The New York herald., 1862-09-24
IMPORTANT FROM FORTRESS MONROE.
The Merrimac No. 2 and the Pros
pective Fate Of Norfolk.
Capture Of a Vessel Laden with
ContraDand Articles.
MOVEMENTS OF THE REBEL TROOPS,
&sY &s.s &s.

Our Fortress Monroe Correspondence.
FORTRESS MONROE, sept. %, 1862.
The AUrimae No. 2-Another r-Ramors-7he
Prospective Fate Of Norolk-Apparent Plans for the
Rebel Aduance-Capt,re of Vessel Laden grn Contra
band Stores-7e Revenue Gutter Philip Aica-iier on.
crs-Commodore Wilkes squadrow-Return Of ParoI ed
Union Prisoners-Tner Names, Gc
In the absence OF every other excitement pervadng the
resident community and about Old Point Comfort, in
military way the cry fMerrmac No 2" takes its place,
and this supposed monster supplies the bugbear to as
great extent did Merrimac No. all last winter
Scarcely hour passes without has It that the
rebel sspithre" has been somswhere the James
river, between Newports News and Richmond and,
matter of course she must needs be her way to demo-
lish everything in her course including the massive walls
Of Fortress Monroe. Only this morning naval officer
informed me (a confidence, OF course) that picket
boat had seen the formidable proportions or the
rebel ram, accompanied by the Yorktown and
Patrick Henry, somewhere above Fort Powhatan.
Although certain that such q thing exists
us second Merrimac, and when completed she will be
formidable than her deceased namesake, still am
not disposed 70 be the least bit alarmed AT her immensely
and in case Commodore Buchanan her commander, who
s said to have entirely recovered from the injuries he
received In the first fight ft TO take bout with
invincible Monitor Captain Bankhoad will certainly
commodats him. leaving Commodore John Rodgers-the
Paul Jones OF the James rver-o take Of the rebel
OF the Merrmac But tho cry Of wolf has been
raised much OF ato that the real Of the ami
NAL will not occasion much alarm the ram succeeds
in passing tho Monitor, Gaona and other gunboats we
have the watch river her natural course
will be Norfolk, with the ostensble purpose Of de-
stroying the Minnesota. In such thing
possible the ancient city Of Norfolk will be levecd with
tha Auot min afa tba ripnac
shows her ugly proportions of Craney Island. The trot
ting out OF the avorite rebel ronclad, however, has
more significance than Is generally supposed. II means
no more nor less than attack on our lines
by land the rebels moving at one and the same time on
Yorktown and suffolk similar to the proposed plan Of the
drunkard General John Bankhead Magruder in March
last lnasmuch as that movement signay failed owing
the watch Of the late and much lamented Gen.
Mansfield who made the able and scientific arrange
ments repe aad attack from Yorktown and the last
gun fired from the sinking ship Cumberland, by the in
domtabie Lieutenant George W. Norris fatally woundipS
the rebel aptan Buchanan, will the next advent f
Inc rebels in their proposed combined land and naval
ATTACK turn out failure, owing 70 the able arrange
ss ,ss made s;, By M s'n p IN M ds nss,
The rebels can scarcely be foohardy enough to
mink Of attacking Fortress Monroe by water. II, how.
enoagh to undertake such thing all the Merrmacs they
nave ever built, throwing in several Louisianas, Ar
KANSAS and Tatnas celebrated mosquito eet would be
CATION this side Of the Rip Raps But JEFF Davis has
designs on the fortress, notwithstanding he has declared
dollars day 70 the Southern Mode acy, and any
attack thereon would only result In disgracefu defeat
That the ny Is IN considerable force the hcka
honly Is positive fact also that great number Of
rebe troops stationed the other side OF Blackwa
ter acng Suffolk. But am in lined to think that both
bodies only army OF observation; and dreadng
ott,la very norty or Suffolk assure the
readers the HERALD that all has been and Is quiet on
fhe Ntli, sliund
the sack river presented himself ut the office Of
Jaiu1s Mlward Captain the Port and Hlroor Master.
with niest Of lead Of goods he had just brought from
Baltimore The carg consis ed Of sat- flour, meal seed,
dry goods medicines, and last. though not least three
thousand percussion caps ihe permit be hold from Con
sstres II life, but qunine. paregorc, EPSON
alts aud other mcdcaments also powder and were
not nent ed neither All Increased quantity OF salt.
Notw ending the Collector OF Baltimore gave permit
to the scaoors Geranium 10 sail from that port to Old
Point III these nrband stores either from ignorance
on other Causes Captain Mllward thought that Topping
mad no right To go any further with them,
inasnuch as the goods would very soon find thor
way luto Dixie, where ready purchases and heavy
pr tits awaited them Among other things Ia that cargo
Also twelve Thousand boxes Of tricol matches.
Ncw be 1t known that box of matches in Richmond IS
worth seventy 1--we cents What neat little bargain
tns III. l. would be able 70 make OF his investment.
Captn George r. SiiceT, OF the revenue cutter Philip
Alien, thinking that the custom house authorities had
made msLke 10 regard To the Aforesaid cargo, or
derd he schooner Geranum t. anchor alongside of him.
in or under his eagle eye until Treasury De-
par.ent could rd ,te the case in n proper manner
In .ho meantime the consignces Of the vessel are In
great late o rrelation, caring that their goods will
certainly he Gonisc ted is notorious TACT that Top
ping and Ia. neis mt knavss an rebels and
wh'c allow them To get their subsistence from US,
rhev sell u o. the enemy and the powder allow
them 90 bu! to Shoot soldiers with. But CAPT Scer
PIT IN tnat wheel and the prospects bright
tha he cargo 4 The Geranua, valed At about 81 500,
VII be- Condemned and sold for the benefit OF Uncle
s,rAs tresslry
h. revenue cutter Phillip Allen, Captain George r.
~ commanding, has been stationed in Hampton Roads
thuut lhrcc months, and in that has ovcrhaued
about 5rec huGd ell vessels, Of which seized
apa scit 20 laiimore Tor condemnaton varying from
l IN Trad unI m ftrAh nIroA md tore
tbs ayorite little cutter built at Portsmouth, Va,
ssi, and always been doing duty in the Chesa-
pcfkt hay. She is ninety tons burden, and a perfect
n,ei of boat. Her armament insists Of Two tiong
Dnes, riied TIVE FOUNDER and quantity Of small
arm q the ,n'st superior workmanship
= issIu sheer Is particularly dsked by the army of
,aters attached 10 the Army OF the Potomac for his
81 c,uess Ia examining carRocs In search of contraband
g0s. But Ike faithful and Trustworthy officer, he has
1uiy duty, and officer stands higher with the
il'asry eartment than the commander Of tie Philip
=, ~ aud strictly understand their duties
The ioil0wi q s . list OF the ohicers:-
Cd,satn-,;e rye Il. Sl,cer.
s,rs Ii. tenant and Executive f1Fcer-R. A. Morseil.
rsdo Lisa.nirts-rhomas ". lay, David Richie.
Ihe phip Allen Is manned by picked crew OF tw en-
~ i've mea. The last named oiicef Was formerly
81 Via % Gene al Dix miant In his memorial message
10 ''sep, ain, the spot who hsuls down the Amor
fag." Richie was board the McCleland when she
VS. 4 stroyed. rear New orleans. and he took the
luerican na9 and brought to General BENZ Butler,
Hao & = ,ara sea; i 70 General DIX by Mr. Richie For
ne serv'.e, and assigned TO the Philip Allen.
~ -aturday the squadron II Commodore Wilkes made
s ipeuance In HImptpn Roads, aud still remains here.
i Nd hardly be polite 70 give tho number
cs.es. ~ its destination. II Is expected that the
ron viii sail 10 day or To The weather for
ew days has been rather heavy, the wind blow
4 Lurtheast fls vi lent storms raging about this
At his time Of the year may bc expected.
IN l,tvy rains of yesterday and the day before
II asicrs E the elainoctal storms large feet of
socuc >, discharged last week by Colonel c. W. Thomas
Uni.r-i sites Qartermas or had loft the harbor but
eiled 10 return owing 20 the high running
oufsias ~ Clle Henry
he steamer tan nicus, Captain wn. n. n Borden,
vi cn eft here last iday FOR Aken's Landing with a
fal II truce IN charge o. Lieutenant oonsl VIM H. fnd
iuN General Dixs stat had not returned the time
my writing this is expected that popes officers
prisoners In he shenandoah valley, will be released
I'D broushi back by Colonel Ludlow.
HAirPssr TorR r. NJ
The steamer Canonicus, with Li,uL Col 1ndow has
returned from Aiken Landing, bringing three hun.
ire and hty released prisoners, of wham thirteen
NJ tl.ala