Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-09-18
THE RICHMOND WHIG.

hL hlOGMOINO w H1O.
From The Nsw York Herald Of l3h.
OUR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENTS.
WAsuIxG1oN, Sept. IL, 1861.
STRENGTH AND POSITION THE REBsL FORCES IL TIE
FIELD-SiGRT SIGNALS THE ESENY-GESERAL ALBERT
S. JOHNSTON To TAKE TIE FIsID-AFFAiEs ON THE
L0wkR POTOMAC WHAT raE REsULTs or TIE
FRIENDLY AIITTUDE OF RUSSIA, &C.
Several statements have been published purporting to
give al account Of the number Of rebel troops row in
the ID They range in the aggregate from 100 coo to
200, 900 men, but all based upon guess work, and
upon the fatal habit of undertaking ths enemys strength
On the 81 st of Jnue lust month before tie battle of
Bull Run, the Herald contained statement showing
that the rebel forces in that vicinity amounted 10 5000
well arr ed and well disciplined meD The satonen.
every where derded and pronounced exaggerated TIE
Coward Richmond papers, up to the middle Of Jfy,
asserted that the rebel forces did not amount 70 over
eGe men and that they sersx iR<srmoi I+t3d sod
clothed Tee battle fought and il WAS thea ss<r
that the Hsra'ds statement was correct .s-ss
have prepared tho following statement Of the pre-
sent str bg:h and position o the reo forces from purely
original sources and from data that have been cceet
ing fer the last 1--WE weeks Il may be relied on as cor
rect in every particular -
Rahci force before Washington including Bsau'egsFd's
90 000 troops General Jos Johnsons 5o0O0 troops,
between Chain Brdge aud Lsesblrg; hagraders rein
oTcement cf $4,000 roops crg nsly Intended to cross
the Potomac az ACU1 Creek and the last reinforcement
of 25 600 men mentioned IN my letter OF September e
IN ali 1870. 600 troops, - 10000
At the numerous batteries the Potomac,
| York, James aud RAppahannock rivers, 1000
A. yorktown Norfolk and Portsmouth,, 10000
At Fredericksburz, 5000, Petersburg, S,OOO
Brentsyills. !, ,O00; Culpeper, 1000; Gordons-
vile, : OOG; Staun,on 5000; Covington, 2.OoO
Charlottesville, 5000; LVnchburg, 5000;
BurkGsyie 5,O0O-totsl 81, 900, ST,OoO
In wes cru Virginia, under Floyd and Lee, $4,000
Near Winchester and S.TGsbug, l2,OOo
/ Total! $4,000
Th. Sc troors have been furnished by the folDwir
States:--
From Alabama, So COO; from Arkansas, 81 900;
from Flori5a, 4 Coo, from Georgia, $4,000;
| fr;m Keatu,ky, 10000; from Louisiana, 30
GOO; from Maryland 5000; from Mississippi,
! % OOO from Missouri, $4,000; from North
/ Carolina, 80 600; from Son:h Carolina, 20,00O;
from Tennessee, $4,000 from Texas, 10000;
from Virginia, 90, 90 l--iota, S5n,oOO
| The excess OF %, 900 employed il Missouri.
If the statements In ny letter Of September 7th IN
gard the position Of the rebel iorcts between bses-
burg and the Chain Bridge needed any confirmation, 1t
furnished in tire fact that signal rockets are now sent
up every night along the whole rebel line, beginning
above Prosp, c. H as point about eight miles above
the Chain Bridge the1ce their batteries near the
Chain Ridge, thence to their encsmpwents Mount
Olive Church, thence to Bslrs Cross Roads, kunsons
| Hill Baileys Cos Roads aud TO their entrenchment
near Alexandria What the object Of these signal rock
cts i IL vet involved in mystery. 1t may be merely e1-
,erimeutA in order 10 prepare the commanders OF the
various coIps for simultaneous at movement. But,
whatever may be the otecs Of the sgn5 the scientific
manner n which they made indicates that she pTeps-
raons of the rebels nearly completed, and that they
are about ready for whatever demonstration they have IN
/ view.
The results osMr loves balloon reccnnossaDces show
that the rebel troops who al Mana,sa, on the h
.-a -nE --n-ipru w towards Washington. They struck
,heir tents and lei her camps the 7n, puII
Run and Cenrevie on the s:h al FairlaI yesterday,
aud are between Fairfax and Baeys Cross Roads to-day
They consist OF the regiments enumerated in my letter
/ Of The h, and uuH Der rs 600 men.
L. is reported today that General Albert Johnston
was at Manassas On sunday, and that ne will have
command Of the troop, above referred to- IL Is well
known that this General Johnston has teen expected
! at Ri hmond Tor loug time, and s may be tha, the
great movement before Washington has been delayed
Tor his arrival But the probability is ne Nill be ordered
the chief command Of the rebels in the Mississippi
valley.
From an officer Of one OF the steamers that ply
stsnty beivecu the Ntvy Yard aud the mouth OF the
Potomac learn interesting facts 10 regard to the
presen. condition OF Gir down the river Tue rebel
batteries Oh the Virginia side that known TO exist
sIre,ob in almost GLbrokea lre from The mouth OF
the 0cc lquan river TO habiss Point Beyond this point
no batteries are certainly Known to exist though in Al!
probabl " they exCud much further down. The most
formidable ba;;er,s so far as experience has made
| them krovu are those At the mouth OF Aqua Creek.
! (which were laid down the Herald map OF May 27,)
al Marlborough Point Cockpit Pont at QulrtcO creek
NJ Potomac creek at 4 clump Of trees between Foucks
Landing and Boyds Hole, and at Matthias Point. Those
at qua Creek described in the Herald Of Msy p
They yht have been taken and si'enccd then with
very small force bat they elected and the reb-
els ve.e allowed TO strengthen them at their leisure II
will require for their reduction very stoag force,
and in any event. s ptCre will be attended With much
| bleodshed But every day that the attack on these
batteries s delayed the ,bes employed in strength.
euipg them and i1 building others that the longer
he reduction of these batteries is delayed the lives
I il will cost.
The orders given to the expedition which sailed down
the Potomac some days ago prohibited them from med
ding with anything the right bank OF the stream aud
oonhued their operations 10 tie Maryland shore. But
would that il their obeot vas TO cean out the rebcs
on the left bank Of the river they entirely failed in their
mission Every night sicuA lights can b cleaning
all along the shore from Fort Washington down TO Port
Tobacco II United Stl.es steamer leaves the Navy
Yard or cruise down the river these lights displayed
in particular manner as soon as she passes Fort Wash
ingor aud the signal th1s made is taken up and repeated
ali along the line down 10 Port Tobacco These signals
as made arc sered by corresponding signals from the
Vrguil side If he steamer sops, fires guu or turns
back this movement s indicated by signal lights of
different color and this signal Is repsscd n the same
manner IL caunot nc denied that tho object for which
these Potomac river batteries erected has to hs
time been accomplished namely, the prevention of the
landing Of any federal expedition having Richmond in
view Fortunately there roads leading TO Rich
mond than one; aud in moyi9g TO Redmond it will not
be necessary go either by way OF Manassas or by way
Of the Potomac
No adequate des can be formed, ont Of Washington
of the tremendous sensation that has been caused here
by the pub caon Of the letter Of tho Gar OF Russia
1t is net too much TO say tina, Is is worth battle gained
10 us TIE members OF the Cabinet and all the foreign
ministers understand this completely and il would Dc
YOU good 10 sec the sparkle ia Mr.. Stewards eye and
the annoyed expression that frequently crosses Losd
LYONS face Ia spite Of his diplomatic caution The frank
and hearty sympathy thus expressed by one of the most
powerful morarCts Of Europe fer the stability and per
manence of our nAonal government s Justly regarded
by the administration an indication OF what the course
OF Russia viii be K England aud France carry euttha
intentiors that they have already plainly EXPRESSED
There is lte dubt 10 the minds Of the members OF