Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1861-07-19
Correspondence of the Delaware Gazette-l
BETTER from Missouri.
BIRDS POINT, Mo-, July

BETTER from Missouri
BIRDS PoINT. Mo-, July Z, 1861.
EDITOR GAzETTE:-I receive, occasionally,
a copy of your paper, and seeing the interest
you manifest for US, who are supposed to be
placed in the very jaws of the seeessiohists at
this point, have concluded to give you such
information as we deem reliable as TO their
intentions and the probability of their success
and other mattefs which may consider of in
terest to your readers.
What has been supposed to be reliable in
formation, from sources to be depended upon,
has held us in readiness for some days past,
for an attack from the renowned Ben. MeCul-
lock; who has threatened to visit tis in one of
the swOops of his cavalry through this section
of country. Ben. had better be carful, or he
may be buried beneath the serbonian bog,
which he will have to pass if he visits us, who
are keeping an eye cooked for hiHi, id ordef to
do worthy and victorious service in this war
of tyranny and slavery against freemen and
and loyalty. 1t is supposed by those initiated
in military matters that the two regiments and
ten cannon, placed on Birds Point, will be
able to hold it against 5000 men until a sdf-
fe;ent force could be brought to its relief, from
Cairo; to resist almost any force. The ap-
proach to the camp by land; Or account of the
timber and swamp or sHail surrounding it,
renders It very difficult and slow, ana as to an
approach by river the weight Of the metal
dsgorged from the heaven shaking artillery,
which sweeps the entire Stream from Cairo
renders it utterly impossible.
This Birds Point takes its name from an
old man named Bird; who owns the land and is
wealthy STAKEHOLDER, worth SOME $500, 600,
and who gave the rebels $4,000, as report
says. l see him daily in his large frame house,
where he is Gagged up by our line of guards,
and right here he works his human cattle
by overseefs. What would you think of see
ing an able bodied man standing in corn
field all day aud working six women, without
performing any labor himself, except looking
at them with threatening gaze. Would
not that commend the system which says "the
normal or natural condition of the laboring
min, whether white or black, is that of a
slave" Indeed some Of the women can't be
called black. 1t is q Conceded fact that sla-
very is the cause of ell our National trouble.
Then let US get clear of the cause, or in fu-
ture day the same cause will produce similar
state of affairs. When four hundred thousand
men and four hundred millions of treasure have
to be offered up to stay its voracious glut, who
will not cry enough, away with it, let it pass
from US, and that forever:
He whose predjudices are so great against
the black man, and who cannot bear
to have him with him on account of his color,
can he not let those have tllerr with them who
have no such prodlaliGes, and ''whose best
blood flows in their VEINS in the same cdpaci
ty politically as they treat them socially, in
order to have such state Of facts to exist as
to have the ''best blood of the masters to
flow in the Yiens of the black mani" Mason,
or Virginia, on the floor of Congress in one of
his boasted efforts acknowledges the relation
ship in the above words
The health of this edthB f3 remarkably
good; but four deaths having occurred i'll our
regiment, (Ihe Illinois 11th.) On tbs morning
of the 1st of July, the Mississippi began to
raise, and has been on the raise ever since,
and has risen some six or seven feet. For
lays the stream was covered with food wood.
1t is STRANGE to see a riser rise without rain,
but the cause of it was the melting of the
snow in the mountains. The river had been
on the fall for weeks, up to the time referred
to. These rises and falls occasion great chan
yes in the bed of the river: Some ten acres or
more of Birds P0iut if;ss been washed away,
taking quarter of mile of railroad, depot
buildings, &c., with it. The President of the
road was u secessionst and ran off, so no one
looks after the railroad interest except the
river, and IN q few days it will have removed
over 5000 feet inland, bank 80 feet high,
railroad depot and all.
! But little loosiness Is done on the river, and
at the approach of every boat cannon, with
out ball. is discharged. L. the boat whistles
and wheels up to Cairo TO be examined, all
right. If not, another is discharged and a
ball Whistles across her bow. II she refuses
after this, she runs the chGnces Of being sunk.
But none US get have had the hardihood to try
1t is astonishing with what precision can
non is shot. Three out of FIVE shots, at the
distance Of one mile and teff y8ttEs, have beer
put into the head of barrel by some of the
| gunners at Cairo.
I Our fourth Of ,gtly was taken up in enlis
ting the men of the 1lth Illinois regiment
which is a three months regiment for the
long term, and swearing them in. The boys
refused to enlist until they went home, upor
which pass was tendernd them, and fur
lough OF five days. But that did not bring
many yf them to terms. They are going to
stay longer, but the general impression is that
when they shall have staid a while at home
nearly all of them will return. The three
months men have stood nucll hardship; call
ed from. homes of comfort ir4 the early Spring
rains and storms, sleeping on the ground, an(
lily provided for, is no small privation.
On the 4th, at Cairo, one hundred gum
were fired, many of them perfect earthquakes
and other appropriate exercises.
Yours, &c, JAssFs STouP