New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-03-15

~
Foom our Specls Correspondent
CAxr DISAPPOINTMENT, SsAs cxsrHnyLIS,}
March u. 1864. 5
The duties Of Special Correspondent embrace,
first and foremost, a test Of human endurance. He
mus, be foremost in sbe advance, rearmost in the
treat earliest to answer the reveiee latest to turn
in longest in the saddle servantless and without COM
missarist-and then wh,sn the body can perform no
more, the work of the brain begins. When an ordi'
nary msn is 70 fatigued THAT an idea is neither ex'
pected nor demanded Of hin your special must DC
wids-awake, gay, coruscathlg with Clear orisi'
tins, and in the yeliest eDoyn tent OF all bis powers
by last, commenced in pencil at Manassas juno
ton, was terminated by sheer physical inaoi'! 10
60 on. But l have by no means completed the his-
tory Of the day. In enumerating the wreck Oh ms''
ter at the Junction, did not mention the TACT tha'
number Of wagons and caissons had been lett De-
hind, though, as far a. can learn, no Ammunition
has been discovered. The entire spoils which have
fallen into our possession are Of very Little value
The boxes in the tents which l Jaw contained mostly
now Undertaking. which our soldiers were rapidly
app-opriatipg There was also not Of new blankets,
some Of them made of carpets. Nearly all Of the
arms bad evidently been condemned. Col Hoffman
AZ. H
proposterous curve, but of little value as weapon
of assault. saw half dozen Springfield musksts
in good condition, and number Of others bent and
broken. There may have been some articles Of
value scattered here and there through the dirty
chaos, but il 80, the Of the NewJersey "a, who
came upon the ground in the forenoon or OF AveriPs
Cavalry, who took possession on Monday night
no doubt discovered and appropriated them. All
that is now left would not bring $1,000 If sold at
auction.
On approaching from Backburn's Ford, had rid
den in advance of the Commander end Staff, ana
reached the Junction with the frat ca'.ry company.
While podding over the muddy plain, perceived
solitary horseman a roughly-clsd civilian with
roand cap on his head jogging along with suchacool,
Indifferent air that nj first supposed he might be
farmer Of the neghborhood. But as drew near,
in the hope Of procuring a little information, be
tuned bis head and recognized the PfinSe de join
vile. lie rode through tie unsavory piles Of rum
inspectipg everything with keen curiosity. "Ah.
csissons!' heard him remark to officer they
must have been very near leaving their guns Also
The group of GeDeus, with Mcclellan at their
head rode along the track for quarter of mile,
the borses hoofs gathering through pots aud pans,
heaps of iron fragments and broken bottles 10 the
little redan. which have already described. 1t is
raised some 10 or 30 feet above the plain and partly
demolished on the eastern side, showing the walls to
laya been composed Of hogsheads flied with earth.
As the entire party Of Generals and ssi were col
lec,ed together inside looking over the mud walls,
and enveloped in the smoke from burning piles OF
corn, the idea Of mine came invountarlly into my
head On the left, inside the gate was the entrance
10 a snbterranean magazine What, if beneath this
empty chamber were another filed with powder,
with a slow match calculated to reach 1t in twenty
four bonrs Here were all our beet commanders in
bunch, ready to he exploded. presume, however,
that the fin, duty of the occupyngparty is TO search
for indications Of such traps. Nothing Of the kind
has been discovered.
The youpg French aids role around:in great gee.
Prince de Joinye rubbing biz hands with satirfac-
ton. exclaimed. Well, now that the ball is in mo-
ton We must keep it rolling Mcclellan and Nc
Dowell convorsed apart at the summi, Of the redan.
The other officers were busy, comparing impressions
OF the place, or examining contrabands Meantime,
apainst the Western sky the smokes of burning
bridges, or, it may he, of burning villages Compa
MES Of our cavalry appeared from time to time dash
of the plain The scouting probably carried to
sorne distance beyond the Junction, the track of
the retreating Rebels, but this is point concerning
which did not feel myself at Gbe'ty to inquire.
Collecting all accounts and comparing them, am
satisfied that the entire Rebel force relreated beyond
the Rappahaanock, and that the destruction Of the
bridges on the Manassas Gap branch was the work
Of small band detailed for thai especial purpose.
The white man with whom l conversed, ~ well as
the yellow conraband, stated positively tRatJacEso"
had eracua,ed Uinchrster three or four days ago,
reiyeatirg through the Gap, whence he struck
soross via Wsrrenton Springs, TO join the main force
a, or near Gordonsvle
looked anxiousy through The debris OF supplies
for a stray bag Of oats which might have been left
behind, that my jaS.ed horse might be refreshed.
Here and there vert, remains Of corn tramped into
the mud. bat no 9th or sign Of forage In fact our
army has very lin tied supply, and provision for
single horse is iay or which civilian has no night 10
ask. aud should value accordingly when he receives
il. WAC indebted yesterday to the Qusrtermaster
of Gen Soeum's Brigade for two sheayes OF un-
threshed wheat and to-day to Sea- Wsdsworth for u
supply Of oats sufficient 20 keep life in my tall gray
charger. Hay ia not yet TO he had.
THE RIDE TO ErLL Run.
Leaning that the General reconnaissance was to
be extended to Bull lSun determined to accompany
it. regiment Of cavalry bad already sci out in adj
vance, rassrp up he Manassas Gap road. We kept
along this road, fC nearly two miles riding partly
along the track (which was left undistarbed) and
partly through 81 ,u,hs of dreadful mud. The after
noon was rapid = wearing away and us the Chiefs
balied for a co isultstion, determined 20 push on
ahead, in comp any with Col Hoffman and Dr. Pin
n.n NJ Wnds, rnrih,. Rr.rnhn we Left the Iallrnad