The Local news. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-02-06
WAR NEWS.

There is no news of the movements of the
Burnside expedition beyond what is received
through dispatch, from Norfolk to a Rich
mond paper, stating that . steamer went
down Albemarle Sound from Elizabeth city,
on reconnaissance, on Saturday last, but did
not discover any of the Aeot and it was
supposed that all the vessels had left their
anchorage.
It is stated that the flag Of truce from Gen.
johnson bears the demand from the Confed-
crate authorities that the bridge burners un-
der sentence of death in Missouri be spared,
or Col. Corcoran and others held as hostages
will be hung in retaliation. This report
does not come from very reliable source. it
is said
A dispatch from Cairo states that the
forces under Gen. Grant arrived at point
four miles from the Confederate Fort Henry
on Tuesday afternoon, and two gunboats, in
making reconnaissance, approached within
halfmile of the works, throwing several
shells inside of the intrenchments. The
firing was replied to by the Confederates,
one of their shot passing through the gun
boat Essex, but doing no material damage
Gen. Grants force had landed, and fight
was expected to take place yesterday.
A dispatch from St. Louis states that all
the troops along the line Of the Pacific Rail.
: road, west of Jefferson city, are under
marching orders. Some Of the troops are TO
70 to Kansas nd others to Kentucky.
+, The latest advices from New Mexico are
that there has been no advance Of the Fede.
raj troops southwark, and there are No indi-
cations of movement Of the Texans up the
Pecos.
A dispatch dated Washington, February 4,
says :-"Yesterday afternoon another little
skirmish occurred near the banks Of the o.
coquan. 1t was reported in the morning
that body Of Confederates were at Pohick
Church. Capt Lowring Of the Sd Michigan
regiment, Col. Champln, then on picket du-
ty in front of Gen. Heint zleman's division,
took thirty.four men, under Lieut.. Brennan,
from company F, and forty-tour, under
Lieut.. Bryan, from company II, and went tt
meet them. Arriving at Pohick Church, nc
troops were seen. The party, however, pro
ceeded to the banks of the Oecoquan, oppo-
site the town Of that name. Arriving there
early in the afternoon, few unarmed men
were observed drilling in tho town. They
gave the alarm, when number Of Confede-
rates came from the houses and fired on the
Federals. A brief skirmish took place
Four of the Confedera,es were seen to fail,
and were carried of BY their comrades.-
No injury was sustained by any Of the
*Federals, except by one man, who was
slightly bruised by spent ball. The Con.
federates were about sending a large party
across the Occoqusn. when the Federsls re-
tired to their picket posts. Near Mrs. Viz
let's house they discovered . tent, which was
used by Confederate picket. and destroyed
it. When they had reached Pohick Church
on. their return they heard four volleys and
several shots fired nearly two miles distant.
bearing to the left"
The Confederate batteries at Shipping
Point opened on the Maryland shore on
Sunday. A number Of shells were thrown
across, some of them bursting over the land,
while others did NOT appear to explode. One
Of the shells exploded Immediately on leav-
ing the gun, the boiling up Of the water
close to the Virginia shore indicating where
the fragments fell. The battery at Budd's
Ferry did not return the fire.
There appears to be misapprehension in
regard to the time in which the Confederate
soldiers term of enlistment expires The
New York World remarks: There were
Lot more than ten thousand troops-rhat is,
regular twelve months troops--in the South
at the time that Sumter FELL The present
army has been organized since that time
A few regiments which will dsband between
now and May will not sensibly diminish the
efficiency of that army so far rs numbers
are concerned.
The French are poor sportsmen. They
shoot everything but the birds. Thus the
Duke of Magenta put a charge of snail shot
into Louis Napoleon's neck while they we're