; but no h or injury was by any of them. The rebels have not dated to show themselves in the vicinity of their abandoned work since, and by this they have proved their wisdom. This is the manner in which the rebels are checkmated on the Upper Potomac.
A Resume of the news.
It was recently announced by telegraph that Jeff Davis has threatened if the Missouri bridge burners are shot that he will, in retalition, hang Colonels Corcoran, Lee, , Wood, and others, who were taken prisoners of war. Five Union men, charged with bridge burning, have already been executed in Tennessee, under the following order, issued by J. P. Benjamin, Secretary of War of the Southern Confederacy, dated Nov. 23, 1861, and directed to the rebel Col. W. H. Wood, in East Tennessee: ‘"All such as can be identified as having been engaged in bridge burning are to be, tried summarily by drumhead court-martial, and, if found guilty, executed on the spot by hanging. It would be well to leave their bodies hanging in the vacinity of the burned bridges."’ All the asseasments on the Secessionists in St. Louis have been paid in, or satisfied by the seizure of property. The last case was that of a sec lady named Mrs. Tullia C. Beckwith, who had persistently refused to pay, but when the police went to seize on some of her property, she concluded to hand over the amount, and begged hard to be let off. Seventy negroes ran away from Doniphan county, Missouri, last week, and took refuge in Kansas. We presume they are to form a portion of Jim Lane's body guard. The Cincinnati Gazette gives currency to the rumor that Gen. Lander will probably resign. A bill has passed the Union Virginia Legislature at Wheeling requiring all lawyers, , surgeons, ministers of the Gospel, bank directors, bank officers, notaries public, clerks of courts and corporations, keepers of toll-gates, bridges, and ferries, and all others every profession and calling, to take the oath of allegiance to the United States and by the new State of Virginia. The rebellion is kept up by the continual any of abolitionism in the Southern States and the howl of Abolitionists in the Northern States. T. Crittenden, commander of the has so far recovered as to be able to rejoin his regiment at Munfordsville, Ky. The Government transports on the Mississippi are now easily engaged in taking troops and munitions of war from St. Louis to Cairo. Persons of the property of J. W. Wills, President of the mechanics' Bank; W. G. Clerk, and John Wickham, have beek levied upon in St. Louis to pay their respective shares of the charity fund for the benefit of the Union refugees. Rev. George B. Cheever, the abolitionist p her of this city, was to have delivered ture in Harrisburg on Wednesday night, a response to an invitation given by some of the members of the Pennsylvania Legislature, on ‘"the necessity of immediate emanaration for the crushing of the rebellion and the salvation of the country."’ The representatives from Accomac and Northampton counties, Virginia, to the Union Legislature have arrived in Wheeling. The One Hundredth regiment of New York volunteers will leave Buffalo next Monday for New York.The position of France and England.
If we are to judge of the aspirations of the French and British Ministries by the course adopted in the columns of the Parisian and London Ministerial papers, we should say that the men who have the interests of France and Great Britain in charge have been cunningly enneavoring to encourage other in taking the first step that may lead to the acknowledgment of the Southern Confederacy. France evidently thought the affair of the Trent would accomplish her object, and, accordingly, the Parisian papers joined in the condemnation of the of Commander Wilkes. Now, however, that the storm has blown over, the object of the Lodon press seems to be, by expressing deep sympathy with the distresses of the French operatives, to render them so furions that they shall urge Napoleon on to attempt the breaking of the blockade.--Phile. Inq.From the Upper Potomac.
Frederick, Md., Feb. 7.
--The latest intelligence from the Virginia side is via Hancock, on Wednesday.
A squad of cavalry daily make their appearance on a distant hill, apparently to observe our movements.
At Harper's Ferry it was reported that Jackson had not yet gone to Richmond, but was supposed to be at Halltown, where his men were preparing to resist the imaginary advance of General Banks's Division.
Bodies of rebel troops were also at Charleston and Marnhsburg.
On Saturday last a small body of the enemy were dispersed near Bolivar by a few well-directed shells on Maryland Heights. One of the shells exploded in an unoccupied dwelling.
Reinforcements to Ship Island.
Boston, Feb. 5.
--The ships Ocean Pearl, Idsho, and North America, with troops and stores, (forming a part of General Butler's expedition,) sailed this morning for Ship Island.
Demoralization of the rebel Army.
The near expiration of the term of enlistment of upwards of eighty thousand of the troops in the service of the rebel junta in virginia is evidently inspiring that august body with the most serious uneasiness. The fact that out of an entire South Carolina regiment, whose time was up the other day, not more than one hundred men could be got to re-enlist, is tolerably conclusive proof that their fears are well founded. If the South Carolinians, who were the first to raise the standard of rebellion, thus early desert it, what hopes are there that the man from the other States can be induced to remain in hopeless inactivity at manassas, the more particularly since they find the safety of their homes threatened at every point by the Federal expeditions? This enlistment question is the greatest danger that has as yet menaced the rebel Government. The anxious forebodings of its organs prove the wisdom of Gen. McClelian's policy of patience. When he advances he will find the strength of his adversary broken by other and more bloodless agencies than the movements urged by those profound military strategists. Generals Gurley and Greeley.--N. Y. Herald.Missouri news-- Price reinforced.
Bulla, Feb. 8.
--The news from the West indicates that the preparations for a decided blow against the enemy are nearly completed.
The forces for this movement are nearly all concentrated at the point whence it is intended to move against the adversary, and in a few days the whole command will probably be on the march westward.
General Sigel and Asboth's divisions have reached Lebanon, and Major Wright's battalion of cavalry has moved thirteen miles west of that point.
Gen. Davis's brigade was reported to be crossing the Osage river on Wednesday, and a portion of it was expected to arrive at Lebanon on Thursday.
Two of Major Wright's scouts report that Price had made a speech to his troops, telling them they were surrounded, that they must fight or surrender, and that they all danded to fight.
Price is said to have been heavily reinforced from Arkansas, and to have collected large supplies of provisions on the road leading from Spring field to Fayetteville.
Captain Wood had arrived at Waynesville with twenty-seven rebel prisoners, including five captains, taken between Lebanon and Springfield.
Nine hundred prisoners were transferred from St. Louis to Alton, where quarrers have been prepared in the old penitentlary.
