By special express.
important movements of Federal troops.
the affair at Aquia Creek.
continued Inroads upon Virginia soil.
more Outrages.
Gen. Butler's course Approved — Arrest of Ex-Gov. Pratt--attack on Norfolk and Portsmouth Contemplated — Latest from Fortress Monroe and Newport News--Telegraphic Dispatches, &c.
Our arrangements to be placed in possession of the very latest news of importance transpiring at the North having been successful, we are enabled this morning to lay the following interesting intelligence before our readers.
Much of it is taken from journals and correspondents favoring the Federal Administration, and may therefore be considered as partial to their cause. There is every indication of a combined movement on Harper's Ferry, and also a prospect of an engagement at Manassas Junction, where General Lee is reported to be in command of 8,000 or 10,000 Southern troops. From the Washington Star of last evening we copy the following:
‘ Gen. M'Clelland's command at Harper's Ferry.
Gen. Clelland's available command — the portion of it so far mobilized -- is at least 15,000 strong, and in a week 5,000 more troops, being prepared for service in Ohio and Western Virginia and Pennsylvania, will be ready to join him. Our impression is that his destination is Harper's Ferry, and that he will arrive before that point just when Gen. Paterson's command arrives before it on the Maryland side, and Gen. McDowell's command has closed down and cut off the retreat of the Confederate troops at Harper's Ferry to Richmond by rail.
We have reliable information that for the last two days no work has been done on the entrenchments that had been commenced by the Confederates at Manassas Junction. They were hardly more than half finished when the work upon them was thus stopped. The only solution of this change in the plans of the Southern commanders that occurs to our mind at this moment, is that they contemplate the abandonment of Harper's Ferry.--The possession of Manassas Junction is necessary to the protection of the rear of their forces there.
Our latest information from Manassas Junction is, that Gen. Robert E. Lee has arrived there, and is in command of the Confederate forces at that p t.
movement of District Volunteers.
On Thursday night, about 8 o'clock, the Fifth Battalion D. C. Volunteers, under command of Lieut.Col. Everett, were ordered to meet at the Patent Office for special duty.--Arrived there, the battalion formed in line and were marched over towards Georgetown. The men stated that they had orders to pack up for a long tramp, some said six days; others supposed they were to go over the Chan. Bridge into Virginia, and form the advance guard of a larger body of troops, which it was thought was about to move on Manassas Junction.
the arrests.
Francis Markoe, one of those lately arrested on a charge of treason, has been released on giving $3,000 bail. A. E. Addison has been released on taking oath of allegiance, and giving bond for his loyal conduct. James Fletcher, charged with being a disunionist, has been remanded until Gen. Mansfield determines his case.
Lewis C. Robinson was arrested by a guard from Capt. Kelley's company of the D. C. Volunteers, and a hearing before Justice Donn and Capt. Starr. He was dismissed upon taking the oath of allegiance.
’ Affairs af Harper's Ferry.
The Louisville Courier has a letter dated Harper's Ferry, May 25, from which we extract the following:
Gen. Johnston assumed command yesterday, and immediately set to work reconnoitering the surrounding country. That General J. intends to hold this place may be inferred from the fact that he has brought his family with him. His accomplished wife is the daughter of the late Hon. Louis McLane, and a sister of Hon. Robt. M. McLane, of Baltimore, recently minister to Mexico.
You will see by reference to the map of Virginia, that if the reports be true concerning the seizure of the Manassas Gap Railroad by the Federal troops, that we are completely hemmed in at Harper's Ferry. We have no means of access to Richmond, nor the interior of the State, and within rifle shot of us is the frontier, while there are thousands of the enemy in a half day's march. Here, then, we must stand, and when the time comes, cut our way out of this trap. -- But we are not at all disheartened or appalled by these circumstances.
We are, of course, on the qui vive for an attack here, as the movement upon Virginia was to be made simultaneously from Washington, Norfolk, and Harper's Ferry. I hardly think that we will give up our quarters and camp grounds without some show of resistance. This will be no Alexandria victory.
Major Whiting, a very able officer, has assumed charge of the engineering branch of the service at this point.
movements and Doings of Federal troops in Western Virginia.
The correspondent of the Wheeling Intelligencer, of Thursday, supplies the following additional intelligence of the movement of the United States forces from the Ohio river toward Grafton:
‘ At Mannington we learned that Stephen Roberts, the leader of the secessionists at Glover's Gap, seven miles west of Mannington, was shot and instantly killed by a squad of Capt. Haye's men, who have possession of that post. It appears that the squad were scouting on Tuesday morning, and came across Roberts and two other men, all armed. The lieutenant in command of the squad called upon the Secessionists to halt, but instead of doing so, they wheeled about and fired upon the soldiery. The fire was returned, and Roberts was killed, though the others took to their heels and made their escape. The Minnie ball passed entirely through his body. Capt. Hayes has succeeded in arresting several Secessionists about the Gap, who are suspected of having a hand in burning the railroad bridges. The captain has them confined in an old barn, which is well guarded.
The Union sentiment and the Secession sentiment goes altogether by neighborhoods. In some precincts there are no Secessionists at all, and in others there are no Union men.
On Tuesday afternoon the Henry Clay Guards and the Rough and Ready Rifles, of the Wheeling Regiments, and two companies of the Ohio Sixteenth, left the camp and marched up to the town of Fairmont, a distance of 18 miles. They succeeded in taking possession of the town peaceably, and at last accounts were guarding the bridges in the vicinity. The burnt bridges are being speedily repaired by a large volunteer force from this city.
As we passed Cameron, Virginia, upon our return, we found the Union men bringing in the Secessionists from the country to make them take the oath of allegiance and swear to support the Constitution of the United States.
Just as we were leaving the camp at the burnt bridges, yesterday, about 500 of the Ohio 16th were ordered to march. They were soon ready and under way. They started in the direction of Fairmont, and if nothing happened to them, they reached that place yesterday afternoon.
’ Gen. Butler's course Approved — slaves Considered Contraband.
Secretary Cameron has sent the following letter to Gen. Butler:
"Washington, May 30, 1861.
"Sir:
Your action in respect to the negroes who came within your lines from the service of the rebels is approved.
The Department is sensible of the embarrassments which must surround officers, considering military operations in a State by the laws of which slavery is sanctioned.
The Government cannot recognize the rejection by any State of the Federal obligations, nor can it refuse the performance of the Federal obligations resting upon itself.--Among these Federal obligations, however, none can be more important than that of suppressing and dispersing armed combinations formed for the purpose of overthrowing its whole constitutional authority.
"Sir:
"While, therefore, you will permit no interference by the persons under your command with their relations of persons held to service under the laws of any State, you will, on the other hand, so long as any State within which your military operations are conducted is under the control of such armed combinations, refrain from surrendering to alleged masters any persons who may come within your lines. You will employ such persons in the services to which they may be best adopted, keeping an account of the labor by them performed, of the value of it, and the expense of their maintenance. The question of their final disposition will be reserved for future determination.
Arrest of Ex-Gov. Pratt.
Information was received yesterday evening from Annapolis that ex-Governor Thos. G. Pratt, of Maryland, had been arrested by the military of that city, on the charge of treason against the Government of the United States. What act had been committed by Gov. Pratt upon which the charge was based did not transpire, but a gentleman who came up from Annapolis gave information of his arrest and imprisonment. He has for some time past resided in Annapolis, and was arrested at his home.
Latest from Fortress Monroe and Newport News.
Great preparations are still going on at Fortress Monroe, and troops are constantly sent out, but their destination cannot be learned, though it is suspected that an effort will be made to reach Norfolk and Portsmouth, instead of taken the route by Lynhaven, which is supposed to be thoroughly fortified. Two ships laden with guns and gun carriages and ammunition arrived on Thursday from New York and landed their cargoes at Old Point Comfort. There is supposed to be a sufficient quantity of provisions at Fortress Monroe and Old Point Comfort to serve the troops for four months, and wooden sheds had been erected near the beach for its storage.
At Newport News point, there was great activity in throwing up fortifications, and it was said to be the intention to make it sufficiently strong to withstand any assault that might be made upon it. The Vermont troops hither, and quite a large force was concentrating at that point. No attempt, it was thought, would be made against the battery at Sewell's Point, which is so strongly fortified as to render it dangerous for vessels to approach it. Besides, there was supposed to be between three and four thousand of the Confederate troops on hand to defend it. There was no idea entertained of going up to Norfolk by water, as the batteries all along the shore are of so formidable a character as to make such an experiment extremely hazardous, to say the least of it.
General Butler is still encamped on Seegar's farm, but regularly visits the troops and works at Newport News point.
Two prizes had been taken to Old Point, one of which was the schooner Lynchburg, from Rio for Richmond, laden with coffee. The other was a schooner, bound from New York for Charleston, apparently laden with lumber, but said to have a cargo of gunpowder for the Confederate States Army.
There was some talk of landing a force on the Sewell's Point side of the roads, with a view to cut off its supplies, and starve its garrison into a surrender, but that was thought to be a difficult task.
George B. Tucker, of this city, clerk to the suffer at Fortress Monroe, was brought up to Fort McHenry yesterday morning by the steamer Elizabeth. It is alleged that he participated in the affair of the 19th of April in this city.
