Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1861-04-11
OUR W4SHINGTONLE1'TER

produced by Il despatch received by the ed
itor of the Star, purporting to have been
written in Charleston, and announcing u
sausuinary conflict, the sinking Of fourSes-
sells, and immense loss on the part of the
troops of the United States A friend of
mine, who has passion for the language of
the old Romans met me, looking pale and
CHASTITY, and with a trembling voice exclaim-
ed ella---bella, horrida- bella" Well,
with the utmost celebrity, | proceeded to high
quarters communicated the substance of the
despatch and anxiously inquired it it were
reliable. The answer was explicit and
prompt, "the War Department is in receipt
| Of no intelligence from Charleston to-day"
Leaving the War Department, and vending
my way towards the National Hotel, learn
ed that the Stars despatch turned out to be
what's called 81 seN" In other words,
+, friend VIM. Douglas Wallach had been de.
! cieved: that the alarming intelligence it COM
munlcated was false in the general, false i'll
! the particular and false in the DETAIL"
/ Another matter which had the effect to fan
the flame of excite ment was the Inspection
OF the militia and volunteer companies of
the city by order Of the Secretary of War.
General Cameron wanted to ascertain the
strength OF the citizen Soldiery, and was par
tlcularly solicitous in these troublous times,
to ascertain, az an officer Of the Government
| expressed himself, 10 find ont who's who"
! Although no dispatches of warlike char
acter have been received from Charleston by
| the administration, yet it is due from this
correspondent to the public, to announce, that
the Government IS anxiously awaiting the
recei pit of news from Fort Sumter | regret
TO say that there may bc conflict, and that
it may be productive Of incaIculable evils
and woes. 1t is with pleasure, however, that
| am authorized by two members of the fir-
glnla Legislature TO state that a member of
the Cabinet assured them to-day that the YES
sci ordered to Fort Sumter was unarmed,
containing no soldiers to reinforce the Fort
no arms, Or munitions Of wer, but that sht
was simply laden with Bread, Pork, and
Beef for the sustenance of those already in
the Fortress.
am further authorized BY these gentle
men, To say, that the government proposed
TO the authorities OF South Carolina to fur
nlsh the needed provisions to the Fort, them
selves, and the Government would promptly
settle the bill. II IN attack should be made
upon this uuarmed vessel, take it for grant
ed that the batteries Of the Fort will be open
ed up3u the assalants, and that the guns Of
SOME United States vessels Of war cruising in
the neighborhood will not remain silent
! Though things louk like the burning of Evil
! famous charcoal and salt petfe," and the
horrors Of civil war, still may we not reason
ably hope that the rumored Bread and
Meat ship" may be permitted by the sons Of
tue "Palmetto State" to pursue the even ten
or OF her way, to the Fort unmoiested- there
TO gladden. the hearts Of its occupants with
the creature comforts which she contains.
Our friend, Joseph Segar, of Elizabeth
city, lett the city to-day en- route for
Yorktown, to attend Convention to assem-
bic there i'll Il day Or two, to nominate
gentleman of decided Union sentiment, for
the seat III Congress now occupied by the
Hon. Muscoe Garrett Some of the friends
o! the efficient and patriotic delegate from
Elizabeth City and Warwick are anxious to
make him their standard bearer in the Com
gressional canvass, but he will not leave
the State Legislature where he thinks he can
serve his State to more advantage by bring
ing all his energies IL bear upon accelera-
=
! provementS.
Some of your good citizens, am informed,
express the opinion that | was too fast in
announcing the Alexandria aud Richmond
appointments, and that was probably in
error. | repeat that letters of appointment,
to the gentlemen named will be iven az
stated, that was fully posted, and that they
must not expect Tile to withhold interesting
items like these until Journals, other than
! the venerable yet rigorous Gazette" have
published them.
The commissioners from the Virginia Con.
yentlon, learn, reached the city this after
! neon.
When the citizen Soldiery,' by companies,
marched into the enclosure between the War
aud Navy buildings, they came to halt, and
Col. Gnonas, Adjutant General of the United
States, standing i'll front of the Company,
read, IN ali audible voice, the oath prescribed
by an act Of Congress; Col. Thomas informed
the officers, commissioned officers and
priYates thar if any were disinciined 10 take
the oath they were expected to retire from
the ranks, and those who were willing to
take it would signify the same by bowling
y number, say fifty, in all, left the ranks,
the larger number, say twenty-five or thirty,
being members of the Potomac Light IN
fansry Company" The oath, as admins
tered, is the following words:
Il do solemnly swear Tor atfrm) that
will bear trae allegiance to The United States
Of America, and tina: will serve them hon
estly and faithfully against all their enemies,
Or orroscrs whatsoever, and observe and
obey the orders Of tile President of the Uni
ted States, aud the orders OF the officers APP
pointed oyer me- according to the rules aud
articles Tor the government Of the army vi
| the United States"
Lewis Il. Garnett has been designated for
the dictatorship of Tappahannock Virginia,
and the letter OF appointment will DE for
warde'l in Il day or two.
Mes.rs. Forsyth. Roman and Crawford,
Commissioners from the Confederate States,
expect to leave for Montgomery tomorrow.
| President Lincoln and his Cabinet do not
Recognize the existence Of n Government
from which these commissioners come ac-
credited, but as private gentlemen they were
| treated b. the members Of the Cabinet with
marked consideration and respect
No changes have taken place in the Cabi-
net the statements in one or more Northern
Journals 10 the contrary, Notwithstanding.
HOMO.