Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-05-21
SECOND EDITION.
YHREE O'CLOCK, Pm.
FROM DIXIE.

The New York Times Peninsula CORES pondent
| whose hair is evidently "on eendn about the
| overwhelming force Of the Rebels In Virginia,
"sees snakes" along the line Of the Rappahan-
mock and about Gordonsville, that have no exist
ence.
Instead Of 90, 900 troops In arms about Gordons-
He, as he alleges, we know, positively, that the
Rebels have now but 4 single brigade flour regi-
ments), commanded by l. OBJ. Branch, ex-(N.
C.)member Of Congress, between their Bowling
Green forces opposite below Fredericksburg
and the Blue Ridge-hsrdlv company Of which
are at Gordonsville. Its headquarters are near the
Rapidan station Of the Orange and Alexandria
Railroad. Branch keeps only about 200 men east
Of the Rapidan, doing picket and scout duty In
Culpeper county. They now scout east only as
far as Brandy station, five miles from Rappahan-
nock-riyer station OF the Orange and Alexandria
Railroad
We are no believer that the Bowling Green
force OF the Rebels mentioned above 10 more than
ten thousand strong, II so great. That is: the
force threatening to dispute McDowell's progress
from Fredericksburg to Richmond
STATE PRISONERS.
Two weeks ago JET. Davis had seven hundred
and fifty loyal citizens Of Virginia in his Castle
Goodwin and Carey street prisons in Richmond
Every hour was adding to the number; az II was
but necessary for one to express doubt Of the
immaculacy OF the Confederate Government. 10
be denounced, arrested, and sent down TO Rich.
mond.
Three Of these prisoners were recently taken
out and hung without judge or jury
The prisoners are packed 30 closely In their
confined quarters that at night they are obliged
to Law down to sleep "spoon fashion" and turn
over simultaneously by platoons.
PREPARING THEM FORT.
The correspondence between Jeff Davis and
John Letcher, with reference to the rumors con-
corning the formers alleged purpose of Gaban-
doning Richmond"-news Of which reached us
last night, Is neither more less than an effort
on their part to prepare the minds Of Virginia
secessonists either for JETS abandonment of
Richmond without fight, or for the fall of
Richmond IL he ventures fight In Its defence.
His pledge not to abandon Virginia il he loses
Richmond, but to continue the war on her soil
"fer twenty years" is mere gammon-amount-
ing to no more than his and Letcher's assertions
of their determination hereafter to take Balti.
more, New York and Philadelphia, and all that
sort Of thing.
A SATISFACTORY TRIAL.
navy-yard here to test the capability Of the de-
scription OF iron armor adopted by our Navy De-
partment TO resist shot
IL was found that Il amounts to a perfect shield
against such ordnance as easily pierced armor
lin England) precisely similar to that Of the Gel
ebrated Warrior. We decline publishing aught
concerning the details Of these experiments,
which, however, proved perfectly satisfactory, as
explained above
The President and other distinguished public
men were present.
THE MAIN REBEL ARMY
Information, on which we have every reason TO
rely, from different counties OF Eastern Virginia,
satisfies US that they have conscripted every able
bodied man in Eastern Virginia on whom they
could lay hands, ard driven them, like sheep, to
the Peninsula. This fact accounts for the large
nominal army believed to be opposed to that of
Gen. Mcclellan, as well as for its state Of utter
dIsorganizatIon and Generalization The more
Of such troops JEFF Davis hes, the worse he will
find their presence, for him, when the impending
battle or foot race comes off,