The Daily Dispatch: November 24, 1862., [Electronic resource]

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Later from the North.

Northern papers of the 19th are received. From those papers and editions of the afternoon of that day we extract some interesting items. The Baltimore American, of the afternoon of the 19th, has the following in its ‘"situation"’ article:

‘ The army of the Potomac is, for the second time, en route for Richmond. The base of operations has been changed to Aquia creek, and the advance is to be made parallel with the line of the Richmond and Fredericksburg Railroad. The whole of the army has been in motion for the last three days, and Fredericksburg is before this held by the advance, with the army in close proximity thereto. This line of advance on Richmond has been advocated by Gen. Halleck as the proper one, and is understood to have been preferred by the War Department at the time the Peninsula campaign was undertaken. A glance at the map will show the characteristics of the route. Taking Fredericksburg as the starting point, from whence the army can be supplied by water transportation, the distance to Richmond is sixty miles. Fifteen miles of railroad connects Fredericksburg with the Potomac at Aquia. This gives an additional base of supply. Gordonsville, at which the rebel army is supposed to be massed, is seventy-three miles from Richmond. The Virginia Central Railroad, from Gordonsville, and the Richmond and Fredericksburg Railroad, form a junction at Saxton's, which is thirty-five miles from Fredericksburg and forty-six from Gordonsville. The army building this junction effectually controls the railroad communication from the north with Richmond, though there is still a round-about railroad connection between Richmond and Gordonsville.

Supposing the rebels to be determined to resist the approach of our army anywhere this side of Richmond, this junction would be the point aimed at by both, and most probably the scene of the first battle in the new campaign. Our army has some advantage in priority of start (we are speaking on the supposition that the rebel army had not retreated beyond Gordonsville,) and also in superior shortness of route. Against this, however, the rebels have the advantage of having their line of retreat fully prepared, with no bridges to build or railroad to reconstruct. We will probably have to construct Pontone bridges across the Rappahannock, but with the engineering facilities at Gen. Burnside's command this work ought to be completed by this time. Between Fredericksburg and the Junction there are no considerable streams. Beyond it, towards Richmond, the route crosses the North and South Anna rivers, affluents of the Pamunkey, but neither of these would long delay the progress of the army. We can hardly, however, except under the most favorable circumstances, expect Gen. Burnside to reach the Junction before the rebels, and if they contest the possession of that point the fate of Richmond may be settled there. The route from Fredericksburg to Richmond crosses the Rappahannock Valley and lies through a rich, level, agricultural country. The railroad, probably, has been or will be destroyed by the rebels, but as there are no important bridges, except at the Rappahannock, the track can be reconstructed almost as rapidly as the army advances. On the whole the army makes its second advance toward Richmond with many indications of success in its favor, and without indulging in extravagant expectations, such as the taking of Richmond in ten days, as a Washington contemporary predicts, we yet look forward to the coming campaign with the most confident anticipations.

The expeditions of Gen. Milroy to Huntersville, Monterey, Franklin, and through the counties of

Pocahontas, Bath, Highland, and Pendleton, Western Virginia, have been entirely successful. He captured Major Wm. Harness, Capt. Evans, Capt. Boggs, the notorious Camp, and about forty-five prisoners; also, about twenty-five horses and seventy head of beef cattle. The region is now clear of rebels. The small pox is reported to be raging at Staunton and in the surrounding country.

An enthusiastic Union demonstration took place in Memphis on the 9th of November.

It was rumored in Liverpool on the 29th ult., that a mysterious steamer had just sailed from the Mersey ‘"on a trial trip"’ It was reported, and believed by many, that the vessel is a sister ship to the notorious ‘"290,"’ alias the Alabama. It, however, proved to be the Columbia, of the Galway line.--She has been rebuilt by the Messrs. Laird, and made a successful trial trip on the 29th ult. The statements recently circulated respecting the building of rams, &c., on the Mersey, for the Confederate Government, are said, by the London Times to be false. Since the dispatch of the Alabama, or ‘"290,"’ no further contracts have been undertaken. The Confederate agents are purchasing vessels of known speed, and drawing little water, such as the Clyde vessels Iona, Clydesdale, Giraffe, &c.

The Navy Department has received information of the capture, on the 27th September, of the rebel schooner Emma, off Velasco, Texas, loaded with 120 bales of cotton, and bound for Jamaica. She was taken by the armed boats of the U. S. schooner Kittinny.

It is stated that Gen. Butterfield has been promoted to the command of the portion of General Hooker's grand division lately known as Gen. Fitz John Porter's army corps; and Gen Griffin to the command of the division lately commanded by Gen. Morell, who has been ordered to the command of the defences of the Upper Potomac — from Cumberland down — with his headquarters at Hagerstown for the present.

The latest accounts from Nashville represent Gen. Rosecrans as awaiting the completion of repairs to the railroad between that city and Louisville, so that the regular receipt of supplies can be assured. He says that he will not move for popular effect. War is a business, and must be conducted properly or not at all. A very stringent general order has been issued touching soldiers who surrender themselves that they may be paroled and sent home. Gen. Rosecrans has determined to send all such to Camp Chase with night-caps on their heads, after exhibiting them ignominiously on dress parade. While at Bowling Green, Gen. Rosecrans made a brief speech to Gen. Rousseau's Division, to the effect that he had accepted his new command with the purpose of making war upon the rebels.

On Thursday last, Gen. Boyle, who is in command at Louisville, received the following dispatch:

‘ "Col. Foster has routed the guerrillas near Madisonville. Ky., killing twenty-five and taking sixty prisoners, including four commissioned officers, seventy-five horses, and a large number of arms and other property. Foster is still after them."

’ The second draft in Connecticut has been indefinitely postponed. It was to have taken place on the 19th inst.

On Saturday last there were 9,875 men in the various camps in Massachusetts awaiting marching orders.

Eighty-one of the Ozaukee (Wisconsin) rioters, who made forcible resistance to the execution of the draft, have arrived at Milwaukee, looking decidedly dejected and crest-fallen. Mr. Kemp, the merchant who led the mob, has been set to chopping wood for the stoves in Camp Washburn.

Hon. William Bigler has written a letter declining to become a candidate for the United States Senatorship from Pennsylvania, and proposing a plan for the adjustment of the national troubles.

’ The following important decision has been elicited by the gentleman to whom it is addressed:

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War Department, Washington, D. C., Nov. 1, 1862.
Hon. Silas Livermore, Guthrieville, Pa.:
Sir:

--In reply to yours of the 27th ult., desiring to be informed on certain question appertaining to the draft, the Secretary of War directs me to say that, when a drafted man furnishes a substitute that is accepted, the two change places. The principal is liable to another draft, if made, just as he would be if he had not been drafted at first, and the substitute is bound by the first draft of the principal just as if he had been drafted himself.

Very respectfully,

C. P. Buckingham,
Brigadier-General and A. A. G.

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The Commissioner of Internal Revenue estimates that the receipts of Internal revenue under the new tax law will be for the present year from one hundred and fifty to one hundred and seventy- five millions of dollars.

It is estimated that 1,000 commissioned officers are now absent from their regiments without proper leave. Gen. Halleck has determined to adopt the most stringent measures to cure this laxity of discipline, and all offenders will either be ignominiously dismissed from the service or else tried by court-martial for desertion in the face of the enemy. A long list of names for dismissal has already been prepared. The most comprehensive and decisive measures are also to be taken for the arrest and punishment of deserters from the ranks.

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From Washington — movements of the army.

--Notwithstanding the unfavorable state of the weather, and the tendency of the sacred soil to produce a most disagreeable quality of mud, it is understood here that the army is making rapid progress southwards, and Gen. Burnside's headquarters will to-day be at Fredericksburg. Gen. Pleasanton's cavalry advance have held Falmouth, opposite Fredericksburg, since Saturday last, and a strong corps of engineers have been busy in repairing the railroad between there and Aquia Creek, and in reconstruction the wharf at the latter place, from which the army will be principally fed during its onward progress to Richmond. For wharf purposes canal boats are used, and all that could be procured here and at Baltimore have been taken possession of by the Government. The bridge building brigade, with the fleet of pontoon boats, are at Fredericksburg before now, and will soon span that river with one of their serviceable bridges.

The change of the army's base has been consummated with unusual speed. Warrenton, lately the very centre of the army, has been evacuated, all the stores removed, and is probably by this time occupied by the rebels — that is, if they choose to occupy it General Sigel still holds Gainesville, but it is doubtful whether he will remain there.--The Government trains still run out to Manassas Junction, but it is probable the road will soon be again abandoned and the bridges destroyed.

Stonewall Jackson's force is reported to have moved up the Valley to Manassas and Chester Gaps. The change of base and the new direction in which the army is advancing renders his presence a matter of secondary importance. He cannot hope now to sweep through some of the passes of the Blue Ridge into the rear of the army, and destroy or capture its trains, inasmuch as its base of supplies will be from Aquia Creek and not from Washington, and to reach the former point he would have to traverse the whole country in front of Washington for the distance of a hundred miles.

The opinion now is, that if Jackson is in the Valley with any such force as represented, that Gen. Lee, as soon as he learns of Burnside's movements, will recall him, and with his whole force fall back to Richmond.

There were no, rebel forces in this vicinity, and quiet possession has been taken by our engineer corps, under the protection of a gunboat. Already the Nelly Baker, an old Peninsula acquaintance, is on the line from Washington to the Creek.

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Capture of rebel Prizes.

--The steamer Biobbio, from Havana on the 12th, has arrived.

Vera Crus advices of the 1st state that no further engagement had taken place. The Mexicans were endeavoring to place Puebla in a proper state-off defence.

Sickness continues in the French fleet, and several vessels had been wrecked in the late gales, including a French man-of-war and the American barks Sheridan, Justice Story, and schooner Mary and Emma. Several lives were lost.

Almonte is no longer protected by the French., and will leave the country.

A grand ball was given at the Governor's palace at Havana on the 9th. It was attended by Admiral Wilkes, Consul Shufeldt, and others. The gunboat Wachusett left Havana on the morning of the 12th, and the Santiago arrived.

The steamer Kensington, at Key West, reports the capture of a rebel steamer. The Edward Hawkins, from Havana for Rebeldom, with arms, ammunition, medicines, &c., had also been captured.

Seven small vessels with cotton have arrived at Havana recently.

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Important naval preparations — Probability of an attack upon Charleston.

--It is believed here that an attack upon Charleston will not be long postponed. The rebels have been making preparations for the attack for several weeks, and, if they are to be believed, will not surrender the city simply because it may be at the mercy of one of our ironclads. The inhabitants will be ordered to leave, and the town, if necessary, will be consigned to flames rather than be surrendered. So far as I can learn, both army and navy desire that the rebels should take precisely this countries, feeling that it would be fit and proper that this treasonable city should be destroyed.

The preparations for attack are so perfect that there can be no doubt whatever that one or more iron-clads will succeed in approaching the town, at least within shelling distance.

Fears have been expressed that the Navy Department would turn aside from its plans of attack upon the rebel ports because of the alarming reports from England in reference to the rebel iron clad fleet said to be constructing there; but Mr. Welles will not delay for a single day any of his projected naval attacks upon rebel towns because of any foreign news recently received. The loyal Atlantic cities will be abundantly defended, but none of the iron-clads destined for Charleston or Mobile, or any other rebel city, will be detained.

The work of preparation has been show, such are its gigantic proportions; but it is believed by our naval authorities here that the results will abundantly justify the means, and will compensate for the delays. Those results are almost within reach now, and but a few weeks, and possibly days,

will pass away before thrilling news from the Southern coast will startle the country.

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From New Orleans.

--The steamer Potomac, from New Orleans on the 7th, has arrived.

The sloop of war Hartford, and gunboat Richmond, had arrived at New Orleans.

The ship John Henry had been driven ashore on the Southwest Pass to prevent sinking.

A man named Ellis, keeper of a race track, had been tarred and feathered on pretence of his being an abolitionist. Several arrests had been made, and the parties who recently committed the robbery of $00,000 worth of property had been arrested, and most of the property recovered.

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Strike in the Charlestown Navy-Yard.

--The blacksmiths employed in the Charlestown Navy Yard--one hundred and twenty in number — marched in a body to the commandant's office yesterday, and, through a committee, requested an advance of wages.

The commandant stated that the subject was already under consideration by the Government officials. The blacksmiths then agreed to resume work until Saturday. Four of the most prominent actors in the proposed strike were discharged, as their conduct was regarded in the light of insubordination.

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Outrageous Depredations in North Carolina.

A correspondent of the Boston Traveller, who accompanied the Union forces in North Carolina during their late movements from Newbern to the interior of the State, relates the following as among the incidents of the expedition. They are of the most painful character, and the actors in them deserve speedy and severe punishment.

The letter, after describing a skirmish with the enemy on the evening of Sunday, the 2d instant, within five miles of Williamston, and stating that the troops bivouacked there for the night, proceeds as follows:

The next morning, about half-past 7 o'clock, we again took up our winding way, and reached Williamston without further resistance a little after 11. This is a small town, having before the war from five to seven hundred inhabitants. We found it almost entirely deserted; one or two white men being all we saw in the place. Our halt here was about three hours, and at the end of that time the town was thoroughly pillaged. Not only were useful and ornamental articles taken from houses, and horses, harness, and carriages from barns, but stores were entered and sacked, and, with the ‘"apple jack"’ discovered and the whiskey dealt out by order, not a few were dead drunk, and many more partially phrensies. When we moved a considerable number had to be urged almost at the point of the bayonet, whilst others were loaded into ambulances and baggage-wagons.

The division went forward to Hamilton, a little town of from three to four hundred souls. But instead of marching into the town, we were encamped in a corn-field just outside of it. The order was, that two or three men be sent out to for age provisions for each company, and no others allowed in town. But, whether by open disobedience or by the connivance of those who should have enforced the order, the town was soon, in camp language, ‘"cleaned out, "’ even more completely than Williamston. Not only were houses sacked, and everything portable and desirable carried off, but valuable furniture dashed to pieces, beds dragged into the streets and burnt — in one field I myself counted eight or ten--but nearly or quite a dozen houses were needlessly, carelessly, barbarously burnt.

It is little wonder, if such be the conduct of our forces everywhere, that we should acquire an unenviable reputation.

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From Gen. Cox's army.

The statements given out through the rebel papers that Gen. Cox was advancing on Staunton, across the Virginia mountains, turns out to have a basis of truth. It was General Milroy, however, who headed the expedition. A dispatch to the Cincinnati Commercial, dated Huttonsville, says:

‘ The expedition of Gen. Milroy to Huntersville, Monterey, Franklin, through the counties of Pocahontas, Bath, Highland, and Pendleton, have been entirely successful. He captured Maj. Wm. Harness, Capt. Evans, Capt. Beggs, the notorious Carter, and about forty-five prisoners; also, about twenty-five horses, and seventy head of cattle. This region is now clear of rebel guerrillas. The small pox is raging at Staunton and the surrounding country.--Gen. Milroy did not lose a single man. These places are on the road to and not far from Staunton, Eastern Virginia.

’ As for Western Virginia, in a Gauley letter dated 8th inst., to the Cincinnati Gazette, we glean some little information about the situation of our forces. On Tuesday, the 11th, the 8th Virginia and 87th and 47th Ohio commenced their march down the left bank of the Kanawha. The 37th is now encamped in Charleston, and the 8th Virginia on the opposite side of the river. Rumor says they are to descend to the mouth of Coal river, and the 47th are to pitch their tents at Camp Platt, twelve miles above Charleston. DeCourcey's brigade also took up its line of march down the river on Tuesday, and there are none but new troops in Charleston. Gen. Carter's brigade is encamped below the Elk, on Col. DeCourcey's brigade drill field.

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Gen. Ashby's home--Justice Marshalls former residence.

A letter in the New York Times, from its army correspondent, gives the following description of these two places:

‘ At Markham, which is an insignificant little village of a couple of score of houses, there is nothing of interest to note. Passing through the town, however, I was reminded that Gen. Ashby, the gallant Confederate cavalry officer killed the past summer, had resided here. Ashby's house stood but some fifty yards from the road. I rode up to it — a small, poor log house, plastered without. I found it occupied by a man who had been innkeeper at Markham till the times ruined him, and who, finding the house vacant, took possession.--He informed me of a fact of which I was either never aware, or which I had forgotten — namely, that Ashby had been the local agent at Markham of the Manassas Gap Railroad, and had resided alone in the little house. Another historical reminiscence in connection with the place is also worth passing mention, perhaps. It was the former place of residence of Chief Justice Marshall, one of whose grandsons now lives in his house, while four others are now in the rebel service.

I stopped for an hour to-day at a fine old mansion in the edge of Fauquier county, and, in company with some dozen officers, dined with a grand-daughter of Chief-Justice Marshall. A fine portrait of the eminent jurist and sage looked down upon us from the walls, and seemed as if speaking to us, in words of lofty patriotism, those lessons of wisdom and devotion to the country which were the marked attributes of his great character.

In sight, from the south window, was ‘"Oak Hill,"’ where the roof of the old homestead in which he was born and reared is just concealed from view by a venerable growth of trees.

Mrs. Jones, who is the mother of a very interesting family of nine children, talked reverently of her excellent grandfather, and evidently possessed something of the exalted love of country which glowed in his bosom. Her husband, she said, had steadily held out against the Southern movement until all his servants absconded, and then he said he would ‘"go in." ’ He has joined the army. The good lady entertained us in a style of hospitality once so characteristic of the old families of Virginia. She seemed quite free from the whine and cant, quite common among the first families, about the losses and vexations of the war. Her premises were guarded, though whatever the army needed in the way of forage, &c., was taken and receipted for. Col. Tom. Marshall, her brother is brother, who owned a large estate adjoining at the south of hers, a few months since started for South Carolina. Before leaving home he gave up the old farm and all the stock on the place to the servants — some thirty in number — on condition that they would stay and provide for two old negro women, one of whom nursed him in his infancy. The slaves, thus far, have remained faithful to their trust — alike creditable to their fidelity and to his humanity.

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Afraid to honor the young Napoleon.

The Philadelphia Inquirer, of the 15th, has the following significant paragraph:

‘ The proposed excursion by the recruiting Serg'ts and privates (recruiting for the old regiments in this city) to Trenton, has been postponed indefinitely. It was thought that if the honor was shown to Gen. McClellan it would seem like opposition towards the Government. Col. Ruff deemed it expedient to refuse his consent. The project has therefore been abandoned.

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