The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-12-30

etats that dnrtng the gallant Tepulse Of last
isss a. hi: place EIGHT rsss,. ~sr. A Killed
outright and twelve wounded.
Your correspondent WAS kindly furn ished
with recent copies OF the psESfata Rep.biiean,
published at MartinsburE, and . Richmond
DispateA. Of the 18th, BY private Messner, Of
the Indiana Twelfth, Hungarian patriot
and refugee. This man 10 always on the alert
in watching the enemy's movements, and 10
spoken OF by his superiors as possessing un.
uring vigIlancs.
DBsTRucrToN OF UNION rRoPEarY.
MnRcERsvTLLE, ION the river, four miles be-
low Dam No. 81 Dec. 2,-This little hamlet
10 populated BY persons en- gagged In the canal
Unionists, threats have been made by the
enemy to destroy their habItaIone, crea ting
considerable anxiety. This place il closely
watched by the India IA boys
Last night the large barn, occupied by John
e. Covode, bat owned by Samuel Stone.
breaker, Of Baltimore, was fred by an incsn.
diary, aud consul cd, with nearly Its entire
contents, including six horses, Ave e0is, Sc.
vsral tons Of hay. iva hundred busfsis of
wheat, hogs, agricultural Implements, wag.
ons, harness, etc. Loss $12, 900 to el5,oo0.-
Mr.. Uovods IL . Unionisr. and was absent
from homo at the time.
rHg LArIsf.
WAsaIEsroH, Dec. :s.-Information from
Williamsportsrepressnt all quiet In that
vicinity. The report is confirmed tn at the
main body Of Jackson's forces has retired to
Martiusburg. and probably to Winchester,
leaving On the Virginia neck, opposite Will
Transport, a small body OF troops, while
others are performing picket duty above and
below that point, not ia ali over 200 men.
Early on Monday morning man who
emerged from the ruins Of Colst on's m Ills
" it'll q firebrand in his hand, having been
seen making his way to the cribwork OF dam
90. 5, evidently 70 destroy the woodwork,
was shot down by a sentinel belonging TO
Col. Kenley's command, on the Maryland
side. Col henley's regiment now yards
tbs Potion &C from Dam No. ) to Hancock,
con ecti ng with Gen. kslley's pic1sts at the
latter Ice.
THE ExAsCIPATIoS qUEsTIoE-wHRaB TBE con.
TKABAEDs CAS- BIZ sRsT.
We published o special telegram in relation
70 the suhjoined in our last issue. We copy
from the Washington Star, Dec. Is;
Prominent members Of Congress are con-
sidering new proposition for the solution of
the "contraDand" question, in order to avoid
the expense OF Supporting Gro Wds Oh slaves In
idleness. and TO furnish the American mills
With cotton. Taey take the ground that the
Ia dian Territory weat Of Louisiana and Ar
aansas was coded to the United States by
treaty and On certain conditions. without
prov vca tlOn they nave violated the treaties,
and levied wax on the United States, thus
rendering the treaties null and void.
It is proposed to apply the principle of
Beaton's Florida armed occupation act, and
send all contra bands TO this Territory and
apprentice them 10 the settlers upon these
cotton lands, leaving the qaes ton Of their
final disposition 10 be settled by Congress at
the close Of the war; all con traoands, as fast
as they come into camp, to TO promptly for
Wardod thlther.
The country is approached from S. Louis
through springfield, d distance OF 800 miles.
Inc remainder CT Inc raiir DAD from R0iia
through Springfield 10 Fort Smith can be
com pieted IN twelve mGnths. 1t is said that
the Plantations CT the Chock ta wa ana Chick
!nna II " i,a Ans
mills even the first year or the experiment.
The counties thus revsrnng TO the Govern
men. embraces the valleys OF the Rsd, Ar
kansas. and other rivers, AID Contains about
passed fertility, capable OF proaucins about
6,0eo, 900 oaiss OF cotton per aDnuin.
fKs NOTORIOUS COL. XAG1PPIg
OrrswiLL, Mo-, Dec. 22.--I learned yester-
day tina, among the prisoners taken b. Cen
eraI Pope last thursday, was the otorIous
Col. Magoftin, Of Georgesown, Missouri
ABOUT TWO weeks ago oloneI Magotiin sent
word to the commanding officer lhas his
wiis was dangerously III, and begged
20 be permitted TO SEE her ere she oleu.-
lie was informed that If he would give
his parole az prisoner CT war, his rs
Quee. would be granted. He did 80, aud
went home, and The next that was heara
OF him was that he com manded the whole
torce which defea ded the bridge that Col.
Dasis Carried by assault. he ned with his
party, ana was not taken till some time after
The rest o. the rebel forces had 81 rendered
In cons quence of the darkness Of the HigRt
he was not trcoSHia az Until tbs next day. 1t
seems tnat tool. Magofisn, having wash ed his
house ana arr4uSau Ms aHalrs, SEM 4 mes
sel.er recalling Ais paToie, bat Instead of
surreIdering himssit as officers usually do
hs Left AMI before tbs l1at.ssengsr rsac he'd Se.
dai.a was in the rebel army; and wheu the
G.ht came on, feeling that he deserved and
would probably receive different Treatment
from those who had not forfeited ali right TO
he treated aa pri -oners CT WAL, fought uespe-
rateiy, but uNayaihngly.
Gen. Pope refused TO accept his parole and
ordered him TO be placed in eonfn ement ua-
tai Gen. Ealtecx deciisd what disposition to
make OF RiIu.
rATAL AFFAIR AMONG FsD2RAL soLcIsks.
From the Washington tslegrap hc corres-
pondent OF the New York Herald, IN Ter date
OF the Gath inst, we take the following:
A melancholy occurrence took place on the
Virginia side Of the Potomac this afternoon.
Alexander NJ Reilly, 3 Sergeant in Company
M. First New York cavalry. In Gen. Frank
Inns DIVISION, was shot by Patrick Murphy,
e private in the sanls coInpany. It appears
that, earlier IN the afternoon, there was
some difficulty between Two or three mem
beers OF the company, and ne interfersd.-
Murphy afterwards deli berately took gu. his
pistol and shot RELY without prOyocation,
although it seems both vera good friends
The ball cut the main artery Of the heart,
and he expired almost ms tantaneoasly.
APPOINTMENTS oosp1RARD BY 7Hs e. g. sngArx.
The United States Senate confirmed en-
Tuesday, the 24th, the following appoint
ments Of Pres,den! Lincoln
Thomas Shackland, of New York, Consul
at Port Louis. Isle of Franco.
Albert J. Dezsyk. OF Iowa, Consul at To
ronto.
Sndrsw J. Caruthers. OF the District Of
ri hi IONS az fvfaV int.
Robert Haley, OF California, Consnl at
ManzaniIla.
William Pickering, Of Illinois, Governor
Of washington Territory.
Francis A. Ryan, of Wisconsin, Register of
Public Lands al n sosho.
James H. Lane, OF Kansas, Brigadier-
General Of Volunteers.
Arrest OF AN ALLEGED sPY.
The Washington correspondent of the New
York Herald, dSted Dec. a. says
A man who has farm near Hunters
Chapel, Va. named V. z. Corbitt, was ar
rested in Gen. McCall's camp yesterday,
charged with having communicated with the
enemy. Re Is publisher of a map of tbs
"Seat OF War" His loyalty has tons been
suspected
COTTON coArs-THB NAVAL 1HrIRIxa Law.
The Washington Star, OF the ga inst, says
The clothing Of the "secesh" taken in the
recent battle at Evansville proves that the
enemy are, indeed, In tense sufferers for want
OF Quartermasters stores. Thus, three
fourt tbs Of their coats are OF cotton cloth
not woollen--lined in some instances with a
heavier cotton cloth, or padded with cotton.
The coats of the South Carolina troops en-
ga ged were colorsd by being dyed with to.
bacco juice.
This forenoon the President signed the
bill recently passed by Congress to retire
from active service all officers abovs sixty
two years of age, or who have been forty
years In service. So Is now law.