Latest Northern news.
interesting from
Washington — affairs at
Fortress Monroe--the great storm North--terrible Shipwreck near
Boston, &c.
From New York papers as late the 4th inst., we are enabled this morning to present our readers a full summary of news from
Lincoln's dominions:
The New York
Herald's Washington correspondent of Sunday, the 3d instant, communicates the following account of the progress of the war and other matters in and around the
Federal capital:
The naval fleet--eighteen reported Wrecked.
A rumor has been prevalent here this evening that the recent storm had fallen with great fury upon the great naval expedition, off
Cape Hatteras, scattering the vessels in every direction, and swamping or wrecking eighteen of them.
This rumor is not, however, credited in official circles.
The Government has no such intelligence.
The latest dispatches received by the
Government from the fleet were from off
Cape Henry, describing the progress and the mode of sailing of the vessels.
They were close together, and moving at the rate of seven miles an hour.
Expert navigators have calculated that at this rate the fleet must have passed beyond the known range of the storm before it commenced.
No later authentic advices have been received here.
The reputed dispatches since then are unquestionably only opinions or conjectures.
The Change in the command.
The change in the command of the army, by which
Gen. McClellan assumes the position of
Gen. Scott, has caused much conversation among all classes, and confident opinions are every where expressed, than the talents of the young General are equal to the position and the emergency in which the country is now placed.
He remained to-day at his headquarters, and the few who were so fortunate as to be admitted to his presence, congratulated him upon the new mark of confidence he had received at the hands of his Government.
A drenching rain storm.
A drenching rain storm, accompanied by heavy gusts of wind, commenced on Friday night, and continued almost without intermission until this morning.
Trees and chimneys were blown down, and at times the streets were almost impassable to pedestrians.
The roads in
Virginia are so cut up as to postpone a movement out, had one been contemplated.
So heavy was the rain, and violent the wind, that tents afforded no shelter to our troops.
The ground in every tent was deep with mud, except those which were floored, and all efforts to keep comfortable were unavailing.--Last evening the storm subsided, and to-day the weather has been mild and pleasant.
News from the upper Potomac.
Friday
Gen. Stone sent a flag of truce to
Gen. Evans, at
Leesburg, to know what disposition had been made of the
National prisoners taken at Ball's Bluff, and those left dead on the field.
The latter replied that the prisoners were quartered in a tobacco ware- house at
Richmond, and the dead were properly interred; that he would immediately communicate with the Confederate Government in relation to an exchange of prisoners.
Lieut. Col. Wistar is fast recovering from his wounds.
Capt. Mallory, of the California Regiment, lies in a very precarious condition at a farm-house near
Poolesville.
Alexander H. McClary, for a number of years connected with the Philadelphia Press, was taken prisoner.
About 100 wounded still remain at
Poolesville, all doing well.
To day,
Captain Sheets and
Quartermaster Hall, of one of the
Pennsylvania regiments, and some members of a New York company near the
Chain Bridge, discovered bodies floating down the
Potomac, thrown forward by the present heavy freshets.
Efforts were at once made to recover them, and during the day five were taken from the river, which proved to be of the drowned from Ball's Bluff. One of them was identified by papers found as the body of a private named
Bumford, or
Burford, Company K, Fifteenth Massachusetts Volunteers.
On the body $25 in gold, and a medallion were found.
On the other bodies were lockets, some containing likenesses, evidently of man and wife.
The corpse were brought to the dead-house, No. 434 Seventh street. To-morrow increased efforts will be made to recover any other bodies which may float by.
The body of
Col. Baker will be removed hence Thursday morning, arriving in
Philadelphia early in the afternoon, where it will be received by the military authorities, and escorted to Independence Hall, and will lie in state next day. Sunday it will be exposed to view in the City Hall, New York, and Monday placed in the steamer for
California, in charge of
Chas. S. Drew of
Oregon,
M. E. Flannigan of
San Francisco,
E. M. Barnum of
Oregon, and
W. H. Wallace of
Washington Territory, who will accompany the remains as far as New York.
News from the Potomac Plotilla.
The gun-boat
Herbert arrived at the navy-yard to day, bringing the latest news from the flotilla.
She reports no material change in affairs on the lower Potomac.
Heavy cannonading has been heard below, believed to be the opening of our batteries upon the rebels.
The gun-boat
Pusey will go down the river to-morrow, to drag for the sunken steamer
Tigress Capt. Hanon, who commands the Pusey, though not compensated by the
Government for his personal service, risks his life in the perilous duty assigned his boat.
Secretary Seward leaves for New York to-morrow to transact important business.
Condition of the prisoners at Richmond.
Lieut. Alfred Kentz, of the steamer
Flag, who has been a prisoner in the hands of the rebels since the 25th of June, arrived here on Friday.
He was captured off Hatteras Inlet, while in charge of a prize schooner, and is absent on his parole for the purpose of effecting an exchange of prisoners.
He says the national prisoners at
Richmond are suffering from the weather and insufficiency of clothing.
In case an arrangement for an exchange of prisoners cannot be effected, he is to return to confinement in
Richmond jail in fifty days.
Favorable news from Europe.
The news from
Europe by the last steamer shows that the rebel emissaries in
London and
Paris are very confident and noisy in their be lief that the necessities of the manufacturing interests will lead to an interference in our contest for the purpose of breaking up the blockade, in order to procure a supply of cotton; but it is evident, instead of their cause gaining ground, that it is very rapidly losing, both with the people and the Press.
In addition to this information, much gratification is afforded by the London
Post, the organ of Lord Palmerston, which has a strong article against any interference, and exposing the fallacy of the notion that the recognition of the rebel States would reopen the cotton trade.
On the contrary, it argues that such recognition could only increase the rigor of the blockade; and that interference with the blockade would be an act of war, embroiling
England at once with the
United States.
Another distinguished Foreign officer.
The
Count De Sayer, lineal descendant of
Count Rochambean, of American Revolution fame, has tendered his military services to the
President, and has been assured that they will be accepted.
The same answer has been given to the
Baron De Schener, descendant of
Gen'l Lafayette.
It is expected they will soon reach the
United States.
Lieut-Colonel E. J. Steptoe, of the Ninth Infantry, has resigned.
His resignation, to date from the 1st inst., has been accepted.
More Retirements.
Capt. John S. Symmes, of the Ordnance Department, and
Captain Jos. L. Tidball, have been placed on the retired list, on account of disability — the disability resulting from long and faithful service.
Col. Young, of Kentucky Light Cavalry notoriety, who was recently arrested for endeavoring to excite mutiny among our troops, was sent off by the authorities on Friday morning for the
North, on the cars,
a la McCunn, with fare paid by the
Government.
Two deserters from the rebels.
Two deserters came to our lines yesterday below
Alexandria.
One was formerly a citizen of
Alexandria, who enlisted in the rebel army last spring.
He gave no information, except that he professes to have no knowledge of any earth works being thrown up at
Centreville, but that the current statement of the rebel troops about
Manassas estimated their number at 75,000.
The other was a negro who came up from below
Occoquan.
He was dressed in a field officer's coat, on which were Mains buttons.
He stated that the coat was taken by the rebels at
Bull Run.
The Administration has not yet interfered to prevent the enforcement of the order of Provost
Judge Friese, of
Alexandria, confiscating the property of Barley & Triple, for the payment of their Northern creditors — Since the order of the
Court was to take effect in five days, which time has already expired, it seems as if the Administration intends by letting the matter go by default to sustain
Judge Friese in his bold effort to secure redress for our Northern merchants.
The
Court on Saturday decided another important point, viz: that the property of a rebel debtor must be divided
pro rate among the creditors who may apply before the division is made.
This is in the present case considered to bear hard upon
Chapman,
Lyon & Fees, of New York, who have been at the most trouble and expense to test the question, and will thus only collect about sixty per cent. As a precedent, however, it is very important.
It does not give one creditor an advantage over an equally just claimant who has been a moment later in making his application for redress.
There is, of course, a bare possibility that before the actual delivery of goods, under the order of
Judge Friese, in the appealed case of Witmer & Co., the Administration may upset the decision of the
Provost Court altogether, yet from present indications such a course is not probable.
Judge Friese is determined not to hasten matters, but to give the
Government full time to make up its mind and to act if it wished.
If he is not interfered with our merchants will obtain redress by summary process.
