Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-05-13


General Wool took possession, as the property
Of the United States, Of TIE Custom House about
dusk on Saturday ever ing, and the flag Of the
Tenth New York Regiment was hoisted over 1t
So soon as the ceremonies Of tkine possession
Of the city were finished General Wool, sccom-
panied by Secretary Chase, and several members
of his STAFF Immediately started back for Fortress
Monroe, proceeding by the route the army had
advanced from Point Pleasant. boat was there
fortress at IL O'Clock the same nigh and an
noHnced to the President and the Secretary OF
War the gratifying intelligence Of the surrender
and possess on Of Norfolk.
Unfortr lttely the troops were not marched in
on Saturday night, or the burning of the Navy
Yard and the vessels would not have been &C.
complishsd. .... t-E-.-.
observed from Fortress Monroe, in the direction
OF Craney Island, which was supposed at frst 10
be signal Of some description from the steame,
MeIrimac; TWAS closely watched by the officer.
vessels Of the heet and precisely at -four
O'Clock an explosion took place which made the
earth and water tremble fer miles around. In the
midst OF bright names which shot up through
the distant blaze the timbsn and iron Of the mon.
ster steamer could be seen flying through the air,
whilst immense volumes Of smoke rose up and
Tor time o6scured everything. No doubt wa,
en.et,ained tnat the veritable Merrimac, the mon.
ster OF the ocean, had ceased to exist, and had
doubtless been abandoned by the crew This
was the report which the piciet boats brought Ia
the morning. and the fact that a heavy eIplosi> /
was neaid about the time mentioned gave assn.
rance that the report was correct. -
Immediately az the upper point of the island we
found mass of blackened wreck floating on the
water, some Of It proceeded from sunken portions
Of the vessels We had also passed large ouan
titles Of floating timber on our way up, all of
which appeared TO have been torn and rended
into splinters. On inquirlng Of the men fou cd
on ,he lsland we aaceIiained that the Merrlmac
had laid during Saturday at point nearly mile
below the position in which tae, fragments were
observed During the night, however she had
oeen brought back and run ashore. Her entire
officers and crew were landed on the island, and
slow match being applied u her magazine,
which contained several thousand pounds of
powder, was rended 10 fragments bv the time the
crew were ont of reach Of the falling timben.
The negroes state that the officers and crew
passed through the adjoining country on the
mainland about O'Clock In The morning. to the
number OF over two hundred. They said they
Were on their way to Suffolk, from whence they
would proceed to Richmond.
we gathered up number Of fragments of the
Norfolk. WY ~
On the line Of the river leading from cranev
Island 70 orfolk there are not less than six heavy
earthworks, mounting In all about sixty-nIne
cannon, all OF which still IN position, except
those that were In the WORKS near the Naval
pptespNal. ihese ere said to have been taken to
kichmend during the past week.
NOT lar above Craney Island Is the famous river
oarricade, Of which SO much has been said Al
though the river here 10 neatly mile wide, a
line OF piles has been driven from shore To sbore
with the exception OF an opening I'm the center Of
the channel for vessels 10 pass In and out, Here
Were two steam pile drivers which had been rs cd
TOT tnl1 work, and near the .opening was meared
the hulk of the old frigate United states when
II was proposed to sink here In case our vessels
should have succeeded In passing the forti6c..
lions There she stands, however, having re-
inseu TO SINK u said or 70 take lis position at
the appointed place. Well done for the old United
States = III
Immediately commanding this river bsrricade
most magnificent casemated battery, forming
q, halt circle, and mounting eleven heavy guns
IL Is beautifully sodded, and 10 most formida bic,
On the opposite bank Of the river Is another bat
terry, vita two or three other small works before
you reach old Fort Norfolk on one side of the
other On all Of these works, Including Sswell,s
Point, the rebel fsg had been lowered by the feet
and the American flag substituted.
In additlon to the amount Of ammunition left
IN the battery sheds, the magazines, of which
there was great number, were left well filled.
The amount Of powder in the mag azines Is EST .
mated at 1000 pounds, and the fixed ammunition
could be enumerated by the cargo
The harbor Of NoIf1lk looked most beautiful
and the green foliage Of the trees ave a summer
aspect to the whole landscape, az we laid on the
broad expanse OF water b,tween the two cities,
After cruising about for some tirno smong The
meet, we landed a. the wharf and took stroll
through the city. 1t being Sunday, of course ali
places Of business were closed, and the CITY pre
senled a most quiet aspect. The wharves were
crowley with blacks, male and female. and a
goodly number OF working people, with their
wives and children, were strolliny about Sol
diers were stationed on the wharves and pic ke,ed
snrough the city, whilst the flag Of the Union
hoaied In triumph from the cupole of the Gu storm
mouse. This Tag, by the way, IL the regimentaI
h,g OF the 10th New York regiment.
Inc houses through the city were generally
cioseo especially most Of those Of the wealthie,
classes. Some of the females on the streets
scowied at the horrible Yankees, and some almost
attempted to spit on them, but there was a sinh.
aued quiet among the middling classes, which
tnelr countenance implied to mean desire IN
watch and wait for further deyeIopments The
Secessionists, esPecia ly among toe men, did mot
however go TO pouting. They talked boldly nj
me southern Confederacy, declare their detefm.
no'hlnS to do with the Lincoln shin plasters and
Were full Of confidence that In twenty DAYS Nor.
out. "'i'oA
True to the spirit of Secession the fro ,sI,r
ticiPated on Saturday, and which threw broad
read glare across the heavens on SATURDAY nj ybt
proceeded from tne destruction of the Port,montb
Navy yard, which was done by order Of The
ruins, scarcely anything left but walls and tall
cnlmneys Even the immense stone dry dock
which cost nearly million OF dollars, was mined
ana damaged, and II 10 said that the engine and
pump belonging to 1t was removed to Richmo nd
hllst remaining here this evening Comma.
dore Goldsborough ordered the Monitor and II 3
Naugatuck to return TO Fortress Monroe. coal n
and proceed up the James river tonight. NothiT
aennite has been heard from the Gafena, the Port
Royal and the Arostook, which went up on fri
DAY Tne secessionists In Norfolk admit that the
taiena enectually silenced all their lower batter
les on the James river, but at Sandy Point hat
terry she got aground, and that one Of the other
ooats which Came to her assistance was sunk Az
70 the Truth Of this statement have been unable
10 OBTAIN anything definite, but have no doubt
mat the Galena has been doing good service n
10 thought that this story had been Promulgated
10 prevent the desertions which were consfa mi o
taxing place among the troops at the time of the
evacuation, and TO obviate the diticultv exne-
iienced In carrying the Virginia troops with
them. They left here ostensibly for Richmond
put II is the belief that they are OF Tor the King
dom of Cotton. ming
whist the Union men Of Norfolk are reseryed
ana ieeriul, those Of Portsmouth, on the contrarv
gave the mCst enthusiastic testimony on sundsyy
In behalf OF the faith that 10 In them. The de-,
sh9ction OF the Navy Yard has given great dts.
salisfacnon, and as we steamed along the wbaYves
quite number Of days could be seen sus pend ed
rom private residences. Small bows were ma
fading the streets with hsgs, evidently manu-.
factured by their mothers, and there was every
evidence that with better supply of buntin2
there Will be no lack Of the disposition and dee
termination to give 1t to the bfeese. The pos
SeE6tOQ a al Pc