November 22.—A party of National troops, consisting of details from four companies of the First New-York cavalry, under the command of Captain Harkins, had a skirmish with the body of rebels near Winchester, Va., and succeeded in capturing four men and thirty horses.—Baltimore American.
—Major-General Sumner, commanding the right grand division of the army of the Potomac M Fredericksburgh, Va., in reply to a communication from the Mayor and Common Council of that town, praying that the town should not be fired upon, informed them that he was authorized to say that so long as no hostile demonstration was made from the town it would not be shelled. —(Doc. 54.)
—Commander Foxhall A. Parker, of the steamer Mahaska, in conjunction with a body of land forces under Brigadier-General Naglee, made an expedition into Mathew County, Va., and together destroyed twelve salt-works, with a large quantity of salt, burned five schooners, two sloops, and a number of scows and boats, and captured a lighter and twenty-four large canoes. They also destroyed a vessel on the stocks.—Report of Admiral Lee.
—A party of rebels made an attack upon the National forces near Halltown, Va., but were driven back by General Geary, who opened on them a masked battery of six guns.—The Secretary of War issued an order discharging from military custody all persons who had been arrested for discouraging volunteer enlistments, opposing the draft, or for otherwise giving aid and comfort to the rebels; also discharging all persons who had been arrested in the rebel States, and sent from such States for disloyalty or hostility to the Government of the United States, upon giving their parole to do no act of hostility against the Government, nor render aid to its enemies.
