,000 pairs of shoes,
etc. on board for our soldiers. It is supposed they will reappear before
Wilmington; our batteries there are ready for them.

Gen. Wise assailed the enemy on Saturday, at Williamsburg, captured the
town, and drove the Federals into their fort--Magruder.

The President was ill and nervous on Saturday. His wife, who lost her
parent at Montgomery, Ala., a month ago, and who repaired thither, is
still absent.

Congress still refuses to clothe the President with dictatorial powers.

Senator Oldham, of Texas, made a furious assault on the Secretary of
War, last Saturday. He says Senators, on the most urgent public
business, are subjected to the necessity of writing their names on a
slate, and then awaiting the pleasure of some lackey for permission to
enter the Secretary's office. He was quite severe in his remarks, and
moved a call on the President for certain information he desired.

The _Sentinel_ abuses Congress for differing with the President in
regard to the retention of diplomatic agents in London, etc. And the
_Enquirer_, edited by John Mitchel, the fugitive Irishman, opens its
batteries on the _Sentinel_. So we go.

APRIL 14TH.--We have nothing additional from Gen. Wise's expedition
against Williamsburg; but it was deprecated by our people here, whose
families and negroes have been left in that vicinity. They argue that we
cannot hold the town, or any portion of the Peninsula in the
neighborhood; and when the troops retire, the enemy will subject the
women and children to more rigorous treatment, and take all the slaves.

We have news from Tennessee, which seems to indicate that Gen. Van Dorn
has been beaten, losing a battery, after a sanguinary battle of several
hours. Van Dorn had only cavalry--7000. This has a depressing effect. It
seems that we lose all the battles of any magnitude in the West. This
news may have been received by the President in advance of the public,
and hence his indisposition. We shall have news now every day or so.

Albert Pike is out in a pamphlet against Gens. Holmes and Hindman. He
says their operations in Arkansas have resulted in reducing our forces,
in that State, from forty odd thousand to less than 17,000. It was
imprudent to publish such a statement. Albert Pike is a native Yankee,
but he has lived a long time in the South.

Gov. Vance is furious at the idea of conscribing magistrates,
constables, etc. in North Carolina. He says it would be an annihila