From the North.
We are in possession of late New York papers, from which we copy the following:
The battle in Arkansas.
The Federal General Curtis makes his repot to Gen. Halleck as follows:Headq'rs Army of the Southwest
Pea Ridge, Ark, March 9, 1862.
General: On Thursday, the 6th instant, the enemy commenced an attack on my right wing, assailing and following the rear-guard of a detachment under Gen. Seigel to my main lines on Sugar Creek Mellow, but ceased firing when he met my reinforcements, about 4 P. M.
During the night I been convinced that he had moved on so as to attack my right or rear, therefore, early on the 7th, I ordered a change of front to the right, my right, which then became my left, still resting on Sugar Creek Hallow. This brought my line across Pea Ridge, with my new right resting on Head Cross Timber Hollow, which is the head of Big Sugar Creek. I also ordered an immediate advance of the cavalry, and light artillery, under Col. Osterhaus, with orders to attack and break what I supposed would be the reinforced lines of the enemy. This movement was in progress, when the enemy, at 11 A. M., commenced on attack on my right. The right continued mainly at these points during the day, the enemy having gained the point hold by Col. Carr, at Cross Timber Hollow, but was entirely repulsed, with the fall of the commander, McCulloch, in the centre, by the forces under Col. Davis. The plan of attack on the centre was gallantly carried forward by Col. Osterhaus, who was immediately sustained and supported by Col. Davis's entire division, supported also by Gen. Seigel's command, which had remained till near the close of the day on the left. Col. Carr's division held the right under a galling, continuous fire, all day.
In the evening, firing having entirely ceased in the centre, and the right being new on the left, I reinforced the right by a portion of the second division, under General Asbeth Before the day closed I was convinced that the enemy had concentrated his main force on the right. I commenced another change of front for ward, so as to face the enemy where he had deployed on my right flank in a strong position. The change had only been partially effected, but was in full progress, when, at sunrise on the 8th, my right and entree renewed the firing, which was immedicably answered by the enemy, with renewed energy, along the whole extent of his line. My left, under Gen. Seigel, moved close to the hills occupied by the enemy, driving him from the heights, and advancing steadily to wards the head of the hollows. I immediately ordered the centre and right wins forward, the right turning the left of the enemy, and cross-firing on his centre. This final position of the one my was in the are of a circle., A charge of infantry, extending throughout the whole line, completely routed the whole rebel force, which retired in great confusion, but rather safely, through the deep impassable defiles of cross-timber.
Our loss is heave. The enemy's cannot be ascertained, for their dead are scattered over a large field. Their wounded, too, may many of them be lost and perish. The force is scattered in all directions, but I think his main force has returned to Boston Mountains.
Gen. Seigel follows him towards Keithville, while my cavalry is pureeing him towards the mountains, scouring the country, bringing in prisoners, and trying to find the rebel Major-Gen. Van-Dorn, who had command of the entire force at this, the battle of Pea Ridge.
I have not as yet, statements of the dead and wounded, so as to justify a report, but I will refer yen to a dispatch which I will forward you very soon.
Officers and soldiers have displayed such unusual gallantry, that I hardly dare to make distinction. I must, however, name the commanders of divisions. Gen. Seigel gallantly commanded the right, and drove back the left wing of the enemy; Gen. Asbeth, who is wounded in the arm, in his gallant effort to reinforce the right; Colonel and seeing Brigadier-General Davis, who commanded the centre, where McCulloch fell on the 7th, and pressed forward the centre on the 8th. Col. and acting Brig. Gen Carr, is also wounded in the arm, and was under the continuous fire of the enemy during the two hardest days of the struggle.
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio and Missouri may proudly share the honor of victory which their gallant heroes won over the combined forces of Van-Dorn, Price and McCulloch, at Pea Ridge, in the mountains of Arkansan.
I have the honor to be, General, your obedient servant,
"the Situation."
The New York Herald, of the 12th, in its ‘"situation"’ article, says:‘ The great stronghold at Manassas has been wholly abandoned by the rebels, and is new occupied by the advance corps of the Union army. The rebels retreated on Saturday and our troops took possession of the abandoned fortifications on Monday night, when Colonel Averill, with a large body of cavalry, bivouacked in the ruins of the dismantled works. Everything that could be destroyed was burned by the retreating rebels, who, according to rumor, have fallen back en masse upon Gordonsville, at the junction of the Orange and Alexandria with the Virginia Central Railroad.
It is believed that the only point at which they can, with any confidence, make a stand, is near the junction of the ‘"Frederick and Potomac"’ with the Virginia Central Railroad, in which neighborhood the North and South Anna rivers unite and form the Pamunky river, about twenty miles north of Richmond. At this point the country is much broken, and admirably flitted for defence.
It is reported that in their retreat the rebels have destroyed the railroad bridge across the north fork of the Rappahannock.
In their haste they left behind straggling parties of soldiers, who seem to be very glad to be made prisoners.
In their retreat they destroyed the railroad bridges and locomotives, and burned vast quantities of commissary stores; but a large amount of corn and provisions have fallen into our hands.
Numbers of log huts and tents were found standing at Manassas, sufficient to shelter 90,000 troops.
Col. Geary made an advance from Leesburg on Monday as far as Carter's Mills. He found the whole country devastated by the rebels; the rains of burned granaries and grain stacks strewed the way. Visiting the scene of the battle of Ball's Bluff, Colonel Geary caused the bleaching bones of the Union soldiers who fell in that fight to be buried.
’ article
The abandonment of Manassas.
The Herald says that the abandonment of Manassas is "equivalent to the abandonment of Virginia by the rebels without risking a great and decisive battle. They have no other place within the limits of the State where they can make the stand which they could have made at Manassas. We presume that the flying army has been reduced, by sickness, expiring enlistments and desertions, and by detachments drawn off to other quarters, to considerably loss than one thousand men. We presume that the Federal army in pursuit will considerably exceed a hundred thousand men, and that its most serious impediments on its way to Richmond will be broken bridge and obstructed roads.The evacuation of Manassas is virtually the end of the rebellion in Virginia and the restoration of that to the Union. [] With the close pursuit of the retreating rebel army which will doubtless fellow, we may now reasonably count upon the final collapse of the vagrant Government of Jeff. Davis before the 1st of May, and the reopening of the whole south and its great commercial staples to the markets of the world.
The Naval Nails.
From a Fortress Monroe dispatch, of March 11, we get the following:All the papers of the frigate Cumberland having gone down with her, it is impossible to obtain a list of the killed and missing. The latest and most correct account is 116, and it will probably be reduced to 100.-- [Probably it will it Federal lying can do the business.]
The writer gives a meagre list of the killed, wounded, and missing on beard the Congress, which is so manifestly imperfect that we make no copy of it. Another account informs us that several thousand dollars in gold were lost with the destroyed ship.
Money and stocks.
The weekly statement of exports, exclusive of specie, shows a falling off of nearly $2,000,000, as compared with the previous week.The money market is reported comfortable. Call loans are reported at 7 per cent, and paper of the highest grade at the same rate.
Foreign exchange dull and week. Bankers' bills hold at 112 112½ for sterling, and 8,92½ ad 97 ½ for France, with a light demand.
The closing stock quotations of the 11th were: Virginia 6's. Tennessee North Carolina Missouri.
