New-York daily tribune., 1862-05-12
A pELUCE OF VICTORIES.

We print this morning the news OF the sur
render Of NORFOLK to Union force from
Fortress Monroe under Gen. Wool; the de-
structon by fire of the iron-piated Rebel
steamship Virginia formerly the U. 5. steam
fripate Merrimac); the carture-thOugh still to
be copfrmed-by the l.. $. irOn-clad steamer
Gsleua, during an expedition up james River
of the Rebel steamer Jamestown, and the sink
ing of her consort, the Yorktown; the con-
tinued pursuit Of the flying Rebel main army
to NewKent Court.House, barely twenty-seven
miles from Richmond, while our extreme I'D
yauce Consisting of the 9Th Illinois Cavalry
was. at 8 D. II. of Saturday, FIVE miles further
ahead, or barely twenty-five miles froro
Richmond, while the Rebels, still re-
treating in good order, driving in all their
strapglers and destroying oil bridges, food, for
ace. aud whatever else might be Of service TO
our army, orc in sight before them, and are
expected TO make rcsoute stand at Bottom
bridge. at the head Of the Chickahominy, fifteen
miles this side of Richmond. Add to this that
the Rebel fots on the Mississippi, under the
exuberent Hollips, made Oh Saturday deeper
ate attack Oh Com. Foote's fleet of gunboats,
temporarily commanded by Capt G. II. Davis,
and were badly whipped after an hours
fighting losing three Of their eight guDboais in
the encounter, and it will be realized that never
was days news from 20 many and such re-
mote points 80 auspcious to the speedy collapse
of the rebellion.
Probably the most desperate, brilliant, and
thoroughly successful fighting Of this war was
that whereby the National fest on the Missis-
sippi assaed and passed the forte st. Philip
and Jackson intended To bar the ascent OF the
river broke the big chain thrown across the
mighty current, captured, sunk. or disabled the
iron-cad rams, fre-sbps, and gunboats Of the
Rebels forced their way up to New-Orleans,
took possession Of that Rebel emporium, and
thus compelled the forts left behind to surren-
der. Though not the mO,t saDgunary this
was, as a whole, the most brilliant achieve
ment Of TIE war. But the fighting of the
and the recent generalship of Mcclellan con-
mands universal praise. From the hour that
Yorktown was evacuated BY the Rebels as un-
tenabe, their rstreatiDg columns have been
pressed With great yigor, and it seems with
caution and judgment Us well. An army re-
treating through friendly ard difficult coun-
try, breaking down the bridges as it passes, and
destroying all that could serve its pursuers, can OF
course outstrip those pursuers, and by turning
suddenly in force upon their advance, can
engage them with a great advantage in num-
bers or push them back on their main body.
Hence our advance under Hooker and IIeintzel.
man had TO ight against odds at Williamsburg
or give ground disaStrously; and go with
Franklln's and Sedgwicks Divisions. hurried
OF by transports to Wes. Point to interceP,
the fight of tho Rebels. But in either case
the Confederates were ultimately defeated and
compelled TO accelerate their fight so that the
moral effect of these cOmbats il decidedly ia
vorable, though their losses in action may moi
have greatly exceeded our own. An army Of
Seventy or Eighty Thousand electives, retreat
ng over its own ground without having fought
md lost u pitched battle, has seldom been
,ushed back faster, or with smaller loss to its
ssalants, than tho Rebel host siaos It stole |