Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-09-27

ANOTHER REcoNNolsAscE.


able amount in possession Of secessionists who
h'd left their farms and Joined the rebel army.
The advance corps consisting Of 3,OOO men,
with six pieces Of artillery halted at the house OF
physician on an sminence, about mile and
from Lewihsville, where two guns were planted
to the right OF the road and four to the left, In
faniIy supporting, and administers thrown out on
each flank
From Ok O'Clock a. m. till o'clok p. m, our
forces rested, the enemy making no sign, and our
men busfly loading the wagons with hay and
corn belonging to Lewinsville Rebels.
Shortly after 3 O'Clock, movements were dis.
covered In the woods. About q regiment ap-
Peared on our flank, and heavy column In front
at least four regiments Of infantry one Of caval.
~, and six pieces Of artillery.
Notice was given to the supports, and In few
moments the rebels opened with shot and shell;
the first falling short. After few shots the rebels
succeed In getting the range, and dropped shell
just In the rear Of our line, slightly wounding a
private Of Col Bakers regiment In the arm. The
batteries Of Mott and Grifan Immediately opened
upon the Confederates; the first shell dropping
among the bushes where was planted a rebel bat
terry. Twenty six shot and shell were thrown by
our artillery, when the rebels retired from the
field, and at O'Clock our forces returned to their
q
and one prlsoner-Burke-an lrishman, Of Win
chester, who mistook our pickets for theirs. He
represents himself az an aid to Col. Stewart.
The expedition ostensibly for forage, but
really to see II the enemy meant fight and also to
try men.
General Mcclellan was not present during the
affair, but was represented by Colonel Keyes, Of
his staff
The Union troops engaged In the affair were
the New York 10th, Sd Vermont, 10th Indiana,
and portion OF a Wisconsin regiment, with 80
regular cavalry, Grifin's West Point battery, and
d section-two guns-of Motifs New York battery.
Besides ninety-two loads of hay and corn, our
force brought In twenty sheep and twenty beef
cattle-the property Of Quartermaster Means, of
the Confederate service. The hay was the prop.
erty OF DIR. Mackall, Jr.
Ere the enemy appeared, dispatches from the
balloon notified Gen. Smith that he might expect
an attack, as the rebels had moved from Falls
Church In large force They commenced firing
from hill four miles distant from the position of
our troops, and their shell fell short three miles
quite. The shell that passed over our troops was
tired from section Of a battery-two guns-ad-
vanced in different direction within two thou
sand yards Of Grifin's battery.
The noteworthy features Of the affair were the
skrmishers, and the fact that the enemy evidently
declined the engagement offered to them.
LAME EXCUSE.
On Sunday last the St. Louis Democrat endeay-
ored to break the force Of the impending public
Judgment against General Fremont's competency
for his command, then likely to grow out of the
apprehended fall Of Lexington, by attributing
that probability to the order from Washington for
I" a large portion Of the forces w hch Gen. Fremont
had ordered 10 Its reIiefn
This is ali CANNON. The order transferring
certain Illinois regiments from Fremont's COM
mand to this military department did not leave
Washington until after F.s refusal to reinforce
Mulligan had virtually secured his subsequent
defeat. The reinforcements-which he had at
command-to have been Of service, should have
left st. Louis weeks before the order In O Question
left the War Department. That there Is no
validity whatever In this excuse, 10 proved by the
fact that after the receipt Of the order, General
Fremont still had twenty thousand troops at CON-
mand, with which to start to shut the stable door,
after he had permitted the steed to be stolen.
THE IRoN-cLAp STEAMERS.
The letting Of ironclad steamers, as reported In
the papers, by the Navy Department, Is prema-
ture. The bids for this work are not vet dis
posed Of, the models presented scarcely coming
up to the expectations Of the commission having
the matter in charge.
We regret to hear that Lieut. John M. Wilson,
U. s. Artillery is lying quite Ill with a severe
attack Of fever, at the residence Of his father, Mr.
Jos. 3. Wilson, Thirteenth street, In this city
APPOINTED.
Mr.. IL Delany, formerly a clerk In the War
Department, has been appointed Chief Clerk in
the Quar!ermaster's Department under Gen.
Fremont.
THE SITUATION UPON THE POTOMAC.
Especial correspondence Of the Starl
ALEXANDRIA, Sept. 26.-Editor Star On We'd
nesday last the rebel batteries for the first time
were discovered at Free Stone Point and must
have heavy guns mounted from the distance the
shot and shell Jew. One Of the Government pro-
pellers Of the Potomac hotilla slightly injured
by shot that struck her, aud was lowed out of
reach Of the battery by one of the Heet-Penguin
The point Of land being very high, twas difficult
for the guns Of the feet to be elevated high enous
| TO do much good The vessels bound up the Po-
tomac yesterday being quite numerous, as well
as day, had to hug the Maryland shore very
close to prevent being injured. The number of
vessels arrived to-day has been quite numerous
from the river and bay, a. well as fsom sea, with
coal, hay and supplies for the Government-as
many as eight vessels with hay In sight at one
time on the Potomac.
To-day eight or ten shots were fred from Cock
Pit Point, tits presumed intended a compliment
to the fine steamer Delaware, that came from Phil
atelphia with a large number of sailors for the
new sloop-of-war at the navy yard. She passed
up this morning and down again this afternoon.
The following are believed to be the batteries
on the Potomac: At Timber Branch; north Of
Quantico; Cock Pit Point; Free Stone Point;
heavy battery lower side occoquan Greek; Aqua
Creek; Matthias Point, (three or four heavy bat
teries, waiting opportunity to do damage)
There are twenty Government vessels of all
size, from Maryland Point to this point, but
good MANY are Of that description that they can
not stand heavy shot from shore batteries The
truth might AZ well be told at once; merchant
vessels will not be willing to come into the Po-
tomac To run the risk Of being sunk, unless pro-
tected, and our Government vessels on the Poto-
mac cannot stand being fred int, and again most
Of their guns are too short to reach.
n~ DEPARTMENT OF METROPOLITAN
JIG POLlCE-The board of Police Commits
slOnera having tax the louse 81 e Rleventh ST