October 24.–Mr. Shufeldt, U. S. Consul at Havana, telegraphed to Capt Wilkes, of the U. S. sloop San Jacinto, at Trinidad, to bring his vessel to Havana, in view of the numerous Confederate vessels finding refuge there, and remaining there unmolested to ship cargoes and return; perhaps, also, in view of the presence there of the rebel commissioners Mason and Slidell, en route for Europe.–National Intelligencer, November 1.
–An interesting correspondence between Gen. Mclernand and the “Confederate” Gen. Polk, on the subject of a recent exchange of prisoners, was made public.–(Doc. 105.)
–Capt. H. L. Shields, of Bennington, Vt., was arrested, charged with having carried on treasonable correspondence with the rebels. He obstinately denied the charges made against him, and promised to bring sufficient evidence of their falsity. He was conveyed to Fort Lafayette. Capt. Shields graduated at West Point in 1841, served ten years in the regular army, and was twice brevetted for gallantry in the Mexican War.–N. Y. Times, October 28.
–President Lincoln suspended the writ of habeus corpus for the District of Columbia. The judges and lawyers had made themselves so troublesome by their officious interference with military affairs that this had become necessary. –N. Y. Evening Post, October 24.
–The steamer Salvor, captured whilst attempting to run the blockade into Tampa Bay, Florida, arrived at New York.–Western Virginia almost unanimously voted in favor of a division of the State.–The funeral of Col. Edward D. Baker, who was killed at the battle of Ball’s Bluff, took place at Washington, D.C. The remains were deposited in the congressional burying ground.–Reports were circulated throughout the country that Gen. Banks had been killed and his army slaughtered, that Gen. Sickles’ brigade had suffered a similar fate, and that the Confederates had crossed the Potomac, both above and below Washington.– Baltimore American, October 25.
–This night a skirmish occurred between Gen. Ward’s pickets and a scouting party of about one hundred rebels in Green County, to the southwest of Campbellsville, Kentucky. The captain of pickets unfortunately was taken prisoner, but the National forces suffered no other loss, though there were several of the rebels killed and wounded. A Tennesseean who was attached to the Federal forces killed two of them.–Louisville Journal, October 26.