The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-08-20

WASHINGTON, August 10, 1861.
There is dreary~ dearth Of news in this usually
sgitated Capital to-day. Perhaps it is the lull be-
lore the Storm The order from the War Depart
ment calling for men from all the Northern States,
"whether armed, equipped and uniformed or not"
has not yet inundated us by this time with the
rag tag and bob-tail of the recrutinp officer
Freight trains we have had in abundance; cattle,
horses, harness, artillery ammunition, grain. hay,
and all manner of fodder, pour in until the neigh
borhood of the depot has become spectacle
Bales and boxes, army wagons in dire confusion,
locked wheels, inextricably entangled mules and
horses, swearing crowd of Transfers and con-
founded chaos of everything military.
Gen. Mcclellan crossed the river to-day-a move
ment which, in this season of alarms, is regarded
as serious and significant. There is a street rumor
too, of cannonadng heard at Alexandria, but you
will attach no Importance to that, save as bare
possibility.
Ninety thousand rations of bread were distribu-
ted from the capital bakery day before Yesterday
When we consider that the men have the option OF
choosing between the bread and the -four, to cook
for themselves this seems to support my estimate
of 600, GOO men in and around Washington
The artesau well which the Confederates have
been boring, is nearly completed.
The court-martial in the case of the "Iich.
landers' New York 79th} proceeded to business
to-day. But, after the appointment of Mai. Biddle
as Judge Advocate and the assignment of counsel
for the defence, the trial continued over until
to. morrow.
Mr.. Faulkner is to be sent Immediately to For
Lafayette.
In the Treasury Department to-day, all the EN-
ployees took the Potter oath, without choking.
In tie Fifth Auditors office, Mr. Faulkner's &C
counts have been overhau!ed and certain charge:
for salary and expenses, charity withheld.
Mr.. James E. Daleda has been appointed United
States District Attorney for Colorado.
The Attorney General, in response to an inquiry
from the Secretary of the Interior to how thu
general powers of the Secretary over the account
of the District Attornies and Marshas were affected
by the recent act which gives the Attorney enera
supervision Of the business of those officers has de
| liyered his opinion-that the act in question wa
only meant to subject District Attornies and Mar
| shals to the direction of the Attorney General il
the discharge of their official duties, and to reuuir
| them to make report to him regularly as to tn
state of their official business; but that the settle
| ment of their accounts of fees and expenses still
remained under the control of the Secretary of tn
Interior, and the accounting officers of the Govern
ment This, however, is in advance of official pub
| LEGATION.
Among the dsaffected regiments a principe
| grievance is the pitiful proportion of Republican
In the army. Over and over again have bee
| assured by Federal officers that in their ow
regiments the proportion of Republicans to North
| ern Democrats would be found one to ten.
| many regiments there are no Republicans at all
| But in the Hobbies of the several Departments, q
the bars of hotels and in the cars there is no deart
of "civians," whose sentiments rabid a
their garments are seedy, and their party claim
| greedy.
There is evidently the greatest CONSERVATION i
Washington about the movements of the Confeder
| ates and fear of an immediate attack.
| The Pawnee and the Pocahontas have not We
returned. and til supposed they have been disable
by of the rifle batteries the Virginia shore
| There is also that Rosecrans, sur
rounded by Lee and Wise, in a valley where h
could not obtain sufficient supply of water, hf
| surrendered.
Grifiin's sx-gun battery, hear has gone over
the enemy, and this afternoon a large cavalry fore
was sent over the river to assist in quelling il
surrection which had broken out there in four reg
ments; the latter has become matter of cours
aud no longer excites either the civil or militar
| denizens of Washington. SPECIAL.