The New York herald., 1862-03-17

ing would be easier than burn otherwi. DESTROY
the bridge. And yet though not pursued 20 rebels for
got to destroy the bridge showing that
bic panic must have seized on them.
After the from the Anacosta md )ndod at ship.
ping Point tho gunboat arrived orposM the Point and
sent boat on shore with some spik but IL docs not
appear that many OF them we ie hog ssary
On Monday morning tho CopwodOrc at the request of
ing regiments, ono from New Jersey and the other
from Massachusetts Thy landed Cockpit Point and
Shipping Point, when skirmishers were thrown out
penetrating several ves into the country In the
Of the fortidcatiors at Cockpit Point they found n
trcnched caDp,a great deal Of the materials Of which
were but rsrtialy destroyed anording additional evil
dcnce o. tho hurried flight Of the rebels but OF the rebels
themselves not q trace remained
annex the following memoranda Of arms and mnni-
tiohs found at Shipping Point
A gun weighing 06S pounds marked "w. T., No. ~
oag 32pounder weighing 200 pounds cast IN 1885,
six-inch riied pivot gun, mounted on PIVOT car
riage carriage destroyed.
Fragments OF sixncn riaed gun, cast q, the Treio
gar Iron Works, Richmond, Va. mounted on pivot car
rage carriage burned and destroyed.
Six long 42pouncrs, on pivot carriages carriages all
destroyed.
sevon and half inch rncd gun, cast at Low Moor,
England weighing 1850 pounds cast in 1891 This gun
is IN good order II mounted on pivot carr ago,
which was cut with axes in order to weaken II.
One hundred and sixty nine ninoinch shells, with five
socJnd fuses
A large quantity OF thirty-two pound shot and ca
mister.
Thirty five six.inch rife shells, in good order.
Two furnaces for heating thrtytwo pound shot. Some
shot the CRATE, with fire under thcm, ready for
heating
Three passing boxes
To which may be added three dummies" )" OF wooden
guns placed in positi to make tho battery look more
| formidable than tho reality. They were payfuly
| spiked
Tho shot and shell have been removed Tho guns at
Cockpit Point had their trunions broken OIL after which
they preciptatcd over tho blun into thn river
Some Of those shipping Point and other places remain
Among military and naval officers the evacuation OF
the batteries the Lower Potomac Is considered as q
military necessity, after the fall Of Roanoke Island, the
capture Of Forts Henry and Doncson and the occupation
OF Nashville, taken in connection with the advance OF
the grand army Of the Potomac but the precipitation
with which they left their batteries hard boset aud the
panic with which they evidently hllcd arc not -
easy OF solution Perhaps they were apprehonsyc that
II they fingered their retreat would be cut OF by General
| Hointzeman's division, stationed at Pohick Church
Perhaps too the throwing up Of several rockets from
tho Yankee, Saturday night, taken for signals,
indicating an early cooperation with the military. AZ
all events seems to DO fact that the rebels intended
TO manage thoir retreat secretly possible, and TO
take away all they could with them: but they were cir
cumvented by the vigilance OF the notia. Hence their
rapid flight from Cockpit Point and thor simultaneous
firing OF their combustibe goods and ohaols from Guam
tco creek TO below Aqua creek. No doubt when they
found that Cockpit Point in possession Of tho Union
troops hey feared simultaneous movement from
tho river and from Pohick Church. and thought 1t pru
dent to evacuate quickly possiblo TO save several
| thousands OF their troops from capture.