The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-11-02


1t may illustrate the temper and character
of the man TO mention that. after saying with
40 rerfect caimness as he could have named
the most trivial circumstances, that he be-
iieved II would be his fateto fall In battle, end
that he should never see his home on the Pa
cifc again. he retired from the guards, where
ne had engaged in con ycrSa ton, to the cabin
and seating himself ut the piano, played with
grace and skill, remarkable for a gentleman
amateur on that INSTRUMENT, several touchin z
airs among them that farcrite of the Eng Ii
soldiers before Sebastopol, sweet and mourn :
iul Annie Laurie.
MIR. Geo. Wilkes, formerly of the Police a.
rette, also makes the following statement OF a
conversation he had with Baker:
In the month OF August last, when we ex-
pressed Tin view of the recent disaster at Ma
nassasj natural concern as to the depO r TIM on t
OF his troops he said "Wilkes, l have some
pecniiar notions as to the part am to play in
ms extraordinary war and lwant you to
bear in mind that what now say to you is
not the result of anv idle fancy or vague i'm
preston. II is dcubl-a if shall ever again
take my seat I'm the Senate, :" To the look of
surprise which l turned upon him at this ex-
preston, he replied, &c am certain | shall not
live through tots war, and If my troops should
show any want of resolution, / shall fall In
the first battle. / cannot afford, after my ca
reer in Mexico, and as Senator OF the United
States, to turn my face from the enemy -
There was no gloom of depression in his man
ner, but it was characterized by temperate
earnestness which made Il deep impression on
my mind.
RUhoRRD PLOT TO BLOW UP THE cRoToE AQUg-
DUCr.
The New York Journal Of Commerce says ru-
mors OF plots to destroy the Croton Aqeduct'
and thus inflict terrible blow upon that CITY,
nave been in circulation fer some time past
we extract the following from that paper:
The Croton Board, it appears, was consjd.
erabiy alarmed st these reporis and it was
by no means diminished when u lady from
Baiumorc appeared before them with thu in =
FORMATION OF conversation she had over
heard between three or four SecessIonists in
Baltimore, who thought that it would he n
capital thing to put charge of powder under
some exposed portion of the Croton A1ueduct
and send 1t skyward. As the bearer Of this
astounding in telligence could give no names
and ner statement, in other respects was OF
very explicit or circumstautii.i the police.
INTO whose hands the matter was given for
Investigation, could trace out nothing def
Rite The report was not, in itself wholly
improbable, however, and it had the effect of
suggesting 10 the Board the wise precautiou
OF guarding the whole length Of the Aoue-
duct with Il chosen police Of their own duly
qualified, under the law by the Police Com
nlshioners. aud the water has ever since
been so carefully protected from the tim I
leaves Croton Lake to its entrance at the
lower reservoir. that Ill projects to cut oT tn g
supply were rendered impossible.
AN UNSUCCESSFUL FEDERAL EXPEDITION
A letter in the Worcester (NIas..) Spy, from
or board the United States steamer Cam
bridge, off Beaufort, gives an account of an
unsuccessful expedition from that vessel TO
cut ont and destroy some vessels, one pri
vateer at anchor in the Sound, and also to
break up battery said to be erected near the
entrance to the Inlet. The expedition started
October eth. Wequote from the letter AS fol
lows:
The expedition was com posed of three
boats from the Cambridge, with their crews,
armed with Shapes rifles and cutiasses wi th
rsyoivers, commanded respectively by Lieu
tenant GWinn, and acting masters Strong and
E!dTidge and TWO boa IS from the AibatrOss,
VITA armed crews, under the command OF
Lieu tenant Ward--the whole being under Ii g
comiaanG OF Lieutenant G vim, of the am
bridge. The night was dark ana the surf ran
high.
Each boat had pinnacle and com pass but
owing TO the darkness and the ncertitinty OF
the exact bearings Of some sand bluffs with
relation TO the channel through the brea kers,
they i5st their way and got i'll 10 the breakers
aud surf. Most of the boats were beac al
and one belonging to the Albatross was sto We
and two OF her crew either drowned or de-
serted. The fishermen of the beach whom,
they saw proved TO be ''good Union men -
gave them fish, and assisted them 10 get their
boats OF. The officers and men having airead y
undergone much fatigue and exposure il Their
endeayors to extricate themselves from thei,
perilous situation, q further prosecution OF
the expedition was deemed useless.
RELIGIOUS COMBINATIONS IN NEW YORK.
From the New York correspondence of the
Baltimore SAu We clip the following par,
graph:
Some four hundred persons were confirmed
in st. Stephens Roman Catholic church, Rev
DR.. Cummings, pastor, on Tuesday last
Archbishop Hughes officiating, assisted by
Rev. DIR. Cummings, Rev. Mr.. McNierpey
Rev. Mr.. DOYLE, and Rev. Mr.. Osenigo. I'll.
altar was decorated with natural flowers
and with mum Der less lights. The Arch bishor
sat unon his episcopal throne III front OF the
altar dressed in full pontifica,s and delivered
a short address TO the candidates, after which
he administered confirmation, still sitting
the recipients kneeiing before him, while the
choir sang hymns composed for the occasion
by the Rev. DIR. Cummings.
CROPS II NEW ENGLAND.
The Boston 1rdre,lcr says:
The pleasant autumn weat her has enabled
the farmers OF New England to gather thei,
bounteous crops without danger from frost
Thehay, corn, potato and other root crops
are most abundant. Sqaashes were in large
supply potatoes are selling for half the price
of two years since, and are free from rot
Barley and oats are Plentiful Butter has
not been SO cheap for a long time. We have
heard of good butter purchased for il
Gus. Il pJuUU Tie present. aEIuNl IA
Meats also are cheaper than they have been
for several years.
PENNSYLVANIA LEGISLATURE.
The Philadelphia BaLlttjn, Oct. ., has the
following in regard to the complexion of the
next Pennsylvania Legislature:
1t is not possible, as yet, to give com lete
and correct list of the mem bers OF the next
Legislature elected On the sth inst In some
cases the army vote, not yet received, may
have to decide who is elected. The Senate
however, viii stand twenty three Re
publicaus TO ten Democrats. The Harrisburg
papers give iorty-two mem bers of The Hons
of Representatives to the Democrats, tie re-
naming fifty EIGHT being chased AS Repubii-
cans and Union men. These latter include
some who have always been Democrats, 10
they were nomtnaled by joint Conventions Of
al parties, in counties strongly Repu biican
such as Chester, Lancaster, and others. II
is pretty plain that neither Of the old parties
can claim strong majority on a Joint bal
lot, and from the circune lance that III irnpor-
tant counties so many men were elected solely
because of their DETERMINATION to support the
Government against the COAfederateS, with.
ont reference TO old party distinctions, We
entertain the hope that party spirit will not
run high in the next Legislature.
PRoCLAMArIOS OF GOV. cuRTIs, OF PA.
HARRISBURG, PA, Oct. pa general order
was issued Immediately on the receipt of The
intelligence ofthe death OF Col Baker, wticn
contains the following:
at is with great regret that the Goyerpo
and Commanders in Chief has learned of ths
death OF Col. Baker upon the field of battle
Although not a citizen OF PEI nsylvania, he
has been selected by many of her sons as
their commander, and met his death white
gaiiantly leading them into action The
same feeling which inspired the soldiers &c
regard no Stale lines when our common
country was In danger, financed the Com.
ander-in Chief to recognize him, while
living, as Pennsylvania soldier, and impei'
him now, that he is dead, To bear the pu bIis
testimony 10 his gallantry and worth. BY
command of Signedl Grow. CURTIN"
SERIOUS ACCIDENT From BoMBsKgLL.