Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-08-16

:, w cHueilchIIleiitS anu 1OftlncaClOnS along IN
). whole lines on the highest points. 20. ~
: a. rq. al.5 FoRT MoNRoE, Aug 8. q
Il Hampton has been burnt Scouts and fu
e gitives brought word Of the approach of :,
9 large Confederate force from Yorktown
O These rumors were confirmed by. 5 P. NJ, by
: acserter from the rebels, native of Maine
but resident of Georgia. He has been sta
:, toned at Yorktown since June 1st Frida
J, last, Magruder left Yorktown with force 9
= 1000 men, including $500 cavalry, and 8 piece
4 of artillery. Monday night they campel a
! Great Bethel, which was completely deserted
), Tuesday they advanced toward Hampton, an,
at noon yesterday took up position on Bacl
= river, some miles from the town. He saw
' the object of the expedition is to draw, on
: our forces, attack Camp Hamilton or Newpor
= News, if practicable, and at least to destro,
/, Hampton, so as TO- prevent their using it fo
winter quarters --------------- '1.'!' a., =,
Gen. Butler at. once repaired to this end o
Hampton bridge, where he remained till L
O'Clock. Col. Weber erected barricade nea
the Hampton end of the bridge and placed 8
strong guard at various points this side of til,
creek .itr. +. .,i,..t -.1
few minutes past midnight, Gen. Ma
gruder, with about five hundred confederates
entered the town and Immediately fred it
The greater part of the five hundi ed houses
We're builtof wood, and no rain having fallen
lately, strong South wind soon produced O
terrible, confagration. There were perhaps
20 white people and double that number Of
negroes remaining in the town, from inability
to move, some of whose houses were fired
without waking the inmates. Several of the
whites, and also the negroes, were hurried
away to be impressed into the confederate
service a. '..'..l.:...-.' I.'.@'
A company of rebels attempted to force the
passage Of the bridge, but were repulsed with
a loss of three killed and six wounded.
The fire ragged all night The greater part
Of the confederates withdrew towards morn
ing. At noon to-day when visited the place
but seven or eight buildings were left standing.
Gen Magruder has .encamped near New
Market bridge. He will hardly venture to at.
tack Newport News. ,-r E'- .....i. -
Mayhem, the deserter, says there have been
about seven thousand confederate troops sta
toned at Yorktown, and some ten days ago
battalion came down to the outskirts of Hamp-
ton and carried away 1S0 negroes,
Provisions were abundant at Yorktown,
and most of the rebels are receiving new uni
forms for the winter campaign
The destruction of the town was wanton
act of cruelty, both for the residents and Un-
lonlstS, and moreover entirely useless, as Gen.
Butler intends to winter his army many miles
beyond Hampton s,
An attempt will be made to foist these acts
on the General, but after ten o'clock Wcdnes-
uay night there was not Federal soldier in
Hampton.
A flag Of truce is just in from Norfolk with
Miss Mays, niece Of Gen. Scott, who is on
her way from Richmond to New York. She
says the confederates attribute the act to Gen.
| Butler
WASHINGTON, Aug 9.
| The activity among government teamsters
is as great as it was any time previous to the
late battle
| Much more regard than heretofore is paid
to the comfort and subsistence of the soldiers,
and little if any complaint now exists among
them.
Soldiers arrive from time to time, including
OF late q large proportion Of cavalry. They
are judiciously distributed along our Poto-
mac lines.
The movement of the troops during night
Is certainly an improvement over Their I'M
proper exposure to the sun.
Many of those recently appointed to militia
ry offices are waiting impatiently for their
commissions.
The Southern newspapers will not much
longer cxult over the inefficiency of the block
ade, which might be specified. The Navy
Department is in possession Of ample power
recently conferred by Congress, and is expe-
ditiously completing arrangements applicable
to ample success. 7."
POSTS Dispatch,1
The Senate Finance Committee expect that
the new revenue plan will realize one hundred
million dollars more than is required.
Especial to the Commercial
WASHINGTON, August 9.
Conventions are to be held in Maryland for
the purpose of nominating State officers One
of them will favor the Government and sup
port its policy. The other will place itself on
the platform of opposition to the war, and
advCcate peace on any terms. 1t is believed
here that the Union men will triumph.
Senator Baker has declined a commission
as Brigadier General. He prefers his seat in
the Senate. Senator Lane, of Kansas, has
also declined the appointment rendered him,
and will retain his seat in the Senate. This
disposes of Mr.. Stanton's claim.
Eighty removals have been made in the
Patent Cfice since June 1st.
Some newspapers have already disregarded
the agreement made with Gen. Mcclellan in
regard to the transmission of intelligence of
army movements, and are subjected to strin-
gent rules. Mcclellan is determined to en-
force his policy.
CINCINNATI, Aug. 9.
Messrs Bane & West this morning received
letter from Geo. W. Ward, of company D,
"a Ohio regiment, and now a prisoner at
Richmond. The letter is dated 25th july.
Mr.. Ward gives list of the prisoners from
Ohio, and says they are confined in q large
tobacco warehouse, which is clean and airy,
and where they are well fed The following
is the list: 1st regiment, Lieut.. Rainer, Co. |
G, Portsmouth; Geo. w. Wise and Jas. W. |
Laughlin, Co. E, Cleveland; A. B. Spader and |
D. Sullivan, Co. F, Franklin, Warren county;
Kane Witkowsky, Co. X, Hamilton, and Will
Swikupt, Co. A, Lancaster. Sd regiment,
John Greenhow, Co. II, Steubenville; Henry |
H. Hess, Co. X, Urbana David Freitman and |
Herman Schiller, Co. E, Cincinnati; Paul |
Newmander and George McCabe Co. /, Gin
cinnati and Geo. w. Ward, Co. D, Cincin-
natl. ..s.-.
The above is reliable Mr. Ward was in
the employ of Bane & West before he left
here, and all circ amstances confirm its truth
WASHINGTON, Aug. Q.
The President to-day made the following
appointments Of Brigadier Generals for the
volunteer force, all of them, Prof Mitchell ex-
cepted, being from the list recommended by
the New York congressional delegation. Coils.
Bunker and Siocum, f the volunteers, and
Maj. Wadsworth, aid to Gen. Mcdowell Col.
John A. Peck, of the regular army, who dis
tinguished himself in the Mexican war, John
II. Martipsdale, graduate at West Point, Orns-
by NJ. Mitchell, professor of astronomy, of
Cincinnati, graduate of West Point.
A letter was received to-day from Lieut..
Parks, of the 1st Michigan regiment, dated
Richmond, July goth, in which he says he is
a prisoner with hundreds Of others, that in
that city lr.oae than 80 officers are with him.
He says he has the names of sc of his