FEBRUARY 20TH—We have exciting news from the West. The iron-shod gunboat, Queen of the West, which run past Pemberton’s batteries some time since, captured, it appears, one of our steamers in Red River, and then compelled our pilot to steer the Queen of the West farther up the river. The heroic pilot ran the boat under our masked batteries, and then succeeded in escaping by swimming. The Queen of the West was forced to surrender. This adventure has an exhilarating effect upon our spirits.
Hon. James Lyons sent to the President to-day a petition, signed by a majority of the members of Congress, to have me appointed major in the conscription service.
February 20.—Andrew Johnson, Military Governor of Tennessee, issued a proclamation warning all persons holding, renting, occupying, or using any real or personal property in that State belonging to rebels, not to pay the rents, issues, or profits thereof to the rebel owners or their agents, but to hold the same until some person should be appointed in behalf of the United States to receive them.—(Doc. 122.)
—Major Justus McKinstry, Quartermaster of the United States army, was finally dismissed the service by order of President Lincoln.—The United States Bank bill passed the House of Representatives, it having been adopted by the Senate previously.—Colonel Charles Carroll Hicks of the rebel army, was arrested at New-York.— Decimal and fractional currency being scarce in the loyal States, tradesmen and others gave out personal notes of the value of one, two, and three cents and upwards.— A battalion of the Fifth Illinois cavalry sent out to reconnoitre the banks of the Yazoo Pass, had a brisk skirmish with a company of sixty mounted rebels, dispersing them and killing six, wounding several, and capturing twenty-six. The National casualties were five wounded.—Chicago Tribune.
