November 21.—The Legislature of Mississippi upon hearing that more troops were needed at Columbus, Ky., in view of an apprehended attack from the enemy, immediately passed a bill authorizing the Governor to “call out an optional number of volunteers for such time as their services may be needed, as an auxiliary force to our army up the river.” A half million dollars were also voted to maintain these troops at the expense of the State while in the field.— Richmond Dispatch, November 28.
—Col. Cavanaugh’s Sixth Illinois Cavalry regiment left Camp Butler, at Springfield, Ohio, for Shawneetown, to act as a garrison at that place, which is on the Illinois side of the Ohio River. This makes the sixth regiment of cavalry that Illinois has sent into active service, besides two independent squadrons. Illinois has now sent forty-seven thousand men into the field, (two thousand six hundred more than her quota,) and some half-a-dozen other regiments are ready for marching orders.—N. T. Times, November 27.
—Colonel Philip St. George Cooke was appointed Brigadier-General in the regular army of the United States.—Captain John M. Schofield, of the First Artillery, and Major Thomas J. McKean, of Iowa, were appointed Brigadier-Generals of volunteers.—The Eighty-fifth regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, under the command of Colonel Joshua B. Howell, left Harrisburg for the seat of war.
—Since the negotiation of the new loan on the 15th Nov., Secretary Chase has placed to the credit of disbursing officers in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, over five and a half millions of dollars, to be paid to contractors and other Government creditors.
—Fourteen Hundred cavalry, four regiments of infantry, and two batteries of artillery, were reviewed by Gen. Love and Gov. Morton and staff this afternoon, on the large common west of Camp Vajen, at Indianapolis, Ind. The column was nearly a mile in length, and altogether it was one of the grandest sights ever witnessed in the West. Several thousand people were in attendance. The coffee mill guns were objects of great curiosity, and performed to the satisfaction of the admiring crowd.—Cincinnati Commercial, November 22.
—The Fifteenth regiment N. Y. S. V., this afternoon made the first attempt at pontoon bridge building, near their camp, on the Eastern Branch of the Potomac. The pontoons of India rubber were inflated, and a bridge one hundred and eighty-eight feet long laid in thirty-three minutes. Fifty men crossed at ordinary and double-quick time, and on the run, and horses walked over. The regiment is supplied with a pontoon train and tools for constructing bridges and fortifications.
