Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-10-17
LSignclI
WASHINGTON AND VICINITY.

New York, Oct 16-Specia dispatches
state thar ri! is quiet this forenoon, on the
Potomac.
The navy department diseredts the reported
engagement at New Orleans.
The navy department is satisfied, from
Official Information, that the steamer Sarauac
is at San Francisco, undergoing repairs. 1t
is the eiore untrue that she was lost off the
the mouth OF the Mississippi in storm.
Secretary Cameron has telrgraphed that he
will he here tomorrow morning. The assist
ant secretary vi war is confined TO his home
by sickness.
Tie Mount Vernon reached Shipping Point
Just before day break this morning, and uuno
lestedly passed the rebel battery but the
Pawnee, following short time thereafter, was
fired on, between twenty and thirty shots be.
ing thrown toward her. I he Pawuee, accord
ing to orders, made no response. BY an ar
rival this afternoon from the lower Potomac it
is ascertained that both vessels had safely
passed beyond all reach Of danger from rebel
batteries
An officer of the steamer Jacob Bell, who
has carefully accommodated Shipping Point
Battery, on the Potomac, says there ate six
guns in position, all apparently heavy ordnance
The river there is about one mile wide. Tie
statement that there are SIX uIles Of batteries
below Shipping Point is all nonsense, as,
below a mile thence the Virginia shore recedes
and the river widenS, SO that batteries would
tie useless. Sixteen or eighteen guns are
about the extent of rebel armament there
abouts.
The Pawnee, Harriet Lane, and Yankee
went down the river during the night. TDe
Auacost& has had her boilers put aboard and
is being rapidly filled up
New York special dispatches state that New
il i,a frs tn fur hen fuI
quota of troops
The Trlbunes dispatch, speaking OF the en-
gagemeut OF the Seminole with rebel battery
yesterday says the engagement lasted tor an
hour, the Seminole replying and Keeping her
course The batteries for some considerable
distance fred npon her. Some sixty shot and
she'll were seen to burst and tall around her,
and after her passing they opened upon an
oyster sl0op. They have some twelve heavy
guns in position, some OF them rlt1ed. Rebel
camp fires have been seen extending back from
there for week past and il has been reported
a large body has been sent there from Aqua
Creek Opposite their line Of batteries the
river is but three quarters OF IA mile wide, and
vessels cannot pass until this battery is ST.
fenced new water battery, with eight EN-
brasures has also been discovered at Aqua
Creek When Commodore Craven arrived
with the news OF the attack on the Seminole,
the Pawmte was OFT the navy yard, destined
for an expedition down the river, but he order
cd her TO remain until some decision was made
relative 10 this new battery. 1t is probable Il
large force will be Immediately sent TO dis
lodge the rebels
Oar pickets now extend beyond LewinSylle
where The rebels today, in endeavorlng 10 DIS
pute the ground were driven back by gallant
charge, 50 Completely routing them that they
did not make another appearance
Some rebels from Romney today, destroyed
the bridge across the upper branch OF the 20
tomac on the Baltimore and Ohe railroad,
which is said to have cost S6O,O0O.
A conraband states that thyre are no rebels
this side Of Flint Hill, that the main body of
the rebels is on the line OF Flint Hill, tairtax
Court House and Fairfax Station on the
Orange and Alexandria rairOrd. Bonham
commands at Flint Hill, and Beauregard at
Fairfax Court House There is considerable
sickness among them.
Gov. Andrew and Frank lE. Howe have ar
rived. Their mission is supposed to relate TO
detachng three Massachusetts companies from
the Mozart regiment and transferring them to
fortress Monroe; alse relative to changes in
Two or three colonelcies OF Massachusetts regi-
ments.
Among the released prisoners who have ar
rived from Richmond are Stephen . Hara o.
the 9Th Massachusetts John McGlyn, of the
I'm Massachusetts W. J Randolph and
John o, Milne, OF the LIST Maine; I. G. Sulli-
van. Of the u Rhode Island II A. Bowman,
of Inc 81 New hampshire; Geo. Streeter, OF
the 81 Vermont
The Tribune's dispatch says the navy depart
ment has ordered last steamer to pursue tile
steamer Nashville, alleged to have run tue