the vandals, owing to the incessant shower of grape 
poured into that work from Fort Pickens. It was 
damaged more by the bombardment of December 
and January than by the rebels, but still is in excel¬ 
lent condition. 
The Navy Yard presents a scene of ruin and des- 
olatiou. Smoke, and flames still rise from the burn¬ 
ing timbers of the extensive storehouses, workshops 
and the wharves, all of which are destroyed. The 
skeleton frame of the old Fulton has vanished into 
thin air, and the. stocks on which she stood so long 
are now an ash heap. The splendid granite dock 
appears to be unharmed, and its wooden duplicate 
lies a wreck under Deer Island. The shears are 
standing in the yard, the foundry building and the 
blacksmith shop are safe, and the tall chimney is 
Htill erect 
Bragg took away with him, in March, a large rilled 
cannon and ten-inch columbiad, which constituted 
the Light House buttery. The armaments of the dif¬ 
ferent batteries and forts at Pensacola at the lime of 
the bombardment as near as it can be ascertained, 
I was as follows 
the leader — in the master’s eye. He came, and 
listened, and spoke—that was all—and the mass of 
blind, purposeless movement unravelled itself, and 
there was a plan and a battle. Quietly he sat in 
the midst of the crowd of officers that gathered 
around, and in a few minutes, when each had 
spoken, the best right hand on this continent was 
raised and pointed off to the North in the direction 
that Hancock had taken, and away went Keyes, 
away went Smith, and away went Noglcy. Soon a 
column of infantry tiled olf up the edge of the 
wood, a steady stream of seven thousand, closed by 
your correspondent’s '‘own," the dear old Massa¬ 
chusetts Tenth. All ielt that, light when we would, 
we were now in the hands of one who would give 
us the best chance, and that a whole day of strug¬ 
gle and exposure was not likely again to be wasted 
in mere combat without aim. After this order had 
been given for this movement to the right, General 
McClellan, rode over other parts of the field on the 
center and loft, took a look at the hospital arrange¬ 
ments. and near dark made his headquarters in the 
east room of the Whittaker 1 louse. What transpired 
there, of course this deponent knoweth not; but the 
result of his arrival is the best of all, and that is 
before the world in the victory of Williamsburg, 
and the first battle of the “Army of the Potomac" 
under Major-General George B. McClellan. 
burst beyond headquarters. Now, also, our own 
reserves were coming up. General Keyes had, in 
person, driven back a mile or two, and urged them 
forward. Casey's division, headed by that venera¬ 
ble officer, who has so long and faithfully served his 
country, reached the plateau to the rear of head¬ 
quarters. Couch’s division also appeared. Now, 
too, the artillery and cavalry held in reserve drew 
near to the scene of action, and prepared for an 
immediate engagement. Several additional bat¬ 
teries were sent forward. Ayers was throwing bis 
screeching missiles far into the enemy's ranks, and 
Mott opened an “ infernal fire ” on the center, while 
far on the right and left the din of our guns was 
incessant, the tumult of battle loud and furious. 
Yet messengers, their steeds 
“ Bloody with spurring, fiery-red with haste,” 
flew to headquarters with the report that on our left 
the desperate enemy were again pressing us in, 
while from the right Hancock sent for re-enforce¬ 
ments without delay. The somber clouds, dispens¬ 
ing their copious waters upon the marshalled armies, 
were not darker than onr prospects now appeared; 
but the arrival of additional forces, their careful 
placing and strength, and the knowledge that the 
main body could not be fur behind, inspired fresh 
confidence in our ranks. The battle waged savagely. 
Men never fought more doggedly. Death was never 
met with more of genuine heroism. The vacancies 
in the lines were speedily tilled, the enemy was met 
shot for shot and gun for gun. The army of the 
Potomac, long drilled, long in waiting, eager to 
avenge the slaughter and repulse at Bull Hun and 
Ball's Bluff, knew no such word as tail. 
When the firing was the most terrific, and the 
anxiety the most intense, there came from the rear 
of our ranks a sound which seemed for the moment 
to subdue the roar even of the artillery. All eyes 
and ears were turned to discover its origin, which 
proved to be the approach of General McClellan 
and staff. Throughout the day he had been mo¬ 
mentarily expected, and his opportune coming was 
balled with long and enthusiastic cheering. Regi¬ 
ment after regiment, as he was quickly recognized, 
gave utterance to a welcome of which Napoleon 
might have been proud. Arriving at headquarters, 
ho — without dismounting from his horse — held a 
brief consultation with General Keyes, and approv¬ 
ing his course, and especially his order lor re-en¬ 
forcements to General Hancock, joined him in a 
ride throughout our lines. His appearance was 
everywhere the signal for an outburst ot the wildest 
applause. The rapidity of his ride to the field had 
well sputtered him with mud, and the drenching 
rain had penetrated his every garment. He, how¬ 
ever, showed no sign of fatigue, and in person soon 
familiarized himself with the entire field, and by 
critical observation studied the exact position of the 
enemy. 
Hancock’s artillery fired with precision and 
rapidity, the fort, answering gun for gun. But the 
rebel infantry seemed to have their hands full 
managing Hooker, and so our own, it not yet being 
practicable to storm the fort, found little to do, and 
stood under the fire of the artillery with small loss, 
awaiting their share in the business. It was not 
long coming, and it came in a shape which more 
than one observer h ad leared from the on tset. It was 
preceded by one of those dead, ominous half-hour 
pauses which so often mark the decisive turn of an 
engagement,. Both sides ceased their fire on the 
right, and a few echoes came to us on the left. 
Many thought the enemy used Up and retreating. 
Others, who have had occasion to dread such still 
and awful lapses from the bloody work of a field- 
day. prognosticated an unknown danger impending 
close at hand suddenly. Then burst from the woods 
on our right flank a battalion ot rebel cavalry. 
Then to the right and left of the horse, four regi¬ 
ments of infantry supporting it. A terrible moment! 
“ OrH flag on the land and our flag on the ocean, 
An Angel of Peace wheresoever it goes,— 
Nobly sustained by Columbia’s devotion, 
The Angel of Death it shall he to our foes. 
True to our native sky, 
Still shall our eagle fly, 
Casting his sentinel glances afar— 
Though bearing the olive branch, 
Still in his talons staunch 
Grasping the bolts of the thunders of War.” 
There were forty-two guns on the | 
island on which Fort McRae is situated. Including 
the armament of that work and the water batteries. 
There was a battery of two ten-inch mortars and 
another of two ten-inch columbiads, just above the 
residence of Col. Chase, which also mounted, be¬ 
tween them, three forty-twos and two eight-inch 
guns. The [fight House battery, rendered famous by 
the destructive fire it poured into Pickens during the 
January bombardment, remained intact. The guns 
have been removed. In the rear of the light was a 
mortar, supposed to be a ten-inch sea coast 
ROCHESTER, N. Y., JUNE 7, 1862. 
Evaluation of Penancola by (be Rebels. 
The correspondent of the Boston Jourml, writ¬ 
ing from Peusacola on the 11th ult. furnishes a 
complete account of the surrender of that city to 
our forces, and the destruction of Fort McRae, the 
Marina Hospital and the Navy Yard. According to 
their usual custom the rebels signalized their de¬ 
parture by destroying all they could lay hands upon. 
About half-past eleven o'clock on the night of the 
ffth.tbc garrison of Pickens and the troops encamped 
on the island were startled by the report of two hun¬ 
dred muskets, which the rebel picket guard on the 
opposite shore fired in rapid succession. These 
were followed by two volleys of musketry, when 
signal lights were sent up from McRae to Pensa¬ 
cola. and the work of destruction commenced. The 
rebels set fire to the combustible material in the 
water battery below McRae, and immediately after 
(lames burst out from that fort, the Light House, the 
Marine Hospital, and the Navy Yard, and from an 
extensive oil factory in the outskirts of Pensacola. 
The vandals had made every preparation for the 
execution of their infamous design, intending to 
make a clean sweep of everything that had the 
fitamp United States upon it, as well as the town of 
Pensacola itself and the Confederate steamers which 
they could not remove beyond our reach. 
When the seutinels discharged their pieces, the 
officers at Santa Rosa thought the Confederates had 
gained a victory, and took this method to manifest 
their joy. But when the flames leaped up at the 
well known points, within a radius of ten miles, 
their doubts were quickly dispelled, and the truth 
Hashed upon their minds as the guns, left loaded 
aud spiked in the forts and batteries, heated by the 
flames, went off one after another, keeping up a 
brisk cannonade along the entire line of defense. 
By the light of the conflagration the rebels were 
seen running along the beach, carrying torches, 
with which they were firing everything that fell in 
their way — barracks officers’ quarters, wharves, 
the buildings in the Navy Yard, aud the Irame of the 
ship Fulton, on the stocks. 
The facts being reported to Gen. Arnold, the com¬ 
mander of Fort Pickens, be immediately ordered the 
beat of the “long roll." and opened a tremendous 
cannonade from the barbette guns and the water 
batteries above the fort, for the purpose of compel¬ 
ling the rebels to abandon their work of destruction 
and hasten the evacuation of the place. The firing 
was kept, up five hours with tho desired effect. The 
enemy were driven from the fortification, anil in 
THE WAR’S PROGRESS 
sieve and strategy, just as uen. Mcuielian nut at 
Yorktown. Instead of an immediate and precipi¬ 
tate attack, that would result in a terrible battle 
and the loss of thousands of lives, he will, it is 
thought, resort to an extensive siege, and either 
capture or drive out the enemy from their stroug 
entrenchments by slow but. sure degrees. 
We are inclined to the opinion that this is General 
Halleck’s policy. We judge so from the fact that he 
is now fortifying within two or three miles of tho 
rebel entrenchments, and that he has given explicit 
orders to all the division aud brigade commanders 
to avoid bringing on a general engagement, if pos¬ 
sible. This is the see rot "of the falling back of Gen. 
Pope’s division when recently attacked. Hail Pope 
stood ids ground, and called for re-enforcements, no 
doubt a general engagement of all the forces would 
have been at once brought on; but llallcck, appre¬ 
ciating the fact that a victory achieved with as little 
bloodshed aR possible is'the greates triumph, wisely 
retrains from provoking a general fight, until he shall 
have the enemy so completely besieged and so firmly 
in his clutches that success will be easy and com¬ 
paratively bloodless. 
Supposing this to bo Gen. Uallcck's plan, it may 
be two or three weeks before the great fight will 
take place, unless, as is not probable under the cir¬ 
cumstances, Beauregard will venture out of his 
entrenchments to give us battle. 
Conversations witli Kcbul Oflleers. 
Very many of Ihe rebel officers are men of 
education, courteous in manner, and gentlemanly 
in deportment. After a battle, such as are taken 
prisoners are generally examined, and some inter¬ 
esting intelligence generally obtained. Tho special 
correspondent of the N. Y. Evening Post says that 
among those taken In the pursuit of the enemy after 
the evacuation of Yorktown, wereJCaptain W. G. 
Connor, “Company A of Jeff. Davis’ Legion of 
Cavalry," from the vicinity of Natchez, Mississippi; 
Captain W. B. Newton, of tho “ Fourth Virginia 
Cavalry;” and Captain Frank Lee, of the “Thirty- 
second Virginia Infantry." These officers were 
sent to tho headquarters ot the Forty-fourth N. Y. 
Volunteers, i People’s Ellsworth regiment,) which 
regiment was assigned to the duly of garrisoning 
the town, where they have remained since the date 
of their capture. Captain Conner graduated at 
those of Emory’s command. Hero, too, our prison¬ 
ers, some score or more, were detained, and a bevy 
of contrabands of all shades, who had como to our 
lines during the day. with their effects upon their 
backs, were halted for the night. 
During the night, Hooker’s and Smith's'divisions 
of infantry pressed forward to their respective des¬ 
tinations on the left and light. At midnight it 
began to rain, and the darkness, before oppressive, 
became absolutely impenetrable. As the companies 
filed by, they were ntonee lost to view, and speedily 
the moistened earth began to quiver under tho 
tramp of tho troops. Far away to the left Hooker’s 
men approached the enemy's position, while to the 
center and right Smith's division formed in front of 
his forts. 
A dark, dreary morning, with torrents of rain, 
found the contending armies face to face. Flushed 
with their repulse of Stoneman, the rebels early 
began to advance their pickets on the left, and as 
quickly the determined Hooker drove them back. 
Bramhall’u and Smith’s batteries, both from New 
York, were soon in action, but their progress was 
thwarted by tbe condition of the roads. The 
former was eventually lost, atter a gallant defense, 
the horses being unable to move the guns. It was 
retaken on Tuesday. Throughout the morning, 
Hooker struggled manfully against the rain, the 
mud. and tho rebels, who appeared on the left in 
great strength. Gen. Ileintzelman was on the field 
much of the time, and pronounces the contest 
extremely severe; other experienced officers repre¬ 
sent it as terrible Jbeyond precedent. Grover’s, 
Patterson’s, and Sickles’ brigades were battled with 
a fury under odds, aud with a slaughter which had 
well nigh exhausted and driven them from the field, 
after the artillery had withdrawn, but for the timely 
arrival, at two o'clock, of Kearney’s division, con¬ 
sisting ot the brigades of Berry, Birney, and Jamie¬ 
son. These good troops, though weary with long 
and rapid marching, under the sturdy lead of 
Heintzelman, were not long in turning the tide in 
our favor, though it cost them, especially the Scott 
Life Guard and Mozart regiments of New York, a 
heavy outlay of life. Troops of less experience and 
hardihood would have flinched where these faced 
the music with a stubbornness which must have 
surprised tho enemy. 
Meantime Smith’s division was doing nobly on 
the right and center. Hancock’s brigade, composed 
of the Filth Wisconsin, Thirty-third New York, 
Forty-ninth Pennsylvania, and Sixth Maine regi¬ 
ments, was on the extreme right, while Brook's 
^ ermont brigade occupied the Center, and both bore 
the heat of battle most nobly. 
At four o’clock in the afternoon, the battle was at 
its height. Skirting the woods to the left, to the 
right, and before us, forming a half circle two or 
three miles in extent, were thousands of our infantry 
pouring a steady fire into the dense forests, where 
the enemy was steadily advancing. Now for the 
first time the rebel artillery began to be effective in 
the center of our lines. The hissing shells were 
thrown nearer and with greater precision, and even 
Htirring News from Fort Wright. 
Tki.kukams seem to indicate forward move¬ 
ments in the vicinity of Fort Wright, (or “Pillow,” 
as it is also called.) and down the Mississippi. We 
gather such intelligence as is at hand. 
A special from Fort Wright dated May 27th, says 
that the enemy is believed to have been largely 
re-enforced during the last three days. Two trans¬ 
ports are known to have arrived from Memphis, 
bringing two regiments of infantry and three batter¬ 
ies of artillery. A part of this forco landed at Ran- _ 
dolpb. while the remainder occupied the Arkansas 
shore, nearly opposite the foot of Island No. 33, 
where they are reported engaged in throwing up 
batteries. Deserters and refugees continue to arrive 
at the fleet. Several just arrived bring tho report 
that the enemy is about to assail the flotilla. A 
refugee from Memphis, on Sunday, says that a 
rumor was current in that city that ten Federal ves¬ 
sels had reached White River, at the mouth of which 
they had established a blockade. Steamers were 
thus cut off from their last avenue of escape. 
A short time before the steamer left the fleet, the 
mortars, which had been silent some days, again 
opened tire on the tort. 
Gen. Quinby is down at Fort Pillow with a land 
force, as reported by the Chicago Post. The cor¬ 
respondent of the Cincinnati Gazette, with tho 
flotilla, wrote on Wednesday last: 
■» Att TtTv.iT. ok Land Forces.— It was easy to see 
yesterday that Flag Officer Davis was uneasy about 
something. He came upon deck very often, and 
while the Quartermaster on watch kept his glass 
pointed constantly in the direction of Fort Pillow, 
the Flag Officer always looked up the river. ‘Any 
boats down to-day?’ he asked. ‘Ay, Sir—the mail 
boat,’ replied the Quartermaster. ‘None since?’ 
‘ None, your honor.’ 
“ Toward evening, the cause of the Flag Officer’s 
solicitude was apparent. A fleet ol steamers came 
in sight, and it did not take us long to discover that 
they were black ami blue with troops. The flash ol 
their glittering bayonets in the rays ot the setting 
sun, was a gratifying sight indeed. It assured us 
that the end of the siege was drawing nigh. It 
promised that Fort Pillow should not much longer 
obstruct the navigation of the river. It looked like 
business. It undoubtedly meant work. 
u Uow many or what troops arrived, it would be 
Improper to state; but the reader can rest assured 
that there are now enough here to insure the inau¬ 
guration of active hostilities without delay.” 
The correspondent ol the Chicago Post, under 
date of Saturday, sends the following up from the 
flotilla: 
“Some of our scouts who have returned from 
Island No. 34, report seeing three rebel transports 
coming up from below with troops. Upon the 
strength of this report, it is supposed the rebels are 
apprised of our intentions with relation to the fort, 
and are preparing to make a vigorous defense. 
General Quinby, who is here with—I must not say 
what force—went down on Capt. McGouigle’s steam 
tween Lhc Light House and Barrancas. Their tents 
and a large amount of equipments were secured. 
As soon as the rebels had been dispersed. General 
Arnold sent an officer to the blockading schooner 
Maria J. Wood, then lying off Fort Dickons, request¬ 
ing the commander to come into the bay, which he 
did—being the first vessel that has passed under the 
guns of Me line and Barrancas for twelve 'months. 
The schooner proceeded up to the city of Pensa¬ 
cola, taking Capt. R. 11. Jackson, Aid-de-Camp to 
Gen. Arnold, aud Acting Assistant Adjutant-Gene¬ 
ral, who was charged with a demand for the uncon¬ 
ditional surrender of the place. He landed, and 
was met*by about one hundred and fifty people, and 
who. with one single exception, manifested un¬ 
bounded joy at the arrival of a representative of 
the United Stales authority, lie found tbe wharves 
in flames, and directed the people to extinguish 
them. They promptly responded to his request. 
Capt. Jackson proceeded to tbe bouse of Mayor 
Bobee, discovering, as he went, that tbe town ap- 
conversation with, these uthcers, wmen was as 
follows: 
Question.—“ Why was the official report of tho 
battle of Manassas so long withheld from the public 
by your generals?” 
Answer.—“ Principally because Generals John¬ 
ston and Beauregard did not consider it expedient 
to disclose the strength of our force at that battle. 
Your official and newspaper reports had greatly 
exaggerated the strength ol our army at that battle. 
It was not the policy of our commanders to disclose 
the true strength of our force, as our army of the 
Potomac was designed as an army of menace merely, 
and not of attack. The design of our President was 
not to attack Washington, but to so continually 
threaten it that you would be obliged to hold a large 
army iu the vicinity to protect the city, thus obliging 
you to withdraw your troops from other points of 
attack at the South or West, or preventing you from 
re-enforcing those points. Again, tbe battle was so 
dearly won that the official report of It at an early 
day would huve giveu your troops more encourage¬ 
ment than ours,” 
Q, —“ Why did Mr. Davis reject the policy of Gen. 
Beauregard in regard to the attempt to take posses¬ 
sion ot Washington?” 
A.—*' Because we could not have held the capital 
so long as you had possession ot the Potomac. It 
was the policy of General Beauregard aud other 
of our leaders to capture that city and liberate 
Maryland. 
Q. —“ What regiment of our army fought the most 
gallantly at Manassas?” 
A.—“ The Fourteenth of Brooklyn and Griffin’s 
and Rickett's battery fought by far the most gallan tly. 
This is the opinion of all of our officers.” 
Q. _“ What errors do your officers think we com¬ 
mitted at this battle that caused us to lose the day ? 
A.—“ If you had fought the battle Thursday or 
Friday, you would have won it. The delay at 
Blackburn’s Ford was fatal to you. You made a 
fired in honor of the old ensign, and three cheers 
given for the Union and three for the flag. The fort 
presented a sad spectacle of charred and smoking 
timbers, blackened walls, and demolished masonry. 
The timber flooring iu all the casemates, which had 
sustained the upper tier guns, was entirely con¬ 
sumed, as were the gates of the main .mile porte, and 
the timbers of the blindages. Only three pieces of 
ordnance remained in the fori—two 32-pounders, 
from one of which a shot had been discharged dur¬ 
ing the conflagration, and the casemate howitzer, 
both spiked and dismounted. 
The Light House was set ou fire, but only slightly 
injured. Fort Barrancas sustained little injury from 
