which they fell is only to be accounted for on 
physiological principles.” 
the rebels. It is thought that neither will survive. 
The names of the men are Sergeant Cutts, Co. £., 
and private Williams, Co. K. Cutts served through 
the Mexican war. All the men have been prohib¬ 
ited from drinking from old wells, and new ones 
are being dug. 
The town of Berry ville, Va., was occupied by our 
troops on the lltb. Gen. Gorman directed the 
advance. The enemy had 500 cavalry hero on our 
arrival, but the signal ordered a charge of the New 
York 3d (Van Allen) Cavalry upon them, sup¬ 
ported in the onset by a sufficient force of artillery 
and infantry. The enemy did not wait to fight, but 
but ran hcltor skelter toward Winchester. 
Winchester is at length recovered for the Union. 
The movement, of our forces to Berryville, and 
reconnoissance to this vicinity, succeeded in mis¬ 
leading the enemy, so that they did not know where 
to expect an attack. The consequence was that on 
the 12th they commenced evacuating the place. 
Gen. Hamilton meanwhile advanced from Bunker 
Hill, the Michigan cavalry leading. Twelve hun¬ 
dred of the enemy's cavalry gave battle, supported 
by a section of artillery. This was about 5 o’clock. 
A battalion of the 1st Maryland regiment re-en¬ 
forced our cavalry, and one of our sections of artil¬ 
lery came up and replied to the enemy’s guns. The 
fight was soon over. The enemy fled, leaving their 
two guns, several horses, and about 30 men killed 
and wounded. Our whole loss was 4 killed and 15 
wounded, all of the 1st Maryland. 
Large stores of ammunition, provisions, and many 
horses, have fallen into onr bands, and the Union 
flag flies triumphantly over Winchester. The 
reception of our troops by the people has been most 
enthusiastic. Bristonia station, five miles from 
Manassas on the road to Richmond, was burned, 
together with the store-house, containing a large 
amount of stores, by the retreating rebels from 
Manassas. At Thoroughfare station, 12 miles from 
Manassas, on the road to Winchester, were found 52 
freight cars loaded with commissary stores, valued 
at $20,000. The fire the enemy kindled failed to 
consume them. The Warrenton station, 14 miles 
from Manassas, on the Richmond road, was burned, 
together with the hotel and five or six dwellings. 
Cedar Run bridge, two miles this side of Warrenton 
station, was burnt by the rebels. 
At Manassas the agents of this Government suc¬ 
ceeded in recovering at the late headquarters of 
Beauregard and Johnston, a large number of docu¬ 
ments in reference to the force and condition of the 
rebel army. 
Major-General McClellan has issued the following 
address to his soldiers: 
IlKAtXjCARTKKS, A»iMY OF Till: FOTOMAC, > 
Faiufax Cocut Hockk, Va , March 14, JS02. ) 
Soldiek8 ok the Army op the Potomac:— For 
a long time 1 have kept you inactive, hut not with¬ 
out. a purpose. You were to be disciplined, armed, 
and instructed. The formidable artillery you now 
have, bad to he created. Other armies were to 
move and accomplish certain results. T have held 
you buck, that you might give death blows to the 
rebellion, which has distracted our once happy 
country. ’ 
The patience you have shown, and your confidence 
in your General, are worth a dozen victories. These 
preliminary results are uow accomplished. 1 feel 
that the patient labors of many months have pro¬ 
duced their fruit. The army of'the Potomac is now 
a real army, magnificent in material, admirable in 
discipline and instruction, and excellently equipped 
and armed. Your commanders are all I could wish. 
The moment lor action lias arrived, and I know I 
can trust in yon to save our country. As I ride 
through your ranks, 1 eee in your faces the sure 
prestige of victory. 1 feel yon will do whatever I 
ask ot you. The period of inaction has passed. I 
will bring you now face to face with the rebels, and 
only pray ihut God may dofetid the right. In what- 
ever direction you may move, however strange my 
actions may appear to you, ever bear in mind that 
my fate is linked with yours, and that all I do is to 
bring you where 1 know you wish to be, on the deci¬ 
sive battle-field. It is my business to place you 
there. J am to watch over you as a parent over hie 
children, and you know t hat your General loves you 
from the depths of his heart 
It shall bo my taro—it has ever been—to gain 
success with the least possible loss; but I know if it 
is necessary, you will willingly follow me (o our 
graves for onr righteous cause. God smiles upon 
us. Victory attends us. Yet I would not have you 
think that our aim is to be obtained without a manly 
struggle. 1 will not disguise it from you that you 
have brave foes to encounter, foemen well worthy 
of the steel you will use so well. I shall demand of 
you great, heroic exertions, rapid and long marches, 
desperate combats and privations. We. will share 
all these together, and when this sad war is over, 
we will all return to our homes, and feel that we 
can ask no higher honor than the proud conscious¬ 
ness that wc belong to the Army or the Potomac. 
Geo. B. McClellan, 
Major-General Commanding. 
A large number of splendid guns have been 
received, which were left by the rebels in their 
upper batteries on the Potomac. On the 16th the 
Yankee brought to Washington, from the EvauHport 
battery, a7pinch rifled gun, throwing a 128-pound 
shell. The breech of the gun is banded with steel, 
and when the spike in is removed from the vent, 
the gun will prove a most valuable acquisition. 
There are now two shells and a large mass of mud 
in the gun, attempts having been made to burst it 
Cannon of the best description are daily being found 
in the river, at the various batteries, many of which, 
together with a large amount of loaded shells, are 
being brought «p to the Navy Yard. 
The following is the official report relative to the 
engagement between the Minnesota and Merrimac: 
United States Steamkr Roanoke, ) 
Hampton Roads. March 9. J 
To Non. Gideon'Welles, Secretary of the Nary, Washington 
Sir: I have the honor to report that yesterday at 
one o’clock, one of the look-out vessels reported by 
signal that the enemy was coming out. I immedi¬ 
ately ordered the Minnesota to get under way. As 
the two tugs appointed to tow this ship came along 
side 1 slipped our cable. The Merrimac was soou 
discovered passing out by Sen-all’s Point, standiug 
for Newport News, accompanied by several gun¬ 
boats. Every exertion was made to get all the 
speed on the Roanoke that the two tugs w ere capa¬ 
ble of giving her, but in consequence of bad steer¬ 
age we did not get ahead as rapidly as desirable. 
The Merrimac went up and immediately attacked 
the Congress and Cumberland, but especially the 
latter, which was hid from us by the land. When 
seven or eight miles bom Fortress Monroe, the 
Minnesota grounded. We pontinuod to stand on, 
and when iu sight of the Cumberland, saw that she 
had careened over, apparently full of water. The 
enemy, who had been joined by two or three steam¬ 
ers from James River, now devoted themselves 
exclusively to the Congress, which, being aground, 
could bring but five guns to bear on them, and at 
ten minutes before four we had the mortification of 
seeing her haul down her Hag. I continued to stand 
on until wve found ourselves in three and a half 
fathoms of water, and was ou the ground astern. 
Finding that we could go no further, I ordered one 
of the tugs to tow us round, and as soon as the 
Roanoke’s head was pointed down the bay, and 1 
found she was afloat again, 1 directed the tugs to go 
to the assistance of the Minnesota, under the hope 
that, with the assistance of the two others that bad 
accompanied her, they would be able to get her off; 
hut up to the time of the present writing bad not 
succeeded in doing so. 
At 5 the frigate St. Lawrence passed us in tow of 
the Cambridge, and not long after she also ground¬ 
ed, but by aid of the Cambridge, was got afloat 
3,000 wounded. We took 1,600 prisoners and 13 
pieces ot artillery, 10 of which were captured by 
Gen. Sigel’scommand, and three by- Col. Patterson’s 
brigade. Two of our cannon, belonging to Donel- 
son’p battery, were taken by the rebels, but were re¬ 
captured by our troops. 
The rebels were completely whipped, one division 
under Price fleeing in one direction, and the other 
under Van Dorn taking another. Major Herbert, of 
one of the 1 .ouisiana regiments, who was taken 
prisoner, says Frost, of Camp Jackson notoriety, 
was killed. 
Gen. Pope, in his dispatch to Halieck, says:—Our 
success at Now Madrid has been even greater than 
reported. Twenty-five pieces of heavy artillery, (25- 
pounders and rifled 32s) batteries of field artillery, 
an immense quantity of fixed ammunition, several 
thousand stands of anus, hundreds of boxes of mus- 
kut cartridges, 300 mules, tents for an army of 12,000 
men, and an immense quantity of other property of 
no loss value than $1,000,000 have fallen into our 
hands. The men only escaped. The enemy's whole 
force is demoralized and dispersed in the swamp on 
the opposite side of the river. The enemy aban¬ 
doned their works so hurriedly as to leavfe all the 
baggage of the officers and knapsacks of the men 
behind, their dead unburied, their suppers and their 
tables, and their candles burning in their tents. 
The furious thunderstorm raging all night enabled 
them to get across the river without being dis¬ 
covered. 
Our heavy battery was established during the 
night of the 12th inst., within 800 yards of the ene¬ 
my’s works. We opened lire at daylight on the 13th 
inst., just 34 hours after the guns were delivered to 
us at Cairo. During the whole day yesterday our 
lines were drawn closer around the works of the 
enemy under a furiouB lire of 60 pieces of artillery. 
Fear of assault upon their works at daylight in¬ 
duced them to flee precipitately during the night. 
Many prisoners have been taken, and the colors of 
several Arkansas regiments. Our loss is about 50 
killed and wounded. Hollins was in command of 
the rebel fleet, and Gens. McConn, Stewart, and 
Gnatt, of the land forces. The gunboats went down 
the river. 
The naval expedition composed of the gunboats 
Benton, Louisville, Cincinnati, Carondalet, and 
Conestoga, under Flag Officer Foote, left Cairo at 7 
o’clock P. M. of the 14th. At Columbus they were 
joined by the Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Mound 
City, and were overtaken by eight mortars in tow 
of four steamers with transports and ordnance boats. 
The mounted pickets of the enemy w-ere in sight 
on a bluff. On our arrival two companies of the 
27th Illinois were sent after them, but they escaped. 
A strong Union feeling is manifested here. An 
impression prevails that Island No. 10 will not offer 
much resistance. There are said to be 2,000 rebel 
troops at Union, 7,000 at Humboldt, and 15,000 in 
the vicinity of Island No. 10. At the latter place 
there arc also said to be twelve heavy guns in their 
batteries. 
Gen. Halieck has telegraphed the following to 
Washington: 
St. LopiS, Marrli 13. 
To the lion. E . M. Stanton:— Out artillery and 
cavalry yesterday attacked the enemy’s works half 
s. mile west of Paris, Tenn. The enemy were 
driven out with a loss of 100 killed and wounded 
and prisoners. Our loss is Capt. Bull, of the artil¬ 
lery, and four men killed and four wounded. 
A cavalry force scut out from Lebanon, Missouri, 
attacked one of Price’s guerrilla parties, killing 13 
and wounding 5, and capturing over 20 prisoners, 
among whom was Brigadier-General Campbell, the 
commander. 
Gen. Halieck commands all jurors, whether in 
civil or martial courts, hereafter to take the oath of 
allegiance prescribed by the Convention of Oct 
16th. Those refusing will be rejected as aliens. 
Amy neglect on the part ot army or volunteer 
surgeons of duties to the sick or wounded will he 
reported to headquarters immediately. It is stated 
that some of the medical officers, prisoners of war, 
have failed to give proper attention to their own 
sick and wounded. In cases of this kind, medical 
officers will be deprived of their parole and placed 
in close confinement upon the facts being reported 
to headquarters. 
The M ilitary Express arrived at St. Louis on the 
12th from Fort Craig with the news of serious con¬ 
flicts between our forces and the Texans, which 
lasted from nine on the morning of the 1st till sun¬ 
down of the same day. The fight commenced in the 
morning between a portion of our troops under 
Col. Roberts and the enemy across the Rio Grande, 
with varied success, until about one or two of that 
day, 1st. Col. Canby then crossed in force with a 
battery of six pieces under Capt McRae of the 
cavalry, hut was detailed to the command of the 
battery. Col. Canby also took with him a small 
battery of two howitzers. The enemy were sup¬ 
posed to have had 8 field pieces. The battle was 
commenced by our artillery and skirmishers, and 
soon became general. Towards evening the guns 
of the enemy were silent. They, however, made a 
desperate charge on our howitzer battery, but were 
repulsed with great loss. 
Capt McRae's battery was defended by Capt 
Plempton’s company of U. S. Infantry, and a por¬ 
tion of Col. Peuo’s regiment of New Mexican vol¬ 
unteers. The Texans now charged desperately and 
furiously with picked men, about six hundred 
strong, on McRae’s battery. They were armed with 
carbines, revolvers and long seven pound bowie 
knives. After discharging their carbines at close 
quarters, they drew revolvers, and reached the 
battery amid a storm of grape and canister. The 
New Mexicans of Col. Peno’s regiment became 
panic-stricken, and ingloriously fled. 
Capt Plempton’s men —U. S. Infantry — stood 
their ground and fought nobly, until more than one- 
half were numbered with the dead. With his artil- 
Departmcnt of the East. 
In the last issue of the Rural we published a 
report to the effect that Manassas was evacuated. 
That report has been confirmed, and we now give 
the facts in connection therewith: 
The whole rebel fortifications at Manassas were 
abandoned, and everything possible burned. On 
the 11th, Col. Averill, with a large body of cavalry, 
entered the far famed rebel works, and bivouaced 
for the night amidst the ruius of the rebel strong¬ 
hold. The intelligence gathered at Manassas and 
in the neighborhood tends to show that the whole 
rebel army has retired southward. 
The opinion is gaining ground that Gordonsville 
is simply the rendezvous for what was lately the 
rebel army of the Potomac, as it is the junction of 
the Orange and Alexandria with the Virginia Cen¬ 
tral Railroad. The only point at which tLey can, 
with any sort of confidence, attempt to make a 
stand, is at the junction of Frederick and Potomac 
with the Virginia Central Railroad, in which neigh¬ 
borhood the North Anna and South Anna rivers 
unite and form the Pamunkey river, about twenty 
miles directly north of Richmond. At this point 
the country is much broken, and admirably fitted 
for defence. 
It is reported that in their retreat the rebels have 
destroyed the railroad bridge across the north fork 
of.the Rappahanock. In their haste they have left 
behind straggling parties of soldiers, who seem to 
be very glad to be made prisoners. Wherever they 
have gone, it is evident that their army is completely 
demoralized, and utterly unfit tor service. The 
forts are all abandoned, but log huts, hundreds in 
number, and ample to accommodate 30,000 troops, 
still remain. Heaps of dead horses cover the fields 
in the vicinity. The log huts are strewed all along 
between Ceutrcville ^nd Manassas. The railroad 
track is undisturbed, except the bridges. The stone 
bridge across Bull Run, on the Warrenton turnpike, 
is blown up, and also the bridge across Cub Run, 
between Centreville and Manassas. 
Some caissons were found, but no gnns. Piles of 
bullets and cartridges were left in the tents, and an 
immense quantity of Quartermasters’ stores. In 
one place were discovered about 30,000 bushels of 
corn, which had been set fire to and was still smoul¬ 
dering. 
Our army have sent back abundant rebel trophies 
—pack Baddies, army orders, muskets, revolvers, 
bowie knives, letters, &c. Over 1.000 pack saddles 
were found, all new, and marked C. S. A. The 
people in the vicinity state that prior to the evacua¬ 
tion there were 100,000 rebel troopB at Manassas and 
Centreville. 
The rebels began to fall back from Centreville on 
the 7th. Gen. Johnston left on Friday morning, 
Gen. Smith left on Saturday afternoon, and Col. 
Stewart last Monday, the day our army left camp 
on the Potomac. The retreat was conducted very 
orderly at first; everything was carefullly cleaned 
up at Centreville; nothing was left that could he 
useful to us. The forts were well planned and very 
formidable. They command the roads, and Hie five 
of not less than one hundred guns could be con¬ 
verged upon any approach to the defences, but the 
guns were never brought from Manassas to mount 
the Centreville forts. A railroad track extended 
from Manassas to Centreville, and a telegraph line. 
Tho rebel Generals had their headquarters at Cen¬ 
treville, and a more convenient and complete mili¬ 
tary establishment could not be found in Washing¬ 
ton than they had. Through Manassas the enemy 
continued their retreat, as quickly and quietly as it 
began. It was on Monday evening that the first 
sign of panic was noticed at Manassas. A part of 
Stewart’s rear column was preparing a train to move 
southward by railroad, when they found that some 
excited rebels had set fire to the bridges ahead of 
them. They immediately began to burn and destroy 
and run away in general confusion. Five hundred 
barrels of flour, piled up iu ranks, had their heads 
stove in; barrels of molasses suffered in the same 
way, with more loss to the community, and 160 kegs 
of powder were left, which they did not well know 
how to destroy in safety to themselves. 
Very important and conclusive testimony was 
brought to Washington on the 15th, in regard to the 
rebel strength at Manassas and Centreville. It is 
the sworn statements of four rneu, who were actively 
employed by the Confedrates on the railroad in the 
removal of the rebels. These men deserted from 
the rebels and joined us. They assert that up to 
last Friday week, the rebels had between 90.000 and 
100,000 men at Manassas and near it, 25,000 between 
Manassas and Acquia Creek, and 12,000 at Win¬ 
chester, Leesburgh, &c., all of whom, nearly 140,000, 
could have been concentrated at Manassas at a 
day’s notice. They declare, moreover, being rail¬ 
road men, that the rebels were able to concentrate, 
at brief notice, 500 cars on the roads leading to and 
from Manassas, and that they never talked of evac¬ 
uating Manassas until the fall of Donelson, and then 
they freely said they would have to retreat when¬ 
ever Gen. MoClellau advanced. They declare that 
for sixty days past the roads have been horrible, so 
much so that they had to carry provisions to Acquia 
Creek ou pack mules, and finally the men were 
moved nearer up to Manassas. 
Two men attached to a Wisconsin regiment in 
Gen. Smith’s division, have been poisoned by drink¬ 
ing water from a well that had been poisoned by 
Items and Incidents. 
A New Name.— The rebels are very ingenious 
in selecting euphonious terms for expressing had 
things. When they stole the Government property, 
they said they were “resuming” it, Gen. Buckner 
desiring to communicate to Gen. Grant the informa¬ 
tion that Pillow and Floyd had run away, speaks of 
“ the distribution of the forces incident to an unex¬ 
pected change of commanders.” Is not that “ draw¬ 
ing it mild’/" 
What Strategy can do.— It will be well for 
those quill-driving and Congressional sages who 
sneer at strategy as an element of success in war, to 
look at Columbus. The rebels had been at work 
six months fortifying it. They boasted that it was 
impregnable. They defied our fleets and our armies 
to assail it. And yet, by pure strategical science, 
we have got possession of the place without the 
expenditure of an ounce of powder or the loss of a 
single life. Had the advice of the “right-at-it” 
patriots been followed, it might have cost us five 
thousand lives, hundreds of tuns of powder and 
shell, half a dozen gun and mortar boats, and pos¬ 
sibly a defeat. 
A Tariff ok Exchange.— General McClellan 
has ordered the following tariff of exchange of 
prisoners of war: 
For a General Commander-in-Chief, sixty men. 
LientenantrGeoerai, forty men. 
Major-General, thirty men. 
Brigadier-General, twenty men. 
Colonel, fifteen men. 
Lieutenant-Colonel, ten men. 
Major, eight men. 
Captain, six men. 
Lieutenant, four men. 
Sub-Lieutenant or Ensign, three men. 
Non-commissioned officers, two men. 
Privates, man for man. 
It is said that the dispatch announcing the cap¬ 
ture of Nashville, was put into the hands of Jeff. 
Davis while bo was engaged in reading his Inaugu¬ 
ral. It must have struck the same dismay to his 
recreant heart that the words on the wall carried to 
the soul of the Babylonish king in the midst of bis 
festivity:—“M knk, God hath numbered thy king¬ 
dom, and finished it Tekei,, thou art weighed in 
the balances, and art found wanting.” 
The Game of War.— Events of the war are com¬ 
ing upon us so rapidly now, that the public mind 
eagerly skips from the present to the future, and 
impatiently asks, what next? This is especially 
true in reference to the grand, glorious and magnifi¬ 
cent victory at Fort Donelson, which is not less 
important iu its results and influences than in its 
mere intrinsic character. The plan of our UniOD 
campaign is inductive and progressive. It is, in an 
extraordinary degree, a strategic war, in which 
Gens. McClellan, Halieck, Buell, and the other 
Federal commanders, arc engaged, arid not a blind 
rushing of opposing forces together, tor the display 
of martial valor, tactics and discipline. These 
qualities, indeed, are by no means disregarded, but 
do not constitute the sole reliance. Our Union 
armies are controlled and guided by men of far- 
seeing minds and penetrating purpose, who view 
“the situation” as avast chess-board, taking in the 
adversary’s movements, and making dispositions 
to entirely circumvent his objects. 
Ruin of Berkeley Springs.—J ohn Strother, 
the proprietor of the celebrated Berkeley Springs in 
Western Virginia, and father of the well-known 
“Porte Crayon,” died at his residence on the 18th 
of January. Both father and son were strong 
Unionists, and only a week before the death of the 
lormer, Charles J. Faulkner, late Ministerto France, 
made a descent upon the Berkeley SpringH Hotel, 
destroyed much of the furniture, burnt the cottage 
of “ Porte Crayon,” and cut to pieces many of his 
paintings — all this while the senior Strother was 
lying ill in the house. Such an act of barbarism is 
in perfect character with Faulkner, who ought to 
have been hung as a traitor, ou his arrival from 
France, along with Floyd, Thompson & Co. “Porte 
Crayon ” is an engineer in the U. S. Army, aDd we 
hope he may live to avenge the outrage done to 
himself and father. 
The Great Surrender.— Never was there a 
surrender anything like that of Fort Donelson on 
our continent Burgoyne gave up less than six 
thousand men, and Cornwallis but little over seven 
thousand. 
Corcoran and the Rebel Preacher.— From 
one ot our men recently released from Richmond, 
we have the story of an encounter between Colonel 
Corcoran and a rebel clergyman, which well illus¬ 
trates the character of the brave Irishman. The 
clergyman in question, Rev. Dr. Burroughs of the 
Baptist Church at Richmond, had the ill taste to 
Department of tho MissisHippi. 
The following general order was issued on the 
13th instant: 
HEADQUARTERS OP THB MISSISSIPPI. 
In compliance with Ihc orders of the President of 
the United States, the undersigned assumes com¬ 
mand of the Department of the Mississippi, which 
includes the present Department of Missouri, Kan¬ 
sas and the Department of Ohio, and the country 
west of a north and south line drawn through Knox¬ 
ville, Tennessee, and east of the western boundaries 
of ttie States of Missouri and Arkansas. The head¬ 
quarters of the Department of the Mississippi will 
remain, until further orders at St Louis. The com¬ 
manding officers in the Department of Missouri 
will report to these headquarters, the strength and 
position of their commands. II. W. Halleck. 
Gen. Curtis has fowarded the following official 
report of the recent great battle in Arkansas, to 
Maj.-Gen. Halieck: 
Headquarters Arhy Southwest. ? 
Pea Hidor, Ark., Marcli 9. j 
General:— On Thursday, tho 6th inst., the ene¬ 
my commenced the attack on my right wing, assail¬ 
ing and lollowing the rear guard of the detachment 
under Gen. Sigel, to my main lines on Sugar Creek 
Hollow, but ceased firing when he met iny re-en¬ 
forcements about 4 P. M, During the night I be¬ 
came convinced that he had moved on to attack my 
right or rear, therefore, early on the 7th I ordered a 
change of front to the right My right, which thus 
became mv left, was still resting on Sugar Creek 
Hollow. This brought my line across Pea Ridge, 
with my new right resting ou the head of Cross 
Timber’ Hollow, which is the head of Big Sugar 
Creek, I also ordered an immediate advance of the 
cavalry and light artillery to be made, under Col. 
Osterhaus, with orders to attack and break what T 
supposed would be the rc-enlbrcod line of the ene¬ 
my. The movement was in progress when the 
enemy, at 11 A. M., commenced an attack on my 
right The fight continued nearly at these points 
during the day, the enemy having gained the point 
held by the command of Col. Carr, at Cross Timber 
Hollow, but was entirely repulsed with the fall of 
the commander, McCullough, in the center, by the 
forces under Col. Davis. 
The plan of attack on the center was gallantly 
carried forward by Col. Osterhaus, who was imme¬ 
diately sustained and supported by Col. Davis’ en¬ 
tire division, and was supported also by Gen. SigePs 
command, which had remained till near the close ol 
the day on the left. Col. Carr’s division held the 
right under a galling and continuous fire all day. In 
the evening, the firing having entirely ceased in the 
center and the right being now on the left, I re-en¬ 
forced the right by a portion ol the second division 
under ABhoth. Before the day closed i was eon 
vinced that the enemy had concentrated his main 
force on the right, and' I commenced another charge 
on the front forward, so as to face the enemy when 
he had deployed on my right flank in a strong posi¬ 
tion. The charge had only been partially effected, 
but was In forward progress, when at sunrise on the 
Sth my right and center renewed the firing, which 
was immediately answered by the enemy with re¬ 
newed energy along the whole extent, of his line. 
My left, under Sigel, moved close to the bills occu¬ 
pied by the_enemy, driving him from the heights, 
and advancing steadily towards the head of the 
Hollows. 1 immediately ordered the center and 
right wing forward,—the right, turniug the left of 
the enemy and cross living on his center. 
Thus the final position of the enemy was in the 
arc of the circle. A charge of the infantry, extend¬ 
ing throughout the whole line, completely routed 
the rebel force, which retired in great contusion, but 
rather safely through the deep, impassable defiles of 
the Cross Timber. 
Our lose is heavy. The enemy’s can never he as¬ 
certained, for their dead aro scattered over large 
fields. Their wounded, too, may mauy of them lie 
lost and perish. The force is scattered in sill direc¬ 
tions, but 1 think his main force has retired to Boston 
Mountain. Sigel follows him to Keithsville, while 
my cavalry is pursuing him toward the mountains, 
scouring the country, bringing in prisoners, and try¬ 
ing to find the. rebel Van Dorn, who had command 
or the entire force at this battle of Pea Ridge. I 
have not as yet the statement, of the dead and 
wounded so as to justify report, hut. will refer you 
to the dispatch which 1 will forward very soon. 
Tho officers and soldiers have displayed such un¬ 
usual gallantry, that I hardly dare to make a dis¬ 
tinction. I must, however, name the commanders 
of divisions. 
Sigel gallantly commanded the right, and drove 
back the left, wing of the enemy. Asboth is wound¬ 
ed in the arm, in a gallant effort to re-enforce the 
right 
Colonel and acting Brig.-Gen. Davis, who com¬ 
manded the. center where McCullough fell on the 7th. 
Colonel and acting Brig.-Gen. Carr is also wound- 
ed in the arm, and was uuder a continuous tire of 
the enemy during the two hardest days of the 
struggle. 
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, and Missouri, may 
proudly share the honor of victory which their gal¬ 
lant heroes won over the combined to roe of Van 
Dorn, Price and McCullough, on Pea Ridge, in the 
mountains of Arkansas. 
1 have the honor, General, to he your obedient 
servant, Samuel G. Curtis, 
General Commanding. 
A Savannah, Tenn., dispatch to the St, Louis 
Uemocrat of the 13th inst, says the expedition up 
the Tennessee river has nearly all arrived, and the 
fleet is now on the. point of proceeding further up. 
The expedition is commanded by Gen. C. F. Smith, 
with Gens. Sherman, McClernand, Hurlbut, and 
Wallace, as Division commanders. The force is 
