The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-27 00:00:00

tended point of debarkation. The steamers crossed
over, and at daylight preparations were made for
landing. The shore is a smooth sandy beach, the
sand being very deep as you leave the water, and
suddenly rising into long mounds 10 or 15 feet
high, thrown up by the heavy windi blowing on
shore, and forming a complete breastwork around
the fields which they invade. The water, shallow
at the shore line, deepens very gradually, and only
at some 50 feet out becomes deep enough for vessels
drawing five or @ix feet of water. Three or four
canal boats were towed over, and placed side by
side lengthwise of the coast; an inclined platform
was constructed to the land, and this served for a
temporary wharf, across which the troops, cannon,
and other indispensables of the expedition were
landed. The infantry regiments were landed first,

and started at once upon their march. The negroes,
who alone remained behind, said that a mounted
picket had been there the day before, but had left,
saying the Union men were coming over in a day or
two. The troops were landed, and started forward.
One cbj,ct of pushing forward the infantry rapidly
was to secure, if possible, the bridge across Tanner's
Creek, by which the route to Norfolk would be
shortened several miles. The route lay through
pine woods and over roads in only tolerable condi-
tion. At abort one o'clock the leading regiment,
under Max Weber, came to the bridge and found it
burning, having just been set on fire by a body of
men who had planted a couple of small guns on the
opposite bank, which they opened upon oar advance.
General Mansfield, who had come over from New-
port News, at General Wool's request, to join the
expedition, thought this indicated an intention to
resist the further progress of our troops, and that
nothing could be done without artillery and a
larger force. lie accordingly started back to hurry
up the batteries and to provide for bringing over a
portion of his command as a reinforcement. Gen.

Wool, however, meantime decided to push forward.
The column marched back about two miles and a
half, to a point where a diverging road led around
the head of Tanner's Creek, and took that route to
Norfolk. Nothing further was heard from the party
that had fired upon our columns, and it was evident
that the demonstration was merely intended to pro-
tect them in the destruction of the bridge. They
fired about a dozen shots, none of which took effect.
Our troops pushed rapidly forward, in spite of the
heat of the day, and at five o'clock reached the en-
trenched camp, some two miles this side of Norfolk,
which had been very strongly fortified with earth-
works, on which were mounted 29 pieces of artil-
lery. No troops were in' the place, and our
forces passed through it on their way to the town.
Just before reaching it they were met by a flag
of truce, to which an officer was at once sent for-
ward to inquire its object. Receiving information
that it was to treat for the surrender of the city, the
officer returned, and General Wool and staff, with
Secretary Chase, advanced to meet the mayor of
the city, who had come out under the flag. Both
parties dismounted and entered a cottage by the road-
side, when the mayor informed the General of the
evacuation of the city, and of the object of his visit.
It seems that a meeting was held at Norfolk some
days since, not long, probably, after the evacuation
of Yorktown was resolved upon, of the rebel secre-
tary of War, General Huger, General Longstreet,
and some others of the leading military authorities,
at which it was determined not to attempt to hold
the city against any demonstration of the national
forces to effect its capture. This decision was fol-
lowed by the withdrawal of the main body of the
troops. Upon receiving a note from General Huger
stating that this had been done, the Mayor immedi-
ately convened the select and common councils of
the city, and a committee was appointed to confer
with the Federal commander.

" The Mayor, after presenting the resolutions
come to at the meeting, said he had come, in con-
formity with the instructions they contained, to
surrender the city into the hands of the United
States, and to ask protection for the persons and
property of the citizens.
" General Wood replied that his request was
granted in advance, that the Government of the
United States had not the slightest wish or thought
of interfering with the rights of any peaceable citi-
zen, and that all should have full protection against
violence of every kind. The first thing he had
done on setting out in the morning had been to
issue an order prohibiting, under the severest penal-
ties, any interference with the private property or
rights of any citizen, and this prohibition should be
enforced with the utmost rigour. He begged the
Mayor to rest assured that every thing he had asked
should be granted.
" The party then broke up to go to the City-hall,
where the Commanding-General issued a general
order appointing Brigadier-General Viele military
governor for the time being, authorizing him to see,
that all citizens were carefully protected in their
rights and privileges; and instructing him to take
the utmost care to preserve order.
" Immediately after issuing this order General
Wool with his Staff and Secretary Chase withdrew,
and rode back across the country to Ocean View,
the place of debarcation, which they reached a
little after 8 o'clock.

" General Viele at once entered upon the dis-
charge of his duties. His first act was to issue a
proclamation, in which he stated that the occupancy
of the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth was for the
protection of public property, and the maintenance
of the public laws of the United States; that pri-
vate associations and domestic quiet would not be
disturbed, but that violations of order and disre-
spect to the Government would be followed by the
immediate arrest of the offenders.

" Immediately after General Wool left the City
hall a large concourse of citizens assembled around
the City-hall. Major Lamb came forward and ad
dressed them briefly, confining himself mainly to a
recital of the incidents of the day. He enjoined
upon the citizens the maintenance of peace and
quiet, and exhorted them to abstain from all acts of
violence and disorder. If the decision had rested
with him he would have defended the city to the
last man ; but their Government had decided dif-
ferently, and they must yield to its authority. The
Mayor's remarks were cheered by the crowd, who
also gave three cheers for President Davis with a
great deal of enthusiasm, and also responded with
less heartiness to a demand for three groans for

Lincoln.

" The embarcatiou of the expedition began at 4
o'clock yesterday. It was lanced upon a slightly
known shore, without a wharf, early next day.
General Wool slept in Fortress Monroe last night,
marched with his troops some twenty miles, cap.
tured Norfolk, and was in IY:d again in his own
quarters before midnight."
A letter, dated Fortress Monroe, May 11, says :

" At 4 o'clock this morning a bright light was
observed from Fortress Monro, in the direction of
Craney Island, which was supposed at first to be a
signal. of some descriptionifromthe Merrimac. Pre-
cisely at half-tast 4 o'clock an explosion took place,
which made the earth and water tremble for miles
around. In u:
etoaunte
the midse,
t of +he bright flame which
shot op in the distance, the timber and iron of the
monster steamer abe
seen flying through the
air. No doubt was
entertained teat the veritable
ex
Merrimac had ceased to Flag-officer Golds-
borough, on receiving this report, ordered two armed
malzal tugs, tho Zouave and the Dragon, to proceed
towards Craney Island on a reconnaissance, and as-
certain the truth of the rumour. 1n the meantime
two tugsboats were seen coining on
towards the for-
tress at full speed, each apparently endeavouring to
outvie the other, and when nearingthe wharf the
radient countenance of Captain Case, of the Minne-
sota, gave assurance that the news they brought was
of a most gratifying character. The report was true
—he had met parts of the floating wreck. From the
men found on- the island we ascertained that the
i'llerrimae had lain-dui ing Saturday at a point nearly
a mile below the position from which the fragments
were observed. During the night, however, she had
been brought back and run ashore. The .whole of
her officers and envy were landed on the island, and
a slow match was applied to her magazine. She was
torn to fragments .by the time the crew were out of
reach of her. Negroes state that the officers and
crew passed through the adjoining country, on the
mainland, about 8 in the morning, to the number of
.200. They said they were on their way to Suffolk. I
bkve.ng doubt whatever of the destruction of the
,

v:y ,C