Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-11-02
WANrED-At this office, boy to fold papers
Interesting from Paducah.

| The Memphis appeal has letter from Paducah
KY dated the 2Sth instant, which gives some inter
esting information in regard to affairs in that place
We copy as follows:
Paducah is at this time occupied By about 500
troops two-thirds or three fOurtbs of whom are
Germans. They are tolerable well equipped and
drilled and better othcered than is generally
admitted concerning the Federal troops. Very little
rellsnce, however, is placed upon the troops by
their own officers, and upon every occasion when
an attsck on Paducah is expected the general spirit
manifested by the soldiers is of great dulness,
to say cowardlce.
Some exsgerations have been entertained about
the fortihcations constructed about the place. The
breastworks small, and mounting only two hea-
w guns-thirty-twO pounders-the balance being
SIX and twelve Founders. The bitches only five
feet wide and four and half feet deep The great
est obstac to be encountered by asssultng force
is On dbqttis of trees which extend from three 10
five hundred yards in half circle in front of the
whole work giving g clear range to their guns a.
making the obstruction complete against cavalry
attack That it would cost some lives now to take
the place. is undoubtedly true, bnt that 1t could
have been done month ago. without any hes-
Wy loss is equally true. But to considre the
feat as impossible, or the object as not worth
the cost of the undertaking. is rather beyond my
understanding, and such an idea fsyors toe much
the plans and views the Federal officers have, to be
accepted.
The accumulation Of stores and provisions here
is mmense-worth at least two millions of dollars
and within the last few days some lumber has been
purchased for the purpose Of building winter qusr
ters. Large numbers of mules have been bought
and are daily being trained 70 harness. The hos
plta is used as an arsenal everything looks as
if this point is intended TO be made the headquar
tiers of large army to operate IN Western Ken
lucky and down the river.
Few of the breastwOrks ana intrenchments are
completed yet and only portion OF the guns are
mounted and this, added to other reasons, makes !
the apprehension of an attack felt the more truly
here.
You are aware that the bridge broke loose soma
time ago. The flats yet lie on both shores, mostly
on this side. 1t may be reconstructed, but with |
slight chances of ever standing the fall rise OF the
Ohio 1t was avOWedly built for the purpose of re-
treating in case of g. successful attack, ard our
Dutch heroes feel rather sadly the loss of it.
1t is impossible TO imagine anything so dull as
our streets at present. We are all looked upon
with suspicion by the Hessisns, and the few who
remained to save their property have dearly paid |
for what benefit they have derived from doing so.
The oath is administered to everybody, even women
and boys.
General Smith and the whole army feel that they
are surrounded by enemies. silent or avowed. and
the officers of education and refinement experience
keenly the modification of meeting no sympathy
anywhere, and are getting every day more disgust
ed with their mission. The lower class of soldiers
hate for it, and seize with eageTness every OPP
of revenge but the men of more refined
sentiments see that act a free and brave PEG
pie, and they suffer from tie cause to small ex-
tent
Lately this spirit of revenge had fair occasion
to manifest itself in the destruction of all the trees
around PaducRh. The finest residences of our place
were cleared of their ornaments in a few minutes
Nothing was respected, from the oak that had pro
tected the Indian before day, down to the shrub
planted by our own hands last spring.
The less to private property is immense, and the
scene of desslation most sad. Such an act of van
lalism could not be performed but by order Of the
Black Republican, petty despot Lincoln l. and when
you consider that according to the same principle
Of protecting batteries erected inside of CRY all
the houses, as well as public monuments, are like
wise liable to be destroyed, you arrive at conclu
sion far from being honorable to the army waging
war upon such rules They must plead great g-
lorance either of warfare or of civilization.
As to the oath, foreigners are compelled to take
It. They do 1t mostly through Indifference, yet l
wonder 1T has not already occurred to General
Smith that the British French Governments
night have very serious objections to have any of
heir subjects sign an oath to protect the govern
nsnt of the United States against all foreign CT de-
nestle enemies" yet it is done, and by orders from
Washington. Remarkably constitutional is it not