The New York herald., 1862-03-24
THE SITUATION.


THE SITUATION.
We have another glorious victory to record to.
day. Telegraphic dispatches received in Wash
ington last night announce that General Shields
had conflict with the rebels, commanded BY
Generals jackson, Smith and Longotreet fonr
miles below Winchester, yesterday. completely
routing theA,, md capturing numbers of
prisoners, several cannon, and large quantity of
small arms throw away in the fight. At last &C.
counts our cavalry was in pursuit of the flying
rebels. 1t appears that General jackson was
under the impression that our troops had left
Winchester. and were advancing on the road from
Strssburg. When within about a mile and
half OF Winchester o skirmish occurred
between the advance guard of both ar.
mics. in which General Shields was wounded
In the arm by the bursting Of q shell. The
eaemy immediately commenced retreat; but
were followed up by the main body Of General
Shields army, and an engagement took place,
commencing at half past ten yesterday morning,
aud ending in the entire defeat Of the rebels a.
dusk. The rebels had fifteen thousand men in the
Geld. while the force of General Shields was enIy
eight thousand. The loss en- both sides was
heavy-that of the rebels, however, nearly
doubling that On our side.
VIC give to-day very ine map OF Island No. 10
in the Mississippi river. its batteries and fortiHca-
cations on shore, and the position of the rebel
gunboas, together with that of our gunboats. mcr-
tar boats and transports, which viii, show the
strong point which we are assaulting. There is
no further news Of The progress Of the siege.
The rebel accounts OF the late battle at Pea
Ridge which We publish today are very interest.
iug aud curious. The rebel journals claim the
6ght as victory. OF course, and describe their
army as being in the rear Of ours, and driving
the latter southwark which, it is hardly neces.
rsry to state, we know to be an absurd fabrca.
Son. They admit, however, the death of Generals
McCulloch, Mcintosh. Slack and Herbert.
The tclegraphic details of the European news,
dated TO the 9th of March, brought by the Ameri
ca to Halifax, are published this morning. 1t will
be seen that the speech OF the Solicitor General OF
Eog;and on the blockade question, in the Com.
mons, was exceedingly emphatic as TO the &C.
acknowledgement of the deficiency OF that measure by
the Cabinet, as well rs of his opinion Of the ile-
gality and danger from public disapp-oval at
home Of any interference with the operations Of
our government towards keeping the rebel ports
closed Tie stated that the present blockade
was more effectual than that instituted
by aud against America in former
war. when Eve hundred American privateers
went to sea in the face of It, and that IL was bet
ter maintained than the British blockade Of Havre
in 1898.
Mr.. Gregory's speech against the blockade
proves tha, the ympsthizers' with the rebels in
Parliament are rank abolition;sts and look to the
disruption Of the Union as certain means Of
extinguishing slavery.
The London army and Macy Gozet;e--an ex.
celiens authority doubts the reports OF the
strength of the Southern army in Virginia, from
The fact Of the troops Of the confederacy being 80
quickly whipped in Tennessee.
The British authorities at Gibraltar have ordered
that the movements Of the Sumter and Tuscarora
shall not be signalled for the benefit Of either
beligereDt.
MIsCELLANE0Us NEWS.
The new steamship Caledonia, Captain James
Clarke, Of the Anchor line of Atlantic steamers.
reached this port yesterday morning from Glas.
gov after q very stormy passage. The Caledonia
has been built by MesEs. Handyside & Henderson,
OF Scotland. She is Of two thousand five hundred
tons burden and measures in length 252 feet,
breadth Of beam thrty-three feet, depth twenty.
two feet nine inches. She is propelled by pair
of direct engines Of 1B horse power each, and
bor accommodation FOR passengers Is spoken Of az
very good. Tie Caledonia experienced deien.
tion Of seven days In the ice in the vicinity Of
Cape Race, which point she reached on TIE
seventh day out. She was surrounded for six days
with bergs rising from ten 10 seventy-1ve feet
. bove the surface Of the water. The Caledonia is
consigned to Messrs. Francis Macdonald & Co.
We learn that during the gallant action at Val.
verde near Fort Craig, on the 2lst uliimo, one or
lhe companies Of the Seventh United States in.
Tantry, unlsr Captain +. w. l.. Ply1pton, bravely
.tooi 20 t.sr arms until o,er oDe.haif Of those