Special to New York Papers

(Tribune’s Dispatch)

WASHISNGTON, April 22. – The General Commanding at the Warwick Creek fight whose reported condition on that occasion called forth Representative Morrill’s resolution empowering the President to cashier drunken officers is said to be Gen. Wm. F. Smith. It is stated that he fell from his horse twice, spearing his clothes and face with mud. Mr. Morrill said that the two companies of Green Mountain boys stood in the marsh fifty minutes without support or orders to retreat.

Most of the friends of Mr. Bingham’s confiscation bill feel sanguine that the House will pass it under the previous question tomorrow. It is believe that the vote will be a rather close one.

Several vessels of the river flotilla have been up the Rappahannock, some of them as far as Fredericksburg. About nine miles above the Tappahannock a schooner had been sunk to obstruct the river, but Commander Wigman in the Yankee, with his consorts, pushed their way through. At one point the boats were fired upon by musketry. No one on board was injured. Twelve or thirteen vessels, two of them steamers, found in creeks were brought down. The river is now considered open for navigation, and timber for rebuilding bridges burned by the rebels, will soon reach Falmouth. Nothing has been heard of the rebel force but it is supposed to be in force not far back of Fredericksburg.

The finance Committee of the Senate has done with the machinery sections of the tax bill, having made such amendments as in its judgment was calculated to perfect the system adopted by the House. An effort was made to raise the tax on whiskey and other distilled spirits to twenty five cents a gallon, but the committee decided to impose some charge on stock in hand on the 30th of June, when the act is to go into operation, but left it to a sub committee to decide how much it should be. The tax on beer and other fermented liquors will be two dollars a barrel instead of one dollar. No other changes have yet been made.

Charles A. Dana, of New York, has been appointed by Secretary Stanton as one of the Commissioners to investigate the war accounts at Cairo.

Professor Bache and Mr. Westervelt have declined to serve on the Board appointed to examine the Steven’ Battery.


(Times’ Dispatch.)

WASHINGTON, April 23. – An officer of artillery in town to night from near Warrenton Junction reports the rebels in strong force on the south bank of the Rappahannock in the direction of Gordonville. Gen. Ewell is said to be at the crossing of the river where the Railroad bridge was burned, with five hundred men. Gen. G. W. Smith is at Gordonville strongly entrenched, with thirty thousand men, and Gen. Jackson is crossing over from the Shenandoah Valley to unite 8,000 to the force, making it a total column of 46,000 men. If the figures are reliable we are in sufficient force in front of Manassas to manage this rebel army.

I am assured by a gentleman of this city whose position brings him in business contact with Mr. Mercier that his mission had reference only to a large amount of valuable tobacco belonging to the French Government. The property is known as the Belmont tobacco. While there it is said that M. Mercier examined somewhat into the condition of the bogus Confederacy, in order to report to the Emperor the true condition of things.


(Herald’s Special.)

WASHINGTON, April 23 – A change in the Navy Department has been positively determined upon. The President is waiting only to fix upon the individual who is to fill the place of Secretary of the Navy. Gen. Banks, Judge Davis, of Illinois, and Gov. Sprague, of Rhode Island are all strongly urged for this distinction, but the selection has not yet been made.


(Special to Post.)

The sensation story in the Philadelphia Inquirer of this morning, to the effect that Secretary Welles is to be removed is entirely untrue. This I learn on good authority. I learn that Mr. Welles sometime since tendered his resignation to the President, but it was not accepted. Probably this circumstance has given rise to the rumor of an immediate change in the Cabinet. All the current reports of the removal of Mr. Welles are destitute of foundation.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 26, 1862, p. 3