The Portland daily press., 1864-12-02
FROM WASHINGTON.

Hon. Joseph Holt Declares the appointment
of Attorney GenerGI-AssnuGL Reports of
the Departnsents-Statem of South
ernee i'm relation to the attempt to burn
Nesc York-TriaI of a Guerrilla and Cap
tsre of others-IiIssess of Gen. Fcssenden-
Roger II. Pryor,s statements.
WASHINGTON, Dec. /.
Yesterday when the resignation Of Attorney
General Bates took effect the position was
rendered to the Hon. Joseph Holt of Ken
lucky, but that gentleman while thanking the
President for this expression of his kindness
and confidence, declined the appointment.
The report of the Postmaster General is the
only one yet completely in type. 1t is expect
ed the report of the other heads of depart
meats will be printed by Sunday.
From present appearances no advance copies
of the Presidents message will be sent to the
newspaper press, and therefore that document
will be communicated to the country as last
year by telegraph, probably on Monday.
The Secretary OF State directs that the fol
lowing dispatch be known by telegraph:
Office of the Associated Press, Baltimore,
Del Dec. Ia letter just received from An
Dapolis at the Office OF the Baltimore Ameri-
can from paroled prisoner from Georgia,
contains statement which appears to be i'm
to burn the city of New York. / send you
the substance of the letter. 1t is signed by
John FL. Ripple, 10Th Illinois Veteran Regi-
ment He says when he passed through Sa-
vannah on the 10Th he was informed by pro-
fessed Union citizen that he would hear OF the
greatest city burning on record if the rebels
succeeded in the North, and it was to come in
a very few days.
The party went on to state that one Capt.
Montgomery, formerly of Baltimore, who be-
fore the war was in the livery business, was
the agent charged with the duty of firing the
northern cities. Montgomery, he said, H.
tended TO burn New York, Washington, Balti-
more and Philadelphia. He further said that
the rebels in Savannah were In high expecta
ton OF soon hearing of Montgomery's success,
and that he was to receive large sum of mon
ey if successful. The writer says he thought
little of the statement until after his arrival he
saw the accounts In the papers, whereupon he
deemed it his duty to make this statement for
publication, deeming it proper that this infor-
nation should be communicated to the Gov
eminent. ! take the liberty of sending you
this dispatch respectfully.
tSigned) ALEX. Fulton.
A military commission recently tried citi
zen who was enrolled at Washington nearly
two years ago, thereby be coming liable to
enlisted In Mosby's band of guerrillas and was
subsequently captured. He was found guilty
and sentenced to be shot to death, but his SEN
tence has been commuted TO confinement at
hard labor for ten years in the Clinton Prison,
New York.
Two of Mosby's spies were arrested last
night at Georgetown.
Gen. Eagan is still in this city. Since the
fever Of his wound left him, he has been in
condition of great nervous prostration.
Gen. Fessenden is quite i'll in consequence
of hemorage of the wound caused by the am
putation of his leg
TIE statement which appeared in Wednes-
day mornings papers, concerning the admis-
sions of Roger A. Pryor, in relation to Gen.
Sherman's movements, shortly after he was
taken prisoner, was based on the narration of
several gentlemen who conversed with him.
The denial of Pryor raises question of We
racity between the parties to the conversation,
without reasonable prospect of an early ad-
justment.