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Confirmation of the Peaceful victory of General Lockwood—Nine Cannon Captured—Preparations for Annexation to Maryland
After passing Newtown the military force met with various obstructions in the road, consisting of the destruction of bridges and the felling of trees across the road. Some were easily marched around and others quickly removed. The first earthwork they encountered was this side of Oak Hill, prepared for four guns, hut none were mounted, and there was no force visible anywhere.
Between Oak Hill amd Drummondtown another battery was encountered, on which eight guns were mounted, but it was entirely deserted. There was also another earthwork about eight miles beyond Drummondtown, which was likewise deserted.
We are still without full details of this capture of our Ministers, Messrs. Mason and Slidell, but are able to supply a few additional particulars:
The vessel from which they were taken, is the British mail steamer Trent. This steamer when only one day out from Havana, on her voyage to England, was arrested by the U. S. Screw Frigate, San Jacinto. The particular circumstances of the removal of Messrs. Mason and Slidell from her decks, we do not know, save that it was by exhibition of force against protest. These gentlemen and their attaches were then brought to Fortress Monroe, which place they reached on the 16th.—The next day they were started to New York, which city they probably reached on Monday last.
Yesterday morning five companies of the 15th Massachusetts regiment crossed the river at Edwards’ Ferry, and had advanced to within one mile and a half of Leesburg, when they were met by the 14th Mississippi regiment, and compelled to retreat to the Ferry. At the same lime, another portion of Gen. Stone’s command crossed at Harrison’s Island. During the day, much skirmishing took place, and it is said that the Federal troops advanced to within a mile and a half of Leesburg. At 5 o’clock last evening, however, the Confederates, in large force, attacked the right of the column, which numbered eighteen hundred men, and was commanded by Col. Baker, U. S. Senator from California. Col. Baker fell, and his command sustained a, repulse, and fell back with considerable loss.
A Washington correspondent of the New York Tribune says :
I have just learned the particulars of two interviews which took place on Sunday last between some members of Colonel Hays’ 8th Pennsylvania regiment and the Virginia 43d (rebel) stationed oil the opposite banks of the Potomac at Great Falls. The river is here not more than a hundred yards wide, and the pickets on both sides have occasionally hailed each other. On Sunday the rebels invited some of our men across, stating that if they would leave their arms behind them they would receive hospitable treatment and be allowed to return.
The following, written at the entrenched camp near Norfolk, is from a member of the Mobile Gulf City Guards, only seventeen years of age:
Dear Grand Pa If you only knew the monotony of camp life you would not wonder (coming from as feeble a pen as mine) at my letters being so dull and uninteresting.
No news, no excitement at all. Every day the same old thing—drill, drill, drill; and after that the men return to their quarters, and there remain in a kind of trance until some unlucky dog comes along, when he is immediately grabbed by some one, a canteen is tied to his tail, and away he flies amid the yells and cries of a thousand men, making the old woods ring for miles around and then just is suddenly, every thing is as quiet as if nothing had happened.