The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-19 00:00:00

follows :

" WASHINGTON, SUNDAY, MARCH 2.
" General Buell telegraphed to General M'Clellan
last night the rebels have abandoned Murfrees-
borough, and are in full retreat towards the Ten-
nessee River. Crossing this river will place them
in Alabama, and free Middle Tennessee of every
armed rebel force. Inasmuch as the enemy retreat
along a railroad line, tearing up the rails as they
pass, it will be difficult for General Buell to catch
them.

"I am permitted to announce the highly impor-
tant intelligence that the Tennessee and Cumber-
land rivers will be opened this week to free and
unrestricted commerce, under the order of the
Secretary of the Treasury. This measure will be
one of great relief to the commerce of the Western
States, and it will be a boon to the loyal people of
Tennessee, who have been suffering so terribly for
tea, salt, coffee, and other necessaries of life.
" Cotton to the value of 100,000 dole. has fallen
into our hands at Nashville, and the Treasury De-
partment has taken measures to have it brought to
New York.

" Commodore Foote telegraphed to-day that a
reconnaissance toward Columbus revealed the fact
that the enemy's fortifications had been blown up
and the guns dismounted, save in the water bat-
teries, the houses burned, and the town evacuated.
" It is believed that the United States forces will
occupy Columbus to-day. The rebel forces under
Albert S. Johnston are being steadily pressed back-
ward by General Buell.
" Official information to the War Department
from Nashville represents that the military work in
that State is about completed, and that it only re-
mains to effect a civil re-organisation of the State
Government.

"The President has designated the Hon. Andrew
Johnston to be a Brigadier-General, and he proceeds
to Tennessee to-morrow to open a Military Provi-
sional Government of Tennessee, until the Civil
Government be reconstructed.
" General Buell will be nominated to-morrow as
Major-General of Volunteers."
Columbus also has been evacuated by the Confe-
derates.

The following despatch was received from Com-
modore Foote, dated Cairo, March Ist :
"Lieut.-Commanding Phelps sent with a flag of
truce to-day to Columbus, has this moment re-
turned, and reports that Columbus is being eva-
cuated. He saw the rebels burning their winter quar-
ters, and removing the heavy guns on the bluffs ;
but the guns in the water batteries remain intact.
He also saw a large force of cavalry drawn up,
ostentatiously, on the bluffs, but no infantry was to
be seen as heretofore. The „encampment seen in
our armed reconnaissance a few days since has been
removed. Large fires were visible in the town of
Columbus, and upon the river banks below, indi-
cating the destruction of the town, military stores,
and equipments.
(Signed) " A. H. FooTE, Flag Officer."
The same officer, under date of the 3d, has the
following—
"Lieutenant-Commanding Shirk has this moment
arrived from the Tennessee river, and brings full
despatches from Lieutenant-Commanding Gwinn, of
the Tyler, a synopsis of which is, that the two gun-
boats proceeded up to Pittsburgh, near the Mis-
sissippi line, where a battery was opened upon
them, consisting of six guns, one of them being
rifled, which were soon silenced by the gun-
boats. Ninety mounted men landed, under cover
of the gunboats, and charged upon the enemy, driv-
ing them to some distance, until they were strongly
reinforced, when our party withdrew to the boats;
then three regiments opened upon the gunboats, but
were repulsed with great slaughter—the casualties
on our side amounting to five killed and missing
and five wounded. Lieuts.- Commanding Gwinn
and Shirk, with their commands, have behaved with
great gallantry and judgment.
"An election for town officers has just taken
place in Harden county, Tennessee, which resulted
in 200 votes for the Union, and 13 for secession.

" A. H. FOOTE, Flag Officer.
" To Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy."
Confirmation of the reported evacuation of Co-
lumbus is furnished in the following rebel account
from the Memphis Appeal :
" General Polk issued orders yesterday (Feb. 18)
that of the track of the Memphis and Ohio Rail-
road should be torn up and the bridges burnt, which
order was obeyed, and by this time the work of
destruction is complete on a great part of the road.
" A rumour prevails on the streets this afternoon,
that Polk was preparing to evacuate Columbus to-
morrow, remove all the guns, &c., and demolish the
fortifications.

" The forces at new Madrid and Fort Pillow,

together with the Columbus troops, are to repair at
once to Memphis, and make a stand—making an
army of about 50,000 men.
"We have the rumour, in such form as to give
credit, that an order has been issued by General
Polk for the evacuation of Columbus, which move-
ment is understood to be executed under the direc-
tion of Beauregard. It is stated that preparations
are being made for our army to fall back to
Island No. 10, or Fort Pillow—a very necessary
move, it seems to us, in view of the capture of
Fort Donelson and the surrender of Nashville. As
General Polk made a call, two or three days since,
upon the planters along the Mississippi river for a
thousand negroes for the purpose of completing and
strengthening the fortifications at island No. 10, we
were not unprepared for this intelligence. Indeed
it has long since been perfectly palpable to us that
Columbus must eventually be evacuated, and our
lines drawn in so soon as the central column of our
army, under General Johnston, at Bowling-green,
gave way, or Forts Henry and Donelsen fell into
the enemy's hands. The capture of these positions
was tantamount to a successful flanking of both
Bowling-green and Columbus, and hence it required
no experienced military eye to foretell some of its
more immediate consequences. These reasons
strengthen our conviction of the authenticity of the
rumour.

" Island No. 10 is a strong position, not far from
Hinckman, Kentucky, about 45 miles below Colum-
bus, and 115 above Fort Pillow, and 185 above
Memphis, It completely commands the Mississippi
River for miles above, and can be so fortified with
heavy guns as to be made impregnable against river
attack, As it is demonstrated in the late battles at
Fort Henry and Donelson that the Federal gun-
bbatsarenot invulnerable to rifled cannon and
heavy columbiads, the position is well chosen, and
with the aid of a good land force can be maintained
against the approach of Foote's flotilla.
" It is true that Columbus is to be evacuated. It
will require, we presume, several days for the exe-
cution of this order, as care should be taken that
none of our munitions or ordnance are left behind.

" General Beauregard now, no doubt, directs all
military operations in this department, a fact which

insures success in everything possible to be attained
by energy, skill, and experience."
A special despatch from Cairo, 3d, says :
" The steamer Isetta, from the Tennessee river
yesterday, reports that, as the gunboats Tyler and
Lexington, accompanied by the transport Isetta,
were approaching Pittsburgh, eight miles above
Savannah, on the Tennessee river, they were
fired upon by a battery located on a bluff over-look-
ing the river. The gunboats replied, for half an
hour, with shot and shell. At the expiration of that
time the battery was silenced, and a force of 80
marines and infantry landed and burned one house,
when we were again attacked by a large force
of rebels, and compelled to retreat to our boats. Our
loss was one killed and three missing.
" The officers of the boat report the existence of
a strong Union sentiment in that vicinity.
"At Savannah, for Sheriff, on Saturday, the
Union candidate received 350 votes, and the Seces-
sion candidate 45."

A special despatch to the C7iteago Tribune from
Cairo, Merch 20, says :

" That a very bright light, as of a very large con-
flagration, in the direction of Blandville, was seen
from here on Friday night at 9 o'clock. On Satur-
day night the sky was brilliantly illuminated by
the reflection of a large conflagration directly in the
line of Columbus, and apparently about as far
distant.

"It is generally believed that the rebels there
have burned everything of an inflammable nature.

" There is a report of an attempt to defend the
river further down.

" CAIRO, MONDAY, MARCH 3.
" The rebels are said to be fortifying Island No.
10, 35 miles below Columbus, which place they will
fall back upon. High ground is found on the
island, which is well adapted for planting batteries
to command the river.

" Prominent officers believe that Columbus was
burnt last night."

With respect to the occupation of Nashville, the
Secretary of the Navy has received a letter, dated
Cairo, Feb. 27, from Flag-Officer Foote, who

says :

" I have the honour to forward a communication
just received from Lieut.-Commanding Bryant, the
substance of which I have just telegraphed.
" The captain of the steamer who brings the dis-
patch says that six miles below Nashville there was
a battery on a higu bluff, which had mounted 15
guns, but several of them were thrown into the
river before the Cairo arrived. He also reports
that a strong Union feeling was manifested in and
near Nashville, and that Governor Harris, after
vainly attempting to rally the citizens and others,
left on Sunday morning for Memphis. He also
states that the gunboats are the terror of the people
of Nashville, and at points on the Cumberland
river, and that on hearing of my arrival, supposing
the gunboats would proceed immediately to Nash-
ville, the enemy retreated panic-stricken. The
unusually high water of the river, enabling the
boats to ascend the river, was providential."

" The following is the enclosure in Flag Officer
Foote's letter : " ' Nashville, Feb. 25, 1862.
" Sir,—Uncertain that my letter of the 23d inst.
reached you, I repeat that I departed from Clarkes-
ville for this point by the request of Brigadier-Gen.
Smyth, commanding at Clarkesville, and arrived.
here this morning, preceded by seven steamboats,
conveying an army commanded by Brig.-Gen.
Nelson. The troops landed without opposition.
The banks of the river are free from hostile forces..
The railroad and suspension bridges here are all
destroyed.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
" ' A. C. BRYANT, Lieut.-Commanding.
" ' Flag Officer A. H. Foote, Commanding,
Flotilla Western Waters.'
"LOUISVILLE, MARCH 3.
_

" Railroad communication between here and
Nashville, except over a creek of 10 miles north of
Nashville, damaged by the rise of the water on
Saturday, will be resumed by to-morrow night.
" The election at Nashville on Saturday for
municipal officers passed off quietly. The retiring
Mayor issued a proclamation assuring the citizens
of protection by the national troops if they would
quietly pursue their accustomed avocations.

"Several zebel prisoners have been brought to
Nashville.

" Twenty-five negroes, who were seized by the
rebels in the vicinity of Bowling Green, have been
received at Nashville and sent back.
" General mail accommodation is established at
Bowling Green, and for military letters to Naeb-
ville, and Colonel J. J. Milor, Government Hail
Agent for Kentucky, is making energetic exertions
to extend mail facilities to every part of Ken-
tucky."