The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1865-07-13

A Broker at Augusta, Georgia, has pub
lished table illustrating the progressive
decline of Confederate currency. At the
first issue of Confederate notes in 1861 gold
was five per cent. premium. On the first
of May last, when the final sale was made,
It took 81 200 of the scrip to buy one dollar
in gold.
The Army and Navy Gazette of yester-
day, contains General Grants official re-
port of the battle of Belmont. fought
when he was a Brigadier General, Novem-
Der 18th. 1861. 1t was fought under the
commanding orders of General Fremont.
This was General Grants first battle. and
he sums up the result by remarking, that
independent Of injuries inflicted upon the
enemy, and toe prevention of his sending
reinfUrcements to Price the confidence in
spired in our troops Nv their management.
was Of incalculable benefit in subsequent
operations. The loss in the battle was SC
killed and 800 wounded.
The bodies of the four executed conspi-
retors yet remain in the graves where they
were first buried. The urgent request OF
{
ded to by the authorities. The conspira-
tors sentenced to the Penitentiarv have
gone TO Albany. Documents have been
discovered positively duplicating jeff
Davis in the assassination conspiracy
This may induce the government to try
him by a military commission, for that
crime. If he is tried for treason it will be
before a civil tribunal.
HEAVY SwINDLE.-A day or two since
vouchersswas presented to Captain Wing.
disbursing officer for this Department, for
payment, which on investigation proved
to be voucher that had been given for a
lot of hay, amounting to 1852 80. and had
been properly audited and registered, but
afterwards had been altered to such an
amount of hay as to amount to ST., $780,
! This voucher was taken to Louisville anG
sold to a banker, who sent it to the Firs
National Bank of this city for collection
and when presented was readily detected
| by the vigilant cashier, Mr.. Morris. This
is the largest swindle in this Department
up to the present time.-Nashuikie Union
How THEY CAN AFFORD IT.-A man
invested 5000 in one of the benevolent in
situations which distribute gold watche.
and sucn thingc at 81 each. He got watches
and iewelry which purported to be worth
$500. but on sending his prizet to the United
States assay office, to be melted, he found
that there was just 50 62 worth of gold and
silver in the lot.
In the light of this mans experience, il
is not at all surprising that these concerns
can afford to sell their wares SO very
cheap.
Advices from South Carolina state that
he amount of cotton remaining in that
State is much.Iarger than has been hereto
fore reportefg3Ssut there is great difficulty
in getting it to market, owing to the Grip
pied condition of the railroads. Figures
| received at the Treasury Department show
the quantity ofcotton east of the MISSISSIPPI
pi to be about million bales and it is es-
timated that the quantity west of that riv-
er somewhat exceeds that amount.
CANADIAN FoRTIFICATIoNs.-W learn
rom the Toronto Glbbe that extensive for
tifcatiOns are in contemplation at Quebec.
fouf lofts are 10 De erected at Point Levi.
with bitches several miles in length. The
English authorities and their Canada sub
iects have big scare on them at this time
| and we apprehend before it is allaved they
| will add materially to their national debt
by unnecessarily fOrtifying their Ameri-
ran possessions. The United States have
no desire to annex the Canadas to the
Union. Such step might have been ia
ken had the South succeeded. but as mat
ters stand now, we doubt if an idea Of the
kind is lodged in the brain of any respect
able politician. Canada has been a nice
shelter for prominent traitors, and a con-
| ttguous. advantageous place for that sort
| Of gentry to operate from, and it may be
that this has something to do with these
precautionary military defcnses.