nly fifty; _it is said_ the
enemy had 500 killed and wounded; but I know not how this was
ascertained.

Gold in the North now brings 58-1/2 cents premium. Exchange sells at
$1.75. Cotton at 96 cents per pound!

They are getting up a fine rumpus in the North over the imprisonment of
an editor.

To-day, when conversing with Judge Perkins in relation to having a
passport system established by law, he admitted the necessity, but
despaired of its accomplishment. "For," said he, "nothing can be done in
Congress which has not the sanction of the Executive." He meant, I
thought, from his manner and tone, that the Executive branch of the
government was omnipotent, having swallowed up the functions of the
other co-ordinate branches. I cannot understand this, for the Executive
has but little appointing patronage, the army being completely
organized, having supplementary generals, and all officers, under the
grade of brigadiers, being promoted as vacancies occur.

FEBRUARY 4TH.--One of the enemy's iron-clad gun-boats has got past our
batteries at Vicksburg. Gen. Pemberton says it was struck "three times."
But it is through.

The enemy's presses reiterate the assertion that Gen. Longstreet is in
Tennessee with his corps; and that the detachments from Gen. Lee's army
amount to 75,000 men. This is evidently for the purpose to encourage
Hooker's army to cross the Rappahannock. These presses must know that
Gen. Lee's whole army was less than 75,000 men; that Longstreet is still
with him, and that only one small brigade has been sent away to North
Carolina. Well, let them come! They will be annihilated. But is it not
diabolical in the New York _Post_, _Times_, etc. to urge their own
people on to certain destruction? If Hooker had 300,000, he could not
now come to Richmond!

We have extremely cold weather now; and, probably, the rivers in
Virginia will be frozen over to-night.

FEBRUARY 5TH.--It snowed again last night. Tuesday night the mercury was
8 deg. below zero.

A dispatch from Gen. Beauregard says sixty sail of the enemy have left
Beaufort, N. C., for Charleston. A British frigate (Cadmus) has arrived
at Charleston with intelligence that the Federal fleet of gun-boats will
attack the city immediately; and that the British consul is ordered away
by the Minister at Washington. The attack will be by sea and land. God
help Beauregard in this fearful ordeal!

FEBRUARY 6TH.--Gen. Lee thinks Charleston will be assailed, and s