The New York herald., 1862-02-02
THE SITUATION.

THE SITUATION.
The heavy deposit of snow on the roads in yir.
gnia will still further delay the movements of the
Army of the Potomac. The troops were engaged
yesterday in clearing their camps of snow to pre-.
vent the tents from being flooded.
Rumors were busy in Washington yesterday that
General Banks would soon assume the charge OF
the Navy Department in place of Mr.. welles As
the Official career of the latter gentleman has re.
ceived rebuke from the Senate Naval Committee
in connection with the conduct of Mr.. G. d. Nor
gan. it is possible that q change in the Navy De.
partment may be considered necessary. Mr.. Banks
1t must be said, has all the qualifications for the
position-of energy, vigor and integrity.
Ex-senator Fish and Bishop Ames, the Comnis.
soners appointed by Mr.. Stanton to visit our pri.
sonersat the South, have completed their arrange.
ments and have started on their mission. The
kind of reception they are likely to meet may be
foreshadowed by the following extract, which
appears in the Norfolk Day Book of the 3oth ult,
which says that ''the exquisite modesty of this
proposition to send official inspectors of our de-
fences and general condition entities Mr.. Stanton
TO the reputation of being the most impudent man
among al King Lincoln's proverbialy impudent
subjects"
The steamer Ericsson. on her way from Key West
arrived at Fortress Monroe on Friday evening,
bringing in tow the John Trucks with the d'Epi-
neuil Zouaves CFifty.third New York) on board
She found the Trucks at sea disabled, and the men
Suffering from q short allowance of biscuits and
water, and, at their request, helped them along to
Fortress Monroe. The report from the Burnside
expedition at Hatteras is that the feet was about
to start for its destination. Most of the vessels
had gone in the direction of Roanoke Island.
great panic is said to exist in Norfolk and
Richmond in regard to the expedition. 1t was be-
lieved at Richmond that the great rebel steamer,
the Merrimac was grand failure. We learn by
private sources from Fortress Monroe that she
sinks so deep in the water as to be almost unma.
nagesbIc. A released prisoner from the rebel pri-
at Norfolk reports that JEFF. Davis intends to
take command in person at Manassas after his
Inauguration to the presidency on the 22d inst
The action Of the important gunboat expedition
the Mississippi river is likely to be retarded for
little time for want Of men for that service Com
modore Foote finding his complement untitled
But General Haleck has issued orders, in which
commanders serving in the department are or
dered to take immediate measures to ascertain
what men in their respective commands de.
sire to be transferred to the gunboat ser.
vice. He directs that care shall be taken in
selecting them, and that preference shall be given
q the best men fitted for such service. The mer
selected are ordered to report to Lieutenant Q. M
Crache.t. United States Army. at St. Louis, by
whom they will be enrolled and shipped. A list ol
Che names Of the men furnished from each com
nsnd, stating in each case tho company and the
regiment the men have been taken from, is to be
sent 10 headquarters, that orders directing the
transfer Of such men may be issued without delay.
Our intelligence from the South continues to DOS.
ssss unusual interest. We have received the
Richmond Dispatch and the Norfolk Day Book Of
che 3oth ult., from which we obtain the following
summary Of news from the South
The Doy Book Of the 3Oth ult. has a long ed
torial appeal in behalf Of the people Of Hampton
II ssys;--we are panied to learn that the Hampton
soldiers are still suffering for want Of many essen
tal articles of comfort and they not only suffer in
body but in mind, and their families suffering pri
vations which none Of them had ever seen endured
by their slaves. The Day Book appeals to vir
ginIsns TO come forward in this time Of need and
supply the suffering rebels with those articles they
now 90 essentially need.
The same journal says;--"The military prison a,
ealIsbury, N. C., is pronounced by Major Gibbs to
DO ready for the reception Of seven hundred yam
kses' now in Richmond" I, also devo,es A half a
column Of editorial to the subjec, Of Besurseard,s
transfer to Kentucky. II sheds crocodile tears
ever hIs departure. sdvsrts To his For, Sumter vie