. . . . , .., . ,• - i • , , .. , t • . . . s ~ . - . .:- . . . I \_ .. . . . .. - . . • • . .-.-.. , ..,. • .. _ . 1 Pf*' ' r : . ' C . . ..." '• ' . ..* jO --. .. • .et ' t I . , , • , . . . ~ , . I. ‘ :, . • . . ... , .:. 7. . ' . .. ~ - ... f; -:', , 1 .‘ . . . . , t , ' . .................... ! • 1 , '.- ,', _ . , . • ' - , BY NICLITRE STONER.; graigailt 001 4),tOTA-INSUSTICE L'i CREDITO. We have the official statement of the quota of troops of this county under the various calla;: together with all ;the statistics necess *ry to exhibit the ex At Position of each sub.: district on the official reerds on the lstdaj arfianuary last. TI4 total numbei subject try draft in this county, according to the en-. reltnent, was 4720; and the entire quota of , the county, under the two calls for' 800,000 and 500,000 men; is 1079. From this are toe be deducted the' number' held in the draft— that is all who paid .coMmutation, furnished ,substitutes or served in person—and all en listments of volunteers.L. The number to be credited is the fruits of the draft is 825; and 307 volunteers are credited , on the official reeords at Washington'up to the Ist ofFeb ruary—making a total credit of 492,• and leaving to'be, furnished 601 We sub-• joizi the. table showing how each district ~btands: • ...?, 1 . .... ~. -*, 4 : * o = 1 ''• _ 'el !t= 1 ~... ? . 33 tZ,I ; 6 -,-,.= •-• .c. ' .. * Toienship. - " a :-..: I 'P,,:.:, , -' -",- t? 1-'4 `: - ...g.1 7 , -, ,,,.. .. z . 2:, iY.:i. - • ft.•• i , t• • 41 AAntrim --------.... 433'. ' - 3?' 361 IT - 53 "46 41%;Orceneastie 80r0'.." , -- -1-0. 4.) 14, :45 59 42 Chrtmh'r, N. Ward 82. 161 40 56 28- 43'- -Chareb'g, S. Ward ac +2 671 7; 29 36 31 41 Pan sett 257' 591 16: 16 .43 4.1 ~Green.. 320 731 16! 'l6 57 46 Guilford , '287 .66 281 31 47 ' 'llaniiithn 145, 2 331 7j --7 -20 48 Lctterkenny 2201 50i _ 13'' - 13 37 49 Largan 126 29, 11, 11 18 50 Metal" . • 140 32 71 7 -25 51 Montgomery. 358' -82! ". 28 3 31 51 . , 51'4 3fercersburg Baru' 116. i L l Ti 10; 13 M 4 _2 Peters - - :171i - 60; 17J -1 18 `4:.t 53 , quiney ' 3041 70: 271 2 29 41 4 bt. Thomas ....... .... 1811 42; .131' 11 29 13 55 Southampton 1981 45' 161 16 M. 56 Warren 78) 181, 51 3 8 10 =,7 Washington 2811 611, N ' 20 44 5712 Waynesboro' Bore' 159 30' 13, 9 10 20 , „ 4720'1079: 325 . 1671 492 601 The'credits entered to the Ist inst. are doubtless very imperfect': There were many more than 167 , men enlisted in this , county iurinq the rnonth 'of January ; but the rolls 'were not, returned in most cases, and the piloper credits could not *therefore be made. This will all be right in time; but there is another feature now palpably manifest in the matter of credits, that threatens to wrong' this county most materially. The 167 en listments credited to the county were all Made at home, as can be seen readily laY . ' a giiince at the lociliti / es credited; but in the meantime hundreds .)f• veterans from' this comity have re-enlisted, and what has be- come of them ? 'The rolls are' in most cases, - returned to the authorities at Washington ; and this county cridetitlyiy not credited with - o mingle veteran citti/",441 i the field This is - a wrong That should not be imposed upon this county. It-has been desolated by war— its fields laid waste and-every species of per ishable property has been effected More or less by the tread of armies. With no sur plus population . pmy time,--use have nosy more tit - 14 one-fifth:Of our able-bodied- men in the service, an , legacies of war, d usual amount of la - harvest. Obviously unjust as it would bite? ' :My section •of the, State to•' deny. credit far v . ‘eteran enlistments in the field, it would fall with peculiar hardship upon Franklin county. Nor is it in any sense a justification that en _stnieitts have been made erroneously and ca'yfusion would result from the Correction of ; the rolls. Prov Oat Marshal General Fry h 4 Written to Capt.:Foster; of Pittsburgh, that "no change can be made in them with 'out producing confusion and errors,' The veterans have _already received government botinty and enlisted by virtue of it." It, is true ib a t . the veterans enliSted in the field uPon a contract with the government to receive $402 botinty—such,is the bond ; but !Twat they be 7 denied the -benefit -. of local bounties proffered by their friends at home, merely because it would mar the eircupiloeu r tins of red tape in the- office of the Provost • Marshal. General ? And must distiictsto which such veterans belong,. be denied r• s tt credit for them, and be compelled to furnish, an excess of men, because mustering officers have blundered and it would produce ..,con- fusion and errors" to correct them? Bear min mind that.when veterans are not credited ‘•tq their profiei loca Iles, it is nn error of the otiker or officers ra- 'lig out the rolls, and it ig a most grievous error in some. Cases and a though it might confuse the sunetily of preaeribed regulations a little, still it could not produce error approaching the magnitude of the ernr that denies bounties to veterans and just credits to districts. After a careful examination into the:mili ' tat-Si organizations from this county in ser vice, we, are satisfied that nearly if not quite fi've hundred veterans have re-enlisted who zOottid be- credited _to our districts. Three companies went from here-with the 77th un der Captains McKesson, S. 31. McDowell, and• William McDowell;_ .one with the I lth Cavalry under Captain George Stetzel;• three.with 'the 107th under Captains Dick,. , Brand and Thompson ; one ,with the 16th Cavalry tinder Capt. Kurt; and a fraction Of a company under .Lieut. lElftrmeay ; one witlf the 17th under Captain Sullenberger ; oiifs Battery went into the Ist Pa. Artillery under Capt.. Campbell ; one company with the 12th Reserves under Capt. Eystei, and "ne wkth - the 6th under Captain Dixon; nearly company want under Lieut. Short) with the 55th; nearly's company went into Cot Palmer's body guard under Lieutenant McDowell; ,the 7th and . Pth Cavalry had 'each large squads front cur county; Lieut.l Houser took nearly a company to 'colonel! Campbell in the 57th ; some 50 went from here rtto Col:Bayard's - Ist Cavalry ; Captain Ward enlisted nearly, WO here 'for the 11th Cavalry; Lieut. Wingert enlisted over 200 here for the 2d Art., ands there are doubtleSs many mitre from this county now in service,l ofwhom we have no xecolleeticin or record.! Nearly all these veterans have re:enlisted,' and .Franklin county has not been credited with one df them. Why is this?' The in struetions issued &bre the War'Department require oilieerg re -enlisting Veterans, to 'enter!' themt on the nhw rolls as enlisting at the plai des where the rolls of their original enlist-i meat locates them ; and had these instruel tions been obeyed, we, woultr..have reeeivedi the proper credits, or nearlyzo; but instetic of entering - theta on the Wills according 'cal i4tructions, many of our Franklin county soldiers were entered on thelnew rolls as-en listing in other;States. "Capttilit:3lcDowelN . Battery, made 'up :almost- ekeltisiVely front -Franklin•and Erie countics,r%as entered on tlie rolls as re-enlisting at Ohittfanooka, Teal in.see; the77fli is doubtless also credited tt Tennelee;, same of our siXrs months' men ar credited to ChailesteWn, Virginia, becatt4 they, happened to, reenlist tliCre ; others arf credited to Beaufort, Northl - Carolina; and .'where our veterans who have enlisted in th 6 Army' of the Futelnitte have: been credited 14 know hot; but 'certain it . is they have no!ti been credited to Franklin jedunty., And yet those rolls, althotigh violalon-tlf orderi cannot be'cdrrected,.'says vol. Fry,l3ecausp it would produce . '" confusion and errors." This failure to credit veterans properly is a double wrong. It deprives the brave sol diers who have bornethe brunt of the war of local bOunties, and requires their respe five districts to furnish an excess 'of me 4; and it cannot be justified byanymere appre hension that it niight - eonfuse a subefrdinate department of the government If that (V - partmenthas a competent head and'a com petent cleriedforee, it will not confuse-it- .o correct the blunders'of its own officers; hat on the, contrary it will reptify:gross eirecrs and flagrant injustice alike'to Pie soldier and his district. That these errors credit sh'ould occur is not 'Sin-prising, for most lot these veterans re-enlisted' before local 'boup ties were paid any place, and the credits wire not deemed important;--but now that they have become -important to both veterans afid citizens, that even handed justice th)tt is etier. due front the government to the ieople, de mands that the rolls and credits be rectified\ even at the cost of a little cOnflision. =Cal'. Fry kitows but little Of the intim • to relations a great and free-pei - Vo snitaiu t 4 a great government. He is simply a militry, 1 man,.. and considers a military regulation ! more'sacred than any popular right ituay . ' impair; but .he, should learn that the people are.,not a regular Army, and the syoner tlhi better. We doubt not. thak T :4, hese credits may ,be,lneasureably corrected, **and ill - when the case is properly preiiinted it . ill ve the sanction of the authorities at viTtish- . ington. lf it he done; Franklin county #ill have a considerable excess_ over her full quo ta in the service of the government; and Vl' 'Pennsylvania. ever foremost in-the holy sock of ,maintaining odr Nationality, will st tnd oft -the records of this fearful btillg7le, as the lirid;',the truest;'the noblest of all ! I , ,Ttit steamship City of Manchester, , - with fotir days later advices from Europe, ared • at Now York on Friday last. - The intelligynce is important: An engagement,..lasting six hours, hadfaken place between the Dimes and Germans at Missunde. The Danishout posts were driven in by the Gerlmans, but the Danes repulsed their assaults on the pace. 1 The Danish losi was from one hundred and fifty to two Hundred. The Prussian loss was from two hundred r and fifty to: firee I?ttn, .1 dyed. • , • t The Auitrians attacked Bistore, one [mile , south of Schleswig, on the 3d instant. IThe Danes held their own. An . attack on{ the whole Danish lire from Missunde to'tigel was expected to take place on the itli It is asserted that:England has offered to guar antee all that, Austria and Prussia have de manded of Demark: The Parliament cif En gland was ?petted on th'e 4th, and the Queen's speech speaks at 16ngth of the difficulty in Europe, and also of affairs'in Japan. ! The kmper 9 r of the French, it is asserted bfr the, Paris Correspondent of •the' London I .i 'imes, has resolved to take no part in the Danish question. In Italy the result of the Parlia mentary elections were generally- favorable to the moderate party. ' . . ' • ' For The ,Franklin Repository. A LADY'S , Van' TO THE THEATRE. I arrived in Washington the lait aft4noon of the old year, looked at the play big, arid found that the evening 'clotted the engao men t of Davenport, Wallack and Mrs. Farrn. I got tickets and went early to serre good seats. 11 .1 The theatre was Grover's, artAuferior ibuild, ing somewhat tawdry in its appurte Armes, and so small and brilliantly'lighte as to make all the faces around seem uncomforta bly near and uncomfortably distinct,.And the stage so close to us as to' destroy all illusion. Evidently whatever pleasure was to ti e exci. ted, would be by the absolute talent W' the troupe.` The play was 4 . Damon a i d P 7. thins;" with Davenport as Damon; nllack as Pythias'and Mrs. Ferran as He iorie. : • -''~. ~~ CHAMBERSBIJRCPA., WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY; 24, 1864, , . The opening scene was impressive, - bu.t not at, all exciting. When Damon withstood the the soldiers; there Was none of that lightning - power in the eye which renders Forrest so terrible ill his indignation. *3 the soldiers pressed upon him, you trembled for his sa e-- ty. Suddenly Pythias, the soldier, appeared at his side, and hurled hack he hireling. - There was a stir in the audieno, a hum of admiration - among the women;';' apparently Wallack was to be . the man of', the eveningl He was painted more than any actor I ever )before saw, but the brilliant color served only 'to intensify the expression of his eyes, which Were magnificent; not so intieh light and Inminods, 'as' lowering and ; . Wrathy, fitted rather to terrify:tlian to Rahn* Or, charm. Lt was not till the appeal 14, his betrayed country, after the scene in., the Senate,. thittrDavenport manifested hiEi.power. His body was nerveless, his face desprairidg, his passiOn profound, pathetic. - hopeless for , a mernent, then quickened into defiance which stirred the Iviuse into the 'molt entlin=iastic and sympathetic - applause, 'Thenceforward,. - lis the two tragedians were thrown into con trast you felt that it was to a certain degree. intellect -against physique. IWallack watts liand,ente r muscular and seli f onscions ; " the impression he produced was instantaneous and Almost startling, but there s , r.a.s no in crease( awes: Davenport, on tlgk contrary, seeme - to (I.4te into greatnesS as you watch edr him. His voice hickedi'the rich ring of Wallack, but had more mOdulations,-andlis face wanted the fascinations cif Wallack, but possesseidgreatervariety and intensity of ex pression. . KT) to the last act Wallack's part was the most pleasing and, exciting. He is the sacrifice for his ; friend, add, of course, all' interest centres in him. , . - The,prison scene where Calanthe and Di onysius disguised.tempt Pythias to escape is finely conceived in the drama, and was ren demi by Walla& with the Most impassioned power. As Calanthe pointedout to him from the prison window the white sailed ship which was to wing him away to liberty and love; he seemed maddened with thefear that he mightyield, tore himselfifrom her arms, and retreated-into, the darknless of his cell, tempted, as you could see, by the yearning of his face, but not dishonored. The excite ment could, not be restrained. For a mo ment the applause W . as detaching. .Sogenial was the feeling excited that it was impossi ble to repress indignation toward Dawon for his delay. ITT •to that motnent 'the laurels were Wallack's. But'the scene changed. Damon has part ed-from his wife,- who liesl senseless in the garden, their boy wonder struck at her side. In vain he bids Lueillus bring his horse, Which the poor. coward hai-alain' .„ AR. -the truth bursts updii Damon, through the words of the cowering slave, he?turns livid with rage, he beats hi's breast, lite implores• the gods, and, frantic with despair, clutches the, slave and drags Itim - to the fatal precipice• The house is breathless with suspense; the curtin falls a moment ; the' orchestra strikes up a few notes, ominous and pournful; the curtain. rises. It is the execution scene; the moments are spent; Pythias is the . victim. Calanthe begs - for an instant; they scan the horizon;_ there is nothing;; still she presses back the fret stroke; agairi they gaze; there , is ,cloud ; a sorwthing • increasing; palpa ble,i distinct; asoundi he: is coming. He , : throws himself 'into 'their midst, gasping, spent ; the agony lie has suffered stillwork ing-in his face. He falls ttpOn, , ,Pythiasr neck; he cannot , speak ; laugh. Oh such 4 Pas sion of laughter; such 'maddened, such tri-, umphant peals; • more terrible, more search ing than tears o' sobs,. No words can dei -crib° the effect. Womeh sobbed, men Mind ' dered; there had been nothing likelt during - the evening; it indicated a,tragie s poWer that lied hardly found Scope 'in this drama, but which was equal to the most thrilling and the Most sublime conceptions. • There' hid been little opportunity in the play, for an actress to display her talenni„we could only judge df Mrs. Farren, that she had a: splendid eYe, that she was very graceful, -and, that'she could be exceedingly tendei. At the end of the play, the applause ,was prolonged; determined and over claMorous, until DuVenport came forward in 'a half iiis habide, and made a somewhat humorous speech, his face still' wearing its tragedy ex pression. There is a something about the mail. both in his countenance and mannPr, a certain philosophical air; at once absorbed, abstract ed, and tragical which seems peculiarly fit ted for the-character of Hamlet, in which he is'said to excel. There wasas an after piece, this evening, a second rate tragedy, with the usual comple ment of murder, thunder and lightning per fectly execrable after fine play we witnessed, but which gave us an opportunity, of seeing Wallack in the part of a villain, to whidi all his talents, his voice, his, expression and his manner are pre-eminently adapted. We could only regret that it was not an Ingo or some other villain worthy of such surpassing power. Certainly not the least pleasure of the evening arose from the perfect unanimity and kindliness of feeling which seemed to exist between these two actors , who appeared before the rzblic as at once friends and rivals. Gen. Curtis arrived, at Fort Smith, Ark., oA the 10th, The Army of the Frontier is to be or-. ganiseti for offensive operations immediately. 1 , i - THE SOUTHERN COAST. Attempt of the Rebels to ite.c a pt are Newourn—lnteresting Details of the Movement—The Rebels Repulsed and Compelled to Retreat—Gear. Palmer and Peck-More Troops. Needed. Correspondence of The Frauktiatßeliository. NEWBEItS, N. C., Pe .-8, 1864. • The recant attempt of the rebels to tat-capture this city and at theiameritneoccupY the whole of Easteru North Carolina resulted, in a loss to is of two pieces of artillery, a gunbodt and several hrindred men-to the enemy, of a greater number of killed; wounded' and prisoners and the'-otter defeat of 'their well ttnL. ceived but badly eteented plans. ' I • We labor here under all the disadvantages incident to operations in an trierny's country, and to the rebel sympathizers and smeavrho are in our lines we Pro bably'are indebted for the arrangement of the little surprise party with Which we were favored last week. Certain it is that on Monday last' ndmerous North Cakoline. females, resident here,' had large quantities of food Prepared and their houses set in order, that they might give thiiir friends a Warm reeeption—aret I dotibt notthat In the opiniou of the rebels, their reception was quite ns warm as was tieirable. At about 3 o'clock on the morning;of the lot Mot:, the outpost picketet Neese bridge 'as drivin in by 'th,e enemy. This .;htsing a fret - teen oceatince, no particular notice was-taken of it, until the enemy was discovered attempting to: cro* the bridge in force and evidently;dient 'on mischief. C9l. Class en commanding the opt-posts,' - imModiately ordered his regiment, the 132 d N. Y, to the support of the pick:- ets, and the ".Mottitor," a Car built of hea'vy oak timbers, iron-clad Mid carrying two !rifted mins, was :also advanced to the front. In a Very short space of, time, through the instrumentality of the U. S. military Telegrapli„the different; garrisons from Batehelor's Creek to Fort Macon Were aroused and under anat. A seetios of Angel's Battery under command of Lieut.:Kirby, was sent! to jits4eli Grove where Co.'F. 2rl N.C. U. Vols: were stAtioned, anti another section of - the same battery. supported by, two eempa,nina of the 17th Mass., was sent out on the Neuse Road. Jet the meantime ;the enemy had opened chr i onr foreeant the bridge With artillery and were advancing in groat numberi along the entire, line of pickets. The little band of !scarleeftve hund red- men fought desperately and, for five hotirs suc cessfully, in defence of the bridge, but at Bb'elock, finding -the rebels - swanning on l anks, Colone l Claassen Withdrew i bis corentandi retreatedto: ward NoW.Eterne, in pursuance of instruction's previ ously given by Brig. Gen. Palmer, commander of District of N. C. A train sent - from here had re moved all the - Quartermaster and !Ordinance stores front Bachelor's Creek and after•burningliiscamp there, Col. aClaasseu retreated altmg' the track-tor several miles fighting continually;j until he discover ed that, the rebels, with artillery had cut off treat, Declining however "to give it up so," he tented off . .to the left of the heart:lad and fought his way through to the Trent road, thereby -extricating his command from its perilous position, and bringing it safely inside the breastworks hero at 3 P. M. Unfortunately thista movements;Completely isola; ted Lieut. Kirbes,metion ofurtiliery and tho'N. -C. Compiny from thottain body. Al messenger sent to Gen. Palmer to infopet him of thislmishap, Was cap tared, and revealed.to Gen. Pickett, Kirby's where abouts, and - - - he wit inimediately surrounded and forted to surrender. The' North Carolinians not being sure' of kind treatment at the htinds of the rebels, fled to the woods and it is hoped that most of them escaped. At 11 A. Id. thq enemy about 5000 strong, with artillery and cavalttY, annearedbefore the works on the south side of t i tle Trent River, and immediately advanced to the attack with theintention 'of iforcing a passage to the tamed bridge', Which leads into Ntiw Berne from tae south, --They made a vigorous assault on the block-house at Bridc'SCreck, but after a sharp contest of an honrle duration, they were driven back; by our forces under Col. Amery. Tho guns of Fort Gaston and the single piece in the block house were used in this affair with terrible effect. Thus failed the second movement of Gen: Piekett's 'programme. Thodhird, though Made some thirty-, six hours behind time, was more successful. This was an attack on Newport Barracks, a point on the Railroad twenty-five Miles southlof New Berne, and the object, the destruction of the track and telegraph communication between the latterplace and More head City. The openly' advanced 4000 strong on Tuesday at noon, and ;rem. proMptly met by about 500 men of the 1 1th Vi. Refit., who after,a gallant resistanmto overwhelnaingnumbers were-compelled to retreat to Morehead after spiking their guns and destroying the barracks. The enemy penetrated to the railroad and burned the bridges at Newport and havelock. - The telegraph wirewas not cut until midnight. Mr. D. C. M'ilaugheY, of the Telegraph Corps,' rendered valuable, aid 'te Gen. - ,Paltner. by 'keeping constantly ire sight of the enemy andrt porting his movements. At 3 A. M. on Wednesday the wire was cut between his initrnment and head quarters, and 'M . G. eseaPed through the woods to New Berne. i ' The sevoreest blow, inflicted; was the eapturetf the gunboat Underwriter, whit h was accomplished on Monday night by about 250 Sailors who bad come from Wilmington for that - PurgoSe. They approach ed the vessel in the fog and after a short struggle boarded her and captured inttt of the crew, which numbered about 70 men.: Afttiv escaped by swim-, ming to Fort Stevenson which immediately com menced shelling the hoot. One of the'shells, set fire. to her and the rebels had t r abandon-their prize, - The' destruction of the bridges was the last offen sive movement of ttic enemy'. jtliough they remained in our immediate front untilVednesday night. At midnight we were favored with h fare Well serenade by Ei brass band which PerTorined "Dixie'' - .the "Bettie Bine Flag" and other seeesh 'airs very creditably. The band of -the ,2tl Mais. Artillery, immediately responded with Owl, National airs, Thus ended the second gran& attempt which the rebels have made in thepast fear to regain what they have lost in - North Carolina:. -Their plan of op erationias near as I can learn was as fellows: Whit ford's North Carolina Pattallion; composed of infan try, cavalry and artillery, to the' number. of 2,000 men, mime davit the eastern: side of the Neese river for the purpose of cantering Fort Andrew and its' garrison, in case the city should be taken. General Pickett. (commanding the expedition) with OW men, to make the gland assault on the defences pro per ofNewberne. Generalißartori,-withsolo - men. to cantnre the works on the southerMside of the Trentriver, and prevent our retreat by the railroad. :G en , Martin, with 4,000 men, to,captnrethe posts • 'on the line of the railroad and prevent-reinforce ments reaching — us from Morehead City. ZO marines to come down the river in small boats, take posses sion of the first gunboat' they met with, and in the darkness - surprise and capture the other gunboats: and with them 'assist in the capture, of- the pity. ,This was a "right smart". progratame,'and if every thing had worked as they exPeeted, the probability is that a "right smart chance" of Yankees would soon have been on the road to Richmond from thii vicinity. That we its not mistaken in their nutn bera, is proved by thtfact, that prisoners Were taken from twenty-six different regiments, (14 North Car olina, 10 Virginia and 2 Gtorgia regiments) to say nothing of their artillery or of the regiments which are not represented in onr guard house. That they were confident-of success we know, because hund reds of fames' citizens of this place, , accompanied the rebo army: in the expectation thatthey would soon be able `o - re4c(ecupy their old -homes. But alas for their hopes. The attack was to sbe - made along our whole line at 2.A. ar.. and PickOtt expect- 1 cdto be able to assail Rid - Totten before daYlight. The gallant resistance atthe.outposts'preventedbis reaching our frout,until 3 m_ It was too late for a surprise, and a daylight view of our works con vinced hinaAhet — ere caught napping, we would scarcely- e caught at all. Barton was as sailed and unable to eerily out his part of the plan. Me44,ija, thirty hours late. Succeeded in destroying the bridges, but not until they had ceased to bo useful to us, and though we lost 'a gunboat they failed to gain anything by our loss. ; Their array has retreat ed to Kinston, the refugees are ,refugeel still, and the sympathizers here, to . S•hose eawthe sound. of the enemy's cannon was as the sweetest music, will .be speedily weeded out, and sent across the lines. 6iir force here is so small that it wad scarcely possi- ..le to make a sortie during the short seige, and pur suit Was impracticable. It is to be hoped that "the poweta that be take warning and leave us no . 'longer with scarcely enough of troope ( to en our forts, (We owed air safety last week tb the splendid dispositions made by General ?Palmer, and the stubborn resistanceof the few Who met the ene my's advance, With %OW men, rteneral Palmer would bo pleased to return General Pickett's call. With 5,000 men in addition to our present force, we will bo pleased tq have Pickett call again. If we. are not reinforced. there is . a possibilitythat I may Boon have an opportunity ltorcarry letters from the folks in Chambersbnrg to their friends in Salisbury. Major Gen. Peck has returned from his leave of absence and resumed cowman of the District of - North Carolina. • Our troops have reoccupied their former positions. and the. railroad and telegraph lines aro again in working Order. HARR S:BURG. ' Dr. Thomas St. Clair Elected Senator—* The Senate .Unlocked—Politleal Mar - agement °Mae - Democrats—They,Re: comic& Mr. Penny as the Spenker Various Occasions—Military Damages in •the Mouse. Correipondenee of the Franklin Repository. HARRISBURI4, Feb. 20. The Democratse were confident of thol election of Mr. Douglas, their candidate for - Senator in the Armstrong and Indiana district; to fill thevacaney occasioned by the resignation_of Maj, White. - The management of the contest was the subject of _re- Ifeated grave consultations here by such political leaders as Clymer, Hopkins acid others, and a policy was resolved upon that promised success. The 'Democratic papers' were instructed to take :the ,position that Mr. Penny was not the Speaker ofthe Seattle; -that therefore his writ for an. election wes illegal; that theelection could not besanctioned by law, and, that the Democrats would not vote at all. They were instructed also to have the township leaders indastrieusly tit work to organize the Demo cratic voters quietly„ so that, while the Union men would, as they hoped. be thrown of their guard and lulled by over cotnideneo to' inactivity, they could , bring out a candidate just on the eve of the eleetidn and carry him through by surprise. Unfortunately they had resolved to nominate Gen. McClellan for the Presidency with Douglas for Senator ; and the idea of surprising a foe withMeClellan as their lead er, was au absurdity that note but men with their howls - , turned were have conceived of. 'But the "Union men were on the alert all the time, and knowing thO proclivities of their old enemies to de ceive..they, fought the contest from the start just es if they had an open, active foe, and they triumphed. Dr. - ThomeS St. Clair. of Indiana, was chosen by over 1100 majority. I have not seen the official vote; but 'St. Clair's majority -is larger, considering the vote polled ; thari that received by Senator White in 1862. Unfortunately Dr. .S.t. Clair cannot take his seat for - some ..days. The 1.&1‘ requires that the return Judges of the district shall meet on the seventh dar after the election, so that the certificate cannot be made out until Friday next. The now Senator will probably be hereon' Friday higlit. and if theile is a Session on Saturday, the election of subordinate "officorawill probably be disposed of. • The Union Senators will, Ir understand, vote against going into the election of Speaker until the cloSe of the session. The Thep are Well convinced that Mr. Penniis the legal Speaker of the Senate, and they do not desire a, change. They 'will therefore refuse to yield to th4asping efforts of the revolu tionists to get an indirect endorsement of their wrong by the Senate going into an eleqlon when - it has a Speaker. Mr:penny is not only recognized as the Speaker hy the framem of the constitution, who for four years after itsfadoptiorOid not elect speak ers at the opening of the session ;but,, IS also recognized by spores of acts of the revoliationists themselves. They went forwPaand had the oath. of office sado?Mistored to them by Mr. • Penny ; they have voted on' rebably an hundred propositions to legislate, while if the Senate was not orghnizod they could -not vote on anything but the question of or ganization; they have : voted on the proposition to go into joint conventions; have allowed the vote for Governor to be counted and', the result officially dePlared by a convention over which Mr. Penny presided; hare recognized Gov, Curtin as the legal Executive of the 'State, although qualified by Mr. penny as Speaker; have voted on the final passage of bills vetoed by the GoVernor; have recognized Mr. Penny's writ for the election of a Senator in :Place of Maj. White, and exhausted themselves to elect their candidate; and itis too late for them to say that Gil . EenatiAs.withent a Speaker. There will therefore. I ain a..4sureli, be no election; but the subordinate Offices will bo filicid at once; the com mittees will lie announced at fin early day, and we :shall' witness a working Senate from the day the new Senator appears until the important measures are disposo of. By Monday next, the work of.leg illation will begin. Mon. Henry D. Moore will doubtless be chosen State Treasurer, next week; the amendments tn.vote, will'bo speedily adopted. and a bill passed providlng for a special election in July or August to vote upon them, • 7he Senate did nothing whatever during th? week. Most of the Senators paired off and left for home until Monday-next, and there was often not a qnorum present. In the House there were several interesting discussions. Thd passage of a bill an-: thorizing the construction of kr, railroad from Easton, to Mauch Chunk caused quite an excitement. Why. don't pennsylvanid, allow ;railroads to be built everywhere they are needed, as they do in Now York ? Charters are often l defeated here novel& great corporations - to protect. monopolies. The resolutions of Mr. Belly to impose a test oath to all claimants for dardiges; gave rise to another spirited debate on Thursday last. But as the special committee have incorpOrated an acceptable oath in the bill, Ipresume that the consideration of thebill Will not , involve that gueation. It comes 'up on Wednesday night and fis, the special order. Mr. Sharpe did not participate in the discussion on ThnrsdaY last. He .is donthleas reserving himself for the on the bill. Ille is very able on the floor ; but is wanting in legislative skill owing to his inexperience. The incliCations are that the bill will pass. , HonacE. Thenews from the South-westis hnportant. Refugees from Texas reporti a fearful state of Wails existing there, and the whole country beyond the Rebel army is a period batUe-Ileld, where engage ments between deserters and guerillas are frequent, in which the former are generally ! successful, VOL no-WHOLE NO. 31645. WASIIINGTON: Escape of 'Union Prisoners from Bleb. mond—lnteresting and Daring &dven• tares—Rebel Deserters—The Dot:merit)! Lion Bin as Passed. orrespondence of the Franklin Repository. ' WASHINGSOS CITY', February 1,9, A. large number of the officers who escaped fom Libby Prison Dave arrived in the city, and others are at Yorktown and Fortress Monroe. Their es cape, and the daring manner in which it wag carried out, foims a very interesting ; narrntive. They were - fifty-one days making-a tunnel. Their instruments were case knives, files, pocket. knives and a chisel., Their first tunnel Was aimed for a sewer, - and after digging for some thirty feet they stopped by a line of log piles driven in the ground. The logs , *ere over a:feel:in diametr t but not large enough to stop or discourage the men bent in liberation v and with the same tools .severed the logs, and in n few days after they struck the sewer, but the filth and water in it compelled them to seek some other out let. They accordingly went back and commenced a new tunnel across Carey street, a street some fifty feet in width. On this route they had to dig through a stone wall ever three feet thick, which took them nineteen days,. After this no serious obstacles came in their way, and by the 9th of February the tunnel was complete& Col. Rose, of New York, was the I leader; and. Col. W. P. Kendrick, Capt. D. J. Jones and Ligut. Bradford brought up the rear, and as thoypessed out of tho hole, within a few feet of them_ was a sentinel who cried out, half past two o'clock and cars Oqr men did not seem to think the cry exactly correct.' The men went in sniall squads, , cif two and three, and in all directions, but the grea ter number aimed for Yorktown. The Rebel env- . airy, scouring tho country to recapture them, often passed within a few feet of many of thorn without discovering thein. The nogroes all along the route were very friendly, and aided them- all in their Power; giving them food, and informing them of Rebel pickets. It is believed that nearly all of them will eventually reach our lines. Over forty deserters from Lee's army arrived is this city yesterday. bringing with them their arms and equipments. They took Ate oath of alle giance and go North. They 'report, that the Rebel piefrets are picked men, and WO_ always place two men on at a time, the one to Watch the other, and often the men thus chosen agree in sentiment and - quietly leave the post to take care of itself and make their way into our lines. A few days since a scouting party of Some fifty men wore ambushed by a party of guerillas. and Major James H. Larrimer, acting Inspector Genera/. of Gen. Crawford's staff was killed. Two cavalry-_ men were also killed and four wounded. Our men had to retreat until they received reinforcements. when the guerillas fled towards Fredericksburg. after having robbed the dead. I t hree'Rebels were left delta and several. ounded. • The Cominittee of Conference on the Enrollment bill have agreed on the main features of the Senate' till with amendments and substitutions of a few 'sections of the House bill. The icommutation is retained at $3OO, and a corn- ProudSe is made in the effect of the exemption there by, wiiieh is limited to one year. ITheiesemption of high, officials in the Senate bill 'is striikon out, leavirig as the only classes exempt thosementally or physically unfit. and soldiers in the field or honorably discharged. If the quotd is not filled in any district by"-one draft another is to be made till the quota shall be obtained. - The section authorizing the Secretary of War to assign drafted persons of religious" scruples against bearing arms, to duty in the hospitals, or the care of freedmen, is repOrted, with a proviso confining such provision to those whose deportment is consis tent with the conscientious scruples against bearing 311)111. - • - -Th.v'louse pispiso fOr drafting colored menli re taineil, with the essential modification that when the alai° of a loyal master is drafted and mustered into the service, thereupon such slave shall be free and the mastr shall be paid the bounty of one hun dred dollars in place' of its being paid to the master on his freeing the person. It yras held by the Com mittee that he must net be a slave km:mm.3ra after his enlistment, and it ig understood that this is the disputed point upon which a eentest may be cneet ed to-morrow. 'The report is signed by Messrs. Wilson (Mass.,) Nesmith (Oregon) and Grimes (lowa,} on the part of the Senate: and Messrs. Schenck, (01400 and De ming (Conn..) of the:House of Reiresentativet, The house Will - Certainly pass the bill before ad journment to-day. The reports - sent 'abroad to several papers and daily served up as facts for the penple. to wit: that nearly all the Senators and Members of Congress' are for Chase, is incorrect. A majority of 'both Rouses are for Lincoln. The 'documents = that are now afloat, favoring the Chase party and pointing 'out the faults of the' present administration, will do more harm to the 'Onion cause thmigood for Chase or the party getting them up. S. C. BRIEF WAR ITEMS: The St. Louis correspondent of the , Chica so Journal says that the largest and most:formida ble fleet ever seen on the Mississippi river is nos being fitted out by Admiral Porter. An officer inst from Gen. Grant's head quarters states that all through the country to the rear of the Union lines a Union offi oer. in his uniform. can ride unmolested to any portions of Mississippi. Tennessee and Alabama, halting at farm houses along the rood for suchrefreshments and shelter as he may desire. Gen. Logan penetrated, the State of Maim ma to Sand Mountain, forty miles east of Huntsville. and his reception - by the ifrilon people amounted to a regular ovation. He te:ldgraphs to the Govern -ment that the people of the mountains will every where hail the old Flag with Joy that is not capable of literal translation. ' ' . Peace resolutions, which the Richmond Examiner calls" extraordinary," were offered in the rebel *flame of Representatives, Fob. T. They pro pose that representatives of each Government shall meet atsome place and time not specified, to con sider "Piret : Whether they cannot agree upon the recognition of the ,Confederate States of America. Second : In the event of such recognition, wheth er they cannot agree upon the formation of a nets Government, founded upon the equality and sov erehmty of the States; but ilthis cannot be done, to consider; "Third: Whether they Cannot agreectpon treaties. offensive, defensive. and commercial.' • Thellichniond correspondent of -the Lon don Times intimates that Longstreet has fallen in general estimation. lie writes that. in January of last year, it was found that Leo could not subsist his army in hare and ,devosted Northern Virginia„satt that i,ongstrect, was sent with twenty-five thimsamil men to occupy Suffolk, and scour all that region .for corn and pork. The conduct of Longstreet in this first independent Oommandimited great disappoint ment at Richmond, and it, was cbsrge&,thatheersa very slow to go about his work, and slower still in breaking camp when called tnassist at Chancellonf• - villa. His affair 'at Knozyille elated-the year with, another imputed "miscarriage,. whith.haddhe effect -to do away with much of the glory he earned at fiet tysbunt and Chickamauga. - El B IS