The Local News from Alexandria, Virginia • Page 1

ALEXANDRIA. VA. City Buildings Provost of this city proceeded to the city buildings yesterday afternoon, and took possession of all the offices occupied by the Mayor and Auditor, as also the chambers of the Bna of Aldermen and Common Council. James A English, Auditor, delivered up the keys of his offic-under protest, hut we learn that the other office-rooms were tinoccupied at the time they were taken possession of. The office of the Clerk of the County Court was also taken possession The other county offices have been in posses of the United States military forces nines the occupation of this city, in May last, by the forces under Col.

Wilcox. The following re the protest delivered to Captain Griffith, Provost Marshal, by the Auditor James A English, Auditor of the city of Alexandria, do hereby enter my pmtes against the forcible taking from me, by military authority, the keys of tbe Auditor's of. fice, and the books and papers therein contained, and deny that the laws of the State ol Virginia, either of Richmond or Wheeling, authorize any such proceedings. Given under my hand this 18th day of Jovembc, 18G1. Jas A.

Englmi, Auditor of the city of Alexandria. S. Steamer Freeijor.v Aground-The D. S. steamer Freeborn, while passing the mouth of Hunting Creek last night, ran aground on the shoals in that vicinity, where she yet remains stuck fast.

Vigorous efforts wero made this morning to relieve her, a number of steam-tugs having come down from Washington for that purpose The efforts thus far have been vain, and, as the time for high water for to-day Uan already passed, there is no probability of getting the steamer off until to-uight, when efforts to that end will be renewed, and additional forc a employed for trie purpose. As the nights are now moonlit, thus rendering it easy to work, it is expected the steamer will be afloat before The wa'er of the river, diminished by the recent blow, is rapidly returning to its bod. and each succeeding flood tide higher than its predecessor, so that this will much facilitate operations. The Relief Associatp Volunteer Relief Association continues its beneficent operations, carrying cheer to many a home that would otherwise he comfortless, and ameliorating, with the hand of sharity, the calamities which war has brought upon this devoted ci'y. Ls expenditures are large, and as its operations are conducted exclusively upon a cash basis, prompt payment of the contributions to its fund is absolutely imlis.

pensible to its roper management. Wo trust, therefore, tha all who interested in the of the Association, will duke payment to the tiea-mrer, that no arrearages may accumulate to embarrass the Action of lan Association, or diminish its boon to the poor and destitute. large number of smaii vessels passed down the river thit morning Steam tugs were busy. too, passing from tbe grounded off the mouih of Hun ting Creek, to the Navy Yaid Nothing arrived from below during the yiornirig Tue Mri.rrAßv The usual cession of the Military Court wai not held this morning, having been postponed until this after noon. 0 Wild Fowl.

Large numbers; of wildfowl were observed this morning, parsing ovir this place, going South. The wea'her is as delightl'ul as it pan be ai this season uf the year. A dispatch iron Fernandina, Fla dated says that a Federal fleet, steering southward, has sailed p'tsf that place. It is stated in the New York Herald that the Irish people in New rather r-foice attheideaof a bush wiili are pleased that Wiikes boarded and took Mason and Slidell from an JBagttea I vessel. 1 The New York Journal of Commerce in an article "on the views and intentions Suf the administration," cays, "The cabinet is, and has been, at all times, a unit on the war policy.

The intentions nf the administration have not varied, nor has there been any hesitation or faltering on the part of any member of the cabinet. The war will be prosecuted with caution, and prudence, but with unabating vigor, and advances will be made as soon as the strategical plans of the campaign are so far carried out, as to make an advance absolutely certain to he not only successful, but overwhelming. These plans of the campaign do not depend on the army of the Potomac alone, hu include the movements in the West, and along the coast, as well us certain other movements," The City of Manchester, from Liverpool, 7th brings four days later news from Eurore. The convention hetween England, France and Spain, concerning intervention in Mexico, was nigned at London on the 31st ult. Active preparations were making fur the expedition.

A surmise of ulterior designs is again afloat. The London Times finds fault with Secretary Sea ord's despatch to Lord Lyons, and ridicules his circular to fthe ivernors oT States concerning fortifications. The London Herald and the stare also occupied with the of I Lord Lyons and Mr. Seward It is believed that France a large loan. The continental news generally is rot important.

Cotton is firmer with ao upward tendency; grain quiet and t-o declined a little. In his' speech to the New Bank Committees on Saturday lasr, Mr. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury, it is said, "gave them very strong assurances that the government vow saw their way clearly to quell this rebellion; that they hud information which warranted him in reiving that lie would soon hear glad tiding-; of su-cess, more startling and more effective in their subs than those from Port R.ysl and the We-u; that neither the government nor MoClellan ever had the least idea of pi icing the army in winter quarters, but on the oitrary, 1 lie military all contemplated regular, systematic and energetic activity in pushing ft.rward." In another paragraph, "in Mated that, the new and beautiful resident of Mr. Custis Grymee, rteai Point, was burned down, on Monday week, by op- who came over from the Maryland shoe, a portion of Gun. Sickles' brigade.

It tony added tint the house been so perforated and injured by shells and bombs thrown from tbe Potomac flotilla, during the lasr, few months, that it was entirely untenantable, and has not been occupied, for same time, lering party from Federal fleet, no the 11 th inst. The arsenal was visited, and a light boose apparatus aud a number of arms taken. Some of the dwellings bad beeti entered and pillaged by negroes, but this had The New Tribune says A corres. poodeht requests to inform ourretdeiH bow a Superintendent of Indian Affairs, with $4000 salary, save $100,000 in four years. The problem is beyond our arithnoe- AcuNi.wi.EooEMEJiTs.-— The Local News acknowledges itself indebted to Mr, T.

G. Palmer in the sum ol several batlesot sp rkling cider, equal moat of the champagne hereabouts. Ir. i.s really au excellent article, nod persons io need of refreshments of that description would do well to call at the es. tahh.bmmt ol Mr.

Palmer, Mansion bliMjk, Fairfax street, and look at his large and varied assortment The Ladies Ueuef excellt ut charity is now lourded on a firm basin, and proves a valuable auxiliary in the work of feeding aud clothing ihe indigent portion of ibis community. Meetings aro I held weekly at 1 he rooms of the Young MenV I Christian and ore well attended. Geu. Fremont is expected every day in GENERAL NEWS. The St.

Louis News states that while Gen. Fremont's train was on its way from Springfield to that city, Capt. Swain, of the Quartermaster's Department, with the United States mail for Springfield, one of the i fficers in the train of the returning General, took two of the bags from Capt. Swain, in spite of his protestation, cut them open and overhauled their contents. When Captain Swain remonstrated against this outrage, the perpetrator threatened him with arrest.

The desecrated mail bags have been brought back to St. mis and deposited at the Postoffice. The Washington Republican seems to think that the battle at Piketon, Ky has "resulted in the capture of fifty Confederates, instead. 2,000, as first reported," and adds, "we are only too happy to get off without defeat." The soldiers wh have lately been paid off on the Potomac lines, it is said, are sending to their families at the North considerable sums. I Messrs Dulin rind Bush, of Fairfax county.

were arrested on a chargeuf giving informa" tion which led to the capture on Saturday last of a detachment of New York tro'ips, and their wagons, near Fall's Church. Tbey have nil been hitherto regarded as Union men. Tlip ciptains of the steamers which carried the Federal troops to the Eastern Shore of Virginia represent that a large number of the people there profess undoubted loyalty to the Urnted Stales, aud welcome the troops. The New York Tribune urges that Mason and Slideil should be forthwith imprisoued in the famous Now York Tombs. The respondents between the Confederate States' Secretary, of War, aud General Winder, in relation to tho selection, by lot, from among the Federal prisoners, of hos-i tagos tor the safety of 'jortuin raptured privateers, ordered to be tried in Now York, is published in the Richmond Enquirer.

The officers on whom (he lot fell wore, Cols. Coric ran, Cogswell, Wilotx, Woodruff and Wood; Lieur. Coleiols Bowman and Nell'; Majors Potter, Revere, and Vodges; Capts. Rock 01, Bowman and Keller. are t-i he placed in prisoO, and treaie-i as the.

aforesaid privateers are treated; an.l if the latter are executed, they ordered for elocution. Arrangements to avoid such dreadful retaliatory measures will doubtless be made, on both sides. The friends of Owl. D'XOC S. Miles arc much aggrieved at tbe tin ling of the leceot Court ol Inquiry, iv bis ease, It has Dot yet been approved by the commanding general.

Col. Miles is 4o receive, to-morrow, the sword voted to him by the Maryland Legislature before the present war commenced. Geo. H. 11.

Lock wood, of Delaware, Federal fo'ce thrown into Accu mac and Northampton counties. The New York Tribune affirms that a movement for the extinction of slavery is mi foot in Maryland. So far as the Northern jvuresis havereached us, they all, or nearly all, the arrest uf Mason and Slideil, aud applaud the summary meth which was taken by Com. Witkes to get possaasiun of the obi.oxious emissaries. iv the final accounts uf I lie bittie of libitum the Federal loss is now put down at 71V); the loss or the Confederates 500 The Savannah papers announce the am- I val at a Southern port of two English steam- era with munitions of war, arms, and stores, medicines, clothing, for the Confede; ue army.

The property of 0 en. Tatnall, of the Confederate Navy, at Saeketts' Harbor. N. has been seized and will coduscajed. iby tbe Federal authorities.

A man in Oil io reports that last wok, a i war broke ouram: ng the bees which hi kept' near his house. Sevenry iwWma divided and fought a desperate b'ittltj. The was covered Vith the killed. Efti l.imily! had to escape from the oi.ms aff fowls were stung to passengers along the road fled to ay danger. WAR NEWS.

A skirmish occurred near Fall's Church, Va on Moi'day afternoon, when "a stampede occurred in the Brooklyn 14th Regi- owing to the approach of a puny of nfederate cavalry. Two New York rrgitnta were then ordered up, and the ended. One of the federal troops was wounded. It appears that the late affair at Pikeion, Ky has been much exaggerated. The number of killed, wounded, and prisoners, both sides was entirely incorrect in the first despatches.

The federal naval force at Newport Nowe bus been inoreaned, in order to check a Confederate expedition titling out in James jiv.r. if vvhi tvo tV ti i I are said to form a part. Gen. Phe'ps' command are building romj fortable huts for winter quarters at Newport News. At the recent battle at Belmont, in Missouri, Capt.

Welby Armstrong, of the Confederate army was killed. The Confederates are still crowding troops into inchester to oppose the advance of Col. Kelly's command, who they imagine is much nearer Winchester than he reported at last accounts. The defences of that are being strengthened and advanced. About 300 of Col.

Turner Ashbj's Con federate cavalry are stationed at Marl insburg, and picketed tbe various points on the Potomac down to Harper's Ferry. The Fredericksburg papers give an account of the movement of the federal troops, at Matthias Point, on Monday week, when they crossed over from Maryland. Mr. of Col. Taylor's cavalry, out as a picket, was shot by a private and wounded.

The dwelling houses of Mr. Cusris Grimes, and Mr. Benjamin Grymes, with the property in and about them, were burned and The barns, stacks, (and one report save dwelling house) of Mr. 11. Mercer Teuit were horned.

Liberty, the residence Mrs. Martha C. Stuart, was surrounded, Mr. Dent, of Maryland, and McNally, ho were in the house, captured Two of the Snowden. of Alexandria, were at this house, and one report is.

that all the ladies escaped to the words in their night clothes; another report, is that the ladies remained in the house and were not molested. These ladies had previously made the most earnest solicitation! to the bearer of a flag of truce passing through Aquia to be allowed to return to their parents in Alexandria, whom ihey had not seen for months. Gen. Thomas ordered Gen. Sheaf to fall back from Gamp near London, to Danville, wbeie the Union forces will concentrate to oppose Gen.

Sidney A. Juhntfi, who is reported 10 be advancing anil reateniog Cincinnati, Louisville or Lexing-3 with 40,000 men. The Foorteeritb, Seventeenth and Thirty eighth Ohio, and Thirtythird Indiana regiments immediately took op Ie march, but a majority of the Tennessee igade refused to turn their faces barkwaid, id it was deemed expedient to order them, with the Third Kentucky regiment, to return to their camp. All the old directors of tbe Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, (with the exception of three who declined) have hern re-elected. The foil reports of ibe affairs ol the Road have been postponed for tbe present.

In almost every newspaper that is now. opened a paragraph meets the eye Pi the effect. Mist, "we learn that the report we published yesterday was entirely incorrect" to some rumor or report concerning the war. It is s-iid that Com Wilkes captured Mason and Slidell. on his own responsibility, and without orders; bur that the government will susiain bis notion and maintain its legality.

Ir is further said that the government have received all ihe papers and documents which wore in possession of the persons. Oen. Beauregard, it is snid. is now at Oentroville, Virginia, the head of a largo The household effects of the late Senator Dtnfgfnp were sold io Washington, ou Monday..