War Movements.
The Alexandria Gazette, of yesterday, has the following:
‘
Harper & Ferry. May 13--The greatest activity prevails here, and the force is daily increasing by accessions from every part of the country.
Active measures are in progress to make the place perfectly secure in the event of an attack.
The hills surrounding the place are strongly fortified with heavy batteries, to be simply supported and sustained by the noble Rangers, recently arrived from
Kentucky.
The officers and men are in fine health and spines, and fully ready for the tray.
All the professions are represented in the range of the
Virginia forces now here — lawyers, doctors and preachers have left their respective callings, and perform camp and guard duty, and handle the musket in such a way as to have no doubt of the determined spirit with which they have espoused the cause of
Virginia.
many of the residents of the place have removed in anticipation of a conflict.
An unfortunate affray occurred on Friday night, between two of the Kentucky volunteers, resulting in the death of one of them.--The party committing the murder has been arrested, and is now in the hands of the civil authorities.
The volunteer forces from the counties of
Clarke,
Shenandoah,
Rockingham,
Jefferson, and
Berkeley, are represented as being in the highest state of efficiency, and should the opportunity occur, will no doubt give a good account of themselves.
Expectation is on lip not knowing what a day may bring forth.
The picturesque and romantic hills of his hitherto quite and secluded place, may soon reverberate the thunder of deep tones of country, and the waters of the
Potomac and
Shenandoah be reddened with fratricidal should the impolitic and coercive policy of the Administration as marked out by
Mr. Seward be observed and carried out.--We trust, however, that better councils may prevail, and no blood be shed.
The Rev. S. S. Rozeil,
Richard H. Dulany, and others, of London county, learning that the Kentucky volunteers, recently arrived at
Harper's Ferry, needed supplies, loaded a team with provisions and forwarded it at to their relief — an example worthy of all ation.
’
A
Harper's Ferry letter to the Baltimore American says:
‘
A double force of workmen were employed at the several workshops, busily and constantly in the manufacture of arms, cartridges, &c. My informant, a resident of
Washington county, says that about fifty rifles are daily turned out.
The troops are encamped in all directions about the
Ferry.
A large force of Kentuckians and
Virginians have been stationed on the
Maryland shore, and have formed a camp in the vicinity of the old school house in which
John Brown stored his arms the night prior to One of the Kentuckians was accidentally shot through the ankle this morning by a revolver which fell from his belt and exploded.
The wound was a serious one, and his foot had to be amputated.
A company of forty men, the advance guard of a large force, arrived at the
Ferry from
Tennessee this morning.
It was rumored among the troops there that a regiment of six hundred men from
Louisiana would arrive in a day or two.
Squads of Baltimoreans pass the junction at
Monocacy daily, on their way to
Harper's Ferry or
Richmond.
A battalion of Baltimoreans, six hundred strong, will rendezvous
Richmond in a few days.
Capt. J. Lyle Clark, of the
Independent Greys, was mentioned as their commander.
A squad of eight men from the
Forest Rangers, of
Pikesville, passed here this morning on their way to
Virginia.
They were under the command of
Capt. Nichols.
’
A correspondent of the New York Commercial than makes known the views and intentions of
Commodore Pendergrast:
‘
Commodore Pendergrast,
flag-officer of the
Cumberland, which lies at
Old Point Comfort, is fully up to the work of keeping the blockade a rigid one.
He is in favor of planning expeditions against the
Virginia batteries at different points, where the naval force, co-operating with the land force, can destroy them and keep the rivers emptying into the bay free.
He is in favor of this as a matter of instant action, by the assumption of some responsibility if need be, instead of waiting till the Virginians have entrenched themselves so as to render their dislodgment difficult.
The prosecution of the
Commodore's views depends very much on whether he can obtain the co-operation of
Col. Dimmick at
Fortress Monroe.
’
The Baltimore Sun furnishes some additional information about the capture of the steam gun:
‘
The steam gun captured on Friday has been stationed in the camp of the Sixth (Mass) Regiment, and on Saturday it was understood an exhibition of its powers would be given; but a very unfortunate circumstance interfered with the arrangement.
Some very material and indispensable parts of the machinery were found wanting, and the steam gun, that all had come to look upon as a death.
dealing engine, stood as harmless as an old It now turns out that the inventor,
Mr. Dickinson, who was not taken with the gun, lead with him in a buggy, a short distance off, all the important parts of the machinery used in the working of the gun, and escaped with them by driving rapidly away.
’
The Alexandria Gazette thus puts a stop to the slander upon the Irish volunteers of that city:
‘
The rumor which has obtained publication that desertions were occurring in the Irish volunteer companies lately formed in this city, are entirely without foundation.
The irish are true and brave, and those enlisted are only impatient at being kept so long out of a fight.
We learn from a friend that the
Irish Volunteers and Emmet Guards, stationed at Manassas Station, are in good spirits, and are having a good time generally.
’
The sensation papers of the
North have recited hundreds of what are called instances of patriotism on the part of the New York banks, in furnishing the pecuniary sinews of war. The liberality is explained in the following paragraph from the News:
‘
A great parade, in the papers, is being made by some of our banks about the money advanced by them for war purposes, and large claims to patriotism and generosity appear to be founded upon such subscriptions.
Such a bank has given so many thousands, and such a one so much, say the war papers.
The fact is the banks are only investing in stocks of the
State of New York.
’
A dispatch from
Frankfort, Ky., May 11, gives the following proceedings of the
Kentucky Legislature:
‘
Mr. Machen, from the House Committee on Military Affairs, yesterday reported in the
Kentucky Legislature a bill appropriating something near six millions of dollars for military purposes, and the organization of a standing army of 10,000 men, with proper portions of artillery and cavalry, and a reserve force of 50,000
Mr. Under wood offered a resolution that the bill be recommitted, with instructions to limit the appropriation to the purchase of 40,000 Belgian.
rifle muskets, and the equipping of 1,000 cavalry and three batteries of artillery, the committee being also instructed to appropriate $60,000 for drilling the active militia, $16,000 for the purchase of ammunition, and also to provide for the organization of a Home Guard.
In each county arming the muskets to be purchased shall be distributed.
The Union men will support Mr. Under wood's proposition, while the Secessionists will adhere to that of
Mr. Machen.
’
In the news telegraphed North from
Washington, May 12, is the following:
‘
The preparations having been completed for an effective blockade of
Virginia waters,
Capt. Pendergrast has given the precautionary notice of fifteen days for all vessels to leave the ports of that State, either with or without cargoes.
Several of the foreign ministers, and some of our own countrymen, have asked for an extension of the time, but this in every case has been refused.
The order will be adhered to impartially.
Certain persons, though representing themselves Union men, have been denied the privilege of forwarding locomotives to
Tennessee, for the reason, among others, that such necessary railroad machinery might be used in the transportation of hostile troops.
The Government also takes care that coal, desirable for steam purposes, shall not be transported to the
Southern States.
Information having reached the Navy Department last night that several small vessels had been fired at from the
Virginia shore, and an effort been made to detain them by the
Alexandria authorities, in order that their cargoes of fish, instead of being brought to
Washington, might be secured for the use of the
Virginia troops, the
Secretary promptly ordered the steamer
Pawnee to stop the proceedings.
In addition to the
National vessels-of-war, about twenty armed steamers from New York,
Boston and
Philadelphia, have been, or are being, put in readiness for blockading purposes.
Information has been received that enlistments for the increase of the personnel of the Navy are so successful that the necessary number will soon be supplied.
The
Secretary of the Navy is assiduous in
hurrying forward the measures of the blockade, and informs his friends that by this time
Charleston and the
Savannah river experience its effects.
The steamer
Niagara and other vessels will similarly operate at New Orleans.
’
Speaking of the commerce of the
Mississippi, the Memphis Bulletin of the 12th instant says:
The blockade at
Cairo will operate in more ways than one.
The ostensible object is to prevent the export of provisions and munitions of war from the
Northwestern to the
Southwestern States.
But it will be equally effective in preventing the exports from the latter in return.
So far as we know and believe, the supply of provisions in the
South is abundant, and was never more so at this season of the year.
Certain we are, from the most reliable information, that there is food enough and to spare in
Memphis, and in all
West Tennessee.
How it will be with the upper States in regard to the sugar, molasses, rice, cotton, and Money of the
South, our readers must judge.--Our own opinion is, that our kind friends above
Cairo, who claim such merit for feeding us, will miss our
money alone more than we shall their goods.
Under the favor of
Providence, we have reason to hope that the harvests of the present year in all the
South will be plentiful, and that we shall not have need to open this up and down river trade again while hostile feelings prevail.
We trust that all the
Southwestern States will concur in the propriety of perpetuating the policy of river blockade, which has been inaugurated just at the right time for us.--The States above us cannot reasonably complain that the navigation of the
Mississippi river is not free to them, when they have been the first to interrupt it; and they must expect that the example they have set us will be followed by the
South renewing the blockade as soon as it shall be suspended by them.
The same paper says:
‘
The steamer
H. D. Mears arrived yesterday afternoon from
Vicksburg, having on board tour military companies from
Arkansas, as follows: ‘Etonia Guards,’
Capt. Martin, from
Pulaski county, numbering 70 men; Crockett Guards,
Capt. Crockett,
Arkansas county, numbering 116 men; DeWitt Guards,
Capt. Quartermans,
Arkansas county, numbering 70 men; Monticello Guards,
Capt. Jackson,
Drew county, numbering 103 men. These companies make a handsome and imposing appearance, and are en route for
Lynchburg.
’
