The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-05-08
THE SITUATION OF AFFAIRS.

THE SITUATION OF AFFAIRS.
There is sudden stir in the movement Of
troops towards the seat of war. Orders were
ments which are ready, and as there are proba-
bly, nearly ten thousand men in readiness, or
nearly SO, we may expect to see busy times with
the military in this city for some days. The
Twentieth (Ulster county regiment), whose orders
to march had previously been countermanded,
left for Washington yesterday by railroad, and
will probably pass through Baltimore in
company with the Pennsylvania troops under
General Patterson, who are moving in that
direction to-day. The authorities of Maryland
having assured the government that the passage
of federal troops would not be intertered with,
General Patterson has changed his design of march.
ing large corps d. a1raSe through Baltimore,
and will advance in small bodies from Harrisburg,
York, Lancaster and Philadelphia, to test the
temper of the city, as soon as the bridges and
rails on the Wilmington and North Central Rail
roads are completed, which will be done to-day.
-Four hundred men from Philadelphia arrived at
Perryville yesterday, and five hundred were
despatched from that place along the
road between Havre de Grace and Bush river.
large freight train filed with troops, from Ohio,
was passed last night near Perryville.
Troops from every direction are thus moving
cautiously and safely towards Washington. Alex
andria was evacuated by the secessonist troops
yesterday. It is said that Baltimore will be &C.
cupied by federal army during this week, and the
belief s that if General Pattersons troops are mo.
Tested on their passage through that city, that the
guns of Fort McHenry will teach the resistants
bloody lesson.
Two regiments OF volunteers for the District OF
Columbia were rendered for service yesterday, in
answer TO the Presidents proclamation, and they
were at once furnished with rifles. Colonel level
was to have left Washington last night for this city
to contract for their uniforms.
Provisions are pouring into Washington very
fast. Two large droves of oxen got there yester'
day from Pennsylvania. The troops there will
therefore be well provided for. The War Depart.
ment is DESTROYS that all the volunteers sent on in
future should be properly equipped and drilled,
and II is very essential that they should be, in
view Of the activity of the Southern army in con-
rentrating itself around the federal capt.
tai It is impossible to tell, in the pre-
sent aspect OF aHairs, how soon a collision
may occur, then this State, and all others send
ing forward volunteers, should proceed at once to
drill all its surplus men, under regular United
States officers, preparatory TO sending them to the
seat of war. Ten regularly drilled soldiers are
more effective in action than thirty raw recruits
oar regiments must be better drilled, or they may
be cut Up, when we shall have no better ones to
replace them.
The rebel leaders are not idle, although much OF
their action is concealed. Flom the reliable in
formation which we can gather IRON various
sources with regard TO the number and disposition
of the Southern troops, there cannot be less than
between forty and fifty thousand men now IN Viz.
rinia We learn from gentleman who has just
come through the South, that there were 1000
troops in Richmond on Saturday, 4000at Lynch
burgh on Friday, 1000 at Culpeper Court House,
tad about 5000 at Dumfries on Sunday. Seven
hundred Kentucky volunteers had just arrived at
Strasburg. There were five thousand men at
Harpers Ferry on Monday, and our informant
reports that troops were rapidly coming north
by all the routes except the North Carolina Cen.
trail Railroad on which they were afraid 10 travel
by night lest the bridges should be broken
down Armed guards were posted day and night
on the road from Weldon TO Petersburg. Brigs.
der General Cooke commands the Potomac Dor.
der Of Virginia with a torce OF men,
while General Ruggles is stationed at Frede.
ricksburg; but The number Of their seve.
raj commands is uncertain. The opinion
of the men on the march froms the south s, stat
they are TO concentrate at Dumfres on the banks
of the Potomac, fifty.fve miles south of Alexan.
,,Sa, and from that point make an attack upon
Washington II IL generally believed, however,
that no intention was ever entertained to hold
possession Of Washington, should the rebels be
successful, but 10 destroy il and thus remove 0
bone Of contention.
1t was reported at Montgomery that cen Brage
was erecting ior,ihcations very rapidly for an srt
tack on Fort Pfckens and that his men were in
good health and confident Of ultimate victory.
We learn from the West that provisions are al.
flowed to 10 down The Mississippi without bin.