The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-12-14
LATE AND RELIABLE INFORmA-

LATE AND RELIABLE INFORMAL ,
TION FROM -COLUMBUS-1NTE
ESTING ITEMS.
We have had the pleasure of conversing
with an intelligent person formerly resi-
dent of this city, who within the last week
and who brings many interesting items of
news relative to the forces there, their con-
dition and the defenses of Columbus. 1t
may be proper to state, that the person re-
ferred to, visited Columbus on very impor-
tant private business, and after a series of
hair-breadth escapes and thrilling adven-
lures arrived in this city last Thursday
night on the steamer Courier For very
this visitor to the rebel camps, but we assure
our readers that the statements below are
from an intelligent and reliable source, and
fully entitled to credit.
The forces at Columbus consist of about
forty regiments, none of them containing
over 500 men, and at least 1000 of this
number are sick, leaving an available force
of about 10000 men. Very few of the
regiments are uniformed; large majority
of the soldiers are poorly clad, and some
even without shoes. Our informant thinks
that at least one hundred guns are mounted
on the earthWorks about Columbus, many
of them of the heaviest calibre. The roads
in every direct ton are INSTRUCTED by fallen
L 49, i 4
| planted in the woods back of the town.
The men composing the rebel regiments are
represented as the lowest and vilest of the
poor whites" undisciplined aud only kept
under control by the promises daily made
to thera by the rebel leaders. Whisky is
freely circulated among them by the COM
handing officers and their courage is kept
to the sticking point" by this means.
The black flag has been hosted, and it is
said in their camps, that when the . Yam
KEGS" attack them, no quarter will be given
and no prisoners taken. Among the troops
is one company of Indian cavalry from Ar
kansas, and our informant states most posi-
lively that hundreds of negroes are armed
and in the regiments with the whites Two
regiments at least, who were in the battle
of Bull Run, are now at Columbus.
The officers and men express the greatest
confidence in their ability to whip the
!" Yankees whenever they make their APP
pearance, though it is universally conceded
by them that our artillerists on the gun
boats worked their pieces admirably at the
battle of Belmont.
There appeared to be no Commissary
Department at Columbus. Every few days
boat load If provisions aud whisky ar
rived FROM VI .uyAi9, which would be dis
tributed as zoua as it came. 1t frequently
happened that there was nothing to eat il
the camp. No coffee is seen there. Every
thing edible within thirty miles of CoIum-
bus has been taken long since to feed The
, army, and it is now dependent upon Mem
phs for supplies The men have been sup
, piled with blankets, comforts and quilts
: of all sizes and colors contributed by the
citizens of the South and forwarded Il
Columbus by steamers. The only money
. in circulation is the notes of the Southern
! Confederacy, which are az thick as leaves il
| Autumn.
Our informant thinks thai Columbus vii
only be taken after desperate struggle
, The men defending the place are resolved
never to surrender as long as there is thu
least hope of holding out. We shall se
what their boasts are worth when the new
gun boats and the mortar fleet are ready t,
. hail grape and canister into the doomed
town.