Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-01-20

The Burnside Expedition.
The Baltimore American of Saturday after
noon states that the whole Burnside eNpedl
ton has passed into Pamlico Sound. Some
vessel has arrived at fort Monroe with this
news, which is likely to be correct, There
has been some anxiety TO hear how the fleet
Jared in the storm that occurred soon after
the expedition left Hampton Roads. Disaster,
though not apprehended, was thought of as
possible on that bleak and dangerous coast.
Therefore the intelligence that the vessels are
all safe in Pamlico Sound will be read with
satisfaction.
Now that we know where the expedition
has gone, we may begin 10 guess with consid
cradle accuracy what it will do. 1t might take
Newbern and then get possession of the rail
road at Godsborough. The Newbern and
Raleigh railroad passes through Goldsborough,
and is crossed there by the railroad from Rich
mond to Wilmington. 1t is more likely, how
ever that the forces under Gen. Burnside will
force their way into Albemarle Sound. To
do this they must get possession of the rebel
Notifications on Roanoke Island, which COM
mand the entrances to this Sound. According
to report these. Notifications have been aban-
doned but this does not seem probable, and
we may hear that fight at that point has al,
ready taken place. The war vessels would
do most of this fighting, probably, as they
did at Port Royal From Albemarle Sound
the way is open to Norfolk, or to Win.
ton or Weldon, in North Carolina. Wei.
don is a very important point, and if Genera 4
Burnside should take and lQq-.is, y, ne would
CT OF ne rebels in Virginia from the states
south Steamboats, run up Roanoke river
from ALTERNATE sound to Weldon, the dis
lance through the various windings of the
river being $50 miles.
The rebels, it appears, are listening to hear
the cannonading OF the Burnside feet. They
have heard it at Norfolk, it is said, although
the fleet cannot have been within hundred
miles of Norfolk, since it arrived at Hatteras
1t has been heard III the same miraculous way
at one or two places in North Carolina No
doubt it has been or will be heard there, as
something a good deal more effective than the
phantom cannonade that has SO disturbed some
OF the rebels.
The report that Gen. Wool has warned
Gen Huger to remove the women and chill
dren from Norfolk sounds very warlike, and it
may mean something in connection with Gen.
Burnside's operations, but what it means is
not very clear. Gen. Wool cannot lombard
Norfolk until he gets there, and to get there
he must begin at Sewal's Point ard fight all
the batteries up Elizabeth river, some ten or
twelve miles 1t might be well to defer that
warning until the notifications at SewalPs Point
have been taken. They can be taken, and
it is little surprising that they have remain
ed so long undisturbed.. But the report that
Norfolk is to be bombarded may not mean
precisely what it says. Such reports are quite
as often intended to mystify the public as
to convey information, it being sometimes
convenient to have public attention occupied
by one thing while those conducting military
operations are planning another.
There is now prospect that we shall get
some stirring news in the course of the pres
ent week. Besides an account of what Gen.
Burnside and his men have done, or may do,
we may also hear that Gen. Wool has made
some movement, and that something has taken
place in Kentucky. Within a few days, Vir-
gnia has become "a continentOf mud" This
will impede forward movements on the Poto-
mac near Washington. 1t will also trouble
any attempt of the rebels to reinforce the ex-
posed points south of Manassas. But let us
wait patiently until the news of what happens
can reach us.