The national Republican., 1861-07-04
DRAGGING EXTRAORDINARY.

The Fredericksburg (va.) papers, in their
accounts of the late action at Matthias Point,
say that the national troops lost six men shot
and twelve men drowned, and that fifteen or
twenty more scattered in the woods, pursued by
Virginia companies. That pursuit, we pre-.
sume, is still going on. .-.....,..
This is doing pretty well, but it does not
compare with the magnificent accounts in the
Richmond papers, of the affair near Romney,
in which thirteen scouts from Col. Wallaee's
regiment we're engaged on the national side.
From the Richmond Dssatch, Of July 4.
"Oue Of the most brilliant affairs during this
war occurred on the 26th ult., near Romney
between q small detachment Of Col. Turner
Ashby's cavalry and q party Of 67 Of Federal
cavalry. Capt. Dick AsLby first encountered
the enemy with IL men, and was himself, it
was feared, fatally wounded, but as We have
since learned from passenger direct from
Winchester, It is now hoped will recover-as
were also two others Of his party, said to be
"furner Ashby being not for o6, heard the
firing, and with eight men charged the enemy,
drove them, In the utmost confusion, across the
river, killing 20 men and taking number Of
their horses, accoutrements, &c. Col. Ashby
slew FIVE men with bis own hand. This is
said, at Winchester, to have been the most splen.
did affair during during the campaign"
From the Richmond Examiner, Of Julyl
"Cspt. Ashby, it seems, was on scouting
expedition with detachment of fifteen of the
Fauquier Black Horse dragons, when he and
his men came suddenly upon the enemy. As
their position would not admit Of Q safe retreat,
the gallant fifteen proceeded to fght their way
out of the dilemma, and, after bloody conflict
of about fifteen minutes, they succeeded in
hewing clear passage, killing seventeen of
the enemy and losing two Of their own. Capt.
Ashby was severely wounded in several places.
His right arm was broken in two places by
sabre cuts, and In one or two places tho flesh
was literally carved of his legs. A person en-.
gagged in the fght gives this relation to our
informant
DEBTORS TO UEIrED STATES OREDIroRs.
The following is the text of the act on this sub
ject passed at the late session of the Confed.
crate Congress;
An act 10 authorize certain debtors to pay the
amounts due By them into the Treasury fine
Confederate Stotes.
Sscfioa l. The Congress of the Confederate
States of America do enact, that all persons in
any manner indebted to individuals, or corpo-
rations, in the United States Of America lex.
cept the States of Delaware, Maryland, Ken.
tucky, and Missouri and the District of Colum.
bia), be and are hereby prohibited from paying
the same to their respective creditors, or their
agents or assignees, pending the existing war
waged by that Government against the Confed.
crate States, or any of the slaveholding States
before named.
Sec. 2. Any person indebted as aforesaid
shall be, and is hereby, authorized to pay the
amount Of his Indebtedness into the Treasury
of the Confederate States, in specie or treasury
notes, and shall receive from the Treasurer
certificate countersigned by the Register, show
ing the amount paid, and on what account, and
the rate Of interest which the same was bear.
ing.
Sec. 3. Such certificate shall bear like inter
est with the original contract, and shall be
redeemsble at the close of the war, and the
restoration of peace, in specie or its equivalent,
on presentation of tho original certificate.
Sec. 4. All laws and parts of laws initiating
against this act be, and the same are hereby
repealed. HOWELL Com,
- President of the Congress.
ID. JEFFERSON DAVIS.
approved, May 81, 1861.