Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-07-04
Defences MP the R,,

thrown up the banks of the river ., forces hsv
miles above Memphis, and given the Asanuolph, sxV
Wright: 'ne name Of Fn.
There is one striking popularity about az.
hold In ascending the heights which oo .nS Strong
mgn.y river ten or twelve miles, one is TIE
priseo oy encounterlng troops and heavn 1 auly sur
these are least expected The earthen guns where
been sodded with grass and on the exter; have
ID appearance from other portions of the rnono 1U d
The visitor is constantly surprised by 6ndne heights
the very lannon's mouth. The earthworks Gu n'selfa at
to 80 feet In thickness and no less Gaensh IRON 70
river than on the andward side. In both d, % The
9a'ure mas mace tne Iorthcations almost Daccsab
1t occurred to us as we walked around the
with Surgeon Woodward that 600 mon ~, uuIcatons
Fort Wright against any force that MIGHT bO hold
against it. eD' oe Drought
An assault upon the fortress from the river -,
be simply ridiculous. The paths by which s would
OF the bluff is reached are narrow and nrnci summit
there is no portion OF the ascent which is not aud
ed oy SIX and Fwenty-iour and thirty two ponn5a"l
mere Is OUT one narrow dehle on the landward sS'
which it is possible for an attacking force 70 SD
detences; this is defended by heavy guns wbioS te
the detiie for more than mile This pass is
an eartbern wall thirty or forty feet in thickness
quarter or half mile east of this on the hin 80 and
handing the valley, is a crescentshaped wall Nj CON-
open side next the main fort6 atious II eeo 'u lne
that this outpost would be mpregnabe, supr ortea ~
rate description of the Notifications than WY Su
written. The only book we ever read that as'e
military matters is known as Tristram Sbandv orS,,
great difference between the Notifications at PS
and those we have visited in other portions of Tho
try, consists in the fact that elsewhere the % Sou
brick and stone here they made of touuh tn orc
clay. A cannon ball fired against the walls At P,a
dolph would burrow itself in the entertainments h l.l
would be difficult to imagine what harm wonId bo d
by it.
Capt. Bankhead, the accomplished LAWYER and solH.
has command of the heaviest battery at Fort W.
His ten guns are Cd and 80 FOUNDERS besides bowsuH
and his men are like his guns, of huge calbre ''''
WHAT GEN. PILLOW HAS DONE AND is DOING
The Bulletin also furnishes some interesting info,r.
ton regarding the progress making by Gen. Pillow f
the reception of the emmy. 1t says:
The tireless. sleepless energy of Major General pon
will soon place this portion OF Tennessee beyord tbo
reach of danger. He has equipped and sent to the fila
larger army in shorter space OF time, offcerd o1
perfectly organized, than any commander of whom NV
read in modern history. Gen. Pillow has armed and N,
ganized into companies and regiments and mustered in
to service, more than twenty thousand men, He hos
supervised everything which pertains to their comfort
and their efficiency, and distributed them in such man.
as most certainly to secure their success 10 defend
ing the South against invasion The strength Of E
forces, which is daily and hourly increasing has h
nearly trebbled by accessiOns from Mississippi Ahsm
and Arkansas, and alter another month has ELAPSED
would be worse than folly for any conceivable Dumh
of northern men to descend the vail y of the Mssssp
GEN. BRAxroN BRAGG.--Mr. Russell the Ion1on
Times correspondent furnishes the following pei and
ink sketch of General Braxton Bragg, the commander
of the Confederate forces at Pensacola
The commander of the Confederate States army al
Pensacola is about fDry-two years of age of Spare
and powerful frame bis face is dark and marked with
| l.tof,, h L.
mined jaws, and his eyes, sagacous, penetrating and
not by any means urkindly, look out at you from beetle
brOws which straight and spring into thick
turft OF black hair, which is thickest over the nose
where naturally it usually leaves an intervening space
is hair is dark and he wears such regulation whskes
as were the delight of our Generals few years ago
His manner is quick and frank, and bis smile is very
| pleasing and agreeable.
| General Bragg received me at the top Of the steps
which lead to the verandah, and after few earnest and
complimentary words, conducted me to his Office where
be spoke of the contest in which he to play i'm.
portant part in terms of unaffected earnestnes Why
else had he left his estates? After the Mexican war be
had retired from the United States artillery but when
his State was menaced he was obliged to defend her.
He satisfied the North meant nothing but subuga,
| ton. All be wanted Was peace. Slavery an in.
stltutlon tor which he not responsible but bis prop
erty guaranteed to him by law, and consisted Of
slaves. Why did the enemy take of slaves from lor1.
gas to work for them at Pickens? Because whites
could not do their work. 1t vas quite impossible 70
deny his earnestness sincerity end zeal be spoke aud
one could only wonder at the difference made by The
" stand point " from which the question is reviewed
General Bragg finally, before we supped took down bis
plans and showed me the position of every gun in Biz
works and all his batteries. He showed the greatest
clearness of u1reserved openness in his communications
and anxions to point out that he had much greater
difficulties to contend with than Gen. Beauragad bad
at Cbarleston-The inside of Pickens is well known TO
him, he was stationed there the very first tour Of duty
which he had after he left West Point. 1t was late al
night when returned on one Of the Generals horses To-
wards the Navy Yard.