Harper's Ferry

Harper's Ferry is not a place of any great iinportancu in point of pnpulation ; its location, liowevei', renders it of more tlian ordioary importance at the present time. It is situated at the confluence of the Slieuandoali with the Fotomac River, whero the unitcd stream breaks throuh the 151ue Kiilge, 160 miles north of Hiehinond and fif'ty-three nii'cs uorthwest of Washington city, ia a direct line. It is ibout eigbty milos by rnilroad from the Jvclav House, wtaere is situated General Butlers force. Without the benefit of the Baltimoro and Ohio llailroad, the rebel forcea could maren on Washington in less time than to the Relay House. - The seencry in the vieinity of Harpor's Ferry is in the highest degree beautitul and picturestjue. It was at one time callcd SlitMiandoah Falls ; its present name is derived from a ferry long since cstabiished across the Potomac, whieh is now spanncd by a bridge aboiit eight hundred feet in length. It is on the Bultiinore and ühio llailroad, and at the nortliern terminus of a railroad connecting it with Winchester. The Uhioand Chesapeake Ganal also passes along ou the oppusite side of the Potomac. The village is irregularly built around the face of a liill, and has been the ceutru of considerable trade, drawn there by the Uuited States armory. The village conlaiiis several manufactories and flouring milis, and iive or sis churches Before the destruction of the government works at that place by the United States officer iu cpinmand, there were constantly omploycd from two hundred to two huudroil ajad tifty hunds, ruanufacturiu iu the ueighborhood of ten thousand muskets annuallv, hioh ivcro otorod iu tüe goverrment arsenal, subject to the orders of the admiuistration at Washingtou. It is seldom that there is less than eighty thousaud stand of ar;us in the arsenal ready for service. There may Lave been a much less iuuibcr at the time of its deatruction, from the fact that Üccretary FloyU sent south all that he could muster, and he would bo likely U ship them fa&ter than they could bc manufactured. The rebel forces have now full posses3ou of this point, and are pUptiog their batteries on both sides of the river - Whatever there ím left of the machinery iu the armory, or of arms in the ararsenal, is uow under their control, and guarded by a force variouslv estimated at from 2,500 to 5,000, and even much largor, with constaut reports of reinforcemeuts.