Litchfield enquirer., 1864-01-21
Aeiss nf fhe SYees.


 formed Washington correspondent of the New York Times says that Gen. Grant declares that the war should be ended by the 4th of July next. Gen, Grants predictions in this res. pect have merit that those of many eminent civilians lack-he is able to do much himself towards making them true.
 ESCAPED FROM RrcHMoND.-Capt. Scott, of the s5th Illinois regiment, escaped from Libby Prison, Jan. 7th, travelling by night, and re- lnaining concealed by day. reached Gloucester Point on Thursday last. He was four days without food. He reports that Dr. Lane of Georgia, now attending upon the prisoners at Richmond, told him that President Lincoln s amnesty proclamation had caused great excite. ment among the confederate government oli. cials, and that hs had no doubt that one-ba of their men would be fools enough to avail themselves of the advantages held out in that proclamation, by taking the oath of allegiance to the United States.
 The Memphis papers contradict the stories of rebel successes ia Arkansas, such e the capture of Pine Bluf, &e. They are all fc- tions.
 The eonscription act as it passed the U. s. Senate provides that drafted man who pays s4o0 i exempted till sveryj other man in his district IS drafted, when he is again liable Both classes are consolidated, and exemptions Of the only son of widow, father of mother less children, &c., are stricken oat.
 A fight between part of Col. Nc Cook cav airy and the 9th and llth Texas Regiments, at Messy Creek, Teun., occurred on the 12th Fourteen of the Rebels were killed an Al prisoners taken.
 THE BLocKADz.-A HeroM letter from the squadron of Wiimin gton, the 9th, reports the chase and destruction, on the 6th, of the rebel blockade sumner steamer Dare, by the Mont gomery and Aries. Her crew run her ashore thirteen miles porth of Georgetown Light, 8. c. The crew escaped. A boats crew from the Montgomery and Aries boarded and burnt her. The boat from the Aries was swamped in leaving her, and Acting Master PeEdlston of the Montgomery, ia charge of g launch, picked up five of them while returning to bis ship. He saw others, and turning to save them his boat was thrown on the beach, where all were captured by the rebel cavalry. Nineteen of the officers and crew of the Montgomery | and nj If ha Ar;a Tbo United States steamer George Mangham, a, daybreak next morning went close in shore and shslled the rebel cavalry. The Dare was about zoo tons burthen, side wheel steamer, and bound from Nassau to Wilmington. A letter from the feet off Wilmington, to the Palladium, dated Jan llth, says:
 We now have three bleckaders on the beach. and yesterday one showed himself out side at ssa. Our vigilant lookouts saw the black smoke of English coal, end in five min utes every vessel was after her. The steamer Newborn, naval transport, got Resr enough to strike her three times. There was one hun- drsd and twenty shot fired at her, but at dark she sludsd US a!I. Ske vas very fast vessel, of sbant three hundred tcns burthsn. . The U. S. steamer 1ro1 Age is ashore, and lost two boats crews taksa prisoners, but we will sooa get her of. Admiral Lee is he=s in person, to see the effects of the blockade. Pso pls at tbe North cannot cell this paper blockade as it causes English merchants to weep for their cargoes."
 'Fhe Richmond papers of the 18th report that Unioa stesmsr was blown up, and twea- ty four prisoners captured in Wilmington bar bor, and there is some reason to fearsthat it was the gun boat Iron Age.
 Editorials are published from the Raleigh (N. C.) Progress, Dec. 22d, 23a, which con tain remarkable statements of sostbsrn desti tutien and determination to have peace.- Peace," it says "can prevent starvation "The masses have been deceived end mislea long enough. Peace they want, and peace they will have, if not upon such terms of tn, leaders who have betrayed them desire, upor such terms as they themselves shall;psescribe. And it plumply tells the confederate govern ment that there IS not another man te spare from industrial pursuits"
 I Steamer America, from New York Oct. .30th arrived at Panama, Jan. lss She brough news from Valparaiso that the cathedral a Santiago, Chili, caught fire on the 14th ult. when dsnsely crowded with human beings The doors were soon closed by the press o people. The interior of the building was decorated with light inhammable ornaments which caused the flames to spread rapidly The roof of wood soon fell, burying the mas. of beings under it. Some 1850 dead bodies mostly women and children, had been recov- cred from the ruins.
 The South American steamer reached Psns ma the 9th inst, with $9.8,000 treasure for England, and brought confirmation of the above, stating ths number killed at over 2,Ooo The church contained %, 1000 lights, from some of which fire was communicated to the drapery of the gigantic image of the virgin and the pasteboard devices. In an instant sheet of flame rushed along the festoon of lights to the roof, and directly spread to all parts of the building. The people rushed to the principal