August 27.—Colonel Hoffman, of the Twenty-third New York (Elmira) regiment, with Captain Dinglee’s company and one other, started this afternoon to the vicinity of Ball’s Cross Roads, for the protection of the Federal pickets in that locality. Near Ball’s Cross Roads they encountered about six hundred secessionists, when a volley was exchanged. The two Federal companies retired, in presence of the superior force, in excellent order. About thirty rounds were exchanged, and _____ Carrol, of Elmira, was killed by a shot from the rebels. He was a young man, and was very popular with his regiment. Another of the national troops was wounded in the neck, and had a finger shot off. Whether the Confederates suffered any loss is not known. The nationals and the pickets fell back to the camp, about half a mile beyond Arlington.—National Intelligencer, August 29.
—As important arrest was made in New York at the instance of Superintendent Kennedy—the person arrested being Samuel J. Anderson. He has carried on a very extensive correspondence with Vice-President Stephens of the Southern Confederacy, and has been in constant communication with the secession sympathizers in New York. For the last six weeks, according to his own confession, he has been contributing editorial articles for The Daily News, Day Book, and Journal of Commerce. An intercepted letter from Washington advised him to go south via Kentucky, as a passport could not be obtained from the Government. Anderson’s correspondence gives a great deal of important political information, besides implicating parties well known in New York.—-N. Y. Tribune, August 28.
—The First regiment U. S. Chasseurs, under the command of Colonel John Cochrane, left New York for the seat of war. This regiment numbers eight hundred and fifty men, and will be armed with the Enfield rifle.
—Joseph Holt made a Union speech at Boston, Mass., to-day, in the course of which he said he nowhere heard the word compromise, which was now only uttered by traitors. So long as rebels had arms in their hands there was nothing to compromise. He concluded by saying that it was in vain to toil at the pumps while men were kept on board boring holes in the bottom of the ship.—Boston Post, Aug. 28.
—A Correspondence between the President of the United States and Beriah Magoffin, governor of Kentucky, respecting the neutrality of that State during the present crisis, was made public,—(Doc. 13.)