Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-01-14
News Items.

The Washington Star contradicts the re-
port that Gen. F. P. BLAIR, Jr, is about to
resign his seat in Congress.
- The Memphis BULLETIN announces the
death of Dr.. Jeptha Fowlkes, an old resident
OF Memphis and celebrated for his connection
with the South Pacific railroad scheme. and
later as editor of the Daily Aualanche He
niled the latt> position until few months
after the Union troops occupied Memphis.
- The Union demonstrations in Arkansas
still, continue. Meetings were being held at
the last advices at Helena under the manage
ment of Ex-senator Sebastian, Judge MeNiel
and Parson Butler. Gen. n. P. Buford al
lowed the use of the Episcopal Church, and
ordered a general suspension of business,
while the first meeting convened. Delegates
were to be appointed, on the I'd inst, to al
tend the State Delegate Convention at Little
Rock.
The thermometer fell to ten degrees be-
low zero at Memphis On New Years day. 1t
was the coolest day ever known there.
A number of persons were found frozen
to death below Cairo on New Years eve, be-
sides ten negro soldiers thus found at Island
No. 10. The bodies of three members of the
I'd Indiana reg iment were found by the steam
er Duke Of Argyle, on the sand bar six miles
above Fort Pillow. All were frozen stiff and
dead. Snow was four inches deep at Cairo
on the 4th The navigation Of the Mississippi
pi is closed above that point
- large amount of cotton, sugar and
molasses has arrived at Cairo during the past
week, mostly for Cincinnati The Duke of
A1yyle had 2S6 bales of cotton, 43S hhds of
sugar, and 800 barrels of molasses. The
HiAlnaan had 255 bales of cotton.
Snow storms prevailed on Monday at
Louisville, Baltimore and Washington. There
was good sleighing at Louisville.
THE Washington Republican says the
veterans of the Army of the Potomac are re-
enlisting faster than their papers can be
made out and the men paid off. Nearly all
OF the soldiers who are of any value to the
service will re-enlist. This is a bitter pill
for the rebel Confederacy. JEFF. DAVIS
Government has made an edict, forcing into
the rebel army all able bodied men within
their lines, while our noble army, after pass
ing through all the vicissitudes and hardships
lndldent to its queer management and it's
bloody battles, returns voluntarily to the
field
hal
Point Lookout. A thousand of these have
offered to take the oath in order to be re-
leased Many of these say they are willing
to enlist in the army or navy Of the United
States. All acknowledge themselves sick of
the war, and admit the hopelessness of the
rebel cause. Many were forced into the
ranks against their will, and say they have
always been opposed to secession. Those
from North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky
are more willing to take the oath than those
from other States.
- The New York 71j5anes Washington
special says that Gen. BURNSIDE has at the
earnest solicitation Of the President, with
drawn his resignation. 1t is not improbable
that he will be re-assigned to the command
of the Department of Ohio.
- Maj. Gen. BUTLER had long confer
ence with the President on Monday, relative
to the exchange of prisoners, and the pardon
ing of those at Point Lookout who desire to
take the oath of allegiance.
- The Herold's correspondence from Key
West by steamship Blackstone states that Ma
val operations on the coast of Florida are ac-
tive and successful. An extensive salt works
of the rebels was destroyed in St. Andrews
Bay, and St. Andrews city was leveled to the
ground by the crews of the steamers Boomer
and Restless. The salt works destroyed were
valued in all at nearly So, 100000.