Charleston (SC) Mercury, "United States Items," October 23, 1863

                        UNITED STATES ITEMS.

            The New York Evening Post says another fleet is to be sent after Alabama.

            Eleven hundred sick soldiers from the Army of the Potomac arrived in Washington last week.

            Four hundred sick and wounded soldiers from General Fitzpatrick’s command were  received in Washington on the 11th instant.

            A correspondent of the Herald, from Beaufort, N.C., says the blockade runners steam out of Willington in open daylight.

            The ship Anna T. Schmidt, destroyed by the pirate Alabama, was insured in Boston offices for about $110,00. The ship Express, also destroyed by the pirate Alabama, was insured in New York for $40,000.

            Two men were arrested in Washington, on the 11th inst., and committed to the Central Guard House, for dealing with Confederate money. The authorities in Richmond are more lenient to the dealers in greenbacks.

            There are symptoms in New York of renewed trouble among the working classes. Discharged workmen are threatening to burn the warehouses and shops of those who discharged them, and several arrest have been made.

            The Mozart and Tammany Hall factions have united in New York city for the purpose of securing the spoils at the next charter election. — Fernando Wood is one of the contracting parties. Hon. Ben. Wood opposes the arrangement.       

            One forces in and about Harper’s Ferry have met with pretty sever usage at the hands of Imboden’s guerilla force. In the first place, a scouting party, belonging to Capt. Means’ cavalry, had a skirmish with Imboded’s men, and were repulsed. Subsequently the cavalry at  Harper’s Ferry and two regiments of infantry went out to meet the enemy, had a skirmish, were drawn into an ambuscade, and badly cut up. Captain Somers, a brave and worthy officer, was among the killed. – Baltimore American, October 13.

            Our attention is called almost every day to the stampede of slaves which is now taking place in our county. One Sunday and Monday and nights last, an exodus of forty or fifty from the neighborhood of Pomonket is reported. The manner of departure is not known, further than that the negro who may be his master’s house at night is not to be found in the morning. At this rate our county is likely to be entirely drained of available working labor in a very short time. Indeed, upon this subject serious apprehension are already felt and in some section of our county there is almost total depletion. — Port Tobacco Times.