New-York daily tribune., 1861-05-13
THE CAMP AT CAIRO.
n. situation aud Importance.

Core spondsnes Of Tie T. \. Tribune
CAIRO, ILL.,, May o. 1901.
That your readers may get an idea Of the strength
and weakness Of this important post, something should
| be said of the surrounding countryi for Camp De-
fance the name now decided upon for liz peculiar
position with reference the eran-growns sates of
the Mississippi Valley may at this lime be said to lie
as capable OF commanding the commerce Of New-Or-
leans as woud feet of ships of the line anchored Oh
her levee and certainly while she is blockaded az the
mouth Of the river her supplies cut Olby Camp Del
ance here, sbe is helpless.
The ground upon wlichCairostand- pronouncedKarol
is subject 20 overflow at common stages of lgh water
and TO prevent this evee has been built for abou. two
and half miles up the bank of either river and thence
across and the area included may be described az an
equaieral triangle. This ieyce is from sj 10 100 feet
across al the base and from 20 TO 20 feet On the top
on the Ohio side On level with the embankment,
all tho busness bousos-some Of them good enough for
any cityGre erected between them and the rves hes
the track Of the Illinois Central and fn the line of
this 10 low.waer mark, The ground is well paved and
of such s-ade as to permit the passage Of drsy..
FREIGHT is always received upon wharf b0ats which
are immense structures, built expressly for this pur-
pose and they are moored as easily TO Keep IN un-
changing position with the shore. There Is no land
ipgs and scarcely house on the Mississippi eide
Six miles above Cairo, and iu sight, IS Mound City,
which has connection, by rsi, with the Illinois Cen
tral, 2l2 miles distant; next is Caledonia H. miles:
next, Metropolis, 40 miles, all in Illinois, and next,
Paducah in Kentucky, which may be considered as at
the mouth OF the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers.
On the Mississippi the first point Is Prices Landing,
whence is wagon road to Charleston, the county scat
of Mississippi County, opposite Cairo; next Santa Fe,
ILL.,. next, Thebes, Ill., 4Omilesi next, Commerce, Mo-,
q miles, aud next, Cape GiIardeau, No, ~ miles.
This last place aud pdueah important al The rest
are Insignificant.
Down the Mississippi is Columbus, 20 miles, the
terminus OF the rail- ioad from New-Orleans. Tie
nearest heh land IN any direction from Cairo il about
nine niles On the Central AID all between cyIness
swaDps with here and there marsly opening, called
a fsIn and covered with mass OF heavy timber, ynes
aud crcepers through which the snn cannot penetrate
the high band, commencing upon the edge vi lhir
swamp rises several hundred feet, often presenting
mountainous aspects; the timber il maple, leech, HEX
orv and oak Springs are frequent, and whore farms
are opened they vel reward the l1borer; but moro
than three ourths Of all this high land If TN ubroken
wilderness where at night, wolves howl.
The Illinois shore of the Ohio above Mound City is
high aud drv The Kentucky shore is more swampy
than il is anywhere in Iuos, and the distance back
to le highlands is from 10 - niles. The Illinois
bllOle Oh INC VI -TbHllIl II
ore hills 10 Ihebes but above this point is sub
ject % overflow Tor iJO miles The Mississippi shore
of fMissOu j. swampy in every difecion and the near
est hgh land much ~ mlles detaut near Cape
GiraIdean, which j. tie only place where Southern
Missouri can reach tie river with teams, succession
of cyp.eS swsmps oane-brakes, and bayor with here
and there farm, always protected by leyee, 10 the
Gulf Of Mexico, distance Of At least 900 mos. On
n east side OF the Mississippi there are occaionay
high Lands on which the towns placed. Opposite
Cairo in MsssuIi, il Birds Point, containing few
houses from which a railroad extends 20 or 80 miles,
Intending some time or other "a enter the beautiful
State OF Arksnsas. Charleston Is ~ miles from Bird
Point II is an insignificant, wbisky-dIinking town,
in the midst OF prairie noted ior its fertility but is
frequently oyeril0wed; in fact saw the Mississippi
water run in brooks through the streets Of Charleston
two wears AGO. and at the same time the same water
ran through the cyerts OF the railr0adand even came
up 10 the ties IN quantities sufficient 10 ruu thousand
gnst-mls.
Amid 30 much water, let MS come back 10 Cairo,
which il 1uite a hsrbor OF safety ia thiSregioD. OF
course. what water falls from the clouds over Cairo
IL caught within the basin formed by the leyee, bat as
deep canal has been dug throrgh the center OF tine
town ii IL collected IN place ard when the river
is low il is drawn of through passages leit m the
levee for tls purpose Bat whenthe rivers are high,
what rain falls cannot be Drawn OIL aud, berdes, the
great pressure Of two such rivers the water TO
soak through aud add TO the difficulty. A steam
engine IL now pumping water out OF the place AZ the
rate Of abon five barrels minute, and there IL very
Inls water iu the town. Tue plan Tor avoiding all |