, 1861-10-23

| J.
Congressional Committee Of Investigation, I
sho are probing contracts to the very core. /
The friends Of Gen. hicKinstry are complain ]
~ that he is treated very unfairly by this !
,,e to defend himself by retuting charges !
which may be insiDuated in the structure Of | 1
questions asked BY The committee. They say
he committee is acting on the assumption
hat Gen. McKinstry is corrupt, which the
:locf thus far controVerts. The questions al
eyed to be asked, in one case we're us fol-
uNs:
Questio1-Did you ever have Government
contract fer hoEEes and, if 80, did you exc
cute it?
Anr.-Ib had a contract. It Was executed, but
lot By my JseG
Question-Wil you explain ? Did you
dispose Of The contract: if so, for how
much ?
.A1t.-I sold out the contract for s5,000
Question-Did any Of this money 60 into
the hands OF Gen. McKinstry through you
or any other h party that you are aware Of?
This is The substance Of the questions (and
atsWere) alleged to have betn propounded
to a witness yesterday, and upon which
Gen. MeKnstrg's friends base their COM
plants.
The etcry CT the burning Of the Big River
bridge has already been told with sufficient
accuracy BY telegraph. Capt. Elliott was at |
the Planters House until Friday, when he left
for Princeton, his Illinois home. There is 8
qnes.ion Of identity in this bridge burning |
which il inter esting; whether the leader Of |
the gang Who took Capt ElGotts squad Of
the Normal regiment prisoners, Was or WAS |
Eot the great biatherskite, jeff Thompson. |
Several reports received since the affair from
the neighborhcod where it occurred, deny
that JEFF. ThompEon Wa. anywhere near the
spot, and stnte that the vandal act, as well as
tie capture, vas performed BY crunken rSb-
els, acting without any particular authority,
ard raised IL Jefferson, Madison, Iron, Wash
iglop, and ST. Francois counties: Capt. FL
1ictt bsB pasR, however, signed IN. jefferson
ThCmpsCn, Brigadier General Missouri State
Gua1c, which be says was signed in bis pres
eIce. and hiss Since been recognized by the
cl.1k at tie Planters House and By other citi
z rs OF st Louis, as ihe genuine signature Of
JtB. Thompson, He is positive, moreover, Of
tie deecnption Of the notorious rebel given
hg lin6eif to several parties Rho have often
eten The ubiquitous il f. that 1t wsB no Other.
The testimeDy is strong on both sides- A
good story is told Of one Of the rebels who
He picked up, among other things, q pair Of
boxing gloves. and after looking at them curl
| ouely 1Cr 9 moment and putting one Of them
| on Lis Own broad paw, turned to companion
| and said With chuckle, "1hey n1ust hare
.n4nty cold .odather up north to require sssch big
n1ttteHs as theseW
| The Pilot Knob neWe, which was published
| in the Democrat Of Friday morning, was in
| eGme degree expected, and consequently WAS
| essil5 sEallo :ycd BY the credu1ous public Al
| tl.Uugh Ii turned cut Untrue, the n n3Ws came
to the army headquarters in this city, and SO
far, was offlclal It produced a big scare,
| {bavipg stated ttat 5000 rebels had driven In
500 Federals, with the loss Of their baggage,
snd we're marching on Pilot Knob, which was
or1y defended BY 5000 Of cur men, and wss
accounted for when the truth became known
in this wsy: When Major Gayitt retreated to
the camp Of Col Alexander, Of the Twenty
first Illinois, and obtained relnforcements, it
was known at Honton. When the retreat Of
our men took place (by which the rebels we're
drawn into an ambuscade) it Vas construed
into defeat, and the news did not lose any
Of lis e1aggeration by being teltgraphed to
this city. The tseceeh'' e1e1nen broke loose
in Prealchrg the speedy capture Of st. Louis
by JEFF. Thompson. They changed their tune
#hen the true state of atfairs near Pilot
KEob became known. It cannot be denied,
however, that a great deal Of anxiety exists
for the safety Of our forces at Pilot Knob.
:, Msior schohe1d's battefy Of 10 and 6pound
howitztrs, should be capable Of making q
+ strong defence
: The State Convention has finally adjourned
without daring TO 60 to the limit Of general
COL liscahoD. The Convention passed mill
E ta1y Law Which authorizes draitlng, If neces
! eary, ard for the organization OF system o1
militia. A loan OF $1,000,0 900, payable In ten
! years, hrB beer authorized to be raised b.
+ Union Defence bcods. The election Of Gov
+ error and Lent. Governor, and members Of tht
IF Legislature, has bseH postponed :fn next Au
! eutt, when it would happen in the ordinaf,
course 0: things. Members elected next yea
e caanot be objected to by Becessionists On tht
;. Convention probably cared Uncle Sam eom
!, tranble In the management Of State affair
l. brt beyond this did very little good by its ses
b | Binn. :.
t. The noisiest and most troublesome membe
Ct the Convention Was Major Uziel Wright, 8
often alluded to in this correspondence FtpI
high standard p1sfsssed Union man, he hs
descended to the le7I Of dirty secess5onisu
1g A. soon as he ceased to be shielded by his p
l. si;ion as member Of the State Convention
,e an order for bis arrest was Issued By the Pr,
~ yest Marshal, and as promptly executed t
J. tie Police. At the eafae time State Senate
20 j B. Churchill, Of this county, was arrcste
re ard both these worthless are now confined
no the military prison, yelept the nigges pen, CO
Fl vas elected to the state | sznate IN IS
oe wien bogus returns were made to defe
"a Flank Blslr for Congress. He Was in these
y, ate during the last session--au earnest sec'
nd s!cnsst-snd voted for all the obnoxious ms
"a Of the bill divertipg the public school none
belonging to at Louis in the State Treasury
the afni1g Of the State. It is worthy Of nc
!. that the Republican sustained this infamo
D bit Of legislation, though now profess
40 The news that Gen. s7gel has crossed t
% Oeage with his entire division, and had poss'
'e sion Of the PoMme deTerre Bridge, awaken
en- considerable enthusiasm here. Il II stint
us that sigel left his heavy baggage in the rear
ahead with such zspidity % to earn for hi
70 self the title Of the Flying Dutchman," fri
'he the rebels. Il Is somewhat singular that G.
.ei. McKinstry's Division has been delayed SO Ia
AFkx %&n$$ 4~F@t$-
parture Was delayed week for the same
10 legged Cause, and after he started 1t Was sup
les sed there would be no further delay on t
eeo1e.
,ol. Agreat many dispara3iag remarks are ma
m, because Col. B1air does NOT join his regime
NJ. instead Of frittering away time complaining
OUT Fremont. There appears to be some -
&C. tape'' in the Nay Of this which is not e1plf
ing ed. Blaizs friends represent that he IS an2lt
h,t to 60 into the field. but that bis regiment
the Notwithstanding the orders to Gen.
+ar mont to stop work on the barracks near
'sa' headquarters, the carpenters were emplo
de1ttood the contractors are finishing the
ova On their own account The same effect
90 uoticod in the building Of the foEtihcations
,snn The stumptail WAT has undergone no N
:ant nal changes. The CITY aushoI1tles are LAX
INV all kinds Of Missouri paper at par for ta1
afr1 having an understanding to redeem the s:
"a in New York exchange at ninety days at
~ rare per cent discount, Some Of the Savings
stitutions are making arrangements to
tpecie business exclusively.
,ou The fact hAs not been mentioned IN the ~
~, ,o papers, but severa1 females have lately !
1'tn atTeated. One Of them, the wife Of an OF
Is to in the rebel eetyiee whom she boasts OF
n g. trg aided. Another is . widow whose so
n At the South. These two have been conf
~ in their residences under guard There
as L. be no doubt that If the whole truth '
tIzen known 1t would be discovered that g
ut tn many overt acts Of treason have been com
ted BY females in this city.
Tho inte1meut Of some Of tho Illinois
dlen has been recorded for the psst v
= VI Those lnterested in the deceased will do
)hio, to address John a. smithe1s, Undertaken
A,-1+ Louis.
J. n. Thicker, e1.editor Of the Sate .ou,
reoe- Of this city, has turned up ln Howard cou
hat 1t where he had persuaded quite numb
%. of recruits to enlist for Prices A1my, but
90 de6stture was put of 70 long tkst the,
paited, leaving Tucker to 60 1t alone.
hoped be Will stay long enough in the h
rexi- raizjux district to hare teH yards Of 1t
treaa | Ga himself.
Some feeling has been raiaed snoug G.
aeae Hos in this city by the refusal OF the
zn71e biEh1p to permit priest aho hiss vosuz
e6} TO acessapsay tie Irish Brigade, r.