her, setting her on fire, but the flames were ex-between the two governments; nevertheless that tinguished.—THE bombardment of Fort Sumter the confederate States may stand justified in the was continued; eighty-six shots were fired at sight of the conservative men of the North of all une preserva capie relations Camion were being hauled through the streets women and children were hurrying to and fro, and there was all the evidence of such a panic as had never before been witnessed in Richmond. This morning there was no abatement in the excitement. The guards were all marched out of the city to the defences, and the armed citizens placed on guard over the prisoners. Horsemen were dashing to and fro, and the excitement among the prisoners to know the cause of all this commotion became intense. It was soon learned that a large cavalry and infantry force, with artillery, had made their appearance on the peninsula at Bottom's Bridge, within ten miles of the city, a point so famous in McClellan's peninsula campaign, and that Richmond was actually threatened by the Yankees. The same hurrying of troops, arming of citizens, and excitement among the women and children continued during the morning. At two o'clock in the afternoon, the alarm-bells were again rung with great fury. The rumors that prevailed were conflicting and wild, and it was the impression that eight or ten thousand cavalry would have found but little difficulty in entering the city, liberating the prisoners, destroying the forts and public property, and retiring by the peninsula before any sufficient force to resist them could be brought to the aid of the small garrison left to defend it.-A FIGHT took place at Vidalia, La.-(Doc. 76.) February 8.-The expedition sent by General Butler, with the object of making a sudden dash into Richmond, Va., and releasing the Union prisoners confined there, returned, having been unsuccessful. The following are the facts of the affair: On Saturday morning, February sixth, General Butler's forces, under command of Brigadier-General Wistar, marched from Yorktown by the way of New-Kent Court-House. The cavalry arrived at half-past two o'clock yesterday morning at Bottom's Bridge, across the Chickahominy, ten miles from Richmond, for the purpose of making a raid into Richmond, and endeavoring, by a surprise, to liberate the prisoners there. Yankee deserter gave information in Richmond of the intended movement." The enemy had felled a large amount of timber, so as to block up and obstruct the roads and make it impossible for our cavalry to pass. After remaining at the bridge from two o'clock until twelve, General Wistar joined them with his infantry, and the whole object of the surprise having been defeated, they all returned to Williamsburgh. On his march back to New-Kent Court-House, his rear was attacked by the enemy, but they were repulsed without loss. A march by the Union infantry, three regiments of whom were colored, of more than eighty miles, was made in fifty-six hours. The cavalry marched over one hundred miles in fifty hours. -THE office of the newspaper Constitution and Union, at Fairfield, Iowa, edited by David Sheward, was visited by company E, Second Iowa, to-day. The type and paper were thrown out of the windows, and subscription-books destroyed. -GENERAL FOSTER telegraphed from Knoxville, under date of yesterday, that an expedition sent against Thomas and his band of Indians and whites, at Quallatown, N. C., had returned completely successful. They surprised the town, killed and wounded two hundred and fifteen, took fifty prisoners, and dispersed the remainder of the gang in the mountains. The Union loss was two killed and six wounded.-General Grant's Despatch. February 9.-Jefferson Davis approved the bill, passed in secret session of the rebel congress, to prohibit the exportation of cotton, tobacco, naval and military stores, molasses, sugar or rice; also one to prohibit the importation of luxuries into the confederate States.-COLONEL A. D. STREIGHT, and one hundred and eight other National officers, escaped from Libby Prison, at Richmond, Va. Forty-eight of these were recaptured by the rebels, and returned to prison. February 10.-The English steamers Fannie and Jennie, and the Emily, were destroyed near The cavalry reached the bridge at the time ap- Masonboro Inlet, N. C., by the National gunpointed, marching, in sixteen hours and a half, boat Florida, commanded by Pierce Crosby. The forty-seven miles. A force of infantry followed Fannie and Jennie was the old prize Scotia, capin their rear, for the purpose of supporting them. tured in 1862, and condemned, not being considIt was expected to surprise the enemy at Bot-ered suitable for naval purposes. She was comtom's Bridge, who had had for some time only a small picket there. The surprise failed, because, as the Richmond Examiner of to-day says, "a manded by the celebrated blockade-runner Captain Coxetter, who was drowned while attempting to escape.-Commander Crosby's Report. |