We have received Northern papers of the evening of the 23d instant.
Gold was quoted at 200 7 8.
The news is unimportant.
A letter from
Hilton Head, South Carolina, dated the 17th, gives an account of the sinking of the monitor
Patapsco in
Charleston harbor by a torpedo.
It says:
‘
For sometime past the navy has been engaged in removing torpedoes from
Charleston harbor by dragging for them in small boats.
Since the capture of
Savannah, the work has been greatly increased, as the rebels have sown torpedoes in the harbor in the greatest number, to prevent the navy from aiding in the siege of
Charleston that they expect
Sherman to inaugurate.
Last night, as usual, a number of boats were sent up to drag for these infernal machines, and the monitor
Patapsco,
Lieutenant Commander Quackenbush, was sent up to a point near
Fort Sumter to cover the boats.
She came to an anchor, and the regular watches were stationed as usual at their respective places.
Nothing unusual occurred until the
Patapsco swung to an ebb tide, at about 2 o'clock this morning, when she passed over a torpedo, exploded it, and went to the bottom like a piece of lead, carrying down with her several officers and about sixty men. Five officers,
Lieutenant-Commander Quackenbush,
Lieutenant Sampson, executive officer;
Engineer Ryan and another engineer, and about twenty men on watch, were saved.
Ensign Johnson, son of the
fleet surgeon, was lost; the paymaster,
surgeon, two watch officers and the balance of the engineers were lost.
’
The extradition case in Canada.
A dispatch from
Toronto says:
‘
The course taken in regard to
Burleigh is his recommittal to prison.
The court informs the
Governor General of the decision, His
Excellency alone being able to order the extradition of the prisoner.
Before this is done, his counsel will probably issue a writ of
habeas corpus, and the case will be brought before the full Court of Common Pleas, or the
Quebec Bench, or any single judge of those courts.
’
If the judgment already given be wrong,
Burleigh will be released; if right, he will be recommitted to await the
Governor's order of extradition.--Should the judges order the release of the prisoner, which is considered most improbable,
Burleigh will probably be immediately re-arrested for a violation of the neutrality laws.
If the judgment is confirmed the prisoner's extradition will be ordered by the
Governor, though the friends of the prisoner talk of appealing to the Privy Council of
England; but it is said the decision of the court here will be final.
Fight between Yankee Congressmen.
In Washington, Monday night,
Mr. A. P. Field, the claimant of a seat in Congress from
New Orleans, Louisiana, was arrested for an assault and battery on
Judge Kelley, of
Pennsylvania, in the hall of Willard's Hotel.
Mr. Field was taken to the station-house, and the case was ruled for further hearing.
Mr. Field attacked
Judge Kelley with a small knife, and inflicted a wound in the back of his hand.
There are several accounts given of the affair; one of which, that it grew out of reference made to the
Brooks and
Sumner affair by
Judge Kelley in one of his speeches.
Another, that it originated at the table at
Willard's, where
Judge Kelley and some friends were sitting in conversation, and were interrupted by
Mr. Field with inquiries relative to his claim for a seat in Congress; that
Judge Kelley remarked that he was responsible for his actions, but did not wish to make them the subject of dispute there in the presence of ladies, that
Mr. Field retired from the table, and subsequently, when
Judge Kelley made his appearance in the hall, the collision occurred.
The Wheeling
Intelligencer publishes the following account of
General Rosser's recent capture of the
Yankee garrison at
Beverly:
The attack was made about 3 o'clock on Wednesday morning of last week.--The garrison was asleep in their winter quarters, and there were no pickets out further than three hundred yards from the camp.
The rebels charged right into the midst of the sleeping soldiers, and captured one-half of the garrison before the other half knew anything about the attack.
It is said that the rebels actually went about kicking on the doors of the huts, rudely requesting the "d — d blue bellies" to get up and take a trip to
Richmond.
One lieutenant, belonging to the Eighth Ohio cavalry, rallied a number of men, engaged the rebels, and drove them from the bridge, allowing a hundred or so of our confused soldiers to escape.
In this fight five men were killed upon each side, and a rebel colonel named Cashaw, who is still at
Beverly, was seriously wounded.
The rebels, or rather a portion of them, remained in
Beverly until the afternoon of Thursday, and their conduct towards the citizens is said to have most outrageous.
They robbed the citizens of money, clothing and valuables of every description, in some instances taking ear- rings out of the ears of the women, and searching for valuables supposed to be concealed in their hoops.--They destroyed the bridge over the
Valley river and set fire to the town in several places; but there were among the force a number of soldiers who had formerly resided in
Beverly, and whose relations own property there, and the fire was extinguished by these men. It is asserted that the rebels had nearly as many prisoners as they had men to guard them.
No doubt is entertained but the garrison could have handsomely defeated the attacking party if they had the slightest intimation of the approach of the enemy.
Arrest of an alleged Confederate officer.
The
Yankees have arrested a man in
Columbus, Ohio, who, they claim, is
Lieutenant S. B. Davis, late in charge of a Confederate prison at
Andersonville, Georgia.
Relative to his arrest, the
Columbus Journal says:
‘
Lieutenant Davis, whose arrest was announced in Friday's
Journal, has been transferred to
Cincinnati.
He made a full confession, stating that he destroyed his dispatches after he was captured.--They were written on silk and sewn on the inside of his coat-sleeve.
Watching his opportunity, he cut them out and burned them.
He also acknowledged that the treatment of Federal prisoners at
Andersonville, Georgia, and other places, was very severe, but asserted that he was only obeying orders, and that he was not in any way responsible.
It is hoped that he will not be allowed to escape.
’
Miscellaneous.
Brigadier-General William H. (one-eyed)
Powell, of
Sheridan's cavalry, has resigned.
Brigadier-General Wheelock died in
Washington city on the 21st.
A force of eight hundred men are on the eve of leaving
Annapolis for
Savannah, to be employed in repairing the railroads uniting with that city.
The
Postmaster-General has issued an order re-opening the post-office at
Savannah, Georgia, and placed it in charge of
James G. Mills, of that city.
The train bound to
Fairfax, on Monday, was fired into by a band of guerrillas between
Springfield and Accotink bridge.
The conductor was informed by the captain commanding at
Springfield that there were some guerrillas in the vicinity, so he was on his guard.
When first seen, the guerrillas were piling timber on the track.
The engineer at once reversed the engine and saved the train.
Some shots struck the smoke-stack.
No other damage was sustained.
The only fresh rumor that has reached the
Yankees in regard to peace, is the statement that
Mr. Blair carried with him to
Richmond full authority from the
President to give a safe conduct for peace commissioners from
Jefferson Davis to
Washington.
It rests on no better authority than a private letter said to have been written by some one in
Washington to a gentleman in
Philadelphia.
