New Orleans daily crescent., 1861-09-19

7PSSIA' ." tAS -'ef SfltanS Creseeni
CoLUasus September Isl 1861
Mr. Edaor-During yesterday, sufphurous deto.
nations and reverberatons were distinctly heard
up the river, from our camp on the Hill back Of
Columbus But cannon firing has become 80 com.
mon of late, either at long g-taw between the Liza
coin boats and JEFF. Thompson's batsery or at ca,,
non practice on our side, that the burning af
powder ceases to stir up our army as 1t did week
ago.
But last evening some excitement was created,
A brisk capnonading was heard close at hand.
. Hi, yah..T shouted Derrick, g dar CONE de ole
bung-sheli aginn n derrick is of African descent
and cooks for the officers mess of the Gontnentala
Last sunday morning, when our batteries on the
blut fired at the Lincoln gun boat, Derrick was one
OF the mob who collected ON the edge of the bluff
to see the fun. When the gun-boat commenced
firing back, Derricks weol elevated itself into
elongated corkscrews, bis face and hair forming d
tolerably good picture Of a Peruvian sun, and
say they found Derrick lying on his face on the
ground behind big oak tree; but Derrick saws It.
wasn't so, and that he was not afraid; but being
the boys that ran, and eaught several Of them run
| ming, and will tell who they were if they don't dry
| up about him.l n a -
Derrick,s. exclamation about the g bung shell,,
| last evening proved his sagacity. The gun-boaf
a. O. Tyler, 1--WE could make her out with elassf
after pouring shot and shell into that part of
| the woods on the Missouri side where JEFF Thomu-
sons battery was concealed, and receiEing concIu-
slve proof Of the correctness Of her conclusions BY
| the fire which that battery returned, boldly an
peared beyond the point and sent some four Or i've
shots and shells at that part Of the bluff above Co
lnmbus where our batteries were stationed last
| Sunday No fire was returned from our side The
distance being too great for cur guns One 81 the
Tylor's shells exploded high up in the air, about
fragments fell In the sand close to the waters edge
near where a little boy was sitting. Young Ken
tueky dug it up, scrambled up the hill with IT, and
sold 1t to the first conner for half dollar.
| nf he ocfnf opd off IN. ~
within the lines of JEFF. Thompson's camp. The
| only damage done was by piece of the shell,
which tore a hole in the Quartermaster's tent. One
OF NE Sen Ss aes M INA escaped death
| hetoken purpose Of some Kind, for which the
most ample preparations are making. Thompscn,s
force is now hourly reinforced from this side with
infantry, heavy artillery and cavalry, whilst new
| arrivals from down the country render the defence
Of Columbus as formidable as ever. The fact il,
that some S000o 10, ,00G Yankee or Hessfan troops
an advance from Cairo and Birds Point, are now
at Norfolk, village on the Missouri side, twelve
miles from this place, and eight miles from Cairo.
1t is now the prevalent opinion that the first en-
gagement in this vicinity will be on the Missouri
side, about midway between this and Cairo and
that very soon. Ammunition, guns, etc., have
been crossing to the Missouri side to-day, the
troops having crossed yesterday and the day be-
fore. Gen. Pillow and staff crossed over to-day
and are UP the Missouri side looking at things
There is quite a steamboat feet here, engaged
in the Government service: the Charm, Prince,
| GrampuS, Onl0 Belle, MohaWk, Jen.& Davis, and
others. They have steam up aud are busy all
the time. This being Sunday, and all being
quiet in our camp on the h I write this on
the Charm, boat that is charming enough to all
who have the good luck to know Capt., Reeves,
Mr.. E. l.. Shaw, the clerk, and Mr. TFask, who
keeps the Blower of Bacchus" on hoard the
Charm. In thus allnding to the spirituous conso-
laton afforded on board the Charm, / may state
that whisky is whisky in these parts The coffee.
houses and all the stores in Columbus where
whisky is sold, have the oldest sort of signs, all
exactly alike. Whenever you see live soldier in
front Of a door with a musket in his hand you may
be sure the house is either a Generals headauar-
ters, whisky shop. The said live soldiers duty
. in front of said shops is to keep other soldiers
from going in to buy whisky, and store keepers
from coming out to sell it. Citizens who have the
exclusive privilege of buying whisky, get it at the
moderate rate of two dollars a quart fYou must
} remember that Columbus is a small town, at pres
ent gasping under the pressure of large army ]
; You may, accordingly, setit down as sure thing
that no intemperance is to be seen, either in Co
| lumbus OF in the surrounding camps. 4#4
Gen. Thompsons scouts yesterday captured
seven Lincoln men, said to have been landed from
the 'gunboat Tylor, for the purpose of ciakng a
way down the Missouri shore, to facilitate the ad
vance of the Lincoln army now uear Norfolk
They were brought over to Columbus and lodged
in the calaboose, which is q deserted drug store
, guarded by soldiers. . 1ss~.
] was over on the Missouri side to-day, looking
at the camps there pitched. Things look very for
: nidable over there, as well as on the Kentucky
q side The impression on both sides of the river is
that the ball will open soon. The boys everywhere
: are ready and eager for the fray. /. G.