, 1861-06-24

Balls Cross Roads to the neighborhood' Of
Falps Church, abont1hree miles distant 'ffpin
either Fairfax Court House OF Vienna. :Capt
Tompkins Of the caElEy, returned ftom a 10.
reports foree Of 800 rebels 1t rthnt point.
. i, al ie probable, the latter should be rein
forced to night, ta&tle between these forces
will ba almost inevitable tomorrow.
e. a collision occnaHI this morning between
;. picket guard of ths Second Connecticut Reg
The Counecticnt papest was sordered to % occa.
py the positions held by the rebel picket. L
Is reported that in taking possession Of the
ground, one Of the Connecticut men was kill
ed and four wounded. The loss of the other
side 10 supposed to be greater. -
Il is now evident thas the main blow against
the rebels Wil ba?stIuck from the Federh
Capitol. The army ut Washington consists OF
$500 effective maIS comprising two infantry
end one cavalry regiment Of regulars, twenty.
one regiments frnmfthe city and State Of New
York, five from:3 ~Pennsylva four from
Maine, two from Connecticut, three from
Michigan. two from Massachusetts, one from
Rhcde Island, and: ok batteries Of light artil-
leIy. 10000 more men will be added to this
immenee body eariynext week 10000, with
the District militia will be sufficient for any
events at the Capita, 80 that grand army Of
as spirited troops as can be found anywhere,
can be moved agalnst the rebels With the
II
more than sufficient to break the lines Of the
{ebels and drive :tthgn in the direction Of
Surprise has bean expressed in some quar-
tczs at the failure Of Gen. Scott TO prevent the
erection Of batteries at various points on the
adyanee Of. the Onion army towards Rich.
mond, however, will either compel the rebels
to remove their batteries or render them an
easy prey to the Union forces. Gen. Scott is
indisposed to take, at great sacrifice Of life,
what will be had h due time without blood.
Gen. Mcclellan has been instructed to
sweep the last yetiges Of secession both out
OF Northwestern .aAd Southwestern. Virginia
His army will be strongly reinforced for in
mediate operations.
Ady!ces have been received here from Fort
rickens to tie 10th. There Was no change in
the military status. Active operations were
etiu kept up on both Sides. Commander
Brown had entirely completed his means Of
defence. The Fort is the best possible condI-
tfon, ond no feara Wera entertained Of the
rebel forces under Gen. Bragg, which our COM
man1er states, are. still very large, notwith-
standing portion Of them have been detailed
for service st some other point.
Gentlemen he1e Wlo are In communication
with Unionists 4, East Tennessee, are Of
opinion that the Convention called to meet at
Knoxville, will pursue course similar to that
adopted By the Wheeling Convention In Vir-
einia. They will teppdiate the usurpers at
Nashville, elect = GoEernor, and organize
Slate Goyerpment, as neaS as possible In con-
formity With the proyiaions Of the State Con,
stitutlon, and call hpon the loyal men Of Ten
netece to rally to tGelr support. :.
Tie Union men there aFe at the fighting
point All theF Fant from the Government
take care Of themselves, aud close the Cum
bar1and Gap Railroad against the rabels.' It
has been the main AVenne for relnforcements
Its probable that al the roads between the
1dvnnee posts Of the enemy. and from there
toWard our lines IS covered by masked bat
teries. In addition to those discovered BY
Lieut. Tompkins, 1t has been asce1talned that
there is one and probably more In the woods
near Springfield, the first station from Alex
dria, on tho Orange and Aexandria road, 9
miles from Alexandria and Is from Manassas
Junction. a force Of several hundred pro
tects them. It Is believed that they have been
erected lately. .,:,.
4 Especial messenger from Fortress Monroe
says two men arrive thero who had escaped
from Sewalps Point. It seems the battery at
sewalrs Point Is composed Of five Colunbi-
ads, s{x pieces Of smaller bore, and three rifed
.cannon-in Ill II guns. BetWeen the Point
and Norfolk are TWO other batteries, armed
With the stolen guns from the maynard, At
sewalls Point there are 800 men; as Norfolk,
1900 men, most Of them now under orders
for Richmond, and at intermediate points about
2e00. Amongst them are 500 South Carroll.
niane, two full regiments from LouIsiana, and
one from Georgia- The last three, have been
SO much dissatisfied with their treatment and
probable destiny that Howell Cobb; who has
Richmond to address them He bade them
be Of coed courage, and pledged his word
Of honor that within three months the Confed-
crate army would not only occupy Washing.