The New York herald., 1861-12-17


many outagos in Weston aud along tho line Of the Platte
County Railroad. They burned the Iatan bridge seven
miles from Weston, and thus destroyed the connection
temporarily The result has been that have had no
mails for week Three Of the officers of the Kansas
Brigade were captured week since but managed 70
c>'po. On Tuesday Captain Allen, OF the Third
reg. 'rent. was taken at Winthrop by Gordon
The wife Of Colonel Montgomery was travel
ling ea> with him on visit TO friends, and the guerrllas
suppo8ch they mad seized the redoubtabe Colonel II IL
more than probable that this time they have
dered the ,tain No officer soldier of the Kansas
heartily detestod by them as Colonel Montgomery.
General Prentiss, commanding in North Missouri, has
moved efHciently IL the matter. His headquarters
at St. Joseph and that city Is placed under the strict
martial law. Fortihrations are being erected to
mand tho town. and thoae who refuse TO take the oath OF
allegiance, or who hsv0 boon made prisoners,
arc employed thereon. General PrentIss with Brga
dicr General Loon, OF the State troops, both lately
gent and severe policy as thrir rule of conduct On
Thursday General Prentiss moved 10 Platte City with
nearly three thousand mon and seven guns His force
consisted of battalion Of tho Ohio Thirty ninth Illinois
Ffath and Sixteenth and three battaions OF Missouri
troops. Col Morgans command Missouri Twentieth 900
men, took possession Of Weston yesterday and will win
ter there This, in oil probability, is "settler" for
Platte 1t relieves Gen. Hunter Of considerable trouble,
he would Of course, from its proximity to his head
quarters have been obliged to have taken care OF Platte
county. Gen. Prentiss told his to make dstinc
tion between who talked secession sentiments and
those who fought for them This hits Missouri seces-
sionsm right In vital part The State is overrun by
men who claim immunity from the penalties or treason
because they say that they have not taken up
This class o mon have in reality given strength to tho
rebol cause here for they have outtcd and sustained
those who did fight They aro mostly people OF means,
and the fear Of losing their wealth will, If nothing else
eau, keep them passvey loyal
There but little OF interest stirring here except in
military affairs SO far the war has rather helped than
hindered Kansas The famine OF last year with the con-
sequent desttuon, loft large number Of young mon
willing to enter the service II "a more than probable,
with the lighting proclves Of the people, fostercd by
many bitter memories that Kensas would have doubled
her quota but nothing the instinct or
self preservation would have driven many men in
the service into it, had the State been ordinarily pros
porous. The war has put good deal OF money into
Kansas II has given considerable vitality to her river
towns and tho new department, with the large supplies
market. II the State escapes tho ordeal without in
vason her future prosperity is secure Especially shis
the case with City The activity at the fort
golden egg to merchants. Ths stagnaton and DESC
ation q sno missouri towns benefits the Kansas towns
takon 70 Kansas City, Independence &c. The Santa Fe
trade Is now rapidly changing quarters, and l3aven-
worth must hereafter be It's Headquarters There are
sufficient facilities here TO accommodate this very valua
BILE and increasing traffic
The Surveyor General Of Kansas and Nebraska, Col H.
w. Delahay makes some valuable suggestions in his
nua report to the Commissioner Of the Land Office Ho
asks for sufficient appropriations for extended in
Kansas and Nebraska during tho ensuing year The pro-
posed surveys will reach Tor Kansas twelve thousand
and forty-tw0 miles, and for Nebraska TO twelve
thousand hundred aud forty-sx miles. The
amount asked for Is, Kansas, $74,694 and Nc
preparations for the past year have been over sa 600
The amount Of surveyed lands in Kansas is about
eighteen millions, of which over two million arc ap
poprated for railroad and school purposes Thoro are
thirty millions Of acres of unsrvoyOd lands In Kansas,
and larger amount in Nebraska The Surveyor General
asks for these on Tie ground that Congress-
will undoubtedly pass bounty land act and that in such
event the States and Territories which arc upon tho
central zone Of cmgration and through which the Pacific
Railroad must pass will be where tho great body OF those
warrants will DO located. Col. Dcahay says
"There are at this day engaged in putting down rebel
hope that afteI this gigantic rebellion shall be subdued
they also will receive from the generous hand OF
donation OF leo acres o land each, and the question
naturally arises where Is the surveyed land upon which
they to locate the future homes OF themselves and
mesS Not In tho seeded states, in any event, but
among their compatros IN tho free states and
oas OF tho Rocky Mountains The larger portion of the
surveyed lands belonging 70 government are IN the
States Of Arkansas, mississippi louisiana Florida and
the Territories west OF the Rocky Mountains whero
it Is TO be presumed few OF our volunteers
would wish to SETTLE while IN Kansas and Nebraska to
meet the demand that will assuredy be made, there
arc nbout eighteen million acres Of surveyed land un-
disposed Of sufficient TO locate only ll2 500 and war
rants Of the which will coubtiess be awarded to
the troops that arc now or have been in tho besides
the hundreds daiy neepg no Kansas ior refuge from