A dispatch received from Greencastle, Pa., eleven miles from Hagerstown states that much excitement prevailed there last night on account of the reports of an advance of the Confederates on the last named place. They are said to be moving by way of Cavetown, seven miles east, but up to 5 P. M. there were no signs of them in the vicinity of the town.—Another dispatch from Harrisburg confirms this statement. Considerable alarm was occasioned at Harrisburg last night by the supposition that the Confederates had reached some point on the Northern Central railroad, as the operatives had detected an expression indicating that the telegraph had been tampered with. A still later dispatch states that the Confederates had not entered Hagerstown at 6 P. M. The Northern Central railroad was still unmolested at midnight. Gen. Wool has been assigned to the command of all the troops north of the Susquehanna.
A skirmish occurred on Tuesday, between Poolesville and Darnstown, in which a Confederate cavalry force were defeated with a loss of fifteen killed and wounded, and six prisoners. The Federal loss was one killed and seven wounded. An affair took place yesterday at Clarksburg, fifteen miles southeast of Monocacy Junction, in which thirty Confederates were taken prisoners.
Alexandria Gazette, Alexandria, VA