N. C., and I suppose from other places.
Its accumulation here, when known to the enemy, as it certainly will be,
only endangers the city more and more.

Mr. Harman, of Staunton, suggests that every house in Virginia be
visited, and one third the subsistence for man and beast be bought at
market price. He says that would subsist the army.

FEBRUARY 24TH.--Rained all day yesterday; cloudy and cool this morning.
We have no news--only rumors that Wilmington has been abandoned, that A.
P. Hill's corps (Lee's army) has marched into North Carolina, etc.

Yesterday the Senate voted down the bill to put 200,000 negroes in the
army. The papers to-day contain a letter from Gen. Lee, advocating the
measure as a _necessity_. Mr. Hunter's vote defeated it. He has many
negroes, and will probably lose them; but the loss of popularity, and
fear of forfeiting all chance of the succession, may have operated on
him as a politician. What madness! "Under which King, Benzonian?"

The President and Gen. Breckinridge rode out to Camp Lee yesterday, and
mingled with the returned prisoners, not yet exchanged. They made
speeches to them. The President, being chilled, went into a hut and sat
down before a fire, looking ill and wan.

The Bureau of Conscription being abolished, the business is to be turned
over to the generals of reserves, who will employ the reserves mainly in
returning deserters and absentees to the army. The deserters and
absentees will be too many for them perhaps, at this late day. The
mischief already effected may prove irremediable.

A dispatch from Gen. Lee, this morning, states that Lieut. McNeill, with
30 men, entered Cumberland, Maryland, on the 21st inst., and brought off
Gens. Crook and Kelly, etc. This is a little affair, but will make a
great noise. We want 300,000 men in the field instead of 30. However,
this may be the beginning of a new species of warfare, by detached
parties. Our men, of course, have the best knowledge of the country, and
small bands may subsist where armies would starve. The war can be
prolonged indefinitely, if necessary, and probably will be, unless there
should be some relaxation of the stringency of measures on the part of
the United States Government.

The markets are now almost abandoned, both by sellers and purchasers.
Beef and pork are sold at $7 to $9 per pound, and everything else in
proportion. Butter, from $15 to $20.

The President walked down to his office after 11 o'clock th