The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-10-16

General Mcclellan made tour Of observation
yesterday along the whole lines from Alexandria
to Townsville, frequently coming in sight of the
rebel pckets, who invariably retired upon the
appearance of the brilliant cavalry escort of the
General.
The pickets of the rebels attempted to dispute
The ground with our pickets beyond Lewinsville
yesterday, but were driven back It was reported
In washington that body of rebel cavalry went
rom Romney to the mouth of the upper branch
pf the Potomac and destroy the bridge on the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad which crosses the
river at that point
Information reached us yesterday from rebel
sources-the Norfolk Eraniner-of a naval com.
bat between the rebel vessels off New Orleans
under command Of Captain Hollins, on Friday last
and the United States blockading squadron. in
which Captain Hollins claims that he had DISPERSED
and drove ashore the vessels of the squadron and
sunk the soop-of-war Preble with his iron
clad vessel Captain Hons describes the
arair in an official despatch, and re-
ports that the fight lasted an hour, that he
drove all the United States vessels ashore
and "peppcred them wel.' The whole story is
maniiestly gross exaggeration, based upon
some conflict which may have taken place in
that quarter. The rumor found no favor in Wash.
ington yesterday, but was put down to the known
disposition of Holins to exaggerate everything
in which his own reputation was involved, and in
such light we are disposed to consider it until
strengthened by more authentic intelligence.
That the rebel batteries on the Potomac are still
active at intervals is evident from the report made
by Captain Craven, at Washington yesterday, by
which it appears that the Pocahontas and Semi
mole, while going down the river, were fired upon
very briskly from the batteries at Shipping Point
Captain Craven, who was five miles further up the
river, on board the Yankee, upon hearing the firing
steamed down, but found that the Pocahontas and
Seminole had succeeded in passing the batteries
but he was unable to ascertain whether they were
damaged or not. The Pawnee was lying up the
bty is that she will be sent to demolish the rebel
batteries at Shipping Point.
BY the Bremen we have received European Jour.
mails of the I'd Of October. The London Times no.
tees, in lengthy editorial, the constitutional re.
Spouse made by President Lincoln to the negro
emancipation proclamation of General Fremont
The paper approves, very unreservedly, of Mr.
Lincolns position on the subject, and take. occa
sion to openly repudiate the fanaticism' and
"bewderings doctrines the abolitionists, as led
on by Cheever, Greeley, Beecher and Company
The leading Journal intimates, near the close
of the article, that day of liberation may come
for the negro race; but it does not make the
slightest attempt to calculate, or assert, wher
the time will or may arrive. England
had despatched more war ships, with an immense
amount Of war stores, to Canada. France, Spain
and England had ordered large reinforcements,
naval and military, for the Gulf of Mexico and
Cuba. The French tripartite treaty against that
republic had not been signed, but great pressure
was being made by the commercial men and stock.
holders of England on the Cabinet in London
urging immediate action in the matter. The Dub.
lin Ecening Post again asserts that agents of the
federal government were seeking to recruit for the
Union army in Ireland, but such fact we conside,
extremely improbable.