, 1861-06-03
OUR CAIRo LETTER,
The Fo77iEedtions and the Gttn4-ffestnt Msi-
tary hatusHealth Of tie Hen, etc., etc.



The Fo47iEcd1ions and the Gun4-Frest M!1;-
tary Szatus-Hcal<h Of tie Hen, etc., etc.
Correspondence Of the Chicago Tdbune.1
CA1Eo, Friday, May 81.
At Last nc are able to sec Just what our
much telked-of fortitications will amount to.
There lave been 20 many pinns and 70 often
changed wtthal, that il people at distance
have been confused about it, We have been
confused as well But all the propositions for
running croEs leyees, for filling up between
OF Stone and brick, aeem now to be absorbed
In an Garth work rcdoubt which will be all
Sufficient Tor the presel. ut least. The re-
doubt Is located upon tht ::te OF the dtstil:,
lery, which TIC Government d condemned
pa sst a6cSs e tse hee ese some md se9sa Is
HE 11 bottom Of the old distllleryv - cellar IS
whnt military men call the terre p!ane Of the
fort; the surrounding walk, scme three feet
higher thls and twenty tset VIDE forms s.;l the
mounted; while the treastwork is being
thrown up outside, seven feet higher than this.
An immense amount Ct dit is required, but
now that the river has fallen nearly to low
water mark, there is sufficient supply to be
get from the fats au around the redoubt,
with ehogels aud harrows. The nuu-
ber Of guns in the fort will be three
50 poundera mounted On pivot carriages along
the banquettc On tho. South side; three 2E
Rag a on E se tss sss1ge 5 5aa the
Ing 68 pound shell; and the s inch mortar.
L magazine Of timber and fasclnes, to be coy-
cred with earth, Is being made upon the tTe-
plane in the rear Of the guns. The pivot guns
arc 60 mounted as to have q range Of about
whole river front. To-day the 7th (Col. Nor
gan's) regiment volunteered its Eseryices in
body, and officers and men are cheerfuuy at
work together In the trenches. Heavy timbers
for the gun 1oorings have arrived, and the 33-
FOUNDER at tie southeast corner will be in po.
Founders will be mounted IN like manner to-
morrow. 1ttnust be borne In mind tha. the
"big guns that have been mounted arc only
the 24pouude1s, which, being field or siege
pieces, do not require such elaborate prepare
ticn before they can be Of service. When
complete, this redont will ba able to sink any
1cet inst nn5 venture to approach from the
South, and eTery situation available for q hos.
tile battery is easily within range Of its guns.
Besides the strength of the redoubt, there
gre the fourteen brass ak Founders which ne
have lad all along, and the twelve pound
| smaller pieces have been taken to Birds Point,
| for the Missouri troops, and they will give
| good account Of their stewardship Of them.
! The camp on the Missouri side is well en-
! tre1ched and we'll defended It is COM
ract in itself, and al the arrange
It is an error to suppose, as many people
| doubtless dc, that Col Schuttner's regiment
I Is actually located upon point around which
lhe Mississippi river turns. The "point" is
mile and half below their camp, and d.
rect line across is only two miles, from where
they are, Willie the river Circuits Beyen miles.
| As before stated, and often stated, IN at
! tacIing force would land under cover Of the
| woods, In the rear Of Camp Stephenson, and
| us there is no battery on this side, the only
protection Is found in the large scouting parties
constantly On the lookout. a battery will be
! would be far better, our troops are appointed
I to take possession of Columbus, Ky., which,
If held by strcng force, would e1vc Cairo
from its daily alarm. 1t may be considered q
weakness in rs, but nevertheless it must be
| confessed that these alarms are renewed daily.
Columbus, is our only Communication With
tie Soutb, and when it's trips are irregular, VIC
arc thrown into quite spasm, lest 1t has been
he1u back in order to keep us ignorant Of &c.
ccssion movements. To-day the Cheney has
not arrived, aud the old fear seizes us. The
Cairo coal boat, which may be described as a
great fapjack propelled By steam-has just
been cha1teredby Government, as Of possible
Usefulness in transporting troops. 1t can east.
ly carry five hundred men on its broad ex-
pause Of deck. OF course you will soy no ut
tack is likely to be made, but please to remen-
o contingency, but are also cnshrouded In
complete Egyptian darkness as to general
movements outside.
Appropos to the military condition Of Cairo,
Is th. condition Of the military themselves.
A mcre fearful enemy than ajarrhn., or even
thar hostile 6orce, bas appeared ii tie form
Of Il pbo!d fsveri The resident physicians
had warned our military surgeons from the
first that this disease is usual in the summer
months, though not appearing go esrly as
this. To-doy Dr.. Sim Informs me that he has
two Or three well marked cases now in his
hospital AID that other patients gre beginning
to manifest the same symptoms. The pres.
cree OF the disease is an alarming fact, and
The morc alarming sirce it is likely to work
an entire change in the hospital treatmen.
There Is not, probably, in the whole A1issis
siesippi valley q more unhealthy place than
Cairo. TH1ce the much dreaded yellow fever
las fret appeared here, and from here gons
soutfward: The changes IN temperature are
sudden and marked. In the 6ame day, and
in like manner on succeeding days. IN op
pressiye heat is followed within IN hour 81
chilling cold which has twice this week made
fires essential to indoor comfort The Camp
is thus bcset on every hand by dangers which,
to be guarded against, require q competent
medical heed, with the intelligent cooperation
Of every soldier. Both these cond :tiors are
now lacking. There is no medical he ID; and
the devoted services Of Drs. Sim and Haven
! are embarrassed if not rendered 1uSatory By
the restraints constantly thrown in their way,
OF all TIE military surgeons here these gentle.
men have, against obstacle. both painful
and embarrassing, labored With the greatest
success, and it must be confessed, also, they
position Is uncertain, and daily 8 source oi
dispute. Notwithstanding explicit orders ia
the contrary, the sick men Of the camp come
to the NJ Tor treatment, and are never turned
away, although the hospital acquisitions upon
the commisariat are denied or honored accord.
gentl. is all Of piece with the policy that
has In every other respect 30 effectually
fnubted Chicago. And It should be added
that they remain, albeit against their Own In.
clinations, lin obedience TO what has eeemed to
| them and their friends as IN urgent necessity.
troops, as calamity that, under present cir.
cunstanccs, would be quite serious. s.
Late News from Headquarters.
Especial Dispatch 10 the N. Z. TribuueI
WAsHEoTos, May 50.-The first invoice Of
Virginia prop.r ry received at Gen. Buffers
comp consisted Of eight packages. General
Ashley waa detailed TO examine and report.
,oa1sia What + are you going to do with uss" the
Gen. Ashley-We shall not harm you.
Negroes-We know that, but will you send
US back? We wnnt to know, because If Won
cont, our friends will follow. Theyiwa!t to
learn how ne are treated.
Gen. Ashley-I have no authority to act,
but yoQ may be sure that you WON'T be re-
turned 10 your masters for twenty four hours,
At this, about 200 volunteers, who had gath.
cred about, from various regiments, aud all
parties present, c]apped their hands aad cheer
ed, showing the Sentiment Of the soldiers.
Gen. Ashley then examined the eight separ-
ately, and seemed to understand thelr sifua-
ton, and to feel as with one Of their number,
On old Methodist class.leader, who said that
they were Ike the children Of Israel In Egypt,
| they knew that del1ye1ance WIS "gwi1e to
| come;" but how, WIS not so c1ear. But the
Tar WIS something towards It. They hsd
awaited quietly since September, ts when we
made up our minds that the North mas too
| strong Tor the South"
"Who are swe'f" asked Gen. Ashley,
aMakters and slaves, both, ~ was the reply.
The next day, according to their prophecy,
forty or fifty more came into camp; and these
"Volunteer Virginians' continued Coming,
until Gen. Ashley LEFT. An examination 81
these confirmed the conclusions respecting
the knowledge Of the negroes that something
Tas going on which might inure to theif
good, and they determined to seize the op.
| p:runity.
AFFAIRS At ALEXANDRIA,
An inhabitant Of Fairfax Court-Ho q
Union man, escaped to:day from the rebe
and brought Information to Aexandrla Of the
| transportation of five wagon loads of flour
| from mill In the suburbs Of the town to the
rebel camp. Col. Wilcox sent out 1etaeh-
| ment Of volunteers under one Of bis captains
| to take possession of the MILL This was done