The New York herald., 1862-04-05
THE SITUATION.

Two new military departments have been ere.
atsd. The first comprises that portion of Virginia
and Maryland lying between the Mountain Depart
ment General Fremont's) and the Blue Ridge,
which Is TO be called the Department of the She
nandoah, to be under command Of General Banks.
Tho other Is to be designated the Department of
the Rappahannock, and will comprise the portion
Of Virginia east Of the Blue Ridge and west
Of the Potomac and the Fredericksburg and
Richmond Railroad. including the district
Of Columbia and the Pstuxant. General
Mcdowell IL placed in command of this din.
trict. Thus General Mcclellan is relieved from the
responsibility Of commanding in that portion of
Virginia whore there is now little or nothing to be
done, and is at liberty to employ himself in active
service farther South, where the real work is about
70 bs accomplished.
Commodore Foote despatched yesterday to the
Secretary Of the Navy that in the morning three of
our gunboats and three mortar boats opened
heavy fire on the floating battery Of the rebels
st Island No. TO- and continued to pour
In shell and shot 50 briskly that the bat
terry was cut loose from her moorings and
driftsd some three miles down the river. The
rebel steamer Winchester was set on fire and
burned to the waters edge on Saturday. The
enemy are erecting batteries all along the Ten
ossses shore, to prevent the landing of our troops
Prom the Lower Potomac we have intelligence
that the rebels have abandoned Fort Lowry, on
the Rappahannock; and that they have entirely
disappeared from the mouth of the river to the
town of Rsppahannock.
The approaching battle at Corinth, Miss, pro.
misses to be an important affair. The st. Louis
Republican says that General Halleck will com.
mand our troops in person. II adds that ''tle
plans for the coming operations are grand and
magnificent, and IL they should only partially sue.
coed we shall be able TO chronicle most important
results" The Chicago Tribune says "that no
army ever engaged in battle on this con.
finent with half the number of that
which lie at this day under the Generals
direction. We do not know how he may be op-
energies Of the South have been drawn upon to
mako head against him, we cannot hope that tie
battle which impends will be anything but obs,i.
nate and bloody"
Our troops had brush with the rebels in Ar.
kansas, ct Putnam's Ferry, on Tuesday last, in
which ivo Of the latter were taken prisoners and
one officer killed. large quantity Of small arms,
camp equipsge, horses and forage fell into our
hands.
coNGREss.
In the Senate yesterday, Mr.. Hale gave notice
Of new rule, which he proposed to oner-that
during the existing rebellion the majority Of the
Senate may fix the time when debate on any sub.
iect shall cease, and the Senate shah then vote
on the question, without further discussion.
bill to aid in the construction OF a railroad and
elegraph Line to the Pacific was reported by the
special committee on the subject. resolution
directing inquiry ss to the expedency Of providing
compensation for horses, baggage, &C., lost az
Hatterss, was referred. The remainder Of the
session was devoted to District Of Columbia bu.l
ucss.
In tne house oil Representatives, the cOnsideIs.
ton OF the Tax bill was resumed In Committee Of
The Whole. An amendment, offered by Mr.. Blair Of
Missouri. proposing TO tax slaves two dollars per
bead. gave rise TO an animated discussion: bit ID
was rejected bya vote of ~ to 81. The bill
was then reported 10 the House by the committee
The amendments were ordered to be printed,
and the bill made the special order for Monday
next. bill establishing branch mint at Denver
City, Colorado Territory, was passed.
Roth houses adjourned till Monday
MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.
Ia the State Senate at Albany yesterday tho
bills TO Inappropriate certain moneys for canal
enlargement; TO declare the engagements comple.
ted on the LIST Of September, and reduce the Aim.
ber OF engineers, and Incorporating the Presby.
lerlan Board Of Foreign Missions, were passed.
essiloa tbese, number Of private and local blla