under suitable guards by orders from the army on the second instant, within a few miles of Wilcommanders.-CAPTAIN ROSS and twelve of liamsburgh, with arms in their hands, having his men, deserters from General Price's rebel army, arrived at Van Buren, Arkansas.-COLONEL A. D. STREIGHT made a report to the Committee on Military Affairs, of the lower house of Congress, in relation to the treatment the Union officers and soldiers received from the rebel authorities at Richmond and elsewhere in the South. (Doc. 106.) March 3.-The rebel schooner Arletta or Martha, was captured and destroyed off Tybee Is land. March 4.-The English steamer Don, while attempting to run the blockade of Wilmington, N. C., was captured by the National steamer Pequot.-MICHAEL HAHN was installed as Governor of Louisiana, at New-Orleans. An address was made by General Banks, and other interesting ceremonies performed.-ORDERS requiring the draft to be made on the tenth instant were suspended. March 5.-Yazoo City, garrisoned by one white and two negro regiments of National troops, was attacked by a body of rebels under the command of Ross and Richardson, who were repulsed after a severe contest.-(Doc. 109.) -A LARGE force of rebel cavalry attacked ninety-three men of the Third Tennessee regiment at Panther Springs, East-Tennessee. The Union loss was two killed and eight wounded and twenty-two captured. The rebels had thirty been pushed forward by Massa Butler with a negro command on a foraging and thieving expedition. Their names and military connection were recorded as follows: James W. Cord and P. F. Lewis, Fifth United States volunteers; R. P. Armstead and John Thomas, Sixth United States volunteers. As they claimed to be 'Butler's pets,' and it being understood that a great affection and fondness for each other existed between them and the officers captured from the recent sacking and plunder expedition, Major Turner very considerately ordered that they be placed in the cells occupied by their white co-patriots, each being accommodated with a sable boon com panion. We are glad that our officials are inclined to carry out Greeley's idea of amalgamation of the races, so far as it affects the Yankee prisoners in our care. It will result in mutual good. The only party likely to be seriously affected, either in status or morals, is the negro. The Yankee cannot be degraded lower; the negro probably can be." -UNDER the caption of "A Premium Uniform," the Richmond newspapers published the following: "Recently Mrs. White, of Selma, Alabama, went through the lines to Lexington, Kentucky, and being a sister (Todd) of Mrs. Lincoln, was permitted to go on to Washington. On her return, several weeks ago, she was allowed to carry nothing back, save a uniform for a very dear friend of hers who was battling in the Southern cause. The uniform arrived in March 6.-A cavalry force, sent out from the Confederacy several days since, and on inCumberland, Md., under command of Lieuten- spection all the buttons were found to be comant-Colonel Root, of the Fifteenth New-York posed of gold coin-two and a half, five, ten, cavalry, returned, having effectually destroyed and twenty-dollar gold pieces, set in the wood killed and wounded. all the saltpetre works near Franklin, in Pendleton County.-THE English steamer Mary Ann, while attempting to run the blockade of Wilmington, N. C., was captured by the Union steamer Grand Gulf.-THE sloop G. Garibaldi was seized at Jupiter Inlet, Florida, while trying to run the blockade with a cargo of cotton. en button and covered with confederate cloth. The gold thus brought through is valued at between thirty and forty thousand dollars-all sewed upon a uniform." -CONSIDERABLE excitement existed in Frederick and Washington counties, Md., growing out of rebel movements on the Virginia side of the Potomac, supposed to be premonitory of a cavalry raid through the upper counties of the State. -DECATUR, Alabama, was captured by the National forces under the command of BrigadierGeneral Dodge. March 7.—The first negro prisoners of war arrived in Richmond, Va., and were placed in Libby Prison. The Examiner thus noticed the fact: "They were genuine, sure members of the original Corps d'Afrique, ranging in color from gingerbread-brown to tobacco-black, greasy and loud-smelling, encased in blue uniforms, close March 8.-Four Yankee negro soldiers, capbuttoned up to the chin. They were captured tured in James City County, were brought to VOL. VIII.-DIARY 4 this city yesterday and delivered at the Libby, of what you have done, and its reliance upon where they were distributed, as far as they would you for what there remains to do in the existgo, into the solitary cells of the Yankee officers ing great struggle, are now presented with this captured during the recent raid. This is a taste commission constituting you Lieutenant-Genof negro equality, we fancy, the said Yankee eral in the army of the United States. With officers will not fancy overmuch. The negroes this high honor devolves upon you also a correrepresent themselves as James W. Cord, com- sponding responsibility. As the country herepany C, Fifth United States volunteers; P. F. in trusts you, so, under God, it will sustain you. Lewis, company I, Fifth United States volun- I scarcely need to add that with what I have teers; R. P. Armistead, company H, Sixth spoken for the nation, goes my own hearty perUnited States volunteers; John Thomas, ditto.-sonal concurrence." Richmond Whig. -THE rebel steamer Sumter was captured on Lake George, Florida, by the National steamer Columbine, under the command of Acting Master J. C. Champion.-FORTY-EIGHT Union officers and over six hundred prisoners arrived at Fortress Monroe from Richmond, Va., for exchange. THE steam-tug Titan, which was captured near Cherry Stone Point, Va., was burned at Freeport on the Piankatank River. March 9.-A fight took place near Suffolk, Virginia, between a force of rebels and a portion of the Second Virginia colored regiment, commanded by Colonel Cole, resulting in a loss of twenty-five rebels, and twenty killed, wounded, and missing of the Nationals.* -FORTY of the Thirtieth Pennsylvania cavalry were captured by guerrillas about a mile and a half from Bristoe Station, Virginia. They were surrounded and compelled to surrender. Several of them afterward escaped. -THE steamer Hillman was attacked by a gang of guerrillas, stationed on the Missouri shore opposite Island No. 18 in the Mississippi River, and several persons were killed and wounded. To which General Grant replied as follows: "Mr. President: I accept this commission with gratitude for the high honor conferred. With the aid of the noble armies that have fought on so many fields for our common country, it will be my earnest endeavor not to disappoint your expectations. I feel the full weight of the responsibilities now devolving on me, and I know that if they are met, it will be due to those armies, and, above all, to the favor of that Providence which leads both nations and men." The President then introduced the General to all the members of the Cabinet, after which the company were seated and about half an hour was spent in conversation. -MAJOR-GENERAL PECK, in general orders, issued the following from his headquarters a Newbern, N. C. "The moment when we are threatened with an advance by the enemy, is the proper time to remind the gallant officers and soldiers of this command of the results of the recent operations in North-Carolina. "Besides the repulse of General Pickett's army at Newbern, the following have been captured : Six officers, two hundred and eighty-one prisoners and dangerous rebels, five hundred contrabands, two hundred and fifty arms and accoutrements, one hundred and thirty-eight horses and mules, eleven bales of cotton, one piece of artillery, caisson complete, one flag, many saddles, harnesses, and wagons. Much property of the rebel government has been destroyed from inability to remove it, as appears by a partial list: Two hundred and fifty thousand pounds of "General Grant: The nation's appreciation pork, eighty barrels of lard, seventy-five barrels -PRESIDENT LINCOLN this afternoon formally presented to Major-General Grant his commission as Lieutenant-General. The ceremony took place in the Cabinet chamber in the presence of many distinguished personages. General Grant having entered the room, the President rose and addressed him thus: The following is the Southern version of the story: drove them in a rout out of the town, killing a number, captur- them beyond Bernard's Mills. G. E. PICKETT, Major-Gen. of meat, twenty thousand bushels of corn, thirtytwo barrels of beef, five hogsheads of sugar, five thousand empty sacks, one corn-mill, ten wagons, one ton of tobacco, eighteen mules, two warehouses of salt, and two extensive salt manufactories. Thousands of deserters have entered the lines, and resumed their allegiance to the Federal Union with joy and gladness. These valuable found but few of the enemy. The rebels proservices will be appreciated by the Government bably had only a small cavalry picket in the and the people, and this brief allusion to them town, and on the approach of the Nationals it should stimulate all to renewed energy in the final was withdrawn, and the place given up without campaign against the revolutionists." firing a shot on either side. The town was found entirely deserted, except by three small families, who professed Union sentiments, and desire to remain at their homes.-THE rebel iron-clad war steamer Ashley was successfully launched. at Charleston, S. C. March 10.-A party of "over one hundred citizen guerrillas" entered Mayfield, Ky., and after pillaging the stores and severely wounding one of the citizens, left, carrying away their booty. -GOVERNOR JOSEPH E. BROWN's annual mes sage was read in the Legislature of Georgia. It concluded as follows: March 11.-A detachment of the Seventh Tennessee cavalry, commanded by Colonel Hawkins, captured eleven guerrillas in the vicinity of Union City, Ky.-THE rebel sloop Hannah, was captured by the Beauregard, off Mosquito Inlet, Ga.-THE United States steamer Aroostook captured, in latitude twenty-eight degrees fifty minutes north, longitude ninety-five degrees five minutes west, the British schooner M. P. Burton, loaded with iron and shot. She cleared from Havana, and purported to be bound to Matamoras. When first seen she was steering direct for Velasco, some two hundred miles out of her course.— Admiral Farragut's Report. "Lincoln has declared that Georgia and other States are in rebellion to the Federal Government, the creature of the States, which they could destroy as well as create. In authorizing war, he did not seek to restore the Union under the Constitution as it was, by confining the Government to a sphere of limited powers, They hare taken one hundred thousand negroes. which cost half a million of whites four thousand millions of dollars, and now seek to repudiate self-government subjugate Southern people, and confiscate their property. The statement of Lincoln, that we offer no terms of adjust-go, was captured off Mosquito Inlet, by the Nament, is made an artful pretext that it is impossible to say when the war will terminate, but that negotiation, not the sword, will finally terminate it. -THE schooner Linda, with an assorted car tional vessels Beauregard and Norfolk Packet. March 12.-President Lincoln ordered as follows: I. Major-General Halleck is at his own request relieved from duty as General-in-Chief of the army, and Lieutenant-General U. S. Grant is assigned to the command of the armies of the United States. The headquarters of the army will be in Washington, and also with Lieutenant-General Grant in the field. II. Major-General Halleck is assigned to duty in Washington, as chief-of-staff of the army, under the direction of the Secretary of War and the Lieutenant-General commanding. His orders will be obeyed and respected accordingly. "We should keep before the Northern people the idea that we are ready to negotiate, when they are ready, and will recognize our right to self-government, and the sovereignty of the States. After each victory, our government should make a distinct offer of peace on these terms, and should the course of any State be doubted, let the armed force be withdrawn, and the ballot-box decide. If this is refused even a dozen times, renew it, and keep before the North and the world that our ability to defend ourselves for many years has been proved." III. Major-General W. T. Sherman is assigned -PILATKA, Florida, was occupied by the to the command of the military division of the Union forces under Colonel Barton. The force, Mississippi, composed of the departments of the consisting of infantry and artillery, left Jack-Ohio, the Cumberland, the Tennessee, and the sonville on the transports General Hunter, Del- Arkansas. aware, Maple Leaf, and Charles Houghton last evening, and, under the direction of good pilots, reached Pilatka at about daylight this morning. The night was densely dark, and a terrible V. In relieving Major-General Halleck from thunder-storm added not a little to the difficulty duty as General-in-Chief, the President desires of the passage of the boats up the tortuous chan- to express his approbation and thanks for the nel. The troops disembarked at sunrise, and able and zealous manner in which the arduous IV. Major-General J. B. McPherson is assigned to the command of the department and army of the Tennessee. |