General News.
The American contains the following items of general interest:The British steamer Bermuda.
Direct communication with a Connecticut graduate, escaped from school-teaching in Georgia, near Savannah, has supplied new and very important information respecting the British steamer Bermuda. She is an ironclad vessel of about 1,500 tons burden. Her master's name is Peck. She sailed from Liverpool on the 18th of August, and arrived at Savannah on the 16th of September, being 29 days on the passage, touching at Falmouth and Madeira for coal. Her cargo consisted of eighteen rifled cannon, 32s and 42s, and two 168-pound Lancaster guns, with all the necessary carriages and equipments, powder, shot and shell, all ready for immediate use; also, 6,500 Enfield rifles, between 200,000 and 300,000 cartridges for the same, 6,000 pairs of army shoes, 20,000 blankets, 180 barrels of gun powder, large quantity of morphine, quinine, and other medicine stores, and very many other articles of more than money value to the rebel army. Her cargo cost at Liverpool $1,000,000 cash. Her armament was two 12-pounder rifled guns, one on each side. She is now fitting out for active service, and is to be employed in cruising for returning California steamers. Commodore Totten will command her. My informant states positively that the mate of the Bermuda informed him that two more iron- clad steam frigates are expected from England on the Southern coast by the 15th of October. The Bermuda is owned in England. Her cargo was owned in South Carolina. While she was loading, and at the time she cleared, it was supposed in Liverpool to be a supply ship for the Royal Navy, although Downing street knew much better. She cleared for a West India port.Position and force of the rebels.
The main body of the rebels are at Fairfax Court-House, whence a broad belt of camps, almost unbroken, are seen from our balloons, stretching northward toward Leesburg, where there are nearly 30,000 men. On the Lower Potomac is a strong force, 12,000 or 15,000, back of Evansport. At and near Manassas there are comparatively few troops. All information received at headquarters tends to the conclusion that the enemy is prodigiously strong, numbering nearly 200,000, and that no offensive movement is at present intended. Johnston, however, favors and active policy, as also does, probably, Smith; but Beauregard, more cautious, insists on standing on the defensive.Treasury transactions.
The following is a statement of business transactions of the Cash Department of the United States Treasury for September, 1861:| August 31, cash in Treasury | $1,339,062 80 |
| New York Trans. Certificates (74） | 597,426 22 |
| Coin from New York and Philadelphia | 2,075,000 00 |
| Receipts for 7 3-10 Treasury Notes | 608,258 43 |
| Dep. of Demand Treasury Notes. | 6,628,000 00 |
| Receipts for Post-Office Department | 14,783 28 |
| Certificates issued on Oregon war debt | 21,850 00 |
| Sundry receipts | 1,747 82 |
| Agency deposits | 5,761,578 55 |
| Total receipts | $17,029,707 10 |
| Total disbursements from Sept. 1 to Sept. 30, inclusive | $11,449,488 35 |
| Demand Treasury Notes sent to St. Louis, Cincinnati and Kentucky | 3,235,000 00 |
| Cash in Treasury on 30th September | 2,345,218 75 |
| Total disbursements | $17,029,707 10 |
Proceedings of the army Retiring Board.
The following is a complete list of the cases passed upon by the Army Retiring Board, with the disposition made of each. The retirement in each instance is honorable: ‘ Brigadier-General Sylvester Churchill, Inspector General, retired. Lieut. Colonel Joseph A. Smith, Seventh Infantry, retired. Capt. Howard Stansbury, Topographical Engineers, retired. Col. John S. Simson, Third Cavalry, retired. Major N. C. Macrea, Third Infantry, retired. Major Campbell Graham, Topographical Engineers, retired. Lieut.-Colonel H. Gourd. Morris, First Infantry, retired. Col. B. L. E. Bonneville, Third Infantry, retired. Lieut.-Colonel Jas. Kearney, Topographical Engineers, retired. Col. J. J. Albert, Topographical Engineers, retired. Major Giles Porter, Fourth Artillery, retired. Col. F. S. Belton, Fourth Artillery, retired. Lieut.-Colonel Thompson Morris, Fourth Infantry, retired. Col. William Gates, Third Artillery, not retired. Lieut.-Colonel George Nauman, Third Artillery, not retired. Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Stephen H. Long, Major Topographical Engineers, not retired. Colonel Henry K. Craig, Ordnance, not retired. Major Seth Eastham, Fifth Infantry, not retired. Colonel Pitcairn Morrison, Eighth Infantry, not retired. ’The case of E. B. Schnabel.
The following letter from the Secretary of War refers to the case of E. B. Schnabel: War Department, Oct. 4, 1861.
Sir
--I acknowledge the receipt of a communication from Col. Martin Burke, enclosing a letter from E. B. Schnabel, a prisoner at Fort Lafayette.
The person referred to is the son of a very worthy gentleman, a citizen of Pennsylvania, known to me for many years.
He was educated at Princeton College, where he exhibited considerable talent.
He came back to
Pennsylvania, and has been ‘"living on his wits"’ ever since.
He is a man, I am sorry to say, of no character, and I have no desire to open any communication from him; I therefore return the communication forwarded by Col. Martin Burke, unopened. Sir
I have the honor to be, Very respectfully,
Simon Cameron,
Secretary of War.
Lieutenant-General W. Scott, General-in-Chief.
Simon Cameron,
Secretary of War.
Lieutenant-General W. Scott, General-in-Chief.
