March 15.—This day a reconnoitring party started from the north side of Quantico Creek, and occupied Dumfries, Va. From the river to the village the road was strewn with dead horses. Some were in harness attached to wagons. The rebel force in and around Dumfries was composed of Texans, Alabamians, South-Carolinians, under the command of Wigfall, of Texas. About thirty cartridge and cap-boxes, some blankets, flour, etc., were found in the house used as Wigfall’s headquarters. A large quantity of shells and cartridges were also stowed away in a barn, and seventy-five boxes of ammunition were found near the creek.—N. Y. Commercial, March 17.
—The United States frigate Cumberland, which was sunk by the attack of the Merrimac, rebel steamer, still keeps her masts above water, and the Stars and Stripes are yet flying at her masthead.
—A Naval expedition, composed of the gunboats Benton, Louisville, Cincinnati, Carondelet and Conestoga, under Flag-Officer Foote, left Cairo, Ill., at seven o’clock this morning.
At Columbus they were joined by the Pittsburgh, St Louis and Mound City, and were overtaken by eight mortar-boats, in tow of four steamers, with transports and ordnance-boats. They arrived at Hickman, Ky., at half-past four o’clock this afternoon.
The mounted pickets of the enemy were in sight on the bluff, when two companies of the Twenty-seventh Illinois regiment were sent after them, but they escaped.—N. Y. Herald, March 10.
—Early yesterday morning the Island Belle entered Aquia Creek, Va., near the pier and commenced shelling the battery on the hill, the battery on the water – line having been abandoned. The fire was returned from the hill-battery. No harm was done to the Island Belle, save the carrying away of a piece of joiner’s work from the engine-room by a fragment of a shell. Later in the day the Anacostia and the Yankee shelled the field-battery at Boyd’s Hole, and, after a lively interchange of iron compliments, which did no harm to the vessels, they both retired.
The steamer Yankee visited the Navy-Yard at Washington, took on board a quantity of shell, and to-day, with the Anacostia, she proceeded to shell the rebel batteries at Aquia Creek. The enemy replied briskly with their guns, but failed to reach the Yankee, although they made several excellent line-shots. One shell struck but a short distance from the Yankee, in direct range with her wheel-house. Most of the shots were too high for the Anacostia, many of them passing over to a great distance. The heavy guns of the Yankee enabled her to lie off out of range, and drop her shells with precision into the batteries. After firing some time the Yankee and Anacostia hauled off, without being struck.
—Gen. Lew. Wallace’s division went to Purdy, McNair County, Tenn., burned the bridge, and took up the track, on the railroad leading from Humboldt to Corinth, Miss., cutting off a train heavily laden with troops, which arrived while the bridge was burning. — N. Y. World, March 17.
