General News

Washington Dec., 15. – The Supreme Court Chamber was filled this morning with ladies and gentleman, to witness the installation of Chief Justice Chase, which too place at a few minutes past 11 o’clock.

A company is being organized at Oskaloosa to bore for coal oil in the spring.

Gen. Davidson with a force of 5,000 cavalry has been making a raid eastward from Baton Rouge. He reached Hungeppapo on the 30th, burned a conscript camp captured a large number of horses and an immense number of negroes. Mobile papers of the 4th say he was marching on that city.

The St. Albians Raiders, who, our readers will remember, committed some depredations in northern Vermont under confederate authority recently, and who were captured and sent to Montreal for trial, were recently discharged by Mr. Justice Courant for the alleged want of jurisdiction, which has called forth a very spicy order from Gen. Dix in which all military companies on the border are directed to shoot down, if possible, all depredators while in the commission of their crimes, or if it be necessary, with a view of their capture, to cross the boundary , and to pursue them wherever they may take refuge, and send them to his headquarters. The President has however disapproved of the order, and gen. Dix has [modified] his order accordingly. There is reported to be a perfect panic among railroad men in Canada for fear of non-intercourse with the United States. It is reported that a portion of the raiders have since been re-arrested by the Canadian authorities, who seem to be repenting their late action in discharging them. They are offering a reward for three still at large.

A large fleet consisting of [62] vessels carrying 507 guns accompanied by land forces started on an expedition from Hampton Roads on the 12th, commanded by Rear Admiral Porter. [His] destination is supposed to be Wilmington harbor, its object, the capture of Wilmington, and the reductions of the fort in the vicinity.

Board and lodging are advertized in Richmond at $25 per day.

The recent incendiary fires in N. Y. and the St. Albians raid have made it expedient to keep a sharp lookout for southerners at N.Y. Accordingly Gen. Dix has ordered that all men arriving at N.Y. from insurgent districts shall register their names. The rebel papers express much satisfaction at this order and hope that we shall make the North too hot for southern refugees.

The Commercial says there is to be no winter quarters for any of the armies except that before Richmond and Petersburg.

An Augusta (Ga.) paper of the 7th says that Yankee persons report that Gen. Kilpatrick was mortally wounded in the fight on Sunday at Walker’s Bridge.

Our Minister to France, Mr. Dayton, died at Paris on the 2d Inst., of apoplexy. Fessenden, Blair and Stanton are mentioned as candidates for the vacancy.

Congress has created the rank of Vice Admiral of the Navy.

A General Bankrupt law has passed the House.

The State Register says there is considerable excitement in that section relative to the discovery of oil springs near Des Moines. It is believed petroleum exists in unlimited quantities beneath the soil of Polk county.

– Published in The Union Sentinel, Osceola, Iowa, Friday, December 23, 1864