The New York herald., 1862-03-28

Of them have been the rebel service for the last nine
or ten months, and enlisted for the The
officers say that all the Virginia troops now the field
have enlisted for the war. have conversed with
most OF the above ocers and find them TO be highly
intelligent men and some Of them have the manners OF
highly educated and polished gentlemen. On their ar
rival here they placed in the city JAIL where they
will remain for the present. The city jail is building o.
enormous proportions built Of stone with white marble
facings Il is about the height Of the Metropo
tan Hotel in New York; and its magnificent towers and
turrets give the appearance castle Of feuda
times than OF prison. On entering its spacious cor
rdors found the prisoners grouped Of Cen
era Dix's clerks who taking down their names The
mon not at all disnclined TO converse and talked
freely OF the battle in which they had been taken prison
ers They are all comfortably clothed, and apparently
in good spirits. They all had Virginia bank notes,
amounting in the aggregate, to 81 500 or 81 800, but
months. Having been allowed TO do 80, many Of them
sent their Virginia bank notes out to day and had them
exchanged for United States money or silver at heavy
discount AT present they have to put up with the com.
mon Jail fare-b brown bread to eat, and moasscs and
water under the name OF coffee, TO drink But arrange
ments are being made by the military authorities here
by which they will have proper food. Their washing
will be done for them and else done 10 render
them comfortable The are to be allowed TO walk in
the spacious yords OF the JAIL and the officers will be
paro'ed and allowed TO 30 about the city.
The officers who were in the battle OF Manassas declare
that the battle OF last Sunday far blooder than that
and far hoty contested They marched from Mount
jackson to Strasburg from srasburg wnchos
took place infer from what they said that It Gen.
Jacksons idea that Cen Banks endeavorng 10 form
junction with Cen Mcclellan at Centreville and that
in order 10 prevent this at least 70 retard Gen.
Jackson returned TO Winchester ana fought this battle
The officers speak in the highest terms Of General Jack
SON They say he never sends his men into battle, but
always leads them and then the follow his example
In reply to my question what the rebel officers gene
rally thought OF generals the officers answered that
General Mcclellan regarded the first general in
America with the single exception Of General Beaure
gard. But TO other generals they claimed they
were not equal to theirs Tho war Of the aboitioniss
Mcclellan watched with the greatest interest at
the South II believed there that if the abolitioniss
succeeded in getting Mcclellan deposed from the chief
command there was no man in the North who could
control the Northern armies in such way as 10 defeat
the Southern armies It is generally believed by the
officers OF the rebel army that President Lincoln
trolls the Of the Union armies and that the
victories Of those armies the fruits Of McClcan plans
are now over-that without the controlling mind that
has heretofore planned the campaign the Union armies
will be beaten in detail ..r.
During the whole day the jail has been bssieged by
crowds OF persons in all conditions Of e anxious
the prisoners. None, however, except relatives, are
allowed access to the inside Many ladies call in ther
carriages and not being allowed to enter walk past the
windows, looking at the prisoners through the bars.