The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-10-27

AISE SITUATION.
General Mcclellan has issued an order highly
complimenting the troops engaged at Balls Bluff.
lie commends their valor, and attributes no blame
to them for the repuse which they sustained, con-
sidering the immense odds opposed to them and
the trying circumstances under which they fought.
Notwithstanding the blockade maintained by the
rebels on the lower Potomac two schooners, laden
with government stores, succeeded in running harm
less under the forts on Friday night, and reached
Washington in safety.
Reports had reached Washington yesterday that
the rebels have now concentrated in the vicinity
Of Leesburg an army of nearly fifty thousand men,
anu that the attempt to entrap our troops in that
vicinity, on Monday last, was looked upon by the
rebel chiefs at Richmond as great stroke of
military sagacity but the reconnaissance OF Gene
raj Stones advance from Edwards Ferry spoiled
the game and the withdrawal of our forces to the
Maryland side of tho Potomac under the orders of
General Mcclellan, must have convinced the rebels
that the Union army on the Upper Potomac is not
to be so easily caught, and that it can bear such
casualty that which befel its accommodating par
ties at Balls Bluff without mpairing its efficiency
or vigor.
The rebel accounts Of the battle OF Balls Bluff,
which we give to-day from the Richmond papers,
forcby illustrates thc spirit OF exaggeration which
charactcrizes all the stories got up on the rebel
side relative TO every engagement in which the
armies on both sides have been in the field. BY
these reports it will be seen that official dispatches
from General JOS. E. Johnston to General Cooper,
at Richmond, state that the rebels were opposed by
twelve regiments and five batteries of our troops,
whereas it is known that we had not much
more than LOO men in action Further reports
in the Richmond papers allude TO dispatches re.
ceved by the War Department of the rebel go
vernmcnt to the effect thai tie loss OF the Union
army one 900 killed and wounded, together
with Geo prisoners and / 200 stand Of arms
captured. This fact it will be observed would
accomplish the total destruction Of all our
forces in action, almost to a man. We are also
informed from the same sources that Colonel Evans
was made Brigadier on the field for having
achieved . grand victory with $500 men, over
onion force OF ten thousand. The rebel accounts
claim the capture by their forces of six rRcd can
ron, bit thappens, unfortunately FOR the accuracy
of this statement, that troops had only one
iron rihed gun in the field, and that this, with two
howitzers. which were thrown into the Potomac
by our men, constituted the entire artillery force
in action on that day. So much for the veracty of
the rebel accounts Of the battle of Ealfs Eluf.
The state Of affairs in Missouri is not sluch
changed since last reports. Colonel Plummer has
returned TO Cape Girardcau, while Colonel Carlin,
with regiment of infantry, two pieces Of artillery
and squadron Of cavalry, occupies Frederick
town. From this point Je1 Thompson and bis
rebel troops wero pursued twenty-five miles on
the Greenviile road, and the probabilityis that
they are now in or about Grcenvie, hut in very
demcralized condition, according to all reports.
The telegraph lately opened to San Francisco,
brings u, among other intelligence--dated the
day before yesterday--news that the Orizaba left
that port on the Dist, for Panama with four nun.
dred and forty United States regular troops and
zen thousand stand of arms doubtless en- yoate for
some point in the United States.
We give to-day a map Of the mouths Of the
Mississippi the Southwest Pass, and the scene OF
the late reported naval battle between the rebel
mosquito iotilla of Captain Holns and the
United States Squadron, which has been so grossly
misreprcsentcd by rebel authorities.