We have received New York papers of the 11th instant.
Gold, 191.
The "capture" of Fredericksburg.--
destruction of tobacco.
The
Yankees have the particulars of the recent expedition to
Hamilton's crossing, near
Fredericksburg, and the destruction of the tobacco there.
A letter says:
‘
On Monday last, thirteen transports, with troops from
Fortress Monroe, accompanied by the gunboats
Commodore Read,
Acting Volunteer Lieutenant-Commander E. Hooker, and Yankee,
Acting Master Cook, proceeded up the
Rappahannock on a raid, the principal object being the capture of a large quantity of tobacco known to have been sent from
Richmond to
Fredericksburg to be smuggled into our lines.
’
On the way up, the expedition proceeded very cautiously, and the gunboats scoured the river well for torpedoes, and it is believed cleared it of all such missiles as far as
Fredericksburg.
A schooner bound up with a cargo of whiskey and salt was first captured by the Reed.
The crew were secured as prisoners, and after the cargo had been removed the schooner was blown up.
On arriving at
Fredericksburg, it was found to be garrisoned by rebels, who, however, offered no resistance, and the troops were landed, as well as a detachment of sailors, the latter being under the command of
Captain Hooker, and the town was taken possession of, the rebels skedaddling.
Our forces captured the tobacco, which had lately arrived, to the amount of ninety-five tons.
It was manufactured, and it is estimated to be worth $380,000. The railroad depot of the Fredericksburg and Richmond railroad was destroyed, as well as considerable rolling stock.
The railroad bridge in the rear of the city was also destroyed, and a force went out some distance on the railroad, destroying culverts, bridges, etc. The country about
Fredericksburg was scoured pretty thoroughly, and during the raid over four hundred prisoners were taken.
Our men several times came in contact with the enemy's pickets, and several shots were exchanged, but no one was hurt on our side.
The gunboats returned to their original stations on Wednesday night.
On the way down the river, both banks of the river were found to be well lined with the enemy's pickets,
Mosby's men being on the northern bank; but not a shot was fired from them, although at one point, where a number of them were seen, several shells were thrown into their midst.
A letter from
Fortress Monroe says:
‘
The expedition under command of
Brevet Brigadier-General Roberts, consisting of about fifteen hundred men of the Twenty-fourth army corps, which left here last Sunday, returned last evening, having fully accomplished the object of their mission.
All the steamers of the expedition went up the
Rappahannock river and landed at
Fredericksburg without any resistance being offered.
The rebels in the city kept out of view, and our forces occupied the place.
’
About one thousand one hundred boxes of tobacco and a large amount of stores, designed for
Richmond, were destroyed; also, a large railroad bridge.--The tobacco was stored in
Fredericksburg, preparatory, it is supposed, to being shipped to
Napoleon by means of English blockade-runners.
Our troops brought away some six hundred boxes of tobacco and burnt the remainder.
We also captured about one hundred prisoners.
Major-General Levi Whiting, of the Confederate army, who was captured after being wounded at
Fort Fisher, died at
Governor's island, New York, on Friday last.
He was buried from Trinity Church.
The
Herald says:
‘
He was transferred from
Fort Fisher to
Governor's island during the last week in January.
He bore his misfortunes with great fortitude, and gained the respect of his captors by his cheerfulness in captivity and illness.
He was forty years of age, five feet ten inches in height, of dark complexion and eyes, his hair of the same hue, being tinged with grey.
His wife is a native of
Smithville, North Carolina.
He has a large number of relatives in
Connecticut and
Maine.
’
Picket fight on the Potomac.
A dispatch from
Washington, dated the 10th, says:
‘
On Thursday night, a party of rebel cavalry, under a nephew of
ex-Governor Letcher, attempted to make a crossing at
Muddy branch, on the
Upper Potomac.
They were met by the pickets of the First New Hampshire cavalry, who drove them back, killing young
Letcher and ten of the party.
Guerrillas, under one of the Kincheloes, are in force in the neighborhood of
Leesburg.
’
The ram Olinde.
The New York
Commercial says:
‘
A letter from an officer on the
Niagara, dated
Ferrol, Spain, February 18th, states that the rebel ram
Olinde or Stonewall was lying close by them.
The
Spaniards had allowed her to make limited repairs, but the commander had asked permission to leave her in port while he went to
Paris to annul the contract of sale and throw her upon the hands of her former owners.
’
In default of news, the
Yankees have all sorts of rumors about
Sherman.
One statement claims that he had entirely destroyed
Cheatham's corps.
The style of their sensation stories may be judged from the following extract from the Washington
Star:
‘
There is a report prevalent in town that
Sherman, according to statements from rebel sources, has achieved great successes in late engagements with the rebel forces.
’
According to this report,
Longstreet had confronted
Sherman,
Hardee was threatening his flank, and
Cheatham had come up in his rear.
Sherman turned suddenly upon
Cheatham, utterly annihilating him, and then pounced in turn upon
Hardee and
Longstreet, scattering them like chaff.
We give this as the rumor afloat, without being able to say what credit should be accorded to it. Richmond papers make no mention of it; but as they are under orders to say nothing in regard to military affairs, of course their silence goes for nothing.
A drunken Vice-President.
Andy Johnson, the drunken Yankee
Vice-President, gets the following from the New York
Tribune:
‘
Mr. Andrew Johnson, our new
Vice-President, is said to have been demented by liquor when sworn into office, and to have made a senseless and discreditable harangue in consequence.
And it is reported that he has fallen into habits which disqualify him for the high position to which he has been chosen.
We fervently hope that at least the latter and worse half of this scandal will prove untrue; for, if it should not, the country will be subjected to the pain and scandal, and
Mr. Johnson to the mortification, inseparable from his expulsion from office.
If he has become a drunkard, and does not promptly and thoroughly reform, he certainly cannot remain
Vice- President of the
United States; and if he has an earnest and intimate friend he will be so assured forthwith.
The people may pity as well as mourn his fall; but they cannot abide a drunkard in his present high position.
’
Miscellaneous.
James Harlan, of
Iowa, has been confirmed as
Lincoln's new
Secretary of the Interior.
Hugh McCullogh, of
Indiana, has entered on his duties as
Secretary of the Treasury.
J. A. J. Cresswell, of
Cecil county, Maryland, has been chosen
United States Senator by the Maryland Legislature.
Orders have been received from
General Fry to commence the draft in New York city on Wednesday next, the 15th instant.
About thirteen thousand names have to be drawn.
On the 24th ultimo, all the
Yankee troops in the Department of Florida started with three gunboats to capture
St. Mark's.
John Rodgers, of
New London, Connecticut, has been sentenced to thirty days imprisonment for starving his horse to death.
The first State election in 1865 takes place in
New Hampshire on the second Tuesday of March.
A Governor, Legislature and three members of Congress are to be chosen.
A firm in
Maine has contracted to furnish Government ice for New Orleans,
Savannah,
Hilton Head and
Beaufort, South Carolina,
Pensacola, Point Look-out, New York,
Baltimore,
Natchez, and
Portsmouth, Virginia.
General Julius Stahl has resigned his commission in the army.
Lincoln has issued a proclamation pronouncing the pains and penalties attending desertion from the army and navy, or removal from any district to avoid the draft, and extending a pardon to those who have deserted, but shall report for duty within sixty days.
A Cairo dispatch says that it is reported there that the court-martial in the matter of charges against
General Paine has given a verdict of acquittal on all points.
New Orleans advices are to the 1st instant.
General Canby and staff left there on that day for the vicinity of
Mobile.
Admiral Thatcher had superseded
Commodore Palmer as commander of the
Mobile Bay squadron.
Senators Wilson,
Foote,
Morrill,
Wade,
Grimes,
Harlan,
Ramsey and others, with their wives, are contemplating an excursion to
Savannah and
Charleston in a Government steamer.
Hon. J. P. Hale has been appointed
Minister Plenipotentiary to
Spain.
