—Sergeant Butterworth, of the N. Y. Fire Zouaves, was shot by a sentry at Alexandria,.Va., through his failure to give the word when challenged.—N. Y. News, May 27.
—An attempt to poison the Union forces in Missouri, by means of arsenic in the bread, was betrayed by a negress.
The Missouri troops, organized under the requisition of Governor Jackson, refused to disband, according to the terms of agreement between General Harney and General Price.—St. Louis Democrat, May 24.
—The Steuben Volunteers, 7th Regiment N. Y. S. V., departed from New York for the seat of war.—(Doc. 193.)
—All vessels belonging to the United States, which arrived at New Orleans, La., after the 6th inst., were formally seized by the Confederate States Marshal, in conformity with the act of the Confederate Congress in relation to privateering, which gave thirty days for all vessels in Southern ports to leave, but made no provision for vessels arriving after its passage.—N. O. Picayune, May 25.
—The Senate of Kentucky passed resolutions that that State will not sever her connection with the National Government, nor take up arms for either belligerent party, but arm herself for the protection of peace within her borders, and tender her services as a mediator to effect a just and honorable peace.—Ohio Statesman, May 25.
John Lothrup Motley published an article on the “Causes of the Civil War in America,” in the London Times of this day.—(Doc. 146½.)
—Jefferson Davis issued at Montgomery, Ala., a proclamation appointing Thursday the 18th day of June, 1861, to be observed as a day of fasting and prayer by the people of the seceded States.—(Doc 194.)
—A General movement into Virginia was executed under the command of Gen. Mansfield. The N. Y. Seventh Regiment left their camp in Washington at 1:20 A. M., each man having sixty rounds of ball cartridge. They touched the “sacred soil of Virginia” at 4 A. M., landing at the Alexandria Bridge, near which they encamped. The New York Sixty-ninth and Twenty-eighth Regiments, with Lieut. Drummond’s cavalry and a battery, passed the Chain Bridge, below Georgetown, at about 1 A. M. They first took possession of the Loudon and Hampshire Railroad, seized the train, arrested the passengers, took the cars and engine, and captured one secession soldier, who was on board the train. The 69th then took position on the Orange and Manassas Gap Railroad, which runs out of Alexandria.,
They took up some of the rails, and awaited in ambush the arrival of the train, which they supposed would leave Alexandria with the fugitives. When it came it was surrounded, and the train captured. About seven hundred persons were on board, including 800 men. The entire party were held as prisoners of war, and were kept as hostages for the fair treatment of any loyal citizens that may fall into the hands of the rebels. Two companies of the N. Y. Second, the N. Y. Fifth, Twelfth, Twenty-fifth, three companies of the New York Seventy-first and the N. Y. Fire Zouaves; the Rhode Island First, and the Rhode Island batteries; the Michigan Third; the New Jersey Fourth; three companies of an Ohio Regiment; one company Massachusetts Fifth; three companies of cavalry regular army; and twenty-five hundred District of Columbia troops, also participated in the movement on Virginia—making in all 18,000 men.—N. Y. Times, May 25.
A little before 5 o’clock A. M., the commander of U. S. steamer Pawnee, lying in the Potomac, off Alexandria, Va., sent a flag of truce to the rebel forces, giving them one hour in which to withdraw from the town. At five, the steamers Baltimore and Mount Vernon, with the N. Y. Fire Zouaves, made fast to the wharf. As the steamers approached, the rebel sentinels fired their guns in the air and retreated. The Zouaves landed in good order in double quick time, each company forming on the street facing the river. Company E, Capt. Leveridge, was the first to disembark. It was at once detailed to destroy the railroad track leading to Richmond, which service was promptly performed. After detailing company E, Col. Ellsworth directed the adjutant to form the regiment, and then with his aid, Lieut. Witmer, and a file of men, started for the telegraph office for the purpose of cutting the wires. They marched in double quick time up the street, and had proceeded three blocks, when the attention of Colonel Ellsworth was attracted by a large secession flag flying from the Marshall House kept by J. W. Jackson. Col. Ellsworth entered the hotel, and meeting a man in the hall asked, “Who put that flag up?” The man answered, “I don’t know; I am a boarder here.” Col. Ellsworth, Lieut. Winser, the chaplain of the regiment, Mr. House, a volunteer aid, and the four privates, then went up to the roof; and Col. Ellsworth cut down the flag. The party returned down the stairs, preceded by private Francis E. Brownell of Company A. As they left the attic, the man who had said he was a boarder, but who proved to be the landlord, Jackson, was met in the hall having a double-barrel gun, which he levelled at Brownell. Brownell struck up the gun with his musket, when Jackson pulled both triggers, and the contents lodged in the body of Col. Ellsworth, entering between the third and fifth ribs. Col. Ellsworth was at the time rolling up the flag. He fell forward on the floor of the hall and expired instantly, only exclaiming “My God.”
Private Brownell immediately levelled his musket at Jackson, and fired. The ball struck Jackson on the bridge of the nose, and crashed through his skull, killing him instantly. As he fell Brownell followed his shot by a thrust of his bayonet, which went through Jackson’s body. The companions of Col. Ellsworth, seven in number, immediately posted themselves so as to command the halls of the hotel, and threatened to shoot the first man who showed his head outside of a door. In this way they stood for ten minutes. Their protracted absence alarmed Adjutant Looser, who ordered Company A, Capt. Coyle, to search for the Colonel. The Company found their commander dead, and their comrades in possession of the hotel. They made a litter of muskets, and placing the body of the Colonel on it, returned to the boat, whence it was soon after taken to Washington.
Simultaneously with the landing of the Zouaves the first Michigan Regiment entered Alexandria by the road leading from Long Bridge, and proceeded direct to the railroad depot, of which they took possession, capturing a troop of rebel cavalry numbering one hundred, with their horses and equipments. All the heights which command Washington were occupied in this movement, and the construction of earthworks for batteries was immediately begun. Batteries were placed at each end of the two bridges which cross the Potomac. A portion of the New York troops were ordered towards the Manassas Gap Junction, and the New Jersey regiment was posted at the forks a mile from the Long Bridge. Numerous wagons, with camp equipage, went over about noon to the Federal troops in Virginia, and a great many men commenced work at the intrenchments.
Col. Ellsworth’s body was taken to Washington and placed in the engine-house at the Navy Yard. The house was heavily draped with American flags, crape, and bouquets of flowers. It was guarded by the Zouaves, a company of the Seventy-first N. Y. regiment, and some regulars. Thousands of people assembled there to see the remains during the day, the President’s family among the number. At seven o’clock Alexandria was comparatively quiet. But the Zouaves were anchored at night on a steamer in the river, to prevent them from avenging the death of Ellsworth. They were disposed to burn the town.—(Doc. 195.)
