Year: 1861

MINUTE AND ACCURATE ACCOUNT.
Correspondence Of the New York Tribune.


| WASHINGTON, May "a, 1861.


| have already given by telegraph brief
account of the successful movement of to-
day and of our sorrowful calamity, and
hasten to send such details as my own obscr-
walton enables me to supply. The part of
the expedition with which moved was that
under command of the late Col. Ellsworth.
Ills Regiment of Iouaves was certainly the
most actively employed, and was the earliest
upon the hostile ground; and with him were
associated nc most starting events u. ..hc
day. Or the general forces which are now
assembled in Alexandria, others can speak
lar better than L. for their operations were
wholly distinct, until the time of the june
ton, when they were combined under one
command. The exact nature of the inroad,
as well as the means by which it was to be
effected, were of course withheld from the
public up to the latest hour, and the only
sure method of gaining accurate knowledge
Of the result was by joining what seemed
likely to be the leading body in the move
mcnt.


1t was generally understood in Washing
ton, on Thursday evening, that an advance
OF some sort was contemplated, though the
| rumors fixed no exact time or point of as
sault But as the night advanced, the slight
fever of excitement which the halfauthDr-
lied intelligence created, wore away, and the
city tell into its usual tranquility. The con
| trast between its extreme quiet and the bus
tie which pervaded some of the expectant
camps, was very remarkable. | crossed the
Potomac from Seventh street, in little
boat, and before had half reached the
Iouave camp, unusual indications of busy
preparation came echoing over the water.
The night was peculiarly still and clear, and
the moon so full and lustrous that the camp
was almost visible from the opposite shore.
Above the slight murmur caused by the rus
tic OF arms and the marching, song would
occasionally be heard, and once the whole
regiment burst out into columbia the Gem
OF the Ocean, with all the tervor they could
bring to It,. 1t was not early when | reached
the camp, but the exercise was still progress
sing under the vigilance of tho Colonel,
who threw in, now and then, clear and en-,
ergetic counscls for the guidance of his men
in the mornings work. Before midnight
everything needful had been done, and the
troops were scattered in their tents for two
hours of rest. The Colonel did not sleep
until much later. He sat at his table COM
pleting the official arrangements which re-
manned to him, and setting carefully before
his subordinates the precise character of the
duties they were to be charged with. After
this nc was alone and | thought, as / en-
tered his tent little before he turned to his
straw and blankets, that his pen was fulfill
ing tendercr task than the rough planning
of a dangerous exploit. lie was so much a
stranger to fear, this brave little Colonel,
that his friends sometimes wondered at him;
but it seemed, then, that he was not insen-
sible to the awful hazards of his station.
hope that those who were nearest to him
will find touch Of consolation in the ass,l-
rance that the last moments he passed alone
were given to them.


For more than an hour the encampmcnt
was silent. Then it began to stir again. and
presently was all alive with action. AT two
o'clock steamers appeared off the shore, and
from one Of which Captain Dahlgreen, the
commander Of the navy yard, came to an
nounce that all was ready for the transporta-
ton. The men marched forward in line,
and were drawn up by companies to the
beach. AT this time the scene was animated
to the highest degree. The vivid costumes
of the men--some being wrapped from head
to foot in the great red blankets, but most of
them clad in their gray jackets and trousers
and en- broidered caps; the peaks of the tents
regularly distributed, all glowing like huge
lanterns from the fires within them; the
glittering rows Of rifles and sabers the
woods and hills and the placid river, which
here meet in exquisite proportion, enfolding
all-and all these suffused with the broad
moonlight, were blended in such novel pic
turesqueness that no man among the thrOng
could fail to be moved by it. The embarka-
ton was rapidly conducted, and, although
the spot chosen was not apparently the most
advantageous, was completed in less than
two hours. The entire regiment, excepting
the small guard necessarily left behind,
nearly one thousand men, were safely be-
slowed and on their way down the river by
four O clock, just as the dawn began to shine
over the hills and through the trees.


The night had passed without any note
worthy incident 1t had been thought pos
sble that the rebels, who could by some
means undoubtedly have gained premonition
of the movement, might fire the bridge by
which other regiments were to advance up
on them, and thus diminish the attacking
force for time. Nothing of this kind, how
ever, had been attempted, and as we steam
cd down the river livery slowly, for the boats
were heavily laden there was no sign that
We were expected, or that any inroad was
provided against This seemed at first sus,
picious, especially as on nearing Alexandria
) we found it sharing the same appearance Of
repose 1t could hardly be credited that al
least rumor of warning should not have
reached them. But if it had, it would ap
, pear that their enormous self-confdence was
! not to be even thus disturbed, for it after
ward was found that no preparations eithel
for resistance or for evacuation had beer
made until early in the morning, when, if ]
am rightly informed, the sloop-ofwar Paw
nee had sent ashore summons to surrender
the town, which believe the garrison were
considering, or had partially assented to
when we arrived. 1t snot until our boats
were about to draw up to the wharf, tha


our approach was not noticed in an,
way; but at the latest minute a few sontinels
o whom we had long before discerned, fired
theirmuskets in the air as warning, and


running rapidly into the town, disappeared
Twoor three Of the Zouaves, fancying tina


the shotswere directed toward them, (whicl
they certainly were not, discharged thei


rifles after the retreating forms, but no in
jury TO anybody followed The town wa
thus put on its guard, but yet so early wa
q the hour, and SO apparently unlocked fo
I II n q