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The court at its last term refused to discharge the prisoner, and being held unlawfully, he has made an appeal to the military authorities for a release. This petition with all the facts in the case, certified to by the clerk of the County Court, were referred on the 17th inst. for the action of the General Com'dg District of Lynchburg - with the information that I had made a personal investigation of the case, and found the facts, as previously stated. The papers have just been referred back, for further particulars. 

In that same County, about six miles west of the court house, a coroner's inquest was held on the 2nd inst. over the body of John Cotsill "Colored", and a verdict rendered that in the judgement of the Jury, the deceased came to his death, from a pistol shot fired by a young man, named Joseph Pratt of said county. A warrant was immediately issued for his arrest, and placed in the hands of an officer for execution, but up to the present he has failed to apprehend him or bring him to justice. It is supposed by some of the citizens that said Pratt is concealed in the neighborhood where he resided--by others that he has left the county. There has been little or no effort made for his arrest.