The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-08-20

WASHINGTON, August 10, 1861.
There is dreary,f earth of news in this usually
sgitated Capital to-day. Perhaps it is the lull be-
lore the storm. The order from the War Depart
ment calling for men from all the Northern States,
"whether armed, equipped and uniformed or not"
has not yet inundated us by this time with the
rag-tag and bob-taii of the recruiting officer
Freight trains we have had in abundance; cattle,
horses, harness, artillery, ammunition grain hay,
and all manner OF fodder, pour in until the neipf-
borhood of the depot has become a spectacle
Bales and boxes, army wagons in dire confusion,
locked wheels, inextricably entangled mules and
horses, swearing crowd of transfers and a con-
founded chaos of everything military.
Gen. Mcclellan crossed the river to-day-a move
ment which, in this season of alarms, is regarded
as serious and significant. There is a street rumor
too, of cannonading heard at Alexandria, but YOU
wall attach no Importance to that, save bare
possibility.
Ninety thousand rations of bread were dstribu-
ted from the capital bakery day before yesterday.
When we consider that the men have the option of
choosing between the bread and the -four, Ito cook
for themseves,) this seems to support my estimate
| OF 600, COO men in and around Washing ton."
| The artesian well which the C0nfederates have
| been boring, is nearly completed.
The court-martal in the case of the "High-
| landers' New York 79th} proceeded to business
to-day. But, after the appointment of Mai. Bddle
| as Judge Advocate and the assignment of counsel
for the defence, the trial continued until
| tomorrow.
Mr.. Faulkner is to be sent Immediately to Fort
| Lafayette.
In the Treasury Department to-day, all the en-
ployees took the Potter oath, without choking.
In tie Fifth Auditors office, Mr.. Faulkner's ac-
counts have been overhau!ed, and certain charges
| for salary and expenses charity withheld
Mr.. James L. Daleda has been appointed United
| States District Attorney for Colorado.
| The Attorney General, in response to inquiry
from the Secretary of the Interior as to how far the
general powers of the Secretary over the accounts
of the District Attornies and Marshals affected
by the recent act which gives the Attorney General
supervision of the business of those officers has de-
| liyered his opiniou-that the act in question was
only meant to subject District Attornies and Mar
shals to the direction of the Attorney General in
the discharge of their official duties and to REQUIRE
them to make report to him regularly as to the
state of their official business; but that the settla
ment of their accounts of fees and expenses still
remained under the control OF the Secretary OF the
Interior and the accounting officers of the Govern
| ment. This, however, is in advance of official pub
LEGATION.
| Among the disaffected regiments a principa
| grievance is the pitiful proportion of Republican
| In the army. Over and over again have beer
| assured by Federal officers that in their owr
| regiments the proportion of Republicans to North
| ern Democrats would be found as one to ten. Ii
| many regiments there Republicans at all
| But in the Hobbies of the several Departments, a
the bars of hotels and in the there no deartf
| of "civilians," whose sentiments are as rabid al
their garments are seedy, and their party claim
greedy.
There is evidently the greatest CONSERVATION il
| Washington about the movements of the Confeder
ates and fear of an immediate attack.
The Pawnee and the Pocahontas have not We
returned. and tits supposed they have been disable,
by some OF the rifle batteries the Virginia shore
There is also rumor that ROsecrans, sur
rounded by Lee and Wise, in a valley where h,
could not obtain q sufficient supply of water, ha
surrendered.
GrifIin's sx-gun battery, hear has gone over tt
the enemy, and this afternoon large cavalry fore
was sent the river to assist in quelling in
surrecton which had broken out there in four regi
ments; the latter has become matter of course
and no longer excites either the civil militar
denizens of Washington. SPECIAL.