Departure of prisoners of War.
Four Federal officers, who have been in captivity for more than twelve months, took their departure from the military prison in this city yesterday morning for
Varina, there to be transferred to the officials representing the United States Government, under the terms of the cartel.
They are
Col. Michael Corcoran, of the 69th New York;
Col. O. B. Wilcox, of the 1st Michigan;
Col. Bowman, of the 8th Pennsylvania; and
Maj. Vogdes, of the U. S. regular army.
These officers, who, it will be remembered, were held as hostages for the safety of our privateersmen, were sent away by special permission; and of the number so held, only two now remain--
Lt. Col. Neff, of the 1st Kentucky regiment, and
Maj. J. D. Potter, of the 38th New York volunteers.
They have been in captivity for more than thirteen months, and are now retained only until the necessary papers can be made out. There are, we understand, twenty-eight Federal officers, taken at the
battle of Manassas, still confined in our military prisons.
Considerable apprehension exists among them relative to
President Davis's late proclamation, and they seem to have little hope of a speedy restoration to liberty, but they have no cause for alarm.--The provisions of the cartel will be faithfully carried out with respect to the prisoners in our hands at the time of its signature, however objectionable that instrument may be in view of more recent events.
The redoubtable
Corcoran, (who, if his physiognomy be taken as an index of his character, is by no means worthy of his notoriety.) remarked shortly before his departure that there was no possibility of a termination of the war until the
South had been crushed, and that it was his purpose, on reaching home, to re-enter the
Federal service immediately.
The threat implied in the laster portion of his remark will create a sensation throughout the
South when it becomes generally known !
