Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-05-13
FURTHER PARTICULARS Of THE 0CCUpa.
TON OF NORFOLK.
Mere about the Merrimac- The Destruc.
tion Of Gospsrt Navy Yard-The Mentor
and Manga .uck en- reuts 10 Richmond.


| Tenth New York Regiment was hoisted over IL
/ SO soon az the ceremonies of tsking possession
| Of the city were finished, General Wool, accom-
OF his staff, Immediately started back for Fortres
| Monroe, proceeding by the route the army had
| advanced from Point Pleasant. A boat was there
in waiting aud General Wool arrived at tn.
fortress at IL O'Clock the same night, and an.
| nounced to the President and the Secretary o.
War the gratifying intelligence Of the surre1de q
and posses sion Of Norfolk.
Unfortunately the troops were not marched In
| on Saturday night, or the burning Of the Nav,
Yard and the vessels would not have been &C.
l ccmplished.
| Atfour O'Clock this morning bright lip BIT wa.
| observed from Fortress Monroe, In the direction
of Craney Island, which was supposed at a rst a
| be signal Of some description from the steamel
| Merrimac. ltwas closely watched by the oficer
| OF the Plcnet boats, az well by the various nava
vessels OF the feet, and precisely at hafpast fou
| O'Clock an explosion took place which made the
| earth and water tremble fer miles around In tbe
midst OF bright flames which shot up through
the distant blaze the timbars and iron OF the mon
ster steamer could be seen hyinp through the air
whilst immense volumes OF smoke rose nm and
Tor time obscured everything. No doubt wa,
| entertained that the veritable Menimac, the mon
| ster OF the ocean, had ceased to exist, and had
doubtless been abandoned by the crew Tbi,
was the report which the picket boats broup bt I'm
| The morning, and the fact that hesvy explosion
was heard about the time mentioned gave assu-
lance That the report was correct.
immediately at the upper point of the island we
found a mass Of blackened wreck floating on the
water, some Of it proceeded from sunken portions
Oh the vessels We had also passed large ouau-
titles Of floating timber on our way up. ali Of
which appeared to have been torn and rended
into spilnters. On inquiriDg Of the men fou cd
on tie island we ascertained that the Merrimac
mad laid during Saturday at point nearly mile
below the position in which tae: fragments were
observed During the night, however, she had
oesn brought back and run ashore. Her entire
onceTs and crew Were landed on the island, and
fp6 70
which contained several thousand pounds of
powder, was rended to fragments by the time the
crew were out OF reach Of the falling timbers
The negroes state thst the officers and c,ew
passed through the adjoining country on the
mainland about 8 O'Clock In the morning, TO the
number OF over two hundred. They said they
We're on tneir way to SUFFOLK, from whence they
We gathered up number Of fragments of the
Norfolk. wy W
On the line Of the river leading from Craney
Island to Norfolk there not less than six heavy
earthworks, mounting In all about sixty. ne
cannon, all Of which are still In position except
those that were In the works near the Naval
Hospital. These are said TO have been taken to
Richmond during the past week
NOT far above Craney Island is the famous river
oarricsde, OF which SO much has been said. AL
though the river here Is nearly mile vide, a
line OF piles has been driven from shore to shore
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 used
for this work, and near the opening was me.red
the hulk of the old frigate United States which
IT was proposed TO sink here In case our vessels
should have succeeded in passing the fortiflca.
lions There she stands, however, having re-
fused to sink IL 10 said, or TO take its position
the appointed place. Well done for the old United
States.
Immediately commanding thI. river barricade
most magnificent casemated battery, forming
bali circle, and mounting eleven heavy guns
Ii Ii beautifully sodded, and Is most formidable
On the opposite bank Of the river is another bat
terry, With two or three other small works before
you reach OLD Fort Norfolk on one side Of the
river, and the Naval Asylum batteries on the
other On all Of there WORKS, including Sewell's
Point, the rebel flag had been lowered by the feet
ana the American flag substituted.
In addition 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 IL esti.
mated at 900 pounds, and the txed ammunition
could be enumerated by the cargo.
The harbor OF Norfolk looked most beautiful
and the green foliage Of the trees gave summer
aspect to the whole landscape, as we laid on the
After cruising about for some time amonp the
feet, we landed a. the wharf aad took Stroll
through the city. IL being Sunday of course all
places OF business were closed and the city pre-
sented most quiet aspect The wharves were
crowley with blacks, mile and female, and a
goodly number OF working people, with their
wives and children, were strolling about. Sol
aieIs were stationed on the wharves and picke;ed
through the city, whilst the flag Of the Union
noated In triumph from the cupola of the ustom-
house. This fay, by the way, IL the regimentaJ
nag OF the 10Th New York regiment.
closed especially most Of those Of the IeaItbier
classes. Some of the females on the street.
scowled at The horrible Yankees, and some almost
attempted 10 spit on them, but there was SUBJ
oued quiet among the middling classes, which
their countenance implied to mean desire 10
watch and wait for further developments The
Secess!o nists, especially among toe men, did not
nc" 20 TO Pouting. They talked boldly Of
the southern Confederacy, declare their detefmi.
ton to receive Confederate money, would have
nothing 10 do with the Lincoln shinplasters, and
were full OF confidence that In twenty days Nor.
folk would be repossessed and the Yankees driven
out.
True to the spirit Of Secession the fire, as an
ticipatcd ON Saturday, and which threw a broad
Ieao glare across The heavens on Saturday light,
proceeded from the destruction Of the Portsmouth
Navy Yard, which was done by order of the
Rebel Commandant IL 10 now almost mass of
ruins, scarcely anything left but walls and tall
chimheys. Even the immense stone dry dock
which cost nearly million Of dollars, was mined
and damaged, and 1t 10 said that the engine and
pump belonging to IL was removed to Richmond
hllst remaining here this evening Commo-
nore Goidsoorough ordered the Monitor and the
Naugatuck to return to Fortress Monroe, coal up
and proceed up the James river to night Nothing
definite has been heard from the Gafena the PORT
Royal and the AroStcok, which went up on Fri
|
Gdena efectually silenced all their lower batter.
les on the james river, but at Sandy Point bat.
tery she got aground, and that one Of the other
poats which Came to her assistance was sunk AS
10 the ruth OF this statement I have been unable
10 OBTAIN anything definite but have no doubt
tnat the Galena has been doing good service IL
10 thought that this story had been promulgated
TO prevent the deserticns which were constantly
taking place among the troops at the time of the
evacuation, and TO obviate the dificulty enc
fienced In carrying the Virginia troops with
them. They left here ostensibly for Richmond
but II Is the belief that they are Of for the King
dom Of Cotton. e
Whilst the Union men Of Norfolk are reserved
ana fearful, those Of Portsmouth on the contrary
gave the most enthusiastic testimony on SUNDAY
In behalf Of the faith that IL In them The de-
sfuction Of the Navy Yard has given great dis
satisfaction, and as we steamed along the wharyes
quite number Of hags could be seen suspended
from private residences. Small boys were ia.
Iading the streets with fags, evidently manu-
factured by their mothers, and there was every
evidence that with better supply of bunting
there VIII be no lack Of the DISPOSITION and de.
termination to give II to the bfeese. The pos.
session OF concealed Federal nag was deemed
an act OF treason BY the Rebel authorities-all
tnat could be found were destroyed-hence the
present scarcity among the people.
some OF the men and officers Of the Merrimac
nave been arrested In Norfolk. One-the sailing
mastef-alth n nrofeasino m he ,.hhI .noIs