The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-01-11

The number Of colorcd troops credited
to Massachusetts, during the war, inclu-
ding the Fifty fourth and Fi0y-fith in
fantry and Fifth cavalry and their re-
crnits, is only four thousand seven hum
drcd and thirty-one.
The message recommends the abolish
ment Of the penalty Of death, and an
important change in the law of marriage
and divorce.
lie also recommends the Legislature
to ask the President to convene an extra
session of Congress, in case the present
Congress should fail to adopt an amend
ment abolshing slavery.
In conclusion, the Governor intimatcs
that this is the last time that he shall
assume the duties Of chief magistrate.
The message is exceedingly lengthy,
and makes a printed document If one
hundred and twelve pages.
PROPERTY DESTROYED IN SOUTHWEST
ERN VIRGINIA BY BURBRIDGE'S RAID.
4 correspondent Of the Philadelphia
Inquirer, who accompanied the expedi-
ton of Burbridgc into Southwestern Nir-
ginia, gives the following account of the
damage done to property on the route:
1t is impossible to present figures
which shall express the damage which
our army has inflicted upon the resources
of tho rebellion. n very large portion
of the cotton and WOODEN cloth manu-
featured for Confederate use has come
from the mills Of Central Georgia. "A
considerable part Of the leather for it's
army has b. en- tanned there. The south
crn portion of the State is almost en-
tircly devoted to cotton and rice. The
manufacturing establishments Of the
State are on the lines Of it's central rail.
ways. The belt of destruction which
our army has drawn across the country
covers ncarly the whole Of these central
lines, while it may be safely assumed
that of the whole number OF manufac-
turing establishments contributing to the
tax support Of the Government most arc
within reach Of these railroads. cotton,
Touring and wooden mills, tanncrics, i'm
mense quantities of bark, stored in or
awaiting shipment to government tame
ries, with great stores Of leather, machine
shops Of all kinds, wagon factories, and
tin shops, together with all cotton, cot
ton seed, gins and presses, have been
carefully sought out and burned. Thou
sands of bales of cotton, which had been
secrctcd in thickets and swanps, were
destroyed. Very little Of hidden pro
perty escaped, as none could be secrvted
without the negroes help, and they
sought occasion to find Yankees to de-
stroy it F.; and many cases came to the
knowledge of the army where the nc
groes had burned these stores themselves.
Nor has this conduct on the part of
the slaves been confined to cotton, but
every species of property has suffered
from their hands.
And while every kind of manufactured
wealth and the means Of. producing it
have disappeared from the counties ira
vcrsed, all live stock has been taken
out OF the country. Our army proba.
bly, changed half OF its horses apd mules,
and the abandoned animals were in all
cases shot.
a thousand miles of fencing would not
replace that used by our troops for
wood and in the heating of the rails on
the roads destroyed. The condition of
the farms i'll the vicinity Of the armys
route can be judged from these general
statements.