GEN. BUTLER AT FORTRESS MONROE.

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| soil of Virginia, save within the narrow limits, or immediately under the frowning walls, of Fortress Monroe. So Gen. Butler soon found some ten or twelve thousand Confederates in his front, under command of Gens. Huger and Magruder, (both recently of the regular army,) with earthworks and batteries facing him at every commanding point, well mount

spoils of the Norfolk Navy Yard. The white population in that slaveholding neighborhood was so generally disloyal that, of a thousand inhabitants of the little village of Hampton, lying just under the guns of the fort, but a hundred remained on the 1st of June.*

Gen. Dix commanding in NewYork. Lieut. Gen. Winfield Scott, at Washington, was commander-in-chief, as well as in immediate charge of the large force rapidly pouring into the capital and its environs-in part, by steamboat up the Potomac; in part, by way of the Railroad through Baltimore. There were cities that hailed the Union soldiers with greater enthusiasm, but none that treated themed with powerful guns from the with more civility and deference, than Baltimore, from and after Butler's arrival in that city; though he somewhat embarrassed the trade of that hitherto thriving mart by searching for and seizing large quantities of arms, secreted in her cellars or snugly stowed away in the holds of her vessels, awaiting transportation to lower Virginia. One of his last and most important seizures was that of the person of George P. Kane, Marshal of Police; who, making all possible opposition to captures of arms designed for the Rebels, was taken also to the Fort, that he might see that they were in safe hands. Unluckily, he, like other traitors, was not retained there so long as he should have been; but this was by no fault of Gen. Butler, who was ordered to take command at Fortress Monroe, whither he repaired on the 22d, and where he soon found himself at the head of some 15,000 raw but gallant soldiers.

It had been decided that no offensive movement should be made prior to the 24th (the day after the farce of voting to ratify the Ordinance of Secession) the Government having apparently resolved that no Union soldier should, on that day, tread the

This village was burnt, August 9th, by Magruder's order, that it might no longer afford shel

Gen. Butler found his position so cramped by the proximity and audacity of the Rebels, whose cavalry and scouts almost looked into the mouths of his guns, that he resolved on enlarging the circle of his Virginia acquaintance; to which end he seized and fortified the point known as Newport News, at the mouth of James river; and, on the 9th of June, ordered a reconnoissance in force for some eight or ten miles northward, with intent to surround, surprise, and capture, the Rebel position nearest him, known as Little Bethel. To this end, Col. Henry B. Duryea's Zouaves were dispatched from Hampton at 1 o'clock next morning, followed by Col. F. Townsend's 3d New-York, an hour later, with directions to gain the rear of Little Bethel, so as to cut off the retreat of the Rebels; while Col. Phelps, with a Vermont battalion, supported by Bendix's New-York

ter to our troops. An attempt was at first made to attribute this devastation to the Unionists.

BIG BETHEL HARPER'S FERRY.

ments; and another regiment was ordered up to his support. Col. Duryea had already surprised and captured a picket-guard of the enemy, consisting of thirty persons, who were sent prisoners to the fort.

Our

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Our total loss, in the advance and the attack, was hardly less than 100 men; while the Rebels reported theirs at 1 killed and 7 wounded. Gen. Pierce, whose inexperience and incapacity had largely contributed to our misfortune, finally ordered a retreat, which was made, and in good order; the Rebels following for some miles with cavalry, but at a respectful distance. And, so conscious were their leaders that they owed their advantage to accident, that they abandoned the position that night, and retreated so far as Yorktown, ten miles up the Peninsula. No further collisions of moment occurred in this department that season. Gen. Butler was succeeded by Gen. Wool on the 16th of August.

Gen. Pierce, finding only a hastily deserted camp at Little Bethel, pushed on to Big Bethel, several miles further. Here he found a substantial, though hastily constructed, breastwork, protected from assault by a deep creek, with 1,800 Confederates, under Col. J. B. Magruder, behind it. Gen. Pierce, who, probably, had never before seen a shot fired in actual war, ordered an attack; planting his few small guns in the open field, half a mile from the well-sheltered Rebel batteries in his front. balls, of course, buried themselves harmlessly in the Rebel earthworks;" while our men, though partially screened by woods and houses, were exposed to a deadly fire from the Rebels. For four hours, the action thus continued-necessarily with considerable loss on our side and very little on the other. Finally, a more determined assault was made by a part of our infantry, led by Major Theodore Winthrop, Aid to Gen. Butler, who was shot dead while standing on a log, cheering his men to the charge. His courage and conduct throughout the fight rendered him conspicuous to, and excited the admiration of, his enemies. Lieut. John T. Greble, of the 2d regular ar-batteries for the shelling of Washingtillery, was likewise killed instantly by a ball through the head, while serving his gun in the face of the foe.

Pollard says: "The only injury received from their artillery was the loss of a mule."

Col. (since, Major-Gen.) D. H. Hill, who commanded the 1st North Carolina in this affair, in

Reports of a contemplated Rebel invasion of the North, through Maryland, were current throughout the month of May, countenanced by the fact that Maryland Hights, opposite Harper's Ferry, were held by Johnston through most of that month, while a considerable force appeared opposite Williamsport on the 19th, and seemed to meditate a crossing. A rising in Baltimore, and even a dash on Philadelphia, were among their rumored purposes. Surveys and reconnoissances had been made by them of Arlington Hights and other eminences on the Virginia side of the Potomac, as if with intent to plant

ton. But the Union forces, in that State and Maryland, increased so rapidly, that any offensive movement

his official report, after claiming a victory, says:

"Fearing that heavy reënforcements would be sent up from Fortress Monroe, we fell back at nightfall upon our works at Yorktown."

WASHINGTON AND VICINITY.

CROSSING INTO VIRGINIA.-VIENNA.

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as an exhibition of patriotic heroism; and a subscription was at once set on foot for the benefit of his family. This incident was rightly regarded by many as indicative of the terrible earnestness of the contest upon which the American people were now entering.

Gen. McDowell, having firmly established himself on the right bank of the Potomac for several miles opposite to and below Washington, proceeded to fortify his position, but made no further offensive demonstrations for several weeks; whose quiet was broken only by a brisk dash into and through the village of Fairfax Court-House by Lieut. C. H. Tompkins, of the 2d regular cavalry-resulting in a loss of six on either sideand by an ambuscade at Vienna.

in that quarter on the part of the Rebels would have been foolhardy in the extreme. Finally, on the night of the 23d-the day of her election aforesaid-Gen. Scott gave the order for an advance; and, before morning, 10,000 Unionists were planted on the 'sacred soil.' Gen. Mansfield superintended the crossing of the Long Bridge; while Gen. McDowell conducted that over the Chain Bridge at Georgetown; whence the 69th New York, Col. Corcoran, was pushed forward to seize the crossing of the Orange and Manassas Gap Railway, some miles westward. The NewYork Fire Zouaves, Col. Ellsworth, moved by steamers directly on Alexandria; but the Rebels in that city had either been warned by treachery, or were alarmed by the menacing appearance of the gunboat Pawnee, and had very generally escaped when the Zouaves landed. Some 300 of them, mainly civilians, were captured by the New York 69th, in their flight on the railroad aforesaid. No resistance was met at any point. But Col. Ellsworth, seeing a Secession flag flying from the Marshall House' at Alexandria, stepped in, with four followers, and took it down. Passing down the stairs, he was met by one Jackson, the hotel-keeper, who, raising a double-barreled gun, shot Ellsworth dead on the spot. He was himself instantly shot in turn by Francis E. Brownell, one of Col. Ellsworth's followers; and the two who, at one moment, confronted each other as strangers but as mortal foes, the next lay side by side in death. Jack-mainly South Carolinians, and who, son's deed, which, at the North, was shudderingly regarded as assassination, at the South, was exulted over

Late on Monday, June 17th, Gen. Robert C. Schenck, under orders from Gen. McDowell, left camp near Alexandria, with 700 of Col. McCook's 1st Ohio, on a railroad train, and proceeded slowly up the track toward Leesburg, detaching and stationing two companies each at Fall's Church and at two road-crossings as he proceeded. He was nearing Vienna, thirteen miles from Alexandria, with four remaining companies, numbering 275 men, utterly unsuspicious of danger, when, on emerging from a cut and turning a curve, eighty rods from the village, his train was raked by a masked battery of two guns, hastily planted by Col. Gregg,' who had been for two or three days scouting along our front, with about 800 Rebels,

starting that morning from Dranesville, had been tearing up the track at Vienna, and had started to return.

Afterward, Gen. Maxcy Gregg; Governor elect of South Carolina; killed at Fredericksburg.