The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-03-04
VIRGINIA A-INTELLIGENCE.

PETERSBURG ArFAIRs-The Petersburg papers
OF yesterday furnishthe following items: 81,
LroioRedj--Henry Weed native Of Baltimore
and foreman Of the spinning room at Ettrics. Cot.
ton MIL, was accidentally drowned on Saturday y
isst. He leaves wife and family.
a hospital to cost SIS, ,000 has been reported by
committee Of the City Council, and Saturday, the
oth inst, has been fixed for the citizens to vote
for or against the appropriation ia
Scdresty Of Mechanics, cs,-The Express notices
: Paiace-like' building being erected by Reuben
hagiand Esq, the brick work, plasteriug and stair
building for which was done by Baltimore me
chanics = -
T,oo earsOes Of Guano- are at City Point for Pc.
LET THAT fSTASD.-A correspondent of the
oouthsiae Democrat gives an account of q lad
named Richard Spiers, in Sussex county, who ac-
cidentally shot himself with a pistol last week
The little fellow, only IL years of age thought he
was about to die. and said to his father: ' Pa, Tn
afraid I'm dying-w hat shall 1 dos Pray to God
my son., said the father, to pardon all the bad
you've DONE The youth remained thoughtful for
few minutes, and then again said Pa, only
did little sin in my life, and I'll let that stand
The wound, though serious, may not prove fatal ~
MILITARY FORCE OF THE STaTE-Adjutant
General VIM. III. Richardson, in answer to a letter
from the Chairman of the House Committee on the
militia laws of the State gives the Brigade returns
for 1853 under the old militia law and the returns
for 1855, when the law ceased to exist.
"The number of Volunteers in the State as ex-
hibited by the last Brigade returns, preceding the
act of 1883 was
Cavalry-92 Troops, aggregate. 375 men.
Artillsry-50 companies. ..............3,l1 ,l13 d"
Light Infantry ~ companies; Rifiemen,
% companies, (returned and included
in Tue return OF the militia of the Line,
but may be estimated at 10 each,) ag-
gresate Lad. s 4,560 ''
TaIal- l4,0H -
by the returnS OF 1855, under the act of 1853, only
the following can be ascertained:
oarany y---.--'..''' .'''.---.'.'...'..... ~ troop
Artlnefy --....------.......... ......l company
Llght Infantry. .-----9 companies
isihelAeil' ......... II company
Aggregate stated at J63, though the report OF the
number of men, at the last muster, tGnder ays was
bat rs, aud this in the city OF Richmond, where
there aie probably !, COO men, at least, who ousI
10 be subject TO militia duty.
Ia addition 10 the last mentioned IL companies.
believe (tor there i.s 10 means at my command
asceftainins tho iae) that there are TWO or threo
companies, or fragments OF com mpanies 1T Norfolk
and Is many at Petersburg.
The value OF tEe annual quota Of arms 20 which
the State entitled from the Cuited States ii Cor
rect returns of the militia could be made, and ta
kihg ior the SAKE OF calculation, the number exh
bted by the last Brigade returns, l25 900 men,
is about $1,000 The apportionment to the States,
under the act OF Congress of 1905 made upon the
force OF the militia in the several States as exhibit
ed by the returns OF the Adjutant General of each
one of them You will see by the reports from this
office, that in 1854 there falling off from the
last Brigade returns of SOL men, and in 1855 of
81, ,744 men, and that the returns cannot now be
made in the form necessarily required by the War
Department If they could, we should lose upon
the present system three-fourths OF the apportion
ment of arms this year, and probably more each
succeeding year that the present disorganization
continues" ..ls
DEATH BY HANGING.-A young man named
Leach, engaged at Mr.. Jordon's iron furnace 10
Allegheny county, committed suicide last week,
by hanging himself with his cravat, having wrap
ped it around an iron bar
RAPPAHANNoCK RIVER OPEN.-The steamer
VIM Selden, after absence of five weeks ar
rived at Fredericksburg from Port Royal on Fri
day. - - IL.