desponding
season in the Confederacy. But the war will go on.

JUNE 29TH.--There is no confirmation of the report of the fall of
Vicksburg, but it may be so; nor is it certain that we have advanced to
Harrisburg, but it is probable.

Gen. D. H. Hill writes (on Saturday) from Petersburg that 40,000 of the
enemy could not take Richmond; but this may be fishing for the command.
He says if Gen. Dix comes this way, he would make him a subject of the
cartel of exchange which he (Dix) had a hand in negotiating.

J. M. Botts writes, from his farm in Culpepper, that our men are
quartered on his premises, and do as much injury as _a_ hostile army
could. _He_ is neutral. They pay him ten cents per day for the grazing
of each horse.

The Commissary-General is again recommending the procuring of bacon from
within the enemy's lines, in exchange for cotton. Why not get meat from
the enemy's country for nothing?

Hon. R. M. T. Hunter writes to the Secretary of War to let the
Quartermaster-General alone, that he is popular with Congress, and that
his friends are active. It might be dangerous to remove him; the
President had better commission him a brigadier-general. He says Judge
Campbell wants the President to go to Mississippi; this, Mr. H. is
opposed to. Mr. H. is willing to trust Johnston, has not lost confidence
in him, etc. And he tells the Secretary to inform the President how
much he (H.) esteems him (the President).

The New York _Times_ publishes an account of one of their raids on the
Peninsula, below this city, as follows:

"Within the past three days a most daring raid has been made into one of
the richest portions of the enemy's country, and the success was equal
to the boldness of the undertaking.

"The expedition, which was conducted by both land and water, was
commanded by Col. Kilpatrick. It started from the headquarters of Gen.
Keyes on Wednesday, and returned yesterday. In the interim the Counties
of Matthews and Gloucester were scoured. All the warehouses containing
grain were sacked, the mills burned, and everything that could in any
way aid the rebels were destroyed or captured. Three hundred horses, two
hundred and fifty head of cattle, two hundred sheep, and one hundred
mules, together with a large number of contrabands, were brought back by
the raiders.

"The rebel farmers were all taken by surprise. They had not expected a
demonstration of the kind. Not only were they made to surrender
everything t