The national Republican., 1861-06-07
the Virginia shore along the Potomac could
discover no signs of any batteries.

THE AFFAIR AT FAIRFAX COURT
HOUSE-SOME PARTICULARS-TH
CAVALRY SKlRMISH.
The fight at Fairfax Court house has not yet
been half told. Wewere informed, and all the se
cession papers, the Sun included, confirmed
the story, that only two of the enemy were
killed. But we are assured by old.blooded
trooper, one Of the United States regulars, who
is rs truthful as be is cool, that be himself saw
ten secession dead men. Three were killed
separately, but seven others lay in one spot,
whom he counted as the cavalry rode over and
among them in their evolutions. 1t is Of no
consequence" rs Mr.. Toots would say, how
many of our misguided enemies fell, but, never
theless, for the truth of history we record this
fact, since our secession journalists are seeking
to underrate the bravery Of the U. S. cavalry,
(regulars,) who were engaged in the skirmish.
From one Of the secessionists who was in the
fight, we learn that Lieut.. Tompkins, who
was in command of the cavalry company,
wheeled his horse in and about the enemy, right
and left, and cracked away at them every time
he wheeled. They gave him a wide berth as
soon as they understood, which they speedily
did, the nature of his tactics.
Mr.. Mason, of Virginia, formerly Of the U.
S.navy, not the Senator, but brother of that
parsonage, was partly in the fight. He was
not one of the killed. He ran early. Sir Roger
de Coverly, as recorded by Addison, mention.
ed battle on the continent, in which he
said he should have infallibly have been slain,
had he not prudently left the field the night be-
fore the action"
Douglas Forrest, son of Commodore Forrest,
one of the desertng officers in our navy, was
also participant in this battle, on the secession
side. The only achievement he performed was
to lose his horse, which Lieut.. Tompkins took
away from him after his own was shot. We
wait to see the Mason and Forrest report of
this engagement in the Richmond papers.
AQUA CREEK Batteries " WHITE House
PoINT.-Bombardme at Aqua creek seem
Of no value, save as a practice in gunnery, on
either side.
The point on which the White House is stu.
ated, twelve miles below Alexandria, however,
is one on which battery might efIectually OBJ
struct the navigation of the upper Potomac,
and cut off communication between Washing
ton and Fortress Monroe, &C., except by way
Of Annapolis. The river is such at that point
that vessels are obliged to pass Immediately
under the precpitous cliffs at the base of which
the White House is situated. A we'll, manned
and well.fort6ed battery established there would
give the Government great trouble to dislodge.
If effectually manned, it would cut off the re.
sources of the Washington navy yard and
Heaven knows we have now few enough navy
yards. 1t is perhaps not probable that an at.
tempt will be made by the rebels to seize and
hold this point, but such an attempt would not
be half so audacious or improbable as many
things they have already done.
LARGE SEIZURE OF POWDER AT BALTIMORE
Wednesday morning, a demand was served
upon Messrs. Daniel J. Foley & Bro, Lower
Canton, by Mr.. Bonifant, the United States
marshal, acting under instructions from Mr..
Cameron, Secretary of War, calling for the i'm
mediate delivery into the possession of the mar
shal Of all the powder Of the Hazard Powder
Company, Connecticut, stored in the powder.
house OF the company at Lower Canton, and
for whom Messrs. Foley 4 Bro. were the agents.
The amount of powder on hand was about
$500 kegs, or GO, 900 pounds, valued at $4,000.
The agents turned the powder over to the mar.
shal who took an inventory of the same.
About the same hour, similar demand, cma.
mating from the same source, was made upon
Messrs. A. L. Webb & Bro, Lower Canton,
agents for the Messrs. Du Points Powder Works,
Delaware. The demand was complied with,
and the powder on hand, small amount, turn.
ed over into the possession Of the United States.
The CAPTURES OF THE ECoNFEDERATEs.-We
have in the New Orleans papers particulars of
the captures heretofore noticed by US, of yes.
sells which have been taken into that city. Three
Massachusetts whalers-namely, the schooners
John Adams and Mermaid, of Provincetown,
and brig Panama-had been captured by the
| privateer Calhoun, ninety miles from the Pass
as prizes, and reached New Orleans May 81
| The crews Of these vessels consisted of sixty
three men, and the oil on board of two hundred
and fifteen barrels of whale and sperm. On the
9th ultimo, there were twenty vessels at New
Orleans under seizure or as prizes. Their
names are given as follows:
| SHIPS.
Name Master. HaH from.
| AbGlino ........Sm Smith ....".,.... Boston
Ariel ...Delano ........... Bath, Maine.
Amerin Union Lincoln. .......... Bath, Maine.
| g. A. Farwell ..Farwell. ........ Rockland.
Express ........Frost. st......... ...Portsmouth, Nh
j. H. Jarvis..... Rich .............. Boston.
Marathon ......Ty Ter. ........... New York
/ I.l