588 



NEW YORK. 



NORTH CAROLINA. 



tion of their personal rights, in usurpation of the 

 just powers of our State, and in the midst of an ex- 

 citing political contest ; and, though up to this time, 

 the morning of Thursday, the 3d of November, when 

 we are leaving Washington, no charges have been 

 served on the accused, and perhaps none have yet 

 been framed, yet we are told the trial shall proceed 

 immediately, and that the time asked for to procure 

 witnesses for the defence shall not be afforded. 



The trial of Col. North proceeded with nu- 

 merous adjournments through several weeks, 

 when ho was acquitted and discharged. 



At the election there were 730,821 votes 

 polled, taking the highest elector on each 

 ticket, of which Mr. Lincoln received 368,735, 

 and Gen. McClellan 361,986 ; being a majority 

 of 6,749 for Mr. Lincoln. 



For Governor the total vote was 730,821, of 

 which Mr. Fenton received 369,557, and Mr. 

 Seymour 361,264, being a majority for Mr. 

 Fenton of 8,293. By the vote for members of 

 Congress, 20 Republicans and 12 Democrats 

 were elected. The Legislature elected was di- 

 vided as follows : 



Senate. . House. 



Republicans 21 Til 



Democrats 11 f>_> 



Tota". 82 123 



On Nov. 15 Maj.-Gen. Butler issued an order 

 taking leave of his command m the State, and 

 tendering his thanks to the provisional division 

 under Brig.-Gen. Hawley, from the Army of 

 the James, and the regiments of regulars from 

 the Army of the Potomac detailed for special 

 duty, for their promptness, efficiency, &c., and 

 to other officers who had tendered their services. 



Considerable correspondence took place be- 

 tween the War Department and the Governor, 

 relative to the quota of the State under the 

 calls for troops during the year. 



On November 25th an attempt was made by 

 incendiaries to set on fire a large number of 

 hotels in New York City. The attempt was 

 made during the evening. The Maj.-Gen. (Dix) 

 commanding the department immediately com- 

 menced an investigation, and one of the cul- 

 prits, Robert Kennedy, was arrested and sub- 

 sequently hung. Previous to his execution he 

 made the following statement : 



After my escape from Johnson's Island I went to 

 Canada, where I met a number of Confederates. 

 They asked me if I was willing to go on an expedition. 

 I replied, "Yes, if it is in the service of my coun- 

 try.*' They said, "It's all right," but gave me no 

 intimation of its nature, nor did I ask for any. I was 

 then sent to New York, where I stayed some time. 

 There were eight men in our party, of whom two fled 

 to Canada. After we had been in New York three 

 weeks we were told that the object of the expedition 

 was to retaliate on the North for the atrocities in the 

 Shenandoah valley. It was designed to set fire to 

 the city on the night of Presidential election, but the 

 phosphorus was not ready, and it was put off until 

 the 25th of November. I was stopping at the Belmont 

 House, but moved into Prince street. I set fire to 

 four places Barnum's Museum, Lovejoy's Hotel, 

 Tammany Hotel, and the New England House. The 

 others only started fires where each was lodging, and 

 then ran oft'. Had they all done as I did we would 

 have had thirty-two fires and played a huge joke on 

 the Fire Department. I know that I am to be hung 



for setting fire to Barnum s Museum, but that was 

 only a joke. I had no idea of doing it. 1 had been 

 drinking and went iu there with a friend, and, just to 

 scare the people, I emptied a bottle of phosphorus on 

 the floor. A\ e knew it wouldn't set fire to the wood, 

 for we had tried it before and at one time had con- 

 cluded to give the whole thing up. 



There was no fiendishness about it. After setting 

 fire to my four places I walked the streets all night, 

 and went to the Exchange Hotel early in the morn- 

 ing. We all met there that morning and the next 

 night. My friend and I had rooms there, but we sat 

 in the office nearly all the time, reading the papers, 

 while we were watched by the detectives, of whom 

 the hotel was full. I expected to die then, and if I 

 had it would have been all right; but now it seems 

 rather hard. I escaped to Canada,, and was glad 

 enough when I crossed the bridge in safety. 



I desired, however, to return to my command, 

 and started with my friend for the Confederacy via 

 Detroit. Just before entering the city he received 

 an intimation that the detectives were on the lookout 

 for us, and, giving me a signal, he jumped from the 

 cars. I didn't notice the signal, but kept on, and was 

 arrested in the depot. 



I wish to say that killing women and children was 

 the last thing thought of. We wanted to let the 

 people of the North understand that there are two 

 sides to this war, and that they can't be rolling in 

 wealth and comfort while we at the South are bear- 

 ing all the hardships and privations. 



In retaliation for Sheridan's atrocities in the Shen- 

 andoah valley, we desired to destroy property, not 

 the lives of women and children, although that would 

 of course have followed in its train. 



Done in the presence of Lieut. -Col. Martin Burke. 



MARCH 2410.30 P.M. 



For the commerce of New York, see COMMERCE. 



NORTH CAROLINA. The dissatisfaction 

 with the government at Richmond which ex- 

 isted in North Carolina at the close of 1863 and 

 the first part of 1864, arose from the lack of 

 efibrts on the part of the Richmond government 

 to seek by negotiations a peace with the United 

 States. A large portion of the people of the 

 State desired peace; but instead of witnessing 

 efforts to obtain it by negotiation, they beheld 

 the war pressed forward, the exactions of the 

 government for men and money constantly in- 

 creasing, and the loss and destruction of the 

 war unsuspended. So far did this discontent 

 proceed, that Gen. Vance found it to be neces- 

 sary to address a letter to Mr. Davis on the 

 subject. This letter, with the reply to it, will 

 be found under the title " Confederate States." 

 Mr. Davis says that all his efforts to open ne- 

 gotiations have, been rejected by Mr. Lincoln, 

 and that honor would not permit them to be 

 renewed. This state of affairs led to various 

 suggestions for reaching the object so much 

 desired. In the Senate of the State Legislature, 

 which was in session at this time, it was pro- 

 posed to open negotiations through commis- 

 sioners appointed by the States respectively. 

 For this purpose the following resolutions wero 

 brought forward in that body : 



Resolved, That five commissioners be elected Ly 

 this General Assembly, to act with commissionera 

 from the other States of the Confederacy, as a me- 

 dium for negotiating a peace with the United States. 



Resolved, That each of the other States of the Con- 

 federacy be respectfully requested to create a similar 

 commission, with as little delay as practicable, and 



