July 15.—Foreigners of every age and sex crowded the office of the provost-marshal, in Richmond, “anxious to get passports to go North, by way of the blockade. The Jew, whose ample pockets were stuffed with confederate money; the Germans, with hands on pockets tightly pressed; Italians, with the silvery jargon; and the Irish woman, with ‘nine children and one at the breast,’ all beset the office and wanted passports to leave the country.” This was on account of the late conscription proclamation of Jefferson Davis. “It is not fair,” said the Richmond Enquirer, “that those who have drained the very life-blood of our people, should be let off thus quietly, and not made to shed the first, at least, if not the last, drop of blood for the Government which protected them in the collection of their hoarded pelf.”—Vallandigham arrived at Niagara Falls, Canada West, and issued an address to the people of Ohio.— (Doc. 129.)
—General John G. Parke, with a body of National troops, was attacked by a legion of South Carolina troops, near Jackson, Miss. After an engagement of half an hour the rebels retreated with a loss of three hundred, leaving the Nationals in possession of the field.
—The draft riot continued at New-York City. Mayor Opdyke issued a proclamation announcing that the riot, which for two days had disgraced the city, had been in a good measure subjected to the control of the public authorities.—Drafting commenced in New-Haven, Ct, Springfield, Mass., and Philadelphia, and passed off quietly.—The National cavalry overtook and engaged the rebels on their retreat, near Charlestown, Va., and captured near one hundred prisoners.—A riot broke out at Portsmouth, N. H., but was suppressed without casualty.
A party of rebel cavalry entered Hickman, Kentucky, and pillaged all the stores in the town.—Joel Parker, Governor of New-Jersey, owing to the excitement consequent upon the draft, issued a proclamation calling upon the citizens of the State “to avoid angry discussions, to discourage large assemblies of the people, and use every effort to preserve the peace.”—Great excitement was caused among the rebels in Central Mississippi, by the movements of General Sherman, with the National forces. Large numbers of negroes, cattle, horses and mules were run across the Tombigbee River, at every ferry.
—Jefferson Davis issued a proclamation calling out, under the rebel conscription act, all white men between the ages of eighteen and forty-five, to serve for three years, under penalty of being punished for desertion in case of disobeying the cal. They were offered the privilege of joining volunteer organizations before the enrolment The Columbia (Ga.) Times estimated ninety-five thousand, three hundred and twenty-four, as the number that would be obtained under this proclamation.—(Doc. 39.)
