The New York herald., 1862-04-23
TRIPLE SH EET.
New York, Wednesday, April a3, 1869.
THE SITUATION.

"eW hOrk, wednesday, April S3, 1869.
THE SITUATION.
Everything at Yorktown as far as we can learn,
Is progressing as favorably as the friends of the
Union can desire. Affairs at Fortress Monroe do
not present much variety, except that pretty ac.
i've artillery practice was carried on there Satur-
day evening 1t appears that the rebels have long
range riaed cannon at the extreme end of Sewalrs
Point directly facing Fort Wool on the Rip Raps.
About half-past five O'Clock the rebels fired from
their big gun. the shot striking within few yards
Of Fort Wool. Lieutenant Colonel Halliday, the
commander at the latter place, immediately opened
his batteries on the rebels, and for upwards of an
hour he raned upon them perfect shower of shot
and shell, every one striking within the rebel bat
terry. completely silencingit.
We have full confirmation to-day, If any were
needed. Of the genuineness Of General Beaurs.
CARDS despatch to General Cooper, which we pub.
lished yesterday. The Huntsville. NO., CORES
pondent of tho Cincinnati Gazette states that this
despatch calling for reinforcsments was found in
the telegraph Office, having passed over the wires
before General Mtchel's division reached Hunts
vile, and about two-thirds of the reinforcements
called for had already passed down 10 Corinth
The remainder are collected at Chattanooga, and
ct other points on the Tennessee river, being un.
able to move forward on account of General Nit.
chsis obstructons. Beauregard's despatch was
partly written in cypher, but was easily translated
by General Mitchell.
Our news generally of General Mtchel's move.
msnts in the Southwest are most interesting. The
advance upon Huntsville, Ala, was a complete
surprise. and the occupation ofthe railroad between
Decatur and Stevenson was regarded as the
hardest blow the rebels have yet received. The
rebels were preparing TO make desperate stand
at Cornth, and fresh troops were constantly
arriving at Memphis
Business at the latter city was almost entirely
stagnsted, and the people generally seemed to
believe that they were on the eve of events which
would speedily decide the war. The bombardment
OF Fort Wright by our gunboats continued vigor-
ously up to the 18th instant, the last accounts.
1t is stated in Petersburg (rebeD paper that
Gen. Burnside had experienced defeat at Eliza
beth City. while attempting to land there, with
force Of Eve thousand men, out Of which he lost
five hundred-the opposing rebel force being only
one thousand. The history of warfare all
the world over contains no such proportion of
killed 10 the force engaged, and as all the proba
bilites are against this story--even the admission
of the Richmond papers of Monday that the re-
bells were forced to retreat-we may safely
conclude that it is one more of the absurd exag-
.gerations in which the rebel journals to in
dulge. That a small portion of Gen. Burnside's
forces might have gone up to Elizabeth City, and
there have met with "a temporary check is quite
possible and upon some such incident the story was
probably concocted. The account which reached
US yesterday Of fight at Savannah, in which our
troops we're said TO be beaten, came from similar
sources, and is proved utterly false by the news
brought yesterday by the steamer Oriental, from
Port Royal, which states that the rebels suffered
mo5s soNeiciy Juc IelcIEtu W. Nv WIZ
mington Island.
The City Of New York, at this port, brings news
from Europe to the 10th Of April-four days later.
The countries Of the Old World were more and
more deeply agitated every day by the naval
revolution effected in the battle between the
Merrmac and Monitor, and-particularly in Eng.
land and France--science was kept on the rack
in attempts to discover means Of defence in time
of war. Indeed it may be said that the Age Of
Iron had been fully insugurated abroad.
Work had been suspended on wooden vessels in
every dock yard in England, and all hands were
engaged in getting forward iron.srmored ships;
in fact, employed in creating navy. The exhibit
OF the number Of such iron aids now available, or
nearly 80, Tor British war uses, published to day
in the HERALD, shows that that country will
soon make respectable show in the naval world.
Sir William Armstrong and Mr. Blakeley have
published letters TO show that guns can be made
Of sufficient power 70 destroy any iron plates now
10 use. and some highly important experiments
had been conducted at shoeburyness, By order Of
tle Admiralty, 10 that direction. ST William
Armstrong asserts that one Of his guns. Of
twelve tons weight, charged with ifty pounds Of