The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-06-24

wOAeAN4AN0 GOAAAO4 Az
THE REBEL FEVER REvIvINa IN BALTIMORE.
There 10 little doubt that the rebel fever revving In
Baltimore. Their beldness Ia shown by the fact th the
Union pickets have frequently been fred upon lately.
NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENTS AND THE WAR AU.
THORITIR6-A WORD OF EXPLANATION.
WASHINGTON, June %, 1861.
The editorial In the HERALD Of Saturday the duty OF
correspondents and their disposition to dvuge the tn
tentons Of the authorities, thereby prosratng their
plans and giving aid and comfort to the enemy,
Ia quite just, but demands o word Of explanation
in order that injustice may not also be done to
the attaches Of the press, and that the fault Of
divulgng the government secrets may be placed
where belongs without discussing WHISTLER
correspondents Of tho press have publishei the
plans Of General Scott which would necessarily involve
the Inference that General habit expos
ing them 70 correspondents, will quote the most In
portant sentence Of the editorial. II Is folows:"
IL absolutely necessary lhat the plans Of generals
should remain secret TO the enemy till time - they
put into execution and these plans published
by the Northern press in anticipation such secresy
impossible" No person can deny that the above IL
correct rule but will show that 1t does not apply TO the
present state Of affairs.
In the first place, the correspondents in Wash
pston, where the competition for Is so
great, are at q loss sometimes to decide VIVA.
viii or what will not do injury to tho public SER
vice, and In such instances give the doubt to their
publishers, knowing that government censor 10 en-
ployed the telegraph ONCE who is supposed TO be
potent TO decide what should be published and what
should not be. Such officer detailed TO supervise
all teegaphc Dispatches long ago the 10th OF April
last The very existence Of this officer should relieve
al teleraphc correspondents from censure and respon
olA A.xtH kn H~,< AA~AA Az ALL
wait twenty four hours 10 obtain their news OF
the Northern papers, The writer with other representa-
ves Of leading Northern presses, has frequently dis
cussed this whole subject with war chiefs Cab
net officers and they have acknowledged that the rebels
have better way Of getting their information. They
know that Washington contains large numbers Of rebel
epes and that they have free TO and from the
city frequently In our government boats up the
Potomac The writer notified the War and Navy Depart
ments more than three weeks since that he had
the most positive information that the rebels were
In the habit every night OF crossing the Potomac
from Virginia 10 Maryland, in the vicinity
Of st. Nays and then Of taking passage NaYyhnders
board Of Of up river boats crossing over
land to Annapolis and Baltimore, there Learning our
strength, and thence by to Washington where they
thick - flies They pass from this city 10 the
Virginia side with the greatest possible ease; not by
obtaining passes their individual application,
them through The application Of old Washington
FRIEND to whom thsy mako the most positive declars-
tons Of loyalty, or by borrowed passes. Upon
making this statement at tho departments, to
my surprise ! was met with the prompt &C.
knowledgement that all these things wore well
known but could not be helped suggested at the Navy
Department that there ought to be enough guard on
the river to prevent these things The reapanse was
that the War Department ought TO detail TO
guard the Maryland shore to prevent boats from landing
The fact s that neither precaution has been taken
this day. Spies st flock here-view fortacations
ote our strength and, by every conceivable meals oh
tain the secrets Of the and yet they
poison the minds Of many OF the foreign troops
induce them TO away and join the enemy. This has
been done within the past week Now Ia view o. these
facts, N rcasonabls 70 suppose that ,As
twenty four hours for uformataon press,
pVsv'y iifE,cnu tren, when they en- get
it much sooner and reliable through their own
| spies /?
This statement, which would not have been made but
for the editorial remarks In the HERALD ia due
respondents Of the Northern prets and especially to the
writer, who has let opportunity pas render
service 10 the government, whether With carbire,
high private, when the capital in the hands Of
the yebes and the traitor Magruder ready to
his ttery against a secret agent by co opera
tion through my profession correspondent OF the
HERALD. The lie true Of msuy others and their
regular duties are severely arduous and responsible
respectfully suggest that they ought not TO be called
| to an account for mischief which they do
| not create. Not a day passes that the HERALD
| correspondents are not in possession OF the most
important movements Of the army from nearly every
part Of the country and the secret future intentions
our officers bu. never mprudently sent forward for
publication from reasons Of government policy can
inform General Scott when and where he proposes
L ~<y &c Nvcf That
what he about but too much Of patrio. to expose
his secrets those Of the government Let the cities
Of Warrington and Baltimore be put under martial law
and the Potomac river and railroads from here TO Ba
and Annapolis be put under proper government
surveillance and then the civil and military officers Of
government can complain of the correspondents with
more consiatsucy.
T THE sKRKIrH Ar EDWARDS FERRY.
FROM sixty 10 sIvBNrY REBELS KILLED.
/ THsfoIlowng is extract from letter Of member
| Of the Seventeenth Pennsylvania volunteers-
| PooIsvnll, Nd, Jsne %, 1901
Our object In marching here seems TO be accomplish
ed-Basper's Ferry abandoned. Gen. Patterson, from
Frederick; CAdwaader, from wiIamsport and divi
sion threatening Leesburg in the rear too much for
them. The enemy attempted 70 hold Nwards' Ferry,
our regiment hold this side Of the ferry with Sow,szsr
belonging 70 the West Point battery. number Of on
Sow. The howsssr was sTasd on tas Sow and
the spherical shot struck In the centre-ony two
out Of fifteen going outside Of H. Three other shots
fred into their column, killing sixty OF seventy
Hampshire boys held Conrads Ferry; but as
| their guns would net carry sufficient dis
sance 70 do the enemy. any harm, detachment
| Of twenty men was sent from regiment TO act
sha,pehooters They picked OF eight or ten Of the
rebels The New Hampshre men had been firing pistols
andsuns that did not reach half way the
The enemy'e six FOUNDER balls came thick and fast
| boys; but luckily hit, When
sraprshos were Ared, they ali aqaased, ana the shot
pateed over them. So soon az six pound ball would
strike the around, the boys would make dash and dig
Il They got six Of there trophies. rhe New lamp
/ N..u u.-....