December 12.
The Montgomery (Ala.) Mail, of this day, says that “there have been six alarms of fire in that city within the two previous days. The Commercial Hall was fired twice in broad daylight. There was much excitement and great exasperation among the citizens.”
In the Maryland Legislature, in session at Annapolis, a resolution was introduced declaring the seat of Hon. Coleman Yellott, Senator from Baltimore, vacant, on the ground that during three successive sessions of the body he absented himself from his seat therein, without assigning any reason therefor; and whereas, it is a matter of public notoriety, established also by testimony before the Committee on Judicial Proceedings, that the said Senator from Baltimore City has gone to Virginia, and has no intention of resuming his seat in the Senate; and whereas, it is right and proper, in these times of public peril, the large and populous city of Baltimore should be represented here; and whereas, the Constitution of Maryland provides that in the event of the removal of a Senator from the county or city for which he is elected, the President of the Senate shall issue his warrant for the election of another person in his place: therefore, &c. Quite an animated discussion ensued between several of the members on the preamble and resolutions, when the vote was taken and the resolution declaring the seat vacant was passed.
Last night and this morning a terrible conflagration raged in the city of Charleston, S. C., consuming and totally destroying nearly all the business portion of the city east of King St., in the direction of the Cooper River.--Richmond (Va.) Enquirer, Dec. 15.
The authorities having learned that a number of rebels in the vicinity of Bagdad, Shelby County, Kentucky, on the line of the Louisville and Frankfort Railroad, were becoming troublesome, and had even gone so far as to compel loyal citizens to take the oath of allegiance to [111] the Southern Confederacy, a squad of men from Col. Whitaker's regiment, at Spring Garden, near Louisville, Ky., were despatched to the neighborhood to-night, with orders to arrest the rebels. Arriving on the ground, they were proceeding to make the desired arrests, when they were fired upon from the residence of a rebel, which was occupied by about forty persons. The fire was returned by the squad of half a dozen National troops, who were finally overpowered and forced to retreat, but one of them, however, having been wounded, and he not mortally.--Louisville Journal, Dec. 14.
A scouting expedition, composed in part of Col. Merrill's regiment of cavalry, returned to Sedalia, Mo., bringing as prisoners four captains, two lieutenants, and about forty men. They also captured a mortar and a large number of horses. The expedition went as far as Waverly, Mo. The man who hauled down the American flag after Colonel Mulligan's surrender at Lexington, was arrested as a spy.
The Bowling Green Courier publishes what purports to be a message from George W. Johnson, who signs himself “Provisional Governor,” addressed to “Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Legislative Council.” The so-called “Provision Council” has been organized as follows: President of Council, Willis B. Machen, of Lyon; State Treasurer, Judge T. L. Burnett, of Spencer; State Auditor, Capt. Richard Hawes, of Bourbon; Secretary of State, Robert McKee, of Louisville; Clerk of Council, A. Frank Brown, of Pulaski; State Printer, W. N. Haldeman, of Oldham; Sergeant-at-Arms, John E. Thompson, Jr., of Mercer.--N. Y. Times, Dec. 14.
A skirmish occurred to-day on the banks of Green River, Ky. Company I of the Fifteenth Ohio was attacked by about one hundred and fifty rebel cavalry, who had dismounted from their horses and approached the patriots unobserved. The rebels fired one round without killing or wounding a man, and it was returned by the Ohio infantry with a couple of volleys, wounding several. The cavalry then retired, bearing their wounded with them.--Louisville Journal, Dec. 16.
