Ik Bedford Hmjuiw. —— _ ■ !#■ BEDFORD. PA.. FRIDAY, FEB. U, 1865. - 1 - - - -- THE FALL OF CHARLESTON! The Stars and Stripes float over the Cradle of the Rebellion ! The Chivalry, who were going to stand and fight it out where they struck the first blow, have run away, to save themselves as best they can. The transaction kin keeping with the rottenness of the Rebellion. The war has furnish ed no such exhibition of weakness and broken spirit as this. The hanghtv Carolinians tw their Capital occupied, and they abandoned their sea port, to become fugitives aud supplicants. What became of the rebel force when Charles ton was abandoned. is not known. It is scarcely probable that it can form a junctiou with Lee. or do much else than make an attempt to take care of itself. Nor is it probable that the conquering Sherman will spend much time in looking after it. Gen. Gilmore no donbt will occupy the city and Sherman s force will be as strong as ever to prose cute the campaign. The moral effect of the fall of Charleston will he crushing. It would not been permitted could it by any possibility been prevented. The fact is an overwhelming confession of exhaustion. It is clear that nothing will be defended, except, per haps, Richmond, and as between holding and a bandonin; the Rebel Capital, the rebels are under stood to be not agreed. . The capture of Fort Fishor released a large number of bloekade ships. Nearly the entire fleet, by the fall of Charleston, will to a certain ; extent find its occupation gone. So Jar as (he Navy is concerned, the war ha* been nearly fought 'nit. Not a port of the slightest military import ance is ieft to the rebels. On the Texas coast on ly blockade running, to a certain extent continues. The sympathizing, aid-giving neutrals and the reb els suffer a common defeat. No city of importance but Richmond is left to the Rebellion. The prospect for the successful defense of Charleston was not less hopeful one month ago than is that of holding Richmond to day. The same masterly plan that caused Charles ton. like nn over-ripe apple, to fall by a mere breeze, menaces the Rebel capital. If the last days of rhe Rebellion are not dawning, then all eyes must be deceived, and the prospect for which all men have but one interpretation, is a delusion.— Pittsburg Com. THE COMMONWEALTH vs. TROUT The case of the Commonwealth of Pennsj-lvania vs. James Alem Trout, indicted as accessory be fore the fact, to the murder of Frederick C- Mock, in St. Clair township, on the evening of the elec tion. the 11th of October last, has excited a great deal of interest. The trial occupied three days of the Court. On Friday evening, His Honor. Judge King, left the case to the Jury in a very able, clear and impartial charge. The Jury retired to their room and in about half an hour returned a verdict of Not Guilty. The evidence in the ease (the im portant portions of which we publish in another part of this paper) established the fact that the defendant was not proaont at, and had no instru mentality in the arrest or death of Mock ; that, in the language of the law, he neither procured, counselled, commanded nor abetted, the arrest or killing. It appears that about the time the polls closed a number of persons grossly and repeatedly insulted Gideon D. Trout, the father of the Defendent, whose residence and store are in the immediate neighborhood of the place of election. That this was done by preconcert, and with design to induce a fight. That after long forbearance, Mr. Trout, roused by fresh insults to passion beyond control, rushed upon one of his traducers. and a fight en sued, in which he was knocker! down and terribly leaten. That during this fight Frederick C. Mock struck James Alcin Trout accross the face with a rifle gun. with such force that he was knocked back three or four steps, fell to the earth, and the bones of his nose fractured. Defendant got up and leaned against the corner of the election house, and whilst wiping the blood from his face, was approached by a soldier who inquired who struck him. In the heat of passion and pain, he replied, "Fred. Mock, arrest the d d black hearted scoundrel, and if he resists shoot his heart out of hfin."' The soldier followed Mock a few rods, and returning told the Defendant. 'He has gone, if 1 had caughf him I would d d soon have halted him, but he has gone, let him go.'' During the melee, it appears, two of the soldiers interfered to keep the peace, and that Frederick C. Mock, who was armed with revolver and rifle, drew his riflle upon one of them. Some time af ter Mock had left the ground (this interval is va riously stated by the witnesses at from twenty inin utes to one hour) this soldier reported to the ser geant in command that Mock had drawn his rifle upon him and threatened to shoot him. The ser geant thereupon ordered three of his men to go after and arrest Mock. It was not told to the ser geant that Mock had struck the defendant. The order of arrest was given by the sergeant solely for the reason that Mock had presented his rifle at and offered to shoot the soldior. The defendant was not present when the order of arrest was giv en. In pursuance of this order the soldiers got out their horees and started: taking behind one of them, Kiehard Trout, to show the road. Richard front, called Bul> by the witnesses, is a younger brother of the defendant, aged six tarn years. The Commonwealth alleged that the defendant sent his brother to show the road; one witness testified to this ; but the reverse was testified to by many, and among them several witnesses for the Com monwealth. It was proven by several that the defendant as soon as he heard that his brother had gone, expressed his great regret, and that if he had known of it he would have prevented it The soldiers went to Mock's house a distance of about two miles. He was not there They star ted to return, met hint on the read, arrested him, told him they must take him to Bedford, and pro ceeded as far as Alum Bank, where he attempted to escape, and received his death wound, at the hands of the soldiers, by a musket ball which en tered his breast and passed through his body. The violent death of Frederick C. Mock is ex ceedingly to be regretted. It never would have occurred but for the crowd of ruffians and black t 'yards who lingered around the place of election a, %er the polls had closed, and insulted Gideon I). Ti out, in hearing of his wife and presence of his fan lily, with taugts, abuse and vilification, coupled wiu \ sr6 8 verity. It was prvep that they coucogted the design to provoke a difficulty early iu ihe afternoon, and that they repeated the taunts and sueeip and insults, again and again. It was shown that a large number of men were present at and about the polls, armed with guns and revolvers. It was proven, and not denied, that the defend ant and his father conducted themselves iu a quiet, peaceable and orderly manner during tnc entire day and evening up to the time of the light- Also that the number of soldiers was a sergeant and five privates; that they were not near the polk that day. and that they did not iu any way either obstruct, hinder, molest or interfere with any voter, nor question any man's right to vote.— They were present in that neighborhood tor the purpose of arresting conscripts and deserters. The persistent bigoted and unscrupulous parti san feeling manifested in the instigation and pros ecution of this indictment is greatly to be censur ed The costs of the prosecution, as these people very well knew, fall upon the County. This is the law in all indictments for felonies. Mr. Trout will have to pay his own witnesses and co unsel. We have heard that Messrs. Kinuneil aud Spang, the attorney's who conducted this case in aid of the Prosecuting Attorney, are to be paid out of the fund of the County by the Commissioners. We hope no such great injustice to the tax. payers will be jierpetrated. It is quite enough for the tax payers to have to foot the prosecutor's bill of costs to the extent perhaps of several hundred dollars. One of the counsel for the the Commonwealth, ex-Judge Kimmell, indulged in a latitude of inso lent. overbearing and dictatorial remark in his con flicts with the court and counsel and his address to the Jury, that carried him quite beyond the bounds of the case and just lii uits of propriety.— His gross abuse of Mr. Gideon I>. Trout was most heartless, uncalled for and u ngentlemanly. His sneers at the Government, the revenue stamp law, the army and the war, showed the malignity of a bitter and reckless partisan. We do not justify the soldiers in what they did. We are free to confess that in our opinion they had no right to arrest Mock arid no right to shoot hiin when he attempted to es cape. But it may be said in extenuation that th ey were all young men, enlisted for the hundred day service, and in experienced AS to their powers, and duties as sol diers. They were sent into a neighborhood noto riously disloyal, on the difficult and dangerous du - ty of arresting deserters and conscripts who had fkiled to report. They were met by the unusual spectacle of voters marching to the polls with rifles. Armed men surrounded them boasting what they could and would do, if they were inter fered with in any way. They saw and heard ruff ians and bullies insult and fell to the earth peace able citizens because they differed from them in politics. They were sent to arrest deserters.— They knew that any man who infered with them and attempted with force and by arms to prevent them from arresting a deserter they might if nec essary fire upon. They kn< iw if they had arrested a deserter and he attempted to escape they might if necessary to prevent his t wcape, fire upon him. It is not surprising that the f imagined they had a right to arrest Mock for drawing his gun and threatening to shoot, and tkat when he attempted to escape by flight they had a right to fire upon him. Looking at remote causes, Frederick C. Mock owes his death to the perverted sentiment of a part of the Democracy of Bed ford county, who have been educated by an unscrupulous partisan sheet, and by unscrupulous par tisan leaders, into a belief that the war is unjust arid wrong ; that the draft is unconstitutional and illegal, and ought to be resisted ; that drafted men are justifiable and oommaodable in failing to report: that the Gov ernment intended to send soldiers to interfere with the elections ; that Lincoln was to be re-elected and inaugurated by fraud and force, and that Democrats ought to arm themselves and go the polls determined to have a free ballot or a free fight. It is time for good men 4 and there are many such who still cling by force of habit, and name, and old party associations, and for want of due consideration, to the falsely -so-called Democratic Party of Bedford county) to reflect where they arc and to what they are tending. We trust and believe that this trial will have a good effect.— Democratic Jurors who heard this case and ren dered without hesitation a verdict of Wo t Guilty, have had, their eyes opened to the enormity offhe conduct >fi these unscrupulous leaders who are hurrying what is left of the old Democratic Party to infamy and destruction, and who are morally responsible for the death of Frederick O. Mock. THE 7-308.--THE ADVANTAGES THEY OFFER. 1. Their security is considered absolute : nearly all credits are now based on Government securities and they are held by the banks as the best and sa fest investment they can make. NV> bank can be safer than the Government, and loans made on private securities, are payable in the same curren cy the Government pays with, and no better. The Goverument is punctual in meeting its engage [ nients; it has never failed. The debts contracted by it, are a first mortgage udou the whole proper ty of the country. Government stocks are always firm while other stocks fluctuate from one to fifty per cent., or even greater. 2. The general rate of interest is six per cout., payable annually. The interest on this loan is sev erf and three-tenths, payable semi-annually. If you invest in this loau you have no trouble in searching for titles. If you lend on bond and mortgage you must fee a lawyer to examine into the titles, you must pay stamp duties, you must submit to delay, and consequent loss of interest, and finally you will receive in payment, the same kind of money, you would receive from the Gov ernment, Bnt less of it. If you invest in this loan, you have no trouble. Any bank or banker will obtain it tor you withoutcharge. To each note or bond are affixed five "coupons'" or interest tick ets, due at the expiration of each successive lialf year. The holder of a note has simply to cut off one of these coupons, present it to the nearest bank or Government Agency, and recieve his in terest i the note itself need not 1* presented at all. Or a coupon thus payable will everywhere be equiv .tlent, when due. to money. If you wish to bor row ninety eents on the dollar upon the notes, you have tb e highest security in the market to do it with. If you wish to sqll, it will bring within a fraction <of cost and interest at any moment. It will be very handy to have in the house. 3. IT IS CONVERTIBLE into a six per cent, gold bearing bond. At the expiration of three years a holder of the notes of the 7.30 Loan has the op tion of a "cepting payment in full or of funding his notes in a six per cent, gold-interest bond, the principal payable in not less than five, nor more than twenty years from its date, as the Govern ment may elect. These bonds are held at such a premium as to make this privilege now worth two or three per cent, per annum, and addsso much to the interest. Notes of the same class, issued three years ago, at e now selling at a rate that fully proves the ootTectness of this statement. j 4- But aside from *ll the advantages we have ( enumerated, a epe.iia! Act of Congress errmpt* all bonds oral Treasury notes from local tiuration. — On the average this exemption is worth about two per cent, pes annum, according to the rate of tax ation in various parts of the county. THE HIGHEST MOTIVE.—The war is evidently drawing to a close, but while it lasts the Treasury i must have money to meet its cost, and every mo tive that patriotism can inspire should induce the people to supply its wants without delay. The ' Government cau buy cheaper for cash in hand than on credit Let us see that its w uuts are prompt i Iy and liberally satisfied. SELLING THE BED OF THE ALLE GHENY. It will be seen by the proceedings of the legis lature published yestesday that one of the schemes of plunder organized at Harrisburg is likely to , prove successful. The scheme of giving up the bed of the Allegheny river to oil speculators, has I len put on its passage in the House by a vote of 49 to 33 ; and this vote indicates that the plnn derers have organized their forces, agreed upon the distribution of the spoils, fixed the price of putting the swindle through the forms of legaliz ing it. I When this scheme was first proposed it was laughed at as preposterous and ridiculous: bat ' nothing is either preposterous or ridiculous, at Harrisburg. that has money in it; and despite the laughs and jeers of the community, it will pass, for it is "a big thing." and ''a big thing" has never been allowed to escape the grasp of a Penn . sylvania Legislature, within the last twenty years. The bed of the Allegheny river belongs to th e State. That part of it lying in the oil region is supposed to be rich in oil; and that part of it, the bill in question proposes practically to gwe to the corporators named in it. And a most munificent gift it will prove, if their expectations are -reali zed. It is plain that the originators of this scheme would not press it if they did not think there was a mint of money in it. The simple problem is this : the State owns a long strip ol territory sup posed to be rich in oil; the State is not likely to go into the oil business on its own account; there fore, let the State hand it over to "us." But why to •'," rather than to any other equal num ber of citizens ? What special claim upon the State have the men whom this bill is intended to enrich ? And if neither they nor any other men in the State have a claim to such a grand gratuity, why should the State dispose of it all ? The State clearly, should not give it to any one who has not a good claim to it; and where all have equal claims, it should be given to all or none. Mr. McClure proposed that the State shall have five per cent, of the proceeds. How very consid erate of the interests of the State! She gives all; contributes all the real capital of the concern ; and is kindly allowed five per cent, as her share ! The men who contribute a few hundreds to buy engines to pump up the oil are to have 95 per cent, and the State which contributes the oil itself, is to have the pittance that is left ! If the concern yields SIOO,OOO a month, the men who bore a few holes through which the oil is to flow will be con tent to take $95,000 and the State is to consider herself well paid with $5,000! Well; let us be thankful the sehemers did not take it all. Hav- : ng the power, it is a wonder they were magnani mous enough to allow the poor State any thing. The men who are are passing this bill may as well understand that the people know how its pas sage has been procured. The offensive smell of Petroleum is nothing to the stench that will stick forever to their garments. If they choose to defile themselves, let them do it with their eyes open to all the consequences. Not one of the men who soiled their fingers with the repeal of the tonnage tax ever recovered from it; and no member who votes for this bill can escape from utter condemna tion. It may pay, for a little while, to pass such bills, but it will not in the long run. Pcpular jus tice is swift in overtaking such offenders. Let them, therefore, take heed that they have been forewarned in season. — Pittsburg Gazette H'kRRISBI RG CORRESPONDENCE. Horse or REPRESENTATIVES, I February 21st. 1865. j To the Editor of the Bedford Inquirer. The following bill of local interest to your readers was read in place by Mr. Armstrong, your intelligent and attentive representative, last evening: As ACT authorizing the Directors of the Poor of the County „f Bedford to sell and convey the pres ent Poor House property, and purchase other property. it enacted, dec.. fhat the Board of Directors of the Poor of the County of Bedford. State of Penn sylvania. be and they are hereby authorized and em powered to sell and convey the property known as the 1 oor House Property, together with all the ap purtenances thereto belonging, situate in Bedford township, County and State aforesaid, to the high est and best bidder. Provided. That the said Di rectors shall cause to be published in two newspa pers printed in the county, at least three weeks pre vious to the sale, notice of the time and place where bids, in writing, for the said property will be re ceived. SCCTIOK 2. That the said Board of Directors shall, as soon as conveniently may be, after the passsage of this act, select and purchase such real estate as they shall deem proper and necessary for the sup port and employment of the poor of the said county, and take conveyance of the same in the name and for the use of the said county, and the said Direc tors. snail proceed to build such buildings as may become necessary for the reception and employ ment of such persons as may be a public charge on the townships of the said county, and increase and enlarge said buildings and accommodations as the same may become necessary: and the said directors shall, in Jnly, in the year one thousand eight huu tired and sixty-five, make out an estimate of the probable expense of purchasing the land, and im proving, enlarging or erecting buildings thereon, ami the said Directors are hereby authorized to in crease the poor tax of the county, not exceeding one hal of the present rates, and a like increase of one halt in each succeeding year until the said expenses are fully paid and discharged; and the said Directors are hereby authorised to procure upon loan, if they deem it expedient, such sum of money as may be sufficient to pay the aforesaid expenses: Provided. J hat any real estate purchased by the Directors aforesaid, for the purposes contemplated in this act shall be at least four miles from the borough of Bedford. s Both branches of the Legislature having agreed to adjourn sine die, on the 24th of March next, they have gone to work in earnest, and are now dis patching business rapidly. \ olunteers from different counties in the State are coming in here in large numbers, and it is thought the draft will not be very heavy. Some trouble or misunderstanding existed a few days since, between the National and State authorities, in reference to providing for new troops coming in, which i am glad to know has been all made right! An act to authorize the Board of School Direc tors of Bloody Run, in the county of Bedford, to use surplus school funds for building purposes,'' was on the private calendar to-day, and passed the House finally. As matters of interest transpire here, 1 will en deavor to inform you during the balance of the ses sion. Although this is his first winter in this body, your member, Mr. Armstrong, gets along very well, seeaipg perfectly at home. He i more of a worker han talker, but still can moke himself very clearly understood when it is necessary. Yourt truly. B. [We have already expressed our opiniou in regard to selling the Poor House, and hope*the passage of ihe law authorising its sale will not be pressed •hrough with undue haste, it at all.— En. ISQUIRKB.] A jjreut number of persons drafted from Bedford and Fulton who failed to report and who are yet at arge lieirig considered in the service by the i'aet of he draft, nad to be stricken from the „roll>. The enrollment of those counties has consequently been educed largely, whilst that of Franklin and Adams laving been but moderately curtailed, affords the utsis for the exhausting quotas now demanded of hem.— Franklin Repository. This statement of the Repository takes us aback a little. We are not aware that any such dispo ition of the names of persona drafted as above as -erted was made by the Board of Enrollment. We lave made diligent inquiry and find that we receiv •d no credit for persons who were drafted and fail id to report, nor were their names stricken from he roll. This county has supplied a very large lumber of volunteers und been drafted until such i popnlous district as Bedford township has not hirty able-bodied persons remaining within its "units. True, a large number have not reported, >ut daily the provost-guard arrests three or four ind they are sent to headquarters. We have had i large number thus arrested, while others have ;one in to fill Iheir places. As high as three and bur men have been drafted to fill the place of the irst man who failed to report, and now every one if the four arc being arrested. This looks very four men for one. We are under the mpression that Franklin has been highly favored ind now she wold be favored again. WHAT DOES IT MEAN t When the glorious news from Charleston was eadyesterday in both Houses of the Legislature. :he applause on the side of the Union members was enthusiastic, end the clapping of hands was ;heering ; whilst the members on the Democratic side of the House sat in silence, not uttering a word, but tlieir faces depicted a most woeful ap pearance. Many a loyal heart felt grieved, and he general inquiry was "What does it mean ?" Who can explain it? — Harrisburg Telegraph. 22 d •rut. An interesting chapter in our political history is given on our first page from the Franklin Repoti tory. It is from the pen of Hon. Thomas H. Burrows of Lancaster. It gives us a glimpse of the undercurrents of Politics, not calculated to ilevate our notions generally of onr public men. CHARLESTON. THE CITY IHMI'IEI) HI DIB FORCES! IT IS FIRED BY THE REBELS! A GREATER PORTION OF IT DESTROYED! 200 G-U3STS C^IPTTJIRIEID THE FORTIFICATIONS UNINJURED! A TERRIBLE EXPLOMON! SEVERAL HUNDRED LIVES LOSTI TALC ABLE BI.IMKADKRIVNKR (APTIRKD THE ITARS AM) STRIPES WAVING TRH MPH ANTLY OVER THE CITY! NEW YORK, leb. 21. The steamship Fulton, from Port Royal and Charleston Bar, on the 18th inst., at 6 p. m. ar rived this morning. Purser McManus furnishes us with the following memoranda: Charleston was evacuated by the enemy on the night af the 17th, leaving the several fortifications uninjured, liesides 200 guns which they spiked. The evacuation was first discovered at Ft M oul trie. on the morning el'the 18th at 10 a. m.. Part of the troops stationed at James Island crossed over in boats and took posession of the city with out opposition. The lower part of the eitv being on tire previous to the enemy evacuating, they fired the upper part of the eity. bv which 6,000 bales ot cotton were burned, and is supposed that before they coutd subdue it, two-thirds of the city would be de- I stroyed. ! A fearful explosion occurred in the Wilmington Railroad depot, the cause of which was unknown. | Several hundred citizens lost their lives. Hie building was used by the company, and was situa ted in the upper part of the city. Admiral Dalghren was the first to run up to the city where he arrived about 2p. ui. Gen. O A. Gilinore soon alter followed on the steamer H . W. C'ott. and had an interview with Gen. Schimmelpfennig. lie being the first general : officer in the city, and for the present in coumiand j It, is supposed that Beauregard evacuated Charleston in order to concentrate and give Sher man battle. The remains of two iron-dads were found, which the enemy destroyed by blowing up previous to the evacuation. i The blockade-runner Sirienne, jofc arrived from Nassau, fell into eur hands, and two others wore ; expected to run in on the night ef the 18th. The fir.-t Hag over Sumter was rai-od by ("apt. Henry M. Bragg, an aide on General Gill mere's staff, having for a spiff an oar and boat-hook lashed together. The houses in the lower part of the city were completely riddled by our shot and shell. The wealthy part of the population have deserted the city, and now all that remain are the poorer classes who are suffering from want of food. It was reported at Hilton Head that the left wing of Sherman's army had reached midway on the < 'harleston and Augusta Railroad, and that the rebels in consequence had evacuated Branehvillc and fallen hack on Orangeburg. A movement has been made by the forces under Gen. Hatch, which resulted in the capture of six guns which the rebels had abandoned. The car riages were destroyed. LATEST FROM CHARLESTON. OFFICIAL WATCH FROM GE V. GUI*. Particulars of thr Occupation of the City. CHARLESTON, Feb. 18, via New York, Feb. 21. Maj. (ten. Halleek, Chief of Staff. GENERAL;— The city of Charleston and all its defences came into our possession this morning, with about two hundred (200) pieces of good ar tillery and a supply of fine amunition. The enemy commenced evacuating all the works last night, and Major Macbeth surrendered the city to the troops of Gen. Schim melpfennig at nine o'clock this morning, at which time it. was occupied by our forces. Our advance on the Edisto. from Bod's Bay, hastened the retreat. The got ton warehouses, arsenals, quartermasters stores, railroads, bridge-, and two ironclads Were burmxl by the enemy,— Some Vessels in the ship yard were also burned.- ! Nearly all the inhabitants retnaiuing behind belong . to the poorer class. Very respectfully. J Q. A. GJLL.MOKF Major Gonoral Commanding. IMPORTANT NEWS! The Fall of Columbia. K. f. Beauregard Evacuates ii Without a Fight. GEN, SHERMAN IN FULL POSSESSION. The Evacuation of Charleston Necessary. WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON. Feb. lis, 10- 20 P. M.—To Maj.-Gen I)ix, "New York : The announcement of the occupation of Columbia, South Carolina, by General Sherman, and the probable evacuation of Charleston, has been com municated to this Department, iu following tele grams just received from Lieutenant General Grant : E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War, CITY POINT, VA., Feb. 18—4.45 Pr M.-Hou. E. M. Stanton, War Dcpar'.ment:—The Rich mond Dispatch of this morning says that General Sherman entered Columbia yesterday morning, and its fall necessitates, it presumes, the fall of Charleston, which it thinks likely is already being evacuated. U. S. GRANT, Lieut.-Gen. CITY Yoi.yr. VA, Feb. 18.— Hon. E. M, Stan ton. War Department:—The following is taken from to-day's Richmond Dispatch : THE FALL OF COLUMBIA. ' Columbia has fallen ! Sherman marched into and took possession of the city yesterday morning. This intelligence was communicated yesterday by Gen. Beauregard, in un official dispatch. Co lumbia is situated on the north bank of the Con garee river, just below the confluence of the Ba luda and broad rivers. •'From Gen. Beauregard's dispatch it appears that on Thursday evening the enemy approached the south hank of the Congaree, and threw a num ber of shells into the city. During the night they marched up the river, and yesterday morning ford ed the Saluda and Broad. . Whilst they were crossing these rivers, our troops, under General Beauregard, evacuated Columbia. The enemy soon after took possession. "Through private sources, we learn that two days ago, when it was decided not to attempt the defense of Columbia, a large quantity of medicine stores, which it was thought impossible to remove wore destroyed. The female employees of the Treasury Department had been previously sent off to Charlotte, N. C., a hundred miles north of Co lumbia. We presume the treasury litographic es tablishment was also removed, though as to this we have no positive information. "The fall of Columbia we presume, necessitates the evacuation of Charleston, which we think is likely already in process of evacuation. ' It is impossible to say where Sherman will next direct his columns. The general impression is that he will go to Charleston and establish his base, but we confess we do not see what need he has of a base. It is to be presumed he is subsisting on the country, and be has had no batttle to exhaust his ammunition. "Before leaving Savannah he declared his inten tion to march to Columbia, thence to Augusta, and thence to Charleston. This was uttered as a boast and to hide his designs. We are disposed to believe that he will next strike at Charlotte, which is a hundred miles north of Columbia, on the Charlotte and Columbia railroad, or at Flor ence, South Carolina, the junction of the Columbia and Wilmington nnd the Charleston and Wilming ton railroads, some ninety miles east of Columbia. "There was a report yesterday that Augusta had also been taken by the enemy. This we do not believe.' We have reason to feel assured that nearly the whole of Sherman's army is altogether at Columbia, and that the report that Sehofield was advancing on Augusta was untrue." The Richmond Whig says : "It was ramored that the Charleston Mercury of Saturday announces a brief suspension of that paper, with a view to its temporary removal to another point. Ihis is reudered necessary by the progress of military events cutting it off from the mail facilities for distributing its paper to a large portion of its snbscribers. while the lock of trans portation renders its supply of paper is precarious. "Semmes has been made Rear Admiral and will take command of the James River squadron." U. S. GRANT, Lieut. Gen. HIGHLY IMPORTANT ACTION IN REF ERENCE TO THE CREDITS. Corrected (Quotas Filled. Special tu the Evening Telegraph. WASHINGTON, February. 18.—Ths President announces that the draft for three hundred thou sand men will fake place at once. The following highly important document was made public last night : WAR DEPARTMENT. AIM I TANT-GENKUAI/S OF FICE, WASHINGTON*. February, 17, 1865.—The ; following report of the board appointed by the President of the United States to examine and cor rect the quotas of the several States and districts under the call for volunteers, of December lyth. 1864, is published for the information of all con cerned : WASHINGTON, D. C.. February 16. 1865.—His Excellency, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President of the United States, Washington D. C.—Sir:—The hoard convened by the following order : ExrrinyK MANSION. Washington City. Feb ruary 6. 1865. W hereus, complaints arc made in some localities respecting the assignment of quotas an(^is", L f f° r the pending call of troops to nil up the armies, now, in order to determine all controversies in respect thereto, and to avoid any delay in filling up the armies, it is ordered, that the Attorney General, Brigadier-General De .afield, and Colonel C. W r . Foster, be and they are hereby constituted a board to examine into the proper quotas and credits of the respective States and districts under the call of December 19, 1864, with directions that if any errors be found therein to make such corrections as the law and facts may require, and report their determination to the Pro vost Marshal General; the determination of said hoard to be final and conclusive, and the draft to be made in conformity therewith. Second. The Provost-Marshal-General is or dered to make the draft in the respective districts as speedily as the same can lie done after the 15th of this month. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. Have respectfully to report as follows The call tor three hundred thousand men, made bv the President on the 19th of December. 1864, requires that uumbershall lie raised. But the law requires that the number of men previously furnished by different localities, and the periods of their service .-hall be eo sidered, so as to equalize the draft The number of men liable to military duty is to be determined by the enrolment lists. Ihe number of men which had been furnished by the various localities and their periods of ser vice were ascertained. and previous accounts hav ing been adjusted, the excesses, where they existed were carried forward under the last draft. The amount of service furnished is determined by mul tiplying the the number of men raised by the number of years for which they enlisted, Having thus ascertained the number of men en rolled on the 31st of December, 18tV4, the number of men furnished up to that date, the localities from which they come, and the period of their ser vice, it is proposed to distribute the call for three hundred Thousand men among the several districts and parts of districts, according to the number of enrolled in each, and the number of men furnished and the periods of service previously rendered by Sfeilows'® 7 Whlchth,Bis accomplished is Take the wlmle number of years of service fur nished by the districts of the United States trom tu coMMtmraat of tho reb qJUpb W the 3m of December, f xO4. f'rtmW rit6 sum deduct the whole' i number of men furnished frowi )1 the districts of the United Bute up to th?rt date. The reuwin : ler will be the excess of years of service furnished by all the districts. M ultipiy the *sAl of December i !• Ixo4, by three, to have the number *f year* of service ajon that call, and to this *0 t'u execs* as ascertained above. Then as the number of men enrolled f>wii the whole United State.-, up to the 31 st of December. ! 1864, is to the period of service as above a*.r taitwd, so is the number of nun enroll'd in a ghrcir distnet to the number of years of service ir i B is quired to furnish, including its pro ratti sham r£ the excess*. From this mm deduct tbo actual <-x cess the district fhrni.-hi d : the remainder is the number of years of service which the district i reqitired to furnish under the call of December ly | 1864, Which, divided bv three, gives the tmroiwr j of'nit'u required f. om tne district. As this call i> for three hundred thousand men. that number cannot be reduced by men going in for a period longer than ow; year, incquahto-.* produced by going under this call for longer period than one year must be equalized in future cult-, • ft will be perceived that though the aggregate of the excess furnished is added to the whole call, the ezeess trf'each district is afterwards subtracted from its quota. Thus the number of men called for is neither in creased nor diminished. but equally produced con sidering the number of men and the period of their service. Localities which have heretofore furn ished a greater amount of service have, in propor tion to their enrolment, 8 lew amount to furnish under this call, and conversely. Men having here tofore enlisted for one two and th."®e years, n was necessary to take one of these periods as the ba-is of the calculation. As three years embraced both the o -her period it makes the calculation more simple to adopt that. The same result would be arrived at by adopting either one or two years as the basis, hot _ t ' l '" P ro ' cess of calculation would be more compile, Such we find to be the rule adopted by the ' fo* vost Marshal-General. The rule is in cimfwr.'U'ty with the requirements of the laws of and is just and equitable. We have carefully examined and proved the uiork done under this rule by the Provost Mar-ha I General, and find that it has been done with fair ness. We file in the Provost Marshal General s office our calculation of the quota of each ind every district endorsed by us as correct (Signed) JAMES SPEED, Attorney-Genera! of the I 'sited State.. RICHARD DELAFIELD Brigadier-General and Chief Engineer I . S. A. C. W. FOSTER. Colonel and Assistant Adjutant Genera). Approved February 17. 1865. (Signed.) A. LINCOLN. By order of the Secretarv of War. E. D. TOWNSEND. Assistant Adjutant General. THE DRAFT AND STATE QUOTAS. Interesting Statement of thr Views of Presi dent Lincoln. In common with nearly all the other States, Rhode Island has been making complaints at Washington of the assignment of her quota to the draft. A com mittee from the Legislature went to the capital to remonstrate, and try to have the State quota red uced and the time for the draft extended. They m ade their report on Tuesday week. They say that th ev had an interview with the President, who told theft, after stating their case, that so many complaints hai reached him from various quarters of the assignment of quotas, that he had personally taken pains to ex amine the formula adopted by the Provost-Marshal - General for the calculation and distribution of the quotas for the several States, and had arrived at the conclusion that no candid mind could doubt its fair ness and equality. The President also gave them a copy of the following letter on the same subject, which he had written to Gov. Smith of Vermont; EXFXFTIVE MAXSIOV. Washington. Feb. 8. 1805. His Excellency Gov. Smith, Vermont: Complaints is made to me by Vermont that theas signment of her quota for the draft on the pending call is intrinsically unjust, and also in bad faith of the Government's promise to fairly allow credits for men previously furnished. To illustrate, a suppos ed case is stated as follows . Vermont and New Hampshire must betweert them ■ furnish 6,000 men on the pending call, and being equals, each must furnish as many as the other in the long run. But the Government finds that en former calls \ ermont furnished a surplus of 500, ami New Hampshire a surplus of 1,500. These two sour pluses making 2.000; and. added to the 6.000. mak ing 8,000 to be furnished by the two States, or 4,000 each, less by fair credits. Then subtract Vermont * surplus of 500 from her 4.000, leaves 3,500 as her quota on the pending call; and likewise subtract New-Hampshire's surplus of 1,500 from her 4.000, leaves 2,500 as her quotaon the r ending call. These 3,500 and 2,500 make precisely the 6,000 which the supposed case requires from the two States; and it is just equal for Vermont to furnish 1,000 more notr than New Hampshire, Idealise New Hampshire has heretofore furnished 1,000 more than Vermont, which equalizes the burdens of the two in the long run. And this result, so far from being bad faith to Vermont, is indispensible to keeping good faith with New Hampshire. By no other resujt can the 6,000 men be obtained from the two States, and at the same time deal justly and keep faith with both : and we do but confuse ourselves ir, questioning the pro cess by which the right result is reached. The sup posed case is perfect as an illustration. The pending call is not tor 300,000 men subject to fair credits, but is for 300,000 remaining after all fair credits have been deducted : and it is impossible to concede what Vermont asks, without coining out short of the 300,00 t men. or making other localities pay for the partiality shown her. This, upon the case stated. If there be different reasons for making an allowance to Vermont, let them be presented and considered. Yours truly, A. LINCOLN. The committee give the following interesting ac count of further remarks, on the same subject, by th President: The President further stated that although ;hc policy which has been adopted by the Provost-Mar shal-General. for the assignment of the respective qnotas, met his entire approval, and appeared to him the only way bv which exact justice could be se cured, in view of the fact that the aggregate of the credits due to all the States exceeded very consider able the number of men ealied for, and that men ami not an adjustment of balances was the object of the call—he had, for the purpose of satisfying the mind* of all parties, designated a board of oftt cere to examine into the system and report their con clusions. In reply to requests for a postponement of the draft, the President replied that he was ready to ad mit that Rhode Island had invariably been among the very foremost of the States in the performance of her duty, and that she was still actuated by the same patriotic impulses, but that the country could better afford in consideration of her merit to relitt quish her quota altogether thair to grant a postpone ment of the draft for a single day. The moral effect said he. of furnishing the men called for promptlv and without hesitation, will be as great a power as the men thein.-clves, and I believe, he added, (ha* the opinion which Gen. Hancock exjiressed to m> yesterday, in entirely well founded, that if the arm u could he presently tncreased by four hundred thou sand men. not one of than would ever be required to fire a musket at the enemy. . I,, 1 allow, he continued, a postponement to Rhode Island, I should be doing injustice to other states, unless the same favor was shown to all: and as soon as it was reported through the newspapers, 8 m '. r had the promise of an extension, erv other State, whether influenced by the same high motives or not, that Rhode Island in preferring his request claims to lie. would demand the same partiality. PXEOUTORS' notice. Ax Letters testamentary on the estate of JOHN SSI • ' at f of Snake Springs Valley township, have been granted by the Register of Bedford eountv. to JAf'OR SNIDER, of ,outh Weodberry luwuship, "and DAYIKI bMDER and JACOB STCCKBY. of Middle Vfoodberrr township. All persons having claims or demand, agains't said estate are notified to make known the same u, said Executors without delay, and all persons indebted to said estate are notified to make immediate navmcnt JACOB SNYDER, \ DANIEL SNYDER . Executant febl7:6t* JACOB STUCKEY, J Gentlemen's Hats. n'S&jf ° ro P * •
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