Late Northern News.
reported Federal victories — the case of
Rev. Dr. Wilmer--arrest of Englishmen as Spies — a regiment of negroes reported in the
Peninsula, &c., &c.
We present our readers this morning with extracts from the latest Northern papers which have been received.
Another victory for the Union--battle near Romney, Va.--2,000 rebels routed--15 killed and 20 prisoners--their cannon and Baggage taken.
Wheeling, Jan. 9.--A special dispatch to the
Intelligencer from
Cumberland says that a detachment of
Gen. Kelly's forces, commanded by
Colonel Dunning, of the 5th Ohio regiment, left
Romney last night, at 12 o'clock and attacked the rebels 2,000 strong at Blue's Gap, east of
Romney, at day light this morning.
The rebels were completely routed with the loss of 15 killed, two pieces of cannon, their wagons, &c., with 20 prisoners, including one commissioned officer.
Our loss was none.
It is rumored here this afternoon that the rebels are in full retreat from
Hancock.
Skirmish in Western Virginia--the rebels run as usual.
Cincinnati, Jan. 8.
--A special dispatch to
The Gazette, from
Huttonsville, says that
Gen. Milroy is still moving.
An expedition sent out by him of 300 of the 32d Ohio, under
Capt. Lacy, into
Tucker county, dispersed 400 rebels, capturing a Commissary and a large amount of his stores, a first
Lieutenant, and a private.
Four rebels were found dead on the ground, and a large number wounded.--One detachment is still in hot pursuit.
Attack on Yankee soldiers by armed negroes.(!)
A member of the Indiana 20th regiment, now encamped near
Fortress Monroe, communicates the following absurd and ridicuulous story to the Indianapolis
Journal, on the 23d ult.:
Yesterday morning,
Gen. Mansfield, with
Drake de Kay,
Aide-de-camp, in command of seven companies of the 20th New York German Rifles, left Newport News on a reconnaissance.
Just after passing Newmarket Bridge, seven miles from camp, they detached one company as an advance, and soon after their advance was attacked by 600 of the enemy's cavalry.
The company formed to receive the cavalry, but the cavalry advancing deployed to the right and left when within musket shot, and unmasked a body of 700 negro infantry, all armed with muskets, who opened fire on our men, wounding two lieutenant is and two privates, and rushing forward surrounded the company of Germans, who cut their way through, killing six of the negroes and wounding several more.
The main body, hearing the firing, advanced at a double- quick in time to recover their wounded and drive the enemy back, but did not succeed in taking any prisoners.
The wounded men testify positively that they were shot by negroes, and that not less than seven hundred were present, armed with muskets.
Commenting upon the above, the same correspondent proceeds as follows:
This is, indeed, a new feature in the war. We have heard of a regiment of negroes at
Manassas, another at
Memphis, and still another in New Orleans, but did not believe it till it came so near home and attacked our men. There is no mistake about it. The 20th Germans were actually attacked and fired on and wounded by negroes.
It is time that this thing was understood, and if they fight us with negroes, why should not we fight them with negroes too. We have disbelieved these reports too long, and now let us fight the devil with fire.
The feeling is intense among the men. They want to know if they came here to fight negroes, and if they did they would like to know it. The wounded men swear they will kill any negro they see, so excited are they at the dastardly act. It remains to be seen how long the
Government will now hesitate when they learn these facts.
One of the
Lieutenants was shot in the back part of the neck, and is not expected to live.
Latest from Missouri--the battle of Mount Zion — reported Federal victories.
A correspondent of the Missouri
Democrat, writing from
Sturgeon, Mo., December 29th, says:
‘
One of the severest engagements that has been fought during the campaign in
Missouri, took place yesterday at
Mount Zion, 18 miles southwest from this place, between 600
Unionists, commanded by
Brig. General Prentiss, consisting of a detachment from
Col. Birge's Sharp-Shooters and five companies from
Col. Glover's cavalry, and 700 or 800 Confederates, which resulted in the rout of the rebels, with severe less, and the capture of their camp.
Skirmishing commenced at 11 o'clock A.
Mr. and in three hours after our troops held complete possession of the field, and not a rebel to be seen except the captured and the dead and wounded, which the enemy were unable to take with them on account of their precipitate retreat.
As nearly as could be estimated the rebel loss was fifteen killed and seventy wounded, twenty- seven prisoners, forty guns, and some sixty horses and mules.
They were destitute of camp equipage and stores of any kind.
Our loss reached three killed, two mortally wounded, and about thirty, more or less, severely injured.
The enemy were encamped in the edge of a wood upon a hill, difficult of approach, with every advantage in their favor.
Captain Boyd's riflemen were ordered to bring the enemy into action, and although a perfect storm of lead swept around them, they stood their ground and fought obstinately as long as a rebel remained in sight.
About two hundred and fifty men participated in the engagement, and their courageous style of fighting was highly commended by
General Prentiss.
The officers for the most part showed coolness and courage, and managed their respective commands with skill and effect.
The command returned to their camp at
Sturgeon on the evening of the engagement, performing the extraordinary feat of marching upwards of 42 miles, and fighting a severe battle, in 24 hours.
There remain but a few armed bands of rebels in this part of the country at the present time, and the effect of this success of our arms will probably be to discourage and, dishearten the friends of rebellion, and cause many who have been patiently waiting for
Price's advance for an opportunity to take up arms for the bastard flag, to abandon all hopes of success, and of necessity make them loyal men as the shortest road to peace and former prosperity.
Colonel J. W. Birge's Sharp-Shooters, to which I have the honor to belong, left
St. Louis by the North Missouri Railroad for
Centreville, on the 12th inst, and since their arrival at the seat of war have done good service for the
Government in overawing and squelching out rebellion, which was rampant in this section, and also in confiscating many thousand dollars' worth of rebel property.
’
Arrest of Englishmen as Spies.
A letter from
Cairo to a Cincinnati paper, under date of the 24th ult, says:
‘
Quite a sensation was caused yesterday morning by the arrest of five Englishmen who came up from
Gen. Polk as British subjects.
They were suspected of being spies, either in the employ of the
British Government, or of the Southern Confederacy.
After several hours confinement all but two were discharged.
The two retained will be sent to
Fort Warren to-day, by order of the State Department.
Treasonable documents (I learn) have been found on them.
There is one matter of fact that ought to be made public.
Since the reception of the news from
England regarding the
Mason and
Sildell affair, a great many Englishmen have made their appearance at this post.
I do not wish to impute to them any improper purposes, but the
Union men suspect them for the reason that they have not appeared before.
They are all wealthy men — some, in all probability, belonging to the nobility of
England.
There is no doubt of the fact, that there is a secret agency from
England watching us and our civil war, and the strength of our forces.
An important arrest was made at Cape Grardeau on Saturday last.
Capt. Wm. H. Childs, formerly of
Ohio, who married a lady in
Zanesville, Ohio, named
Miss Emma Gallahaber, some years ago, (now deceased,) and one of the principal engineers on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, had been in
Cairo for some days, and got a pass to go to
Cape Girardeau.
No one here suspected his loyalty except his own brother-in-law.
When at
Cape Girardeau he told one story to the
Provost Marshal and another different one to the
commanding officer.
This was discovered by the nephew of
Commodore Graham, who was in command of the
Illinois steamer.
He had him arrested and he was sent up to
St. Louis.
Childs wished to force his way through the lines, and go to
Columbus.
His uncle is chief engineer of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, and both are largely interested in it. His little daughter, three years old, is now in
Zanesville, and will be well cared for by kind relatives, who deplores his traitorism to his country.
’
The bill Concerning Army officers and the arrest of Fugitive slaves.
The Senate bill in relation to the arrest, by the officers of the United States army or navy, of persons claimed to be held to service or labor, has been reported from the
Committee on Military Affairs amended, Originally it contained the following;
Whereas, officers in the military service of
the
United States have without the authority of law, and against the plainest dictates of justice and humanity, caused persons claimed fugitives from service or labor to be seized held, and delivered up; and whereas such conduct has brought discredit upon our arms and reproach upon our Government.
The statement in this preamble is said to be untrue, and it has been omitted.
The bill as amended contains only the following provision.
That it shall be unlawful for any officer in the military or naval service of the
United States to cause any person claimed to be held to service of labor, by reason of
African descent, to be seized, held, detained or delivered up to, or for any person claiming such service or labor; and any officer so offending shall be discharged from service, and be forever ineligible to any appointment in the military or naval self of the
United States.
Jim Lane's command — a heavy force assigned him.
The Chicago
Journal learns, by private advices from
Washington, that
Gen. James H. Lane will reach that city the latter part of the present week, on route for
Kansas, where the War Department has assigned to him a command of 25,000 men, 6,000 of whom are to be cavalry; and included in the command are three of the regiments now encamped at
Chicago —
Brackett's cavalry,
Baldwin's Infantry, and
Wilson's Mechanic Fusileers.
The last named regiment, for whose thorough equipment as army engineers, mechanics and artizans, the
Government has determined to appropriate $210,000, will accompany the
General to
Fort Leavenworth.
It is understood that this command, under
General Lane, in designed for a grand expedition through the section of country along the
Arkansas border into
Texas, simultaneously with the movement of all the divisions of the army of the
Union.
Yankee attack on the Salt works in Kentucky.
A letter from
Somerset, Ky., of recent date, says:
‘
On the night of the 28th the 35th Ohio,
Col. Vandevier, made a silent, cautious march to the
Salt Works on
Fishing Creek, with the full expectation of capturing a regiment of rebel cavalry, who were guarding the works while some of their men were manufacturing salt.
But when they arrived there the workmen and cavalry had gone to their camp.
So they made a charge on the
Salt Works, breaking the kettles, disabling the pumps, and spreading havoc among the utensils generally; after which they marched back to camp.
’
Confirmation of the Evacuation of the Bethel.
The
Baltimore correspondent of the New York
Herald says:
‘
The evacuation of Big Bethel by the rebels — the report of which was mentioned in my dispatch of Saturday--proves to be correct.
It has been occupied, up to January 2, by a force of rebel troops consisting of 5,000 men, of whom 500 were cavalry.
On December 26 the officer in command of the post received from
Gen. Magruder orders to remove all the guns mounted in the entrenchments to
Yorktown, and to take thither also the whole force under his command.
The distance from Big Bethel to
Yorktown in ten miles, over a good road.
There were in all fifteen pieces of cannon, about half of them rifled, the rest smooth bores.
Only two of the rifled guns were of large calibre.
Of the smooth bores, two were 32-pounders, two 24-pounders, two 12 pounders and the rest smaller.
The guns were all removed by New Year's Day, and on that day most of the troops marched to
Yorktown.
The entrenchments were of no great strength; but the armament which they mounted and the force that defended them would have made it a work of some difficulty to carry it by assault.
The Union troops have not occupied the place.
The object of
General Magruder in evacuating
Bethel was to concentrate a large force, both of men and guns, at York town, where they could be of great use, in case of an attempt on the part of the
Union troops to make a demonstration up the
York river.
At
Bethel they were entirely useless
Yorktown itself is already strongly defended both on the land side and the river side.
’
From the Philadelphia
Inquirer we copy the following:
It is reported that
Mr. Russell, the celebrated war novelist of the London
Times, has gone to New York and is still abiding there.
There wise ones think that means something.
He hastened away from
Washington immediately after the publication of
Mr. Seward's letter on the
Trent affair, it is shrewdly suspected, to study localities and gather material for the prosecution of his work.
It is expected that the next chapter of his great romance of ‘"The Civil War in
America"’ will be one of thrilling interest.
His late chapters have fully prepared us for some startling development of his highly original plot.
We may confidently predict that there will be scenes of high-wrought passion, painted with that infinite for utility of invention and that perfect abandon of expression which distinguish the great war romancer of the
Times. The scene of the forthcoming chapters will, no doubt, be laid in New York of its suburbs, and will be repleted with riot, blood, battle, and murder, as already force shadowed in those chapters lately issued.
If we may dare to hazard a guess, we should say that he is hastening rapidly onward to the grand catastrophe, and he will close the work by making the barbarous
North sink out of sight like the
Prometheus Vinctus of ancient Grecian tragedy, amid thunder, lightning, smoke, and earthquake; while
John Bull and
Jefferson Davis shake hands lovingly across the yawning chasm in which it has disappeared, and English freemen and Southern slaves blend their joyful voices together in a choral song in honor of King Cotton.
We find the following vindication of
Rev. Dr. Wilmer in the Baltimore
American, of the 10th inst. A list of the articles belonging to
Rev. Dr. Wilmer, detained at
Old Point as contraband, was published in this paper on Tuesday last:
Messrs Editors Baltimore American: Though I greatly differ with
the Rev. Dr. Wilmer with respect to public affairs, I feel bound to ask a suspension of opinion as to his effects, pronounced contraband, in this morning's
American. Whatever he carried with him, in a manner so public, and with the purpose of submitting it to inspection, was certainly not ‘"smuggled."’ It was doubtless designed for his own family use, upon his estate in
Virginia, to which he was removing with a large family, and where he has numerous dependents and many servants.
He may have erred in supposing that the officers at
Fortress Monroe could permit him to take so large a supply of articles; but admitting the list to be correct as given, a very little relist to be correct as given, a very little reflection will convince any candid mind that a liberal housekeeper might reasonably expect to have use for all, should the present war continue, on his own farm, and in his own family.
At all events, I have known
Dr. Wilmer for many years as a man of stainless integrity, and I cannot see him spoken of disrespectfully without enclosing my name and address and speaking as his.
January 9, 1862. Friend.
Financial and Commercial
The New York
Post, of the evening of the 9th inst. says:
‘
The stock market remains very dull, all eyes being turned immediately to Congress.
The adoption of an adequate tax bill together with the issue of legal tender Demand Notes, would at once infuse new life into Wall street, as other elements seem to favor a more hopeful view of affairs.
In the meantime no decided activity can be expected, unless some heavy blow be struck at the rebels, either by an advance in
Kentucky or a successful and vigorous attack by
Burnside's Expedition.
The speculative railroad shares were scarcely so good as yesterday, but in the absence of any pressure to sell, price were well sustained.
The advance of last evening was lost in some descriptions, though at the decline there is a fair demand.
New York Central closes at 81½ a 81½,
Erie 34 a 34½,
Toledo 35¼ a 36,
Rock Island 52¼ a 52½.
The list of Government stocks has a much better appearance within a day or two, and this morning there is a good demand with few offering.
For the coupon sixes of 1581 79½ is bid; for the registered 88, and for the various issues of fives the bids are a 1 percent higher.
Money is daily growing easter, and borrowers now find no difficulty in supplying themselves at 6 per cent., and hear of some transactions at 6 to 6 on prime securities and large margins.
Nothing will be done by the Banks in their relations with the
Government till the return of the delegations from
Boston and New York, who are now in
Washington seeking a new understanding with the
Secretary of the Treasury.
The nature of this understanding, however, will depend greatly upon what Congress does with the financial plans before it.
Foreign exchange is quiet to-day, as is usual immediately subsequent to the closing of the mail.
It is rather early yet for business to take shape for the
Saturday steamer, though some speculation is going on among the bankers in commercial bills.
The nominal rates for first class bills on
London is 114 115; on
Paris 490.
The price of gold continues to advance.
The principal business among the Brokers to-day is 4½ a5¼ for large lines, and 4a4½ for small and moderate amounts.
An immediate fall is looked for by some of the leading bankers upon the bill making Treasury notes a legal tender, but this is doubtful.
Much depends upon the subsistence of the demand from foreign capitalists, to whom much of the present absorption can be traced.
The
Niagara, which left
Boston for
Liverpool yesterday, had on freight 48,000 sovereigns in gold, and $97,000 for
Liverpool, and $40,000 for
Halifax.
’
