WASHINGTON, March 6.
The President’s message excited deep interest in the House to-day. Evidently it was not generally anticipated. A message of a similar character, transmitted to the Senate, was not read.
The President has Nominated Brig. Gen. Thomas as Major General.
Newspapers are especially excluded from the list of manufactures taxed in the tax bill. It repeals so much of the last session’s bill as relates to incomes, but leaves the land tax unchanged.
Mr. Blair, from the military committee, has reported a bill authorizing the Secretary of War to allow loyal citizens their claims for damage to property heretofore and hereafter destroyed by order of army or navy officers of the United States, to prevent it from falling into the hands of the enemy.
A reconnoitering party of the 63d Penn., Gen. Heintzelman’s division, was ambushed yesterday morning beyond the Occoquan, two or three miles in advance of our pickets, and received the fire, as was reckoned, of 40 concealed rebels. They instantly fled through the woods. Capt. Chapman and Lieut. Lyle were killed, and two privates wounded, one mortally.
Commander J. T. Armstrong, of the Steamer State of Georgia, reports how the Nashville ran into Beaufort, N. C. He saw her at daylight and gave chase, but she ran under the guns of Fort Macon and escaped.
The Lieutenant Colonel in command of the 40th Pennsylvania regiment, who was ambushed yesterday, will probably be cashiered. The enemy are supposed to be Texan Rangers.
Gen. Lander’s funeral was very imposing. It was attended by infantry, cavalry, artillery, lancers, and civilians, and the procession was two miles long.
Lieut. Conway, of the bark Peerless, blockading at Bull’s Bay near Charleston, S. C., sunk three vessels loaded with rice, and burned one inside of the Shoals, the last under the nose of a rebel battery of three guns. They were all bound to Charleston, and manned by foreigners and negroes, who were put ashore, the boats being unable to take them off.
One hundred and fifty rebel soldiers recently deserted from Savannah to General Sherman. Their reason was they said that they were tired of fighting in this inhuman war.
Clark, of the Boston Courier, nominated as commissary of subsistence, was rejected by the Senate to-day. A large number of minor civil and military nominations were confirmed.
It is estimated by the committee of ways and means, that the internal taxes, with the taxes on imports, will probably produce a revenue of $150,000,000, and the tax may be increased if necessary. The propriety of levying a tax on cotton is under discussion.
The Kentucky and pro-slavery Congressmen regard the President’s message with suspicion.
The question of branch mints in Denver City and New York, has been referred, by the ways and means committee, to the Secretary of the Treasury for his opinion.
The proof sheets of the tax bill are ready, and will be in circulation to-morrow.
A sub-committee of ways and means will immediately take up the tariff bill.
It is thought that Gen. Fremont has damaged rather than helped his case by the publication of his defense.
Gen. Fremont was at the Capitol yesterday receiving the congratulations of his friends.
Montgomery Blair was there to-day, very nervous about his private letter among the Fremont documents criticizing Chase and Lincoln.
Senator Collamer, from the committee on Post office Post Roads has reported adversely to the House a bill establishing a postal money order system and authorizing the carriage of additional mail matter.
Alex. Cummings is out with a defense, in a letter to Congressman Wm. Kelly. He denies that he had anything to do with the chartering of the Cataline, and avers that her freight, including all linen trousers and straw hats, was bona fide for the soldiers. He claims that the hundred and forty thousand dollars spoken of in Washburne’s report, were retained under orders from the Navy Department, to meet requisitions of the War Department, and pleads illness as his excuse or delay in making his reply.
C B. Matteson is said to be a silent partner in the Pennyslvania Avenue scheme, driven through the House, but encountering a serious obstacle in the Senate, in the person of Mr. Grimes, chairman of the district committee, whom the speculators call impracticable. Ten thousand dollars worth of stocks are said to have been promised one valuable lobby assistant, in case of success.
Tribune’s Dispatch.
WASHINGTON, March 6.
The following statement of the disposition and strength of rebel forces opposed to the Union army of the Potomac was perfectly accurate, for days ago. Changes have probably occurred since, but the main facts must still correspond with the figures. At Centreville, which is now the strong point of the rebels, there are 50,000 infantry, 11,000 cavalry and 120 pieces of cannon, light and heavy. Behind the batteries along the Potomac there are from 12,000 to 15,000 men. At Gum Spring, between Leesburg and Centerville, there are three regiments of infantry, with a squadron of cavalry. At Leesburg there are three regiments of infantry, one battery and 460 cavalry. At a point five miles south of Brentsville, that is to say some ten miles south of Manassas, there is one brigade of infantry of 35,000 men. These reports do not include any part of Jackson’s army, forming the rebel left wing, against which Gen. Banks is operating.
At Manassas there is not a single full regiment, whole companies and regiments having gone home on furlough for ten, twenty and thirty days. All of the troops from South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Louisiana have gone home within the past two or three weeks. Very few of the men whose term of service has expired are re-enlisting.
Herald’s Dispatch.
The gunboats Satellite and Island Belle discovered on Wednesday a number of rebel cavalry near Aquia Creek, and fired a [bow] shot, when the rebels ran away and the steamers returned.
A brisk fire was opened this morning by the lower flotilla, causing great alarm among the rebels. The long roll was beaten, commencing at Aquia Creek and extending along the river as far as Evansport. The call of the roll extended throughout a greater number of camps than at any time before.
The camp fires, within a few days past, have materially increased, showing a considerable augmentation of the rebel forces in this vicinity.
The rebels opened fire upon the Hubbs Ferry battery this morning. About 20 or 30 shots were fired, without doing any damage.
The steamer Yankee to-day went within a half mile of the Virginia shore, and shelled a new battery, in process of erection in the rear of the position of their old battery at Freestone Point. The rebels were forced to evacuate.
Special to the World.
Mrs. Wm. Norris and Mrs. Rogers, occupying a high social position, ladies of Baltimore, were brought here to-day and placed in prison, on a charge of supplying the enemy with aid, and giving them important information. Both have sons in the rebel army, and were prominently connected with an association in Baltimore for the manufacture of clothing for the rebel soldiers.
The city has been excited recently with rumors respecting the movements of the troops at Manassas. It is said they have concentrated a much larger army at that point than has generally been supposed. – As it is impossible to save anything at the West, what troops were there have been hurried into Va. It is even said Beauregard is back again at his old post.
WASHINGTON, March 6.
The President has nominated Col. Harvey Brown, of Fort Pickens, as Brig. Gen. by brevet.
Capts. Bell, McKean, Dupont, Goldsboro and Farragut, were today Confirmed by the Senate as flag officers of the Navy.
The following were confirmed surveyors of customs:
W. Thornburry, Paducah, Ky.; J. R. Meeker, Nesqually, Washington Territory.
The following were also confirmed:
C. W. Chatterton, Indian Agent, Cherokee agency; C. H. Hale, superintendent of Indian affairs, Washington Territory; Thos. Nelson recorder of land titles in Missouri; S. K. Janeson, receiver of public monies for Nebraska; H. Stout, attorney and G. L. Gibbs, Marshal of Utah; E. D. Shatterch, attorney for Oregon; W. Wasson, Marshal for Nevada.
In addition to the above, a large number of army nominations were confirmed, but none of field officers.
– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Saturday Morning, March 8, 1862, p. 1
