Evening star., 1864-05-08
Army of the Potomac.

| General Advance of Our Forces - Ma
mentous Movements-The Latest from
| the Frent-Snpposed Position OF Our
Army-The Rebel Army Elanked-No
General Engagement Yet.
From the Bal imore American, Nay7.l
| The latest intelligence received at Washing.
| ton last evening from the Army OF the Potomac
| was that General Grant had crossed the Rap
| idan with the entire army, and had abandontd d
| all his communications with Washington. The
| railroad to ALEXANDRIA was entirely aban.
doDed, and he had destroyed the telegraph
| pushing on after the retreating rebel army and
! leaving NO rear to project A mail Garner who
bad just arrived repor ted that he had left Cul-
pepper Court House on Thursday and found it
| entirely abandoned. and for fifteen miles this
sioe be did not encounter single soldier, until
beyond Bull Run, when he met the force OF
! General Burnside, which forms the rear guard,
| advancing. 1t is therefore evident that we
must look for our first Intelligence from the
vicinity OF Richmond.
y The story PIT forth Yesterday by the New
Iork World, Of q disaster to Gen. Burnside,
proved, like most of the statements Of mat
paper, to be entirely fabulous. On the Contra
ry, portion OF his cavalry on Thursday
countered the rear OF Imboden's cavalry,
which was moving towards Richmond from
Western Virginia. The skirmish resulted in
killing several Of the enemy, one Of whom was
an officer OF 1mboden's staff, whose BODY fell
into the possession Of our cavalry. On his
person was found the copy of a dispatch from
General Lee ordering Imboden to Join him
south OF the Rapidan as speedily as possibie0
There " IS no boat arrived yesterday from
Old Point, and consequently none went down
last evening. Whether the boats have been
taken for military purposes or to stop all com.
munication with the seat Of war we have not
been able to learn. We learn from Washing.
ton, however, that it u as the intention Of Gen.
Grant TO stop all communication except such
as he may send by the military telegraph via
Fortress Monroe, from Yorktown and Viii.
liaInsburg, until some decisive result was OBJ.
taIned.
The repor. received via New York Of move.
ment Of Gen. Badly Smith towards Peters burg,
crossing The James river at City Point threat
ening that place as well as Fort Darling, is not
credited in Washington. On the contrary, he
is believed to have crossed the Pamunkey,
making his base Of supplies at West Point.
There fs, however, no doubt Of the fact that
we may look at any moment for some impor-
tant il not decisive intelligence. Gen. Lee Is
reported at Washington to be retreatine to.
wards Hanover Courthouse and the line OF
the ,Chiekahominy Whether he wiz give
battle there, or fall back within the defences Of
Richmond and stand q siege, few days will
develop.
NEWSPAPER RUMORS AND DETAILS.
We copy the following from the New York
papers Of yesterday:
Especial Dispatch to New York Timesl
WAsHIEeTON, May 5.-The Army of the Pc.
tomac began its forward march on Monday.
The crossing OF the Rapidan was effected with
out opposition On Tuesday and Wednesday at
Culpeper, Jacobs's, Germania and Ely's Fords.
No rebels were seen, except few pickets, who
make stand this side of Richmond, it is pos
sibie he may be met near the old battle ground
of Charlottesville, but it is the general i'm
presslon that he has fallen back from his DO.
sition on the Rapidan to Richmond, in order to
protect that city from the formidable force now
marching upon 1t from the rear, and which is as
likely to strike on one side OF the James river
as the other.
Culpeper is being strongly fortified, and will
be used as depot for stores.
tits reported here to-day that strong column
Of troops under Generals Couch and SIgel are
marching from Winchester up the Shenandoah
Valley as cooperating column, destined
eventually to cut the Virginia and Tennessee
Railroad, while Buffers force or part OF il,
strikes the other railroad at or near Petersburg,
thus Sc yeripg all railroad Communications be-.
tween Richmond and the South
General Butler took the field in person at the
head of the army on the Peninsula YESTERDAY,
and his host is marshalled by such leaders as
w. +. Smith, Gilmore, Terry and Godfrey
Weizei.
This movement assumes an expeditiouary
character. An immense fleet OF transports aud
a strong SO uadron OF monitors and gunboats
will convoy it up one OF those broad rivers to
the gates or to the back door Of Richmond, aud
perhaps the iron -clads may once more try the
strength Of the rebel batteries that line the
James, the Pamunky and the Rappahannock
The feeling eyails that there is desperate
work before this army. But thera is nerve and
strength Cor it. The iron -clads lie In the still
waters on newport NeWs, ana Lne ueet OfgQE.
ooats are in communil alton with them.
Detaits of the Crossing.
Especial Despatch to the N. Y. Worid,1
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE PoToMAc,
May 4, s q. m---The grand campaign is inau.
gurated at last. The Army OF the Potomac Is
on the march! '-. .'5..
Inasmuch as the. present movement will be
known-apd perhaps felt-by the entire rebel
army in Gar front before the close OF the day
there can be no harm in making it public 1T
once.
The order to march was issued from Genl
Meades headquarters yesterday morning, and
was disseminated through the army by p. M.
Gen1 Gregg's cavalry division, accompanied
by portion OF the canvas pontoon train, moved
yesterday afternoon toward Richardsviile, and
were engaged until late at night repairing the
division moved to the ford named, to establish
q crossing. About midnight the Sd Cavalry
Division, with another portion of the canvas
pontoon train, lett for Germania Ford, S or 8
miles above, there to establish another crossing.
tits reported at this hour that both efforts were
successful. . = -
Genl Hancock commanding, broke camp at
midnight, and moved down the Steyensbure
and Richardsvil]e road toward Ely's Ford.
The entire corps were on the march before
O'Clock this morning in the same direction, and
p were expected to effect crossing soon after
The Fifth Corps, under Major Gen. Warren,
commenced moving atmidnight. The ad vance,
consisting OF two divisions of infantry and
portion Of the artillery, passed through Ste.
vensburg at midnight, closely followed by the
remainder Of the corps-an marching toward
Germania Ford. III ID.
The 5th corps was closely succeeded by the
9th, under Gen. Sedgwick, which quilted its
camp at q. m. Both the 5th and 9th corps are
understood to be crossing the RapIdan at Ger
mania Ford. ~. - 's.-' - o. - ''-' .
The entite movement Of the army resolves
itself into the crossing Of the Rapldan river at
two fords, toward the right flank Of the enemy,
placing itself crossing, on q line nearly par.
allel with the river, between Orange Court
House and Charlottesville. At tha present
hour the movement is under way, and there is
probability that it will be, successfully &C.
complished without seyere opposition by Lee,
to whom this bold push must be more or less