Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-07-18

Court House n Perfect SCamper On-NO-
body Left There-The Secession Flag
Pulled Down, and the Stars and Stripes
Raised Instead-Tyler Again on the
March in the Direction OF Centreville,
&C., &c..
Especial correspondence Of the Star
FAIRFAX c. H., Va July Il, 1s61-2k p. m
| have barely time to drop you hurried note by
your messenger, who says he must leave for
Washington in a quarter of an hour. Col. Burn
sides Brigade was first to enter this place-the
Rhode Island, Maine and Marston's New Hamp-
shire regiments-at about IL a m. to-day They
came up the Little River turnpike, and were de-
layed perhaps three hours In all by the obstruc-
tons Beauregard had caused to be placed in the
road-pits, felIed trees, &c, &c. The most
formidable looking one of them all was Just op-
pOsite where Beauregard had had one of his bat
teries-with embrasures for three guns. Near 1t,
too, there was evidence, I'm unextinguished camp
fires, that body of about two hundred disunion
troops had passed last night there. At about
O'Clock this morning signal gun was heard on
our ri ght fred by General Tyler's column, giving
notice Of his occupation, or that he was about to
occupy Germantown. so General Mcdowell,
who with his staff was with Burnside's brigade
(of Col. Miles column) pushed ahead, and was
first (after the advance guard) to enter this place,
the famous Fairfax Court House.
We found the secession flag flying from the
venerable courthouse s;eeple, nearly every white
of both sexes evacuated, (gone,) and the nests of
Beauregard's troops so warm to satisfy us that
they had been bounced out OF them In a hurry, not
more than two hours before Gen. Mcdowell took
possession Of the place. 1t is impossible to tell
from the number OF bush tents, remains OF camp
fires, and of tent (earth) foors, &c &c, how
many Of Beauregard's troops were here Yesterday
OF last mig hit; as the number has VIGOROUSLY varied
sometimes thousands, almost daily for weeks
past. Most Of our information obtained on the
subject has been from contraband3, who differ
widely, indeed, on the point; some putting the
number that evacuated this morning at 900 only,
while others put IT as high as IL, 600.
They certainly went off in the greatest conceiv-
able hurry, on hearing Tyler's signal gum fired
from Germantown, or tuat immediate vicinity.
That informed them, Enthusiastically, that their po-
sitiOn (at Fairfax Court House) had been turned
--outfanked--on their left; and that they must
therefore fight fearful odds surrender, or run like
quarter horses.
They preferred the latter alternative, and ac-
cordingly started in so great hurry as to leave
behind them a considerable quantity Of their hos
pital stores-medicines, lint, &c,-eight or ten
tents, two or three bales Of blankets and numer-
Gus quartermaster's stores CcrOckerV, tinware &C.
tanned TO have been in the direction Of Manassas
via Centerville, where they had, if they have not
even yet, strongly fortified entertainments.
Among the first acts of our troops, on entering
the village, was to take down the secession flag
on the venerable Court House, (where George
Washington often stood when attending court,
at this, his county seat,) and to replace 1t with
the ever glorious Stars and Stripes.
So far, have seen but two white men here, so
universal was the stampede this morning. Moth
ing has occurred to mar the completeness Of the
success of the movement.
From Col. Heintzleman's line have just heard
that he occupied Fairfax Statio~C3H miles south
Of the Court House, as early as p IN last night,
with Col. Wllcox's Michigan regiment, and per-
haps the rest Of Col w . brigade. He found that
the enemy lately there had abandoned their en-
trenchments, though it is not known precisely
when they did SO as tn cir camp fires were extin-
guished when he reached there. Wilcox's COM
mand passed a pleasant night In the entrench-
ments, precisely where the enemy had been
camping for some weeks previously.
A portion of Heintzeman's command advanced
still further forward, some two or three miles,
hear, along the Orange and Alexandria railroad;
probably to Sangster's station-about half way on