The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-02-16
THE LATEST NEWS.
BIZ LAST NIGHTS MAIL.

BIZ LAST NIGHTS MAIL.
WASHINGTON, Feb. IA gentleman,
who arrived from the Army of the Po-
tomac tonight, says before he left there
a Richmond paper of Thursday, found
on the person of a deserter who came in
to our lines, in which appears an article
stating that 100 officers had escaped from
Libby Prison By digging tunnel under
the street for that purpose. 1t is sup
posed the prisoners had been engaged
upon the work for at least a month.
They were missed at roll call, and forth
with troops were despatched in various
directions to capture them. -Four were
re taken on the williamsburg and Han
over Court house road. The others, it
is suspected, were secreted in the neigh
berhoOd of Richmond.
The guards were arrested, on the be-
lief that they were in collision with the
prisoners, but were afterwards released,
the subteTranean mode Of release having
become known.
The paper says that Neal Dow was not
among the runawsys, but was probably
waiting TO accompany the next batch.
The deserter above referred to says a
large number of his regiment-the 14th
Louisiana-are barefoot and that the
daily ration consists of quarter of
pound of meat and one pint of meal.
has
movements in our army for week past
Gov. Andrew Johnson, of Tennessee,
has arrived in Washington.
The enrolment bill az returned to The
Senate with the House amendments,
will be acted upon by the Military Com
mittee of the Senate morrow. The
points of difference between the two
branches are comparatively trifliBg, and
will soon be adjusted. The bill will
speedily be made law.
Capt. j. F. Porter, of the 18th New
York cavalry, arrived here from Rich
mond to-day, overland from Richmond,
having escaped two weeks ago from
Libby Prison. He left the prison in q
rebel uniform, having secured an aban-
doned one, and remained nine days in
Richmond without exciting surprise.
Among the officers recently escaped
from Libby Prison are Col. Straight, Col.
Tiaior, Major John Murray, and Colonel
Rogers, but il is not known whether they
have succeeded in getting clear of rebel
dom.
The rstions issued to the officers in
the prison consisted of a quart of rice to
16 men every 8 days, 3 small piece of
corn bread every day to each man, about
4 ounces of very poor fresh meat once a
week, and salt and vinegar very rarely.
Acting Assistant Surgeon Kallod, who
feigned to be i'll with the small pox, has
deserted from the United States steamer
Brandywine.
ARMY OF THE PoToMAC, Feb. 13.
MOseby has been dsshing upon and
with our pickets near Manas-
sAs this afternoon and evening, but a
cavalry force has gone out in pursuit of
him 1t is significant that the 48th Mis-
sissippi, from which deserters come,
relieved an Alabama regiment that
could no longer be trusted on picket, 8
squad of rebel soldiers were asked yes
terdAy while escorted by guard if they
were captured, the reply was, no we de-
serted, and there are plenty more on the
other side of the Rapid Ann, who would
do the same thing if they could.
CAIRO, Feb. 14-Memphis papers of
the 18th contain the following Steamer
Platte Valley returned from Sartatia,
YazOo river, when she, with other gun
boats and transports, united Porter and
Sherman's expedition. They were at
tackled on the 9TH by s force of some
1900 Texan troops, who, with artillery
and musketry, fred into our transports,
wounding six soldiers.
A fight ensued, in which our infantry
and gunboats participated. The result
was the dislodgment and driving of the
enemy, with what loss is not known.
The enemy was also driven from Ne
gainesville.
Col Andrews, of the Sd Minnesota,
commanding ct Little Rock, has been
made s Brigadier General. His regi-
ment has re enlisted.
SAN FRANCIsco, (nO date.)-HOng Kong
papers of December do not mention the
sale of the vessels to JEFF. Davis which
were fitted out in England for China.
They say that the Chinese Government
repudiates the bargain which its agent
made for the vessels with Mr.. Osborne,
agent of the British Government.
Mr.. Osborne brought fleet sufficient
to guard the entire Chinese coast, COM
posed Of expensive vessels far too large
for river service. Moreover, the owners
agent, Mr.. Lay, entered into an engage
ment with the officers and crew, involv
ing = great outlay without authority.
After the first refusal Mr.. Osborne went
to Pekin to make every effort for the &C
ceptsnce, but in vain. The Chinese
Government preferred forfeit.
Mr. Osborne consequently returned to
Shanghai, and registered his vessels rs
British. he despatched part of them
for England and part to Bombay.
NEW YORK, Feb. 14-By the British
brig Excelsior, we have Bermuda papers
to February I'd. They contain no news
of importance.
The steamers Index, Emily, Minnie,
and Caledonia have arrived from Eng
land. They are supposed TO be intended
for blockade runners.
No arrivals from rebel ports reported.
The papers sre almost barren of news.
The report that Gen. Magruder is in
Paris is probably founded on the fact
that his nephew, Major Geo. Magruder,
is there.
A Detroit letter to the Herald says 3
number of rebel deserters are scattered
through the North IS incendiaries, and
some are even TO ship IS crews Of yes
sells. and act as privAteers ct sea.
Fska story is given for what tits worth.