The New York herald., 1862-03-12
TRIPLE SHEET.
Now York, Wednesday, March IL, 1854.
THE SITUATION.

- ~ xAAxONs
The great stronghold at Manassas has been
wholly abandoned by the rebels, and is now occu
pied by the advance corps of the Union army. The
rebels retreated on Saturday, and our troops took
possession of the abandoned Notifications ON Mon.
day night, when Colonel Avcrill, with large body
OF cavalry. bivouacked in the ruins of the dis.
mantled works. Everything that could be de.
stroyed was burned by the retreating rebels, who
according to rumor, have fallen back en- masse
upon Gordonsville, at the junction of the Orange
and Alexandria with the Virginia Central Rail.
road.
1t Is believed that the only point at which they
can with any sort of confidence make q stand,
is near the junction of the Frederick and
Potomac with the Central Virginia Railroad, in
which neighborhood the North Anna and South
Anna rivers unite and form the Pamunkey
river. about twenty miles directly north Of Rich.
mond. At this point the country is much broken,
and admirably fitted for defence. It is reported
that in their retreat the rebels have destroyed the
railroad bridge the north fork Of the Kappa
hammock In their haste they left behind struggling
parties Of soldiers, who seem very glad to be made
prisoners.
In thsir retreat they destroyed the railroad
bridges and locomotives, and burned vast quant-
ties Of commissary stores, but q large amount of
corn and provisions have fallen into our hands
Numbers of log huts and tents were found standing
at Manassas sufficient to shelter 80, 900 troops.
Our accounts of the advance and occupation Of
Manassas to-day will be found very full, and our
map of the whole theatre Of war in Eastern virgi
nis splendidly illustrates the positions of the two
armies.
Tho backward movements of the rebels from
their positions in Virginia has given rise to the
runor In the South that the seat of government is
to be removed from Richmond. The North Caro-
lima Standard says that the capital of the Southern
conlederacy is to be changed to the city Of Ra.
leigh, North Carolina.
In our columns to-day viii be found further high
ly interesting particulars Of the late naval battle
ct Newport's News, showing the immense power
Of the Ericsson battery and her effective service
the desperat conflict with the Merrimac.
General wool pronounces her superior to the lat.
ter, which mounted eight guns, while the Monitor
had only two. We also give accurate descriptions
of the other two iron-clad gunboats now in course
Of construction for the government-the Mystic,
now lying at Greenpoint, and the gunboat being
built in Philadelphia. The value Of these boats has
been greatly enhanced by the recent services Of
the Mentor.
Psymaster Mexican Buchanan, Of the Union
frssse Congress, which was engaged and burned
in the recent naval action, arrived at the Astor
House last night direct from Fortress Monroe. The
following is the numerical list of the number oi
souls on board the Congress at the time of the
action. The regular sailors numbered 277. There
was one company Of Coast Guard men, numbering
80; Marines Al, officers %; total, 434.
After the frigate was destroyed and all the sur
vivors had collected on shore at Fortress Monroe
they numbered as follows
Sailors and Coast Guard. d................... ls
Psssengers rom the frigate from Fortress Mon. .
roe TO Newport's News. ................... a
6eamen taken from the frigate on board the
rebel tug as prisoners. ...................... 4
Total. Observation-Disclosures" 81
Twenty nine men were wounded and ninety -fou
killed in the action.
Twenty thousand dollars in gold and Treasur
notes were destroyed by the burning, together wit
all the stores.
Psymaster Buchanan acted during the engage
msst % superintendent of the berth deck division
~ I'D gallant service, at the particular request