New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-08-02
FROM CAIRO.
The Rebels Crossing the mississippi.
From Oar Own Correspondent.


Cairo for the last week, has been 10 conflsioD ais
ing FROM the departure Of the threemonths troops and
the arrival of the troops for the The former hay
ing been paid oil, and having received average
about SJj bard money for their services are merry aud
noisy. The whisky shops in full blast both night
and day. and tie lager beer saloons are flled with Ger
who drink and sing and their singing about birds
and flowers attracts musical cars for with their note
books the bar-counter (bey give no mean perform
ances. Tie ST. Charles Hotel seems to he place
whore people aud sing all night to keep those
awake who Try sleep and boon these take their turn
and torment those who tOrmented them before.
OF conrse you have received the news that we are
expecting an attack at Birds Point from the enemy.
Birds Point is opposite here On the Missouri Shore
occupied every night by three regiments, who every
night sleep with their arms within reach that they
can start without delay Tho same readiness exists in
camp here. Mr.. Bird after whom The place seems to
be named owns the Point and several hundred acres
OF land adjoining some three hundred Of which were
planted in las, Spring. He lie the mOst wealthy
man in this part of Missouri and is understood 10 be
Secessiouist He lives in goodsized two-stOry house
partly in the Virginia and partly in the Yankee style,
and looks much Ike the home of wealthy and shift
legs Northern farmer. Here he has about forty -Gve
SLAVES,
many more. Lieut. Barton, of Capt Marks Company,
18th Illinois Regiment vsedthis last place on scout
ing party, and reported a negro woman with twenty
children the Oldest twenty years of age, and that when
they are all ranged paraded in their natural order
they presented company gradually drawing to point
which terminated in yesring.
Mr. Birds farm is sadly cut mp in the erection Of
dofenses fertilization 200 feet long constructed
nd al bv
three batteries pointing lqad'Grd incoses tho point
It "a about thirty feet high from the bottom Of the
d ch which isnne feet broadand seven feet deep. This
work was constructed by Col Lswlers 18th Regiment
H., within the space of nine days which every one
who secs il declares quickly done. Please take
not6 that this regiment volunteered for the in
! Southern Illinois, section prejudeed against the
Government, not SO much because the people are
from North Carolina, because they Ignorant. In
addition to this fertilization another and in the front Of
the former is in the process of construction 900 feet
in length. Both of these works run through Mr.
Birds corn fields, Tho feuces Of which being down,
and opened stock presenta ruined scene and yet,
large are these fields that the cattle have left
touched portion of 40 or 80 acres which is to-day
Houfisling as ii Il were inclosed To protect lots from
rillare, which arc fenced sentinels duly posted;
there are sennes around the potato fields; sontinels
around the watermelon patch; sentinels around the
garden; scntines around tho orchard ana sentinels
around Mr.. Bird himself aud they viii not let him go
on Of the yard. Tie soil Is Of the very choicest Kind
and the land lies level and Il very beautiful in farm
mers eye.
Every hour the officers and soldiers are expecting
that the enemy will issue into these fields from the
woods, FOX having broken up their camp in Union City,
and having crossed the river in great force they are
marching Northward. In ordertha there may be fair
pay, our men have cut down fifty sixty of the
corn. Hence the prospect is, that for once at least
there will be no lodging among trees frer battle
field never was presented and if they care about
fighting they will certainly come. Scouts are traver
sng the woods, three or four steamboats, are the
move, and every few hours issues down into the
profound solitude, which, few months ago was
iyenei by great commercial activity. While every
body Is expecting to hear the firing commence, null.
tudes Eat up all last night myself do not think they
will make an attack for am convinced that there 10
move of ex.Gov. Fox Jackson who l think, intends
10 come up through Wayne and Madison Counties,
No. 60 to take in flank and at his leisure cooperate
with whoever may DO dsailected in Southern Illinois.
This pretty good move and there should be forces
enough hero to strike across Scott Comfy, and drive
him into the swamps, but probably this will DO work
for the Path Finder, Col. Fremont who easily can ap
proach him by tho Iron Mountain Road, provided the
track and bridges guarded, for jackson s an adept
in rendering railroads impossible.
And yet il does not TO me that Birds Point Is
by any means impregnable There are ways for
ing dtcbes, and If the rebels had such troops
Napoleon's Old Guard, or Cromwells Ironsides, the
camp could DO taken by storm, though the loss to them
could but be immense. We have only about 1900
men, If 30 many, willie they have 10000, or might
have, though presume the number they have taken
back through the country, if that their aim, may not
be more than 5000.
Here we are, then, waiting for the enemy to show
itself one to two In the open field. He is respectfully
invited TO appear.
As regards the late defeat in Virginia, no one here
seems to DO discouraged, and every glad that il
did not happen farther from our base. II is considered
as the first page of the war; and that Of course more
men mist be raised.
But our men begin 10 be convinced that to attacks
desperate enemy, 10 mountainous country, an enemy
who refuses his forces on the plain, requires other
mes yses than is common in the warfare Of civilized
countries their thoughts wander hitler aud thher'
Some of their thoughts are, that people 30 peculiarly
inventive ours ought to be able TO discover soue
method by which the savage lurking, and wha' -he
same thing, cowardly method Of fighting, can De OF.
posed, upon equal terms And with this IL oonnee'ed
Yasorta N trans and 10