The New York herald., 1862-03-26
TRIPLE SHEET.
New York. We dnesd.y, March ae, 1861.
THE SITUATION.

1A" "a l. ~ Ax'xON
The battle at Winchester, which General Shields
80 gallantly won, was magnificent affair and has
been well followed up by General Banks, who pur-
sued the rebels through Strasburg and five miles
beyond, in Q terrific rout. General Banks had
driven them into Strasburg yesterday morning
and on yesterday afternoon he sent despatch
dated "Five miles beyond Strasburg."
General Shields was compelled to remain out of
action in consequence of the wound he received on
Saturday. The despatch says:-"The enemy are
still in retreat, and our forces in hot pursuit
The loss Of the rebels must have been enor-
nous. They have abandoned wagons along the
road filed with dead and dying; the houses on the
route are found crowded with the wounded and
dead; the dwellings in the towns adjacent to the
battle fields Of Sunday are also found filed with
the wounded. The inhabitants aided the rebel
soldiers in carrying of their wounded during the
day. and in burying them quickly as soon as dead.
Our artillery makes terrible havoc among the
enemy in their fight, and the rout bids fair to be
one Of the most dreadful of the war;"
We give to-day some further details of the
Winchester battle on Sunday-the general account
OF which we have before published-by which it
will be seen that it was hotly contested fight on
both sides. During the day curious incide ent
occurred. When the centre and left wing of the
rebel army we're thrown into confusion, and a
deaperata offart ma do ~ tba r;cb< -;cc
the Irish battalion in the rebel ranks, numbering
hundred and fifty men, when brought forward
and ordered to fire upon the Union troops refused
to fire, and a rebel regiment Immediately drove
this gallant little band forward but could not COM
pei them to fire upon the Union army. Forty
corpses Of the hundred and fifty afterwards strewed
the field. These Irish troops were undoubtedly
pressed into the rebel service either by absolute
coercion or the necessity of circumstances, but,
true to the flag whose honor entrusted to their
brave countryman, General Shields, they refused
TO assa it, though their lives became the sacrifice
to their loyalty.
There appears to be some doubt as to the death
vi Nnpe"iu DuCnauah, bhc Nouiuhluci vi thc iSuci
battery Merrimac, who was reported killed in the
action with the Cumberland at Hampton Roads.
The Star, o paper published at Easton, Md,
within FIVE miles of Captain Buchanan's home,
says that his family has received intelligence
from Norfolk that he only met with slight wound
in the thigh, and that he is recovering.
Tl,a uo;,ad cta.oa tr.o.oort noo-Uo poohoJ,,
which arrived here yesterday from Newbern,
North Carolina, brought the intelligence that the
rebel steamer Nashville was not burned by the
enemy but was captured by our troops.
The United States steam transport New Bruins
wick, Commander Lscomb, which arrived here
iast evening from Newbern, confirms the report of
the capture of the rebel steamer Nashville. and
states that she has not been burned She brings
as passenger Major Stevenson, of the Twenty.
fourth Massachusetts, regiment and about sixty
sick and wounded soldiers Of the Burnside expe.
dition.
Notwithstanding these statements relative to
the fate Of the Nahsville we constrained TO be.
ncve tnht Tue Hrsb fcPosS VI hci ucsruNsVu ny
the rebels are more strongly sustained, and hence
we fear that she has not fallen into our hands.
A despatch from Kansas City yesterday states
that q skirmsh took place near Independence,
Mo-, on the 22d, between the Sixth Kansas regi
ment and a band Of rebel gueras, in which the
latter we're routed. In their retreat they burned
Al III al ID d.
two men, and killed seven Of the enemy, took
eleven prisoners and twenty horses.
We have some interesting news from the South
to-day. The new Cabinet Of JEFF. Davis is formed,