December 22.—The rebel commissary and ordnance stores at Nashville, Tenn., were destroyed by fire to-night. The loss was estimated at nearly a million dollars.
—Part of the prisoners captured by General Pope at Black Water, passed through Otterville, Mo. Among them were Colonel Magoffin, brother of Governor Magoffin, of Kentucky; Colonel Robinson, who had command of the rebel force at Black Water, and who was in the battles of Dug Springs, Wilson’s Creek and Lexington; Colonel Alexander, who said he fought in all the battles; Lieutenant-Colonel Robinson, Major Harris, Dr. Smith, one of the wealthiest men and largest slaveholders in Missouri, who had done every thing in his power to aid and comfort the rebels; McKean, sheriff of Benton County, who, it is said, by misrepresentations, gained admittance into one of the Federal camps, made a diagram of it and left that night—(when the rebels made an attack and killed sixteen or seventeen of our men;) Dr. Moore, of Syracuse, and many others, who had gained notoriety by their zeal and labors in the secession army.—N. Y. Commercial, December 24.
—At Richmond, Va., the citizen volunteers, under Captain T. M. Ladd, who offered to escort the one hundred and seventy-five Yankee prisoners who were to be sent South, assembled on the Capitol square, near the Bell House, and after being formed into line and manœuvred for some time, were conducted to the Arsenal, where they were furnished with muskets, balls, and powder for the occasion that called them into being.—Richmond Dispatch, December 23.
—A slight skirmish occurred this morning at Newmarket Bridge, near Newport News, Va. About eight o’clock, four companies were sent out with orders to gather such fuel as they could easily remove. A march of twenty minutes soon discovered the presence of the rebels, who consisted of cavalry, supported by infantry. Seeing no chance of successfully competing with such a force, they retreated in good order toward their works; but, being reinforced by Col. Max Weber’s New York infantry, again advanced, when a sharp engagement took place. The rebel infantry discharged several volleys at the Federals, but at such distance that only five of Col. Weber’s command were wounded. At two o’clock in the afternoon both parties retired.—(Doc. 237.)
—An account of various hostile operations between the rebel and National forces on opposite banks of the Potomac, near Williamsport, Md., was published to-day.—(Doc. 236.)
—At St. Louis, Mo., Gen. Halleck issued an order, in which he says that any one caught in the act of burning bridges and destroying railroads and telegraphs, will be immediately shot, and that any one accused of the crime will be tried by a military commission, and if found guilty, suffer death. Where injuries are done to railroads and telegraph lines, the commanding officer nearest the post will immediately impress into service, for repairing damages, the slaves of all secessionists in the vicinity, and if necessary, the secessionists themselves and their property. Any pretended Union men having information of the intended attempts to destroy such roads and lines, or other guilty parties who do not communicate such intention to the proper authorities and give aid and assistance in punishing, will be regarded as particeps criminis and tried accordingly. Hereafter towns and counties in which such destruction of property takes place will be made to pay the expenses of all repairs, unless it shall be shown that the people of such towns and counties could not have prevented it on account of the superior force of the enemy.
