Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-10-08
LATE NORTHERN INTELLIGENCE.
From late Northern papers we extract the
following:
AFFAIRS At MuSsoS's uiLL.
.preisl correspondepce Of the washIngtOn s,ar

l.prcsl Correspondence OF the Washington s,sr
MussoS's HILL Sept. 20, ls6l.-Editor
"Star:" Your correspondent came up to thIS
famous locality this afternoon, and found things
much changed since his lust visit, when the
pickets on either side were industrousy pop
ping rife ball courtcsics at each other undnr
cover in the corn fields between this place and
Baiey's Cross Roads, three quarters oil mile
distant Now the road Leesburg turnplke)
leading to the hill was lined with visitors IN
carriages, on horseback, and ON foot, pushing
boldly along to get close look at the much
talked of eminence.
Among the visitors j'ls Gaving Is arrived
was Secretary Seward.
The New York Thrty-seventh Regiment
was in occupancy Of the hilI-at least such
portion Of the regiment rs was not struggling
around the ueighborhnoi committing deprcda.
tions. The deeds Of this regiment (formerly
Ecuunn's) duue IN yesterday will doubtless
recei.e an investigation 4 the hands at:Gan.
Mcclellan. rheY-were certainly of the most
dsgraceful character. Several dwellings, with
barns and out-houses. were set on fire and
wholly consumed. Amongst these was the
house and barn Of Rev. Mr. Lipscomb. Val
liable furniture, pianos, large mirrors, feather
beds, &c, were destroyed wantonly, and in one
instance the officer Of II cavalry regiment was
so much inccnsed by these outrageous acts OF
Vandalism that he compelled the mscreantS
10 suspend their 7lainous work al lie point
tf the pistol.
This lthirty seventy regiment will nech
some active discipline 10 make II any credit 10
the service. On Yesterday Lieut.. Col. Burke
f0nrd it necessary to shoot private William
Moran through the head for INSTRUMENTATION.
The nen Of the regiment were murmurinS
their discomfort at this prompt punishment
into the ear of every visitor, and were not at
all 10th to use such phrases as that "poor
Moran was murdered for doing nothing at
all"
[atcr in the day saw an officer "a captain)
of this regiment erdcavor 10 raise squad,
first by entreaty, mex: by imperative orders,
to 20 with him to put stop to the depreda-
ticns Of their comrades. Three or four OF
them finally obeyed wth Very bad grace the
ineuirlng having previously passed amongst
them, "Sha! wc go?'
The fort on Muninn'l Hill find to be
perhaps 300 yards long, in the circuit OF Its
pampet the whole being nothing more than
inintry brcastworks, having however, rather
formidable 20 lakcr' gun in the shape Of an ash
log, with dab Of black paint at The butt TO
represent the muzzlc. Such other and more
valu,blc guns as they have had there. had been
carefully removed by the COnfederatcs when
they Withdrew their pickets prcvlanSlv. at
the crrthwnrks to the rear Of Munson'S Hill, the
rct."lting CDnfelerates had left six sections o!
Stove pine mounted in the six rmbrasures; and
some rather formidable looking (ata dlstance)
earibyoTks upon Mason's Hill proved, on the
occupation of that point by our troops to be
about Of the same bogus nature
The stars and stripes, which have displaced
stars and bars here now Goat from small
pine tret. nearly upon the apex Of the Eil'.-
There il quantity Of straw on the westerly
slope Of ths till, but nothing to indicate that
the enemy has ever been here in force.
The biyouac fires OF our troops can now be
seen two or three miles in advance OF this
point towards The enrmy's lines, and our
pickets are nearly up to Fairfax Court House.
The GaribaldI Regiment is bivoulced at Bal
ley's Gross Roads: and the New York sth
tGerman RsgimenD b. the Arlington Mills.
From the New York d" Herald" Of tho 2s.h
| ustino, We make the following extracts:
THE BATTERY AT rREEsroHE PoIST-TnE POTOMAC
CLOSED By TUE REBELS.
From the disclosures Of the rebel officer,
Lieut.. Sherburne, who crossed the Potomac
on raft, and came into our lines yesterday, it
is ascertained that the battery at Freestone
Point was commanded by Henry j. flarstein
| formerly culnuander in the United States
! Navy, and thnt there are batteries on the Viz
ginia side of the Potomac every two and
half miles from Occoquan TO Matthias Point
The river is now considered by naval oti'
GERS as effectualy closed. Our Potomac fntil'
Ia is insufficient to clear it Of the hume.
rous batteries upon its banks. land
force is ndispensably necessary, nd il is be-
siered that within fsw days, perhaps few
hours, the rebels will attempt to cross the
lower Potomac into Maryland. They will meet
warm reception; hut it may be necessary to
strengthen Our forces in that direction.
MOVEMENTS OF MAJOR GENERAL DUTLER.
There has been much speculation in regard
to General Buffers visit to Washington imme-
diate!y after the capture Of the forts at Hate
ras Inlet, and his failure to return afterwards
tn either Fortress Monroe or the Southern
Atlantic coast. The facts are, that when Gen
Butler started upon the expedition that re-
suited in the occupation Of Forts llaLteras and
Cark, the orders given were to obstruct the
navigation Of the inlets, and destroy or disable
the fortlicatlons along the North Carolina
coast Upon arriving at Hatteras, the strength
of the forts and The importance OF The posi-
tim induced the General, in the exercise oil
mis- discretion, TO occupy, instead oil destroying
the forts. This departure from tho orders
made it necessary for the General to report TO
the Department here. He had the gratifca-
ton 10 know that what had been done was
cordially approved and the wisdom and fore
sight 0: his suggestions, made two months be-
fore, were completely vindicated by the adop-
ton of the programme he had Indicated. lie
had entered the service without tine for any
arrangement of his business at home, and went
there to attend to private affairs, when he was
Immediately recalled and authorized to raise a
division in Nrw Engand for the further prose
cution Of the Inns happily conceived and
brilliantly begun To be executed by himself
PROSPECT or BATTLE WITHIN TWENTT-FouR
| IIOCRs.
Nothing has been reported to-day indicating
any disturbance along the Union lines.
The refusal Of the rebels to accept battle
when the opportunity was so fairly and boldly
proHr.red Yesterday by G ;ncral Smith cxciies
surprise, especially after the ncnaces they
have throwu out to induce our Amy 10 leave
their intrcnchments for an open field battle
The conclusion is that they decline to accept
battle in our front, and, by unmasking their
river batteries at and this side Of Aquia Creek,
as shown in another despatch to-day, they
arc ready for a decisive movement down the
river, and by concentration of troops oppo-
site General Banks column, are about to at
tempt the hazardous feat Of crossing the P1to-
mac at the point designated above.
! III do not mistake all the signs by which
men from colnuinn s,aSc view are led to Judge
OF coming cveais. We are to witness tormsda-
lie demonstration in the department OF the
Potomac within twcnty.four hours
After the reconnaissance oil yesterday. the
advance of the rebels, their present suffering
for the want Of all kinds Of woollen clothing,
and consequent immediate need Of more eom-
| E,rt .hI. o,,rt.rc ,bon tho tented field the no.