, 1861-06-26

From IN occasional Correspondent
CA1no June 25th, 1851.
Editors Tribune:
On last Saturday evening, General PrentiB
having been informed that the secessioniBb
were assembling an armed force st Benton,
No., little town soma fourteen miles from
the town Of Commerce, No., which is some
thirty.fve miles above Cairo, concluded to
give ecme Of The boys chance for brush
with the seceders, provided they would stand
long enough to be brushed. Accordingly some
12 companies, including company OF field
artillery, we're detailed, t*o from each
Regiment, and placed on board the
CITY Of Alton and started up late Saturday
eysriug, In order that the enemy might be
taken By surprise. Sunday morning came,
and with It the Nc,c Lt1ele Sam and another
boat from the Upper Mississippi, aud reported
the Alton lying to at Commerce, with no one
10 be seen on board Of her-the town all
quiet, and the sound Of cannonadlng In the
direction Of Benton. Instnnter, the ru,nor was
rife that Gen. Pillow had thrown large force
Of Tennessee troops into that part Of Missouri,
SD that the reported 150 Of Benton Werc only
deeoy, and that our troops had been led into
an aubuscade, and doubtless were ali prison.
ern of Gen. Pillow.
Thus passed the day-rumors increasing in
nu1nber and violence until night, when the
excitement WIS brought up to fever hsxt by
| the PRONUNCIATION of orders to Col. Paine Of
the 9th to hold Six companies Of his regfm ment
ready to march at q moments warning and By
l O'Clock at night at farthest. The two Gov
trnment boats were ordered to keep up steam,
and everybody listened for the sIgual gun and
| for the roll Of the drum beating to arms, but
| morning c.mc and still no orders to march;
and 1t then leaked ont that the main reason
| for the readiness OF the troops wcs the antici-
patton Of an stack on Birds Point. Monday
| her; aud after dinner, Col Paine was ordered
pf to reconnoitre. Kbout twenty mites above
Cairo he met the CITY Of dkon, with al she
took swsy, md some eight citizens s OF Ms.
boat hove In tlght the whole city came out on
the levee, and the greatest anxiety Wis man.
ifested to hear the newr.
Mr. J. B. Howard, who E.as Of the party, In
| formed me- that the landing Of the troops was
minutes tffom the running out of the bost
plank, the advance guard had permission OF
| The town, and that Of the whole body, save
,he boat guard, followed In double quick
time and In good order. The first Il miles
were made In the best Of walking time /;
asEured That they would come up with them
four mlleB further on; and n they went, but
with a somewhat slaekened pAce- The few
miles had to be doubled, and again the boys
felt the pangs Of hope deferred, aud still sorer
creT the feet, and still more weary thair
| limbs. Many tainted by the Way, but still the
main body kept on, until they had gone mora
than tHice fourteen miles; and at last, find
inc that, des5gnedly or undesignsdly they had
been sold, they halted, b1vonscked for the
night, and on the morrow ret5aeed thelr
nected with the whole trip was the ex
tent aud intensity Of the Union feeling
among fhe inhabItants- The troops we're Al
most Universally hsi1td with shouts Of fdengh,
ard cheers for the Union and the etars ane
stripes, The citizens Of Hamburg, . Gefma1
town near: the liueof their march, learning
, their wearied and hungry condition, loaaet
8 up their wagons with whatever tneJ hao ant
carried 1t To them, aud then gave the use
the teams to c21zy the foot,sore a9a ~ 1a9s' s3.s
4 who We1e overwoEn with fatigue The Gu
3 xens OF Burton snd vicinity did the same, ant
i Inc citizens Of Commerce threw H1d
! oPe1the doors Of their houses and freely gay
9 oa Wnat tney had. At one point in the marsn
g number Of wagons filed with farmer5 arme
g Is home guard, czme up with the troops an
= seemed almost beside Themselves with Joy
:. tney jumped nom their wagons and ran q
u | and shook hands with our uoops. hurrahe
n for the Union and seemed ready Is dcrour Ii
hoJs with thhdr demonstrations Of d .lfeht
,, BY none was the march Of the troops ha:le
with such delight rs by the slaves who =,
. claimed with one voice, "Massa Lincoln
= troops a coming" NumberB Of them b
. sought The troops to bring them, but our mr.
i could enly tell them that they. could no
y Private property Vas sscrediy respected AZ