Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-01-28
LATE FROM THE SOUTH.
rom late Southern papers we gather the follow

Ing:
Tne Richmond Examiner Of the 23d inst, has
long eoltoIal on the manufacturing interests OF
| the south. IL sets forth bold statement of the
need OF the rebels for materials used in manufac-
lures, which they have not, and can only get from
Europe 10 secure these materials, used In the
aru, IL proposes the organ iLation Of grand gov
| eromental smuggling association, with a capital
OF nfty millions to be Invested in goods pure
| In Europe, and to be sent South in vessels which
are 70 run the federal blockade. 1t thinks that II
| one half Of the vessels thus employed should be
captured, still the enterprise would pay one hun
/ dred per cent profit
| DEsBRrIoNs TO THE ENEMY FROM PENSACOLA
| From letter In the New Orleans Picayune,
dated warrington, Fla Jan. 4, we clip the fol.
| lowing paragraph:
Since my last writing nothing Of moment has oc-
CURED except the deseron of marines to the enc.
my. 1t was bold step. They belonged to the COM
pany OF Capt. Van Benthuyson, Of the Confeder-
| ate States marine corps, and one Sunday, Just
af1er Teveille, Ia the grey Of the morning, they
took boat aud rowed rapidly across, having pre-
viously spiked with wood the guns OF the battery
to which they BELONGED. It's believed the sentry
himself spiked taem else IL would have been dis
| covered. They were a considerable distance from
| them and rapidly gaining the other side before
| they Were seen; hundreds Of soldiers stood on the
| beach awaiting them. II was very aggravating
i A DRUNKEN scENE-INDEcRScY OF GOVERNOR John
LBTcHkR.
The Richmond Examiner Of the 23d saws a
scene OF indecency, drunken or sober, occurred
/ In the House Of Delegates yesterday, while that
| body was occupied with the question of the elec-
Il ion OF Confeder ate Senators, notifying to the
hundreds who witnessed It, In the midst of the
Il debate John Letcher, Governor CT Virginia came
| into the legislative chamber drunk and sat on
| the steps leading to the Speakers chair for the
| full space Of half an hour with a segar in his
mouth, making himself a spectacle for the whole
house and butt for the Jokes Of the gallery The
| apparition occurred just as both parties seemed
| to be In deadlock as TO who should be Senator.
The occurrence might naturally have originated
| In drunken imagination that display so dra-
| natlcally made at the nick Of time mig ht sug-
gest compromise to both PARTIES and inspire a
Il sudden enthusiasm for John Letcher and his re-
publican segar. We can imagine no other ex-
| planatlon for the impertinence and indecency of
Jonn Letcher on the Speakers rostrum, display
| ing MS segar and making himself a spectacle to
the assembled wisdom Of Virginia ="
THE REBBL PRODUCE LOAN
| The rebel Secretary of the Treasury has deter.
mined to Introduce some changes in the ~ IAN and
management Of the produce loan Agent, have
lately been appointed In all the PRINCIPAL cities of
the south to make collections, aud they Will also
| De charged With receiving subscriptions and
/ reporting them to the central office In Richmond.
There has been Of late considerable falling off in
subscriptions: The aggregate on the superin-
/ cotton, II 500, ,OC0 bales.
THE MANASSAS RAILWAY CONNECTION
Il Inc house OF Delegates has passed bill to au-
/ thorize connection between the Orange and All.
exandria and Manassas Gap railroads and the
Richmond, Frederic ksburg and Potomac railroad
Il rms connection has been urged as a military me-
cessity, and the commanding generals Of the army
OF ine rotomac cordially approve the scheme. The
only points Of protection to Northeastern Virginia
now lie between Aqua Greek and Manassas Juno.
ton. This work will materially dimInIsb the
force necessary TO be kept there while at the same
/ nme facilltating the transportation Of supplies
The bill asks for no appropriation; and while IL
s true that II exempts the property of the railroad
from taxation, the great value and importance Of
the work at this time plainly shows that 1t is little
os he ei. .n.e Is now SsaGIs %
probably pass at an early period.
THE REBELS ON THE POTOMAC
From the Fredericksburg News Jan. 81
| Friday morning Captain Ffobell, at Cockpit
Point, succeeded IN forcing the federals to aban-
don a large schooner by his we'll directed Are
Without boats he could not take possession On
Saturday, we learn from one Of the 'sbomb dod-
gers" at Cockpit Point, that one of the largest
| merchant steamers yet seen to pass up or down
% was aied Dat at vigorously % by the EvansPcrt bate
fact he hardly thinks that anything Is "under
/ arresp' there As she approached, Cockpit thun-
dered, and the face Of the bluff was circle Of
/ nre. Ii was admirably done-better than ever
| before. At the explosion Of one Of ---s shells
/ great many heard the exclamation, sOh, God''
rapidly repeated several times and In accents that
indicated s gre great bod bodily pain and anguish Our
| foolishly expended. The day the Pensacola
went down the river the Cockpit battery turned
4 steamer back.
III
/ The FEDERAL Fleet on rhs SOuihern Codst-Eseap.
II Of Rebel Steamer from BiIozi- Collision Be.
tthssa Frsnch Steamer and an America. Way
IeSSsL-Stanlpsds Of the Inhabitants Of the Lake
(From the New Orleans Delta, Jan111
Tue steamer Gray Cloud, which tas been living
concealed from the enemy for some time at Biloxi,
4 ran out on venture on Wednesday and came
through the Sound safely, arriving here early this
/ morning. She reports only six Of the enemy,s
vessel, around Ship Island, although there have
oeen as many as twenty-five In sight from the
main land at one time. Col. James, of Biloxi
who came passenger on her, furnishes US with the
| following budget Of news from a quarter that ID
now invested with deep interest on account Of iu
Il proximity 70 the enemy and 70 our own home:
On Tuesday, the 7th inst three French naval
| omeers, with sixteen men, landed at Biloxi and
/ desired to communicate, by telegraph, with the
French Consul at New Orleans. The office a,
| Biloxi having been closed, Lieut. Pradat, who
had acted as interpreter on their arrival, volun-
| teered to accompany them in their boat to Bay st.
Lonis, whittier they went accordingly.
They reported the fact that their vessel a side
| wheel steamer, bad been run into accidently by
one OF the United States steam vessels of war and
/ that their craft had been badly crippled in the
| wheelhouse, and was lying outside Of the Ship
Island She was one Of the Anglo French naval
| squadron, which they reported to have arrived
/ on our coast, twenty-sail strong. On Wednesday
| they returned and obtained their answer by tele-
/ graph from the French Consul.
Since the visit Of the enemy to Biloxi on the
4 Sist ult they have not been near the main land
On that occasion they came In three gunboats
/ one OF which, the Henry Lewis towed thirty tw o
launches, aad was crowded with troops. The
two little cannon Of the place were given up to
them, al II would have been madness 10 resist;
but the Home Guard, consisting of about sixty
old men, kept their armB. Captain Smith told the
| Mayor OF Biloxi, Captain Fewell, that he wa,
perfectly well acquainted with the number OF
l their arms and all their resources.
Il All OF the towns on the lake coast are being de.
| serted, and the people are moving into the In.
/ terior. IL would be useless to send troops there
/ while the enemy have command Of the Sound and
| can shell the whole coast with impunity Sever
negroes have proved traitors and gone of TO tn,
neef-Four Of them, belonging to Mr. Alfred
Lewis, were chased by their master when yam
| Zee gunooat came TO their rescue and took then
on board. Two others belonged to widow lad,
In Biloxi, and one to Mr.. James Higgins Al
tne other negroes are sent Into the country.
reiegraphic News TO Rebel Newspapers.
hokE STONE vEssELs SUNK OFF cHARLEsroN EAR
CHARLEsToH, Jan. 2a-This morning twent,
vessels were seen OF Charleston bar. The enemI
were busy stripping the rigging from the hulks
evidently intending TO sink more stone vessels.
CAPTURE OF CEDAR KEYS FLA
Inc Sayannah papers state that Cedar Keys tn
western terminus Of the Florida Railroad. wa
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