New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-10-21
Western Military Correspondence



Military Matters-IIow the Hessas Le-Thc Fortified.
tione-A Scene on the Parade Ground, ETC.
siecial to the New Orleans Crescent
CoLrunus tKy) October lG, 1851
1T' E1ttor-At all the warlike centers can
hear Of this one at the Western end of Kentucky
appears to have the quetest time of it. The occa-
siona visits Of the Cairo gunboats, and the burst
ing Of few harmless g bungshells y in the air and
splashing Of few harmless cannon-bas in the
water, have spread a momentary excitement thro'
camp--and this is all painting hosts have yet
been enabled to see in the way of war-if war this
shooting long taW can be called. Since their visit
last week. the gunboats have kept scarce. They
have only appeared once since, and that was to
pillage farm the Missouri side, bout SIX miles
from here and of course beyond the reach of any
effective Interference on part. This thlevlng
expedition consisted Of three gunboats and the big
steamer Aleok Scott. They laid all day in sight
of our upper batteries and stripped the farm OF all
| its movable valuabes.
| The Cairo report of the last engagement here
states that the gunboats threw thirty shells within
our batteries. This falls just twenty nine shells
| short OF the truth. Only one shell came over the
bluff and that buried itself in the earth without eX-
ploding This story OF the enemy is about on a
par with all their stories of the engagements in
| this quarter.
At this place we are isolated strange as it may
| seem to you, from all Intelligence of our brave CO.
| workers in the cause of independence. All the
news we get from other parts Of Kentucky Is by
way OF Memphis; so you see it is Impossible toi
NE to write about anything further than what tran
| spires in and around Columbus
| The Notifications progress steadily The lndlca
| tons are that Columbus will be second Glbral
tar. There are big guns and guns enough mounted
! think, to sink any fleet that the Gorilla could pos
sIbly get together for the purpose of passing th!
place. We have enough digging to do, on the bat
ieries and breastworks. The regiments work eacl
six hours daily, some in the forenoon and some II
| the afternoon. 1t would doubtless interest you II
know the precise extent and shape of the defence
here: but this is one Of the things OF which 1t i
forbidden to write, lest the enemy discover to-
much. But this | look upon as an absurdity
Through the numerous and adroit spies, as well a
by their observations, the enemy knoV
all they wish to know about the place: we hay
evidence OF the fact.
We had a scene on the parade ground the othe
| evening, during battalion drill. The regiment wa
standing at open order and ordered arms, whe
r Col Marks gave the order, stack arms. You
military readers will at once see what blnnde
| this was, and how impossible it was to eXecut
such an order according to any modern tactics
l 1t threw the line into confusion some companie
stood fast without obeying the order, and other
, in an awkard and bunging manner shouldere
arms without order; the rear rank marched to-
q ward without order, and then the stacks wer
e made without order. Among the companies tht
4 didn't obey the order was the Continental Guard
Seeing this, the Colonel shouted to Capt. Fleming
| wanting TO KNOW why his company didn't stac
o arms The Captain replied that he didn't kno
It how to execute the order. The Colonel said
d would teach him how. The Captain replied til;
= that just what he wanted. The Colone
instead of teaching him how to execute the NOV
ment, Indignantly. ordered him to march his cor
d | pany off the ground, and report himself und
:; | arrest; both which were done, The remalnil
10 companies then finished the bunge of stackil
arms from an open order.
Y. Subsequently Col. Marks ordered the Con
!. aDpeaT before him at his tent, Wi
they did, under command of Lieut.. Babin. II
le order them off the parade ground to disgra
ye them, or order them before him to punish thel
- he merely wished to let them understand distinct
~ that in battalion drill he alone was their col
IN mander, and that when he gave an order right
Iy wrong, it must be obeyed, if possible.
ns Lieut.. PeytOn, who had drilled the compan
. | stepped up 10 speak in eXtenuation of the CO
IL pany, and to take the blame upon himself,
n. having always instructed the men never to OBJ
lie q wrong order but the Colonel refused to listen
os | him. The Lieutenant then offered him his swor
- this the Colonel also refused saying he had just
)" good Il sword of his own, Soon atterward
lis Colonel sent an order to Captain Fleming to reu
rlz to his duty. And so the matter, far as knO
~ has " simmered down. High military author
90 has decided that the Colonel was wrong in the fl
Ag place, and the Captain wrong in the second plaC
ne the former in giving the wrong order, and
90 latter in refusing to obey the order, though
:: knew it to be wrong.
ID, The weather has been sunny and pleasant
Ia late. To-day our regiment received a large a
nd welcome supply of clothing, shoes, etc. fr
An "way down South in Dixie l. G