April 29.—At Harrisonburgh, Va., to-day, a National salute was fired from an eminence near the town by the troops under General Banks, in honor of recent Union victories. The regimental bands assembled in the Court-House square and played “Hail Columbia.” The soldiers gave nine cheers, when the band followed with the “Red, White, and Blue,” “Dixie,” and the “Star-Spangled Banner.” After a recess the bands consolidated and marched through the streets, much to the disgust of certain prominent inhabitants. The day was pleasant, and the bright new uniforms presented a striking contrast to the sombre hues of those of the former occupants of the town.—Boston Transcript, May 1.
—Monterey, Tenn., was visited by the National forces under Gen. Pope. The rebels fled on the appearance of the Union forces before the town, leaving a quantity of baggage and supplies. Fifteen prisoners were taken by the Nationals, who returned to their camp near Pittsburgh, Tenn., having destroyed the rebel camp.—Sec’y T. A. Scott’s Despatch.
—Timothy Webster was executed as a spy at Richmond, Va. Webster is said to be the first spy executed by the rebel government—Richmond Despatch, April 30.
—President Lincoln sent a Message to the Senate to-day in answer to a resolution of inquiry as to who authorized the arrest of Gen. Charles P. Stone, the ground upon which he was arrested, and the reasons why he had not been tried by court-martial. The President said the arrest was made by his order, upon good and sufficient evidence; and that the only reason why he had not had a trial was because the public interests would not permit it. The officers required to hold the court, and who would be called as witnesses, perhaps on both sides, were in the field, in the midst of active operations. The President stated, in conclusion, that it was his purpose to give the General a fair trial as soon as it could be done in justice to the service.
—Col. Davidson, of the Third Mississippi regiment, who was captured at Fort Donclson, died at Fort Warren this day.—Boston Post, May 3.
—An expedition with the gunboat Hale was made this day, to capture a battery on Grim ball’s plantation, near the junction of Dawho-pow-pow and South-Edisto River, S. C. The rebels opened on the Hale when within one thousand eight hundred yards, and continued their fire as she wound her way to engage them at close quarters; but when the Hale reached the last bend, and was making a straight course for the battery, the rebels fled in haste. Lieut. Gillis landed with a party of men to destroy it. The work was about three hundred and fifty yards from the river-bank, and mounted two long fine twenty-four-pounders on excellent field-carriages. So rapid was the flight of the rebels that one of the guns was left loaded and primed. The Hale returned to her anchorage without having a man injured.—Report of Com. Du Pont.
—A battle took place this day at Bridgeport, Ala., between the National forces under Gen. O. M. Mitchel and the confederates under Gen. E. Kirby Smith, in which the latter was defeated with a loss of seventy-two killed and wounded and three hundred and fifty taken prisoners.— (Doc. 154.)
—The Montgomery (Ala) Advertiser of this date contains the following on the cotton question: We have understood that an agent of the French government is in this city, authorized to purchase an indefinite amount of cotton.
The designs are evidently these. The agent is to purchase a large supply of cotton, and then in case of a threatened Yankee occupation of the city, he would hoist the French flag over it to prevent it from being destroyed by our authorities and the citizens. With Montgomery and the Alabama River in the hands of the Yankees, and the cotton in the hands of the French agent, it could be at once shipped to Europe, and the necessities of the manufacturers there relieved; the Yankees would not, of course, object to such a cute scheme, seeing at once, that with a supply of cotton sufficient to meet their requirements, England and France would lose all their interest in the American question, and Lincoln would no longer be troubled with fears of a foreign intervention.
It is doubtless a very nice arrangement on the part of those who wish to relieve themselves from a very disagreeable dilemma, but we can assure the French agent and all others that the scheme won’t work. The question concerning the protection of foreign flags has already been decided. The President having authorized Gen. Lovell, at New-Orleans, to destroy all cotton and tobacco belonging to citizens or foreign residents, indiscriminately, where it was in danger of falling into the hands of the enemy. The same course will be pursued here, and the French flag or any other, will not save the cotton from destruction in case the enemy threatens to land at this point.
