Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-08-04

THE PENINSULA DEPARTMENT.

| The PENINSULA DEPARTMENT.
The attack on the center of Gen McClel-
lan's lines, last Thursday night, from rebel
batteries across the river together with the
| appearance of the new Merrmac, the day
previous, give new interest to all intelligence
from that department. The signal officer at
headquarters deserted, about noon Wednes-
| day, two suspicious looking craft moving down
the river toward Turkey Bend, and casting
anchor off that point. One of them was be-
lieved to be the new Merrimac. called the
''Richmond." They were still at anchor there
on Thursday last, and an early engagement
with our gunboats was not improbable The
new monster is described by Union refugees
as very formidable vessel constructed with
much skill. Her plating was done at the
Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond. the plates
being ten feet long and ten inches in width
They are punched entirely through with holes
for the bolts, and overlap one another. She
is a trifie smaller than the Virginia, but strik-
ln9ly resembles 1t in other respects. Her roof
runs up to peak, of such height that the
sides rise to sharp angle; her guards do not
rise much above a foot from the water. Her
armament was not on board when this witness
saw it, but its character was no secret. She
would carry one bow, one stern, and three
side guns. They are to be of the same de-
scriptiOn as those which are mounted at fort
Darling, their ability to pierce our iron-ar-
mored vessels having, in the attack upon that
fortress, been eXemplified to the satisfaction
OF secesh. The balls to be used are steel
pointed She is the pride of the Richmond
ers, who rely upon her defence of the city as
much as upon their armies. 1t is boastingly
declared and universally believed by them,
that s'Slp will tho Iap,oc ~,
When these rebel rams made their appear
ance, flag officer Wilkes promptly issued
orders for number of first class gunboats
to run up the stream as far as Lighthouse
Point, which is just below City Point. The
Monitor and Galena were already in that part
of the river. The Monitor was next ordered
to proceed slowly up the river and reconnoi-
ter the banks on each side, and approach to
within a certain distance the rebel vessels.
Upon the course up, the Monitor threw
dozen or fifteen shell into the woods on the
south side, for the purpose of discovering
batteries, but failed to elicit any response
from the enemy. She went almost within
range of the Richmond, but no firing took
place between her and the rebel vessels. In
about an hour the Monitor withdrew to Light
house Point, where, in connection with the
Galena and the other gunboats, line of bat
tie was formed. For the remainder of the
afternoon, and during the night, our own and
the rebel vessels occupied the same relative
| positions. On the day following, combined
naval and balloon reconnaissance took place
| above and near fort Powhattan, but no rebels
or recently constructed earthworks were OBJ
| served. No one doubts that the main force
| of the rebels is along the line of the Peters.
| burg and City Point railroad. A branch rail-
road has been discovered leading from the
main railroad to the bank of James river, op-
posite Berkeley's Landing.
The correspondent of the New York Eve
ming Post states that a prominent officer in
| the army OF the Potomac from Maine asserted
in the presence of the president and other
gentlemen, on Saturday morning, that in
spite of the law of congress on the subject of
confiscation Of rebel property, Gen. McClel-
Ian still protects it; that he still keeps his
guards round it, in charge of rebel houses and
! the like; and that upon his speaking against
the practice in the presence of one of Gen.
McClcllan's staff, the staff officer replied =
''It will never do to execute that law We
cannot do it! Upon his urging that it was a
law of the land and that the general had no
choice in the matter but must execute it, the
officer replied 1--WE wait for our instruc-
tons upon the subject from the president or
| the war department. As we have received
| llOilN VIC tiC HOI ODllSCu W recognize any
newspaper statement of law, and such laws
as those about emancipation and confscation
you may be sure we shall not execute till we
are ordered to do so!'
GEN. PoPE's DEPARTMENT.
Major General Pope left Warrenton
Thursday morning, for "Little Washington"
the county seat Of Rappahannock, 20 miles
distant. The general was attired in the habit
of u citizen, and passed through the main
etunostentatously lie has been source
of mingled curiosity and dread to the disloyal
residents. If his inheXibility has enraged
them, his soldierly bearing and positive pa
trlotsm have eXacted their respect and adj
miration. The publication of his order ban
ishing into Dixie all males who refuse to take
the oath, has wrought them to n perfect pitch
Of frenzy. Dr. Bisham, of the village. waited
upon Gen. Pope Thursday, and asked if he
would enforce the order. lie painted, at the
same time, the agony Of the women and chill
dren, and stated that the effect would be to
place six new regiments in the rebel service.
"We can't take the oath of alegiance." said
the doctor, "and we WORKMAN. woman or
child but we will give parole to attend to orr
own business, afford no communication, and
quietly stay upon our properties" 81 shall
enforce the order to the letter." said General
Pope. 81 did not make it without delibera-
ton, and if you don't take the oath YOU shall
go out of my lines" The women here are