Captain Porter, the commander of the mortar fleet. New Orleans being taken, word was sent to General Butler, at Ship Island, to hasten forward with his troops to occupy it. He arrived on the first of May, and at once took possession of the city. Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana, was occupied by the Federal forces, and Farragut pushed on up the river, and, passing the Confederate batteries at Grand Gulf and Vicksburg, joined the fleet of Commodore Davis at Memphis. The capture of New Orleans was a terrible blow to the South. It deprived the Confederacy of the largest and wealthiest city within its limits, and wrested from it the whole of the lower Mississippi. Fort Pulaski Surrenders. Another success was gained by the Union arms on the Southern coast. An expedition from Port Royal, under General Hunter, laid siege to Fort Pulaski, near the mouth of the Savannah River. This fort was constructed by the Federal government previous to the war, and constituted one of the principal defences of the city of Savannah. On the eleventh of April, after a bombardment of fifteen days, it surrendered to General Hunter. Its capture closed the Savannah River to the entrance of the class of vessels known as blockade runners, and deprived the South of the use of one of its principal ports. McClellan, Johnston abandoned his position at Centreville, on the eighth of March, and fell back to the Rappahannock, and a little later moved back still farther to the line of the Rapidan. McClellan advanced to Centreville as soon as informed of Johnston's withdrawal, but was too late to interfere with the movements of the Confederate army. Exploits of the "Merrimac." Simultaneous with Johnston's withdrawal from Centreville occurred an incident which forms one of the most striking episodes of the war, and led to results of world-wide importance. Upon the evacuation of the Norfolk navy yard by the Federal forces, at the outset of the war, the splendid steam. frigate "Merrimac" was scuttled and sunk This vessel was subsequently raised by the Confederates, and rebuilt by them. Her upper deck was removed, and she was covered with a slanting roof. Both the roof and her sides were heavily plated with iron, and a long, stout bow was fitted to her to enable her to act as a ram. She was then armed with ten heavy guns, and named the "Virginia." Thus prepared, she was the most powerful vessel afloat. As soon as the "Virginia" was ready for service the Confederate authorities deter mined to test her efficiency by attempting to destroy the Federal fleet to Hampton Roads On the eighth of March the "Virginia," ac companied by two small vessels, left Norfolk and steamed down the Elizabeth River into Hampton Roads. Her appearance took the Federal fleet by surprise, and a heavy fire was concentrated upon her from tne fleet and the batteries on shore at Newport News, at the mouth of the James River. Shot and shell flew harmlessly from her iron sides, and, firing slowly as she advanced, she aimed straight for the sloop of war "Cumberland" Suspecting such a design on the part of the most formidable vessel of her class in The events of this year in Virginia were of the highest importance. The Army of the Potomac, nearly two hundred thousand strong, was ready for active operations with the early spring. General McClellan was anxious to avail himself of the superior naval strength of the United States to transport his army to a point on the Chesapeake Bay, from which it could easily interpose between the Confederate army, under General Johnston, and Richmond. | the navy-and sunk her with a blow of her iron prow. The frigate "Congress," lying near by, was chased into shoal water and compelled to surrender, after which she was set on fire. the finest vessels in the Federal navy, and inflicted upon her adversaries a loss of two hundred and fifty officers and men. She was herself uninjured, and had but two men killed and eight wounded. GENERAL GEORGE B. M'CLELLAN. The ram then endeavored to inflict a similar fate upon the frigate "Minnesota," but that vessel escaped into water too shallow for the iron-clad to venture into. At sunset the "Virginia" drew off, and returned to the Elizabeth River. She had destroyed two of The success of the "Virginia" struck terror to the fleet in Hampton Roads, and it was by no means certain that the victorious vessel would not the next day either attack Fort Monroe, or pass by it and ascend the Chesapeake, in which case both Washington and Baltimore would be at her mercy. During the night, however, a most unlooked-for assistance arrived. The "Monitor," an ironclad vessel of a new plan, invented by Captain John Ericsson, entered Hampton Roads on her trial trip from New York. Upon learning the state of affairs her commander, Lieutenant Worden, determined to engage the "Virginia" the next day. On the morning of the ninth the "Vir ginia" again steamed out of the Elizabeth River into Hampton Roads. The "Monitor," though her inferior in size, and carrying but a single gun, at once moved forward to meet her. An engagement of several hours' duration ensued, in which both vessels were fought with great gallantry; and at the end of this time the "Virginia" drew off, and returned to Norfolk severely injured. The arrival of the "Monitor" was most fortunate. It saved the Federal fleet in Hampton Roads from total destruction, and prevented the "Virginia" from extending her ravages to the ports of the Union. The battle between the "Monitor" and the "Virginia" will ever be famous as the first engagement between ironclad vessels. It inaugurated a new era in naval warfare. In spite of the result of the battle, however, the presence of the "Virginia" at Norfolk deterred the Federal forces from risking an attack on that place, and prevented them from making any effort to ascend the James River with their fleet. In the meantime the army of General McClellan had returned to its position near Alexandria, after the retreat of the Confederates to the Rapidan. General McClellan now proposed to move the bulk of his army to Fortress Monroe, and to advance from that point upon Richmond by way of the peninsula between the York and James Rivers. About seventy-five thousand men were left on the Potomac to cover Washington, and the remainder, about one hundred series of powerful works which enabled him, with his small force, to hold McClellan's whole army in check. On he fifth and sixth of April McClellan made repeated attempts to force the southern lines, and failing in these decided to lay siege to them. The time thus gained by Magruder enabled General Johnston to move his army from the Rapidan to the peninsula. It was in position on the lines of Yorktown by the seventeenth of April, making the force opposed to McClellan about fifty-eight thousand strong. The Confederates did not expect to hold VIEW OF THE CHICKAHOMINY NEAR MECHANICSVILLE. and twenty thousand in number, were trans- | their position on the peninsula, but from the ported by water to Fortress Monroe. This movement was accomplished by the second of April. Johnston's Successful Retreat. On the fourth the Army of the Potomac Legan its march towards the lines of Yorktown, which were held by about eleven thousand five hundred men, under General Magruder. The Confederate commander had passed the first year of the war in fortifying his position, and had constructed a first intended to first intended to move back nearer to Richmond, and occupy the line of the Chickahominy. When their preparations were completed they fell back from the lines of Yorktown, on the night of the third of May, just as McClellan was about to begin his bombardment of their position. The Federal army discovered the retreat on the morning of the fourth of May, and moved forward promptly in the hope of intercepting the Southern army. On the morning of the fifth the advanced forces attacked the rear-guard of Johnston's army at Williams reached the Chickahominy about the tenth burg. The Confederate commander held his of May without further molestation from the Union forces. General McClellan, following leisurely, took position on the left bank of the Chickahominy with the river between the two armies. In accordance with General McClellan's urgent request, PresiIdent Lincoln decided to order the force left to cover Washington to join the Army of the Potomac, before Richmond, by the way of Fredericksburg. With his force thus augmented the Union commander had no doubt of his ability to capture Richmond. Alive to this danger General Johnston directed General Jackson, who had been left to hold the valley of Virginia,to manoeuvre his army so as to threaten Washington, and compel the Federal gov ernment to retain the force intended for McClellan for the defence of Washington. While awaiting the arrival of this force McClellan threw his left wing across the Chicka ground until his trains had gotten off in | hominy, and lodged it in a position nearer to safety, and then resumed his retreat, and Richmond. The Federal lines now extended |