The daily Wabash express., 1862-03-25

Up tho railroad track and the latter by the
county road The march 10 NewbeFn was
quite uIohstructed. the enemy having appar-
ertly all be could do 10 get away ff0m rs.
anl early IN the afteFnoonogr lorces reached
thc bank 0f the river inanledialely opposite
tic ciiy. lons betore We came IN sight OF
y, koN ever, dense volumes Of smoke were
ssea ri.in-. IL that direction. and The suspi-
cion that the place hsd been trcd By tie
enemy vas fully realized when Is siesPles
aSsl houses were IN view Seubefu had
beea fred ia seven diferen, places. and Il
the Wind had not nlereiluiiy sabsided there
orld hardly have been house le.f stand
ing by nightfaIl. The splendid railroad
bridge. 30 yards long. had also bccn set or
IRE bv Z Sow load Of turpeafine which had
dh.ted against Il, and the great structure
Vas wrapped ia one grand sheet OF fame
Preparations were Immediately made by
Geaeral Foster 70 cross has forces. aad the
Was accomplished by the assistance Of 4 tight
draft sternwheci steamer which hsd been
captured. with four or Eve small side-wheel
boats. BY the naval gunboats. which. By this
time. were quite up to the city vhagvos.
To the eastward ofthe city very large
rebel camp, with barracks and tents, was
found deserted. and taken possession Of
straggieTs from different regiments wander
Cd lhrough tie city, and some acts OF depre
dation we're committed. but strong Provost
Guard was called out; all liquor casks were
stavei in, and by midnight the streets of the
city were a. quiet as IL one army had not just
ied from il in one direction. and another en-
tered il from the other.
The great majority of the inhabitants had
left town. doubtless under the impression
that she whole Vas 10 be given rp 70 the
namcs; the stores we're closed without exeep-
ton. and II il had rot been for the negroes
and few whites, one might have thought
some dreadful plague was raging in the city.
The Washington Hotel and tho Market
House were tie principal buildings burned
and the number Of private residences will
not probably exceed dozen. The neiArious
plan Of the rebel military officers and politi-
cal demagogues was resisted by the beltel
class OF citizens, but to 10 purpose. The
hotel was nred by q hot-headed Secession
lawyer. wh0 applied the torch a. an angle IN
the courtyard, with his own hams. The
railroad bridge was fired by accident; but Q
| toll-bridgc, the only means Of transit for ve
hicles and pedestrians, from shore 70 shore
| WAS about being set or fire. when the incen
diaries were fired upon from navy boat and
driven of.
Ihave been requested 10 state that ali the
members OF the different staffs escaped IN
hurt.
The brigade and regimental surgeons wefs
sadly in need Of help on the field and in hos
pitAi. the number of wounded being so large
and their own force reduced by absentees OF
leave, and those left IN charge Of the hos
pitals at Roanoke Island The brigade hos
pitals were in charge respectively OF DR.
Thompson. DIR. Cutter Of the 2ist Massachu
set.s, and DR. Rivers OF the 4th Rhode Island
The number OF our own wounded vas sucl
that our surgeons could not give much atten
ton to the enemy's until this afternoon.
To day the rain Il pouring In torrents OF
dead and dying on the field OF battle. bet il
c.nno, be helped. Mr.. Vincent Colysr, o
The Young Mems Christian Association. whs
has followed the army here, vas active II
distributing the hospital supplies 30 gener
ousy contributed by tho charitable. New
supplies are aow needed, and, especially il
view Of the inminence Of another battle
should be forwarded at once TO Mr.. Colyer
in care Of DR.. Church. Division Surgeon
Sewbern, N. c.