New-York daily tribune., 1861-08-13
some OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS SAVED
Louis Napoleon and the COnfederates.
NEWPORT NEWS NOT TO BE ATTACKED.
From Our Special Correspondent
FORTRESS MONROE,

of burning the village Of Hampton on the Federal
troops. They assert that it was done by the Or
der of Gen. Butler In Baltimore yesterday the
Rebel sympatbizers declared stoutly that this was
the fact. They would not believe that Gen. Ma
pruder was such Goth as to burn the place.
We have information that in Norfolk tho Rebels
were indignant beyond measure, and pointed to
the burning as evidence Of the Vandalism OF the
"Yankees." They bad not the slightest suspicion
that it was done by Gen. Magruder Their sym
pathizers in Hampton and the neighborbood are
astouuded, and have apparently bad enough OF
Secession. There was not the slightest necessity
for the act. IL carnOt be excused as an act
justified by the usage Of warfare. IL was wan
ton destruction Of property-not of the enemy,
but of their own friends in their own country. l
have heard it accounted for in no other way than
that Gen. Ma2ruder was drunk when he gave
the order and IN a condition to commit almost
any act Of barbarism. 1t is not Mt all slrprl,Dg
that the Rebels, before knowing the facts IN the
case, should suppose the act was committed by
those whom they profess to regard as barbarians,
and denounce it accordingly. What will they say
when they come to know that their own General
was the Goth who applied the toIch1 When a
dwelling took fire few days since, Gen. Butler
sent two engines from the Fortress, and the
Federal troops labored for hours, e1tnguished
the flames, and saved the town from destruction.
His policy was to rave, not destroy. The oppo-
site was Gen. Magruder's. "Kill-burn-de-
stroy"-is his motto, and faithfully does he l's
up to it. The act was wautoD, because ii in
dicted 10 injury on the enemy, and was not the
slightest advantage TO those committing 1t. Those
who remained in the village we're mainly poor
people, very few whites, and mostly negroes
The blow fell hardest on those whom il We're
cowardice to the last degree to spite-a few poor
people who owned few small houses aud did not
run away when the Chiyalry fled. The act will
recoil We know that il has done 80 already
Aud yet, unque-tior able as the authorship OF the
act is, it will be trumpeted al through the South
as the act of the Federal troops, by the order OF
Gen. Butler. This assertion, accompanied by
pretty indignant comments, has already gone
forth. The scouDdres will never make the cOrrec-
ton. Here We have Chyalry without gar
ments. The act was one OF native char
acteristic boldncss. The attempt 10 shoot ne
groes while trying TO cave few things be-
longing to their masters, was in keeping
The only surprise il that they did not, Ike the
sa,ages at Schenectady and Wyoming, massacre
the few inhabitants rs they appeared at their
doors, or attempted TO escape death from the
flames. Doabt.css, il was no lack Of disposition
The chyalrous Magruder probably omitted this
from bis order by oversight. lie may have been
too drunk to make his intentions clear. The
mind that could, under the circumstances, con-
ceive the idea of burning the town, was equal to
that OF killing the few inhabitants that remained
For which will his chief, jeff. Davis, censure
Goth Magruder--for doing the one or omittIng
to do the other I Either too much or too little
was DONE Which I
/ learn that some portion Of the public
records of the county have been saved, they
having been taken from tho floor of the
County Clerks Office, which was strewn with
brought to Old Point.
There is an apparently well authenticated ru-
NOR here that Louis Napoleon will recognize the
Southern Confederacy at an early day, and that
the French Consul in New-York expects TO be
recalled, and sent a. ambassador TO the Court
of JEFF. Davis. So direct and apparently anthem
tic is this that gentlemen not often thrown from
their balance by mere rumOr credit the statement.
The question has been asked, what is the
status OF children born OF parents hitherto slaves
in Virgins, now fugitiyes beyond her limits, on
Old Point, where the United States has ex-
clusiye inrisdlctiOu Are they not free This
is among the not least interesting phases Of the
negro question, as presented in this military do
partment.
Negroes continue to arrive at Newport News
and at the Fortress, at the former place in great
numbers They generally tell about the sumo
story, and represent that they fed to escape be-
iDQ compelled to work on the rebel trenches or
sent for sale to the South. They agree in saying
that the entire male population, so far as their
observation extends, are in the ranks, or away
from home on account of the war. The negroes
appear to be about the only class Of persons not
frightened out of their wits by the stories which
the rebels tell about the barbarties Of the YAM
KEGS. / have not heard of siugle instance
where negro has been deceived in this respect.
As a general thing, they appear to have pretty
clear idea that the question OF Slavery is int
matey related to the war.
A deserter from Magruder's column states that
a reconnaissance of Newport News hos con-
vlnced the rebels that the position is too strong
for them TO attack with the hope of carrying it,
and that the idea had been abandoned for the
A.