Litchfield enquirer., 1861-05-16
Ns1gs nf tue Week.

dition, if they not already so. The distina- tion of the Niagara, which left New York sever al days ago, is understood to be New-Orleans The Secretaries of War and the-Navy have been assiduous in their endeavors to perfect the block ade, and for this purpose, in addition to the national vessels, about twenty armed steamers from New York, Boston and Philadelphia, have been and are being put in readiness. The vir ginia waters are now completely invested by Federal vessels, and Capt Prendergast, the off, cer in command of the fleet there, has given the necessary fifteen days notice to all vessels to leave the ports of that State, either with or with out cargoes. An extension of the time has been asked in several cases, but invariably refused.
 ADv1cEs from Western Virginia are extreme ly interesting. The Union men there, who com prise the great majority of population in be- tween thirty and forty counties, are hard at work in the struggle against secession, the ac- tive military movements of the Government giving them confidence that they will not be de- serted in their position, and that they will ulti mately succeed. The Convention called to meet
 
 and was attended by delegates from the counties west of the Alleghanies and north of the Kama wha River. Opposition to secession is general, but opinions among the delegates are divided as to the proper course to be pursued. One party are in favor of the immediate division of the State and the organization of new State Government; another party favors open opposi- tion to the action of the recent Convention at Richmond, with a view to the overthrow of trea- son in the entire State; while third party think the action ofthe present Convention should be simply advisory, and that it should issue call for another Convention, to consist of dele gates from larger territory, in which final action should be determined upon. Unless the latter course should be adopted, the session is likely to be protracted.
 BRIGADE of Secession troops, commanded by Gen. Frost, was compelled to surrender Oil Fri day last to force of COCO loyal Volunteers from St. Louis, commanded by Capt. Lyon. This is the first victory of tie war, and apparent ly most important and encouraging one.
 
 tragedy Saturday night About o'clock large body of the Home Guards entered the city, thro' Fifth-street, from the Arsenal, where they had been enlisted during the day, and furnished with arms. On reaching Walnut-street the troops turned westward, large crowd lining the pave ment to witness their progress.
 At the corner of Ftfth-street ladies among the spectators began hooting, hissing, and otherwise abusing the companies as they passed, and boy about fourteen years old discharged pis- tol into their ranks. Part of the rear company immediately turned and fired upon the crowd and the whole column was instantly in confusion breaking their ranks, and dischargng their muskG!s down their own line and among the for few minutes was terrible, the bullets flying in every direction, entering the doors and win tlows of private residences, breaking railings, and even smashing bricks in the third stories.
 The utmost confusion and consternation pre- vailed, spectators fleeing in all directions and but for the random firing of the troops, scores scores of people must have been killed. As most of the firing was directed down their own ranks the troops suffered most severely, four of their number being instantly killed, and scvcra wounded.
 DEPARTURE OF THE SECOND REGIMENr.-The Second Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers Col Terry, left New Haven Friday evening by the steamer Cahawba. Owing to some circum- stances unexplained they wero delayed in the embarkmcnt, and at o'clock had net made their appearance on the Green, when the regiment was to be presented with stand of colors.
 The boys were in good spirits, like their pre- decessors of the First egiment, at the prospect of departure from New Haven. Their destina- tion was matter in which they were entirely ignorant, and surmises only fixed it at Washing ton, at Fortress Monroe and even Charleston, which we do not think they will see at present
 ROGER A. PRYOR, of Virginia, is in Mont gomery. He has watched the course of the fight very shrewdly, and has avoided it as i'm dustriously as he avoided the duel to which he invited Potter. When Fort Sumter was to be bombarded by force of one hundred to one, Pryor mustered courage to go down there and look on. He saw that the next bloodshed would be in his own state of Virginia, and accordingly he sped to Montgomery, where the papers tell us he is being serenaded and making "happy speeches. No doubt he is happy.
 Two MORE STATES GONE We have reports of the secession of Tennessee and Arkansas the ninth and tenth rebellious states Some days since, there rumor that the Tennes- see legislature had passed an ordinance of seces- sion, and the published proceedings confirm it. The ordinance, however, is to be submitted to the vote of the people on the 9th of June The Tennessee legislature has also passed a military bill calling out 55, GOO troops and appropriating five millions of dollars for war purposes two millions of this sum being unconditional. The news from Arkansas states that the ordi- nance declaring that state out of the Union was passed in the legislature by vote of 69 ayes to | l nay. Previous reports from that state, how ever declared that the whole question of seces- sion was to be submitted to the people in August next. This summary action of the legislature requires fuller explanations than we have yet received.
 I ALTHOUGH no actual hostilities have yet taken place, in the vicinity of the Capital, they are undoubtedly imminent. A rumor prevailed in Washington on Sunday night that @ considerable 1 body of Virginians had moved down from liar