Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-05-09
From Cairo.


CAIRO, Ill, Monday, May Camp life in Cairo
has proved anything but dry or pleasant recrea>
ton for the past few days.
We have had our daily rains. and as the troops
were not fully equipped for camping out they WEI
not favorably impressed with our "lOJo lands"
Now, however, they have sheds built for about
three-quart ers of mile around the levees and are
well protected from the weather.
We have many rumors in regard to invasion from
Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee, very few of
which are credited.
Several persons that came up on the steamer
Cheeny from Columbus. last evening, report troops
encamped between here and that point. The report
is not believed.
There is also report to the effect that they arc
cleaning up the ruins of old Fort, formerly situ>
ated at the mouth of Mayfed Greek, on the Ken
lucky shore. about five miles below this point, and
in sight of Cairo We give the rumOr for what it
is worth.
1t is currently reported about the camp that a
blockade of this port will be declared to-day. As
surance from commander here lead Us to sup
pose and believe that commerce South will be unn
terrupted
Immense amount of provisions are daily passing
Cairo for the South, of which have been inter
ferred with by the Government. They only stop
munitions of war.
We now have about 5000 troops stationed in and
around Cairo. Also about twenty-five pieces of
cannon. We have three batteries on our levee; one
at the point commanding the Ohio aud Mississippi;
one three miles higher up on the Mississippi near
the junction; another at the head of the Ohio evee
a mile and half above the point. They are all
well manned and closely guarded
An additional regiment will be here tomorrow at
eleven A. NJ, which will swell the force to about
1000. A company Of cavalry is expected from
Chicago on Wednesday, TO be used as leTee
patrol"
The Cairo correspondent of the st. Louis Journal
furnishes the following statement in regard to oper
atoms at that point
They are not only pirating upon the neutral boats
of Ne,ttrGl States, but breaking open every box
and barrel of express or freight goods by the rail-
road and unceremoniously apprOpriating every
gun, pistol, or ammunition of any kind and every
article of clothing whether in large or small guam
titles of the priuate citizens Ofthe States ofkentucky,
Tennessee or Missouri, that IS found. And this
is not a temporary expedient but is intended to be
permanent as they making preparations to build
a strong fort to command both rivers; nor do they
Intend. as will be seen, to cOnfine their piracy of
munitions of war; it is their confessed intentions to
blockade the rivers, if they consider Unnecessary
Another attempt of piracy, by the Cairo pirates,
was handsomely frustrated Sunday last. The
steamboat Julius G. Smith passed down the river.
having on board some ZOO or i, 400 muskets be-
longing to Paducah, Kentucky, which had been
sent to St. Louis before the the commencement of
hostties to be changed from flint to per-
cussion locks and even these, knoloing their dss-
tndtiOR, the pirates attempted to capture, but
were outwitted in their efforts The private
guard DOdJ, swallow, was IOunu az commerce Dy
the Smith, where it had been sent to intercept
her, and upon seeing her the Smith continued on
down the river till out of sight, and then ran into
a slough behind an island. and headed up stream.
coming into the river again above and out of
sight of Commerce; and while the piratical craft
teen,ing down after the Smith, most likely
astonished at her sudden disappearance, she was
steaming up TO Cape Girardesu, where she reloaded
her guns with instructions from the agent accOmp-
anying them to have them forwarded by land to
New Madrid which was done the same evening;
guard of twenty men of the Marble City Guards be-
ing detailed as an escort, and which was to De m
creased by company from Scott county; ana II
any attempt was made to interrupt them az theOHro
and Fenton road have no doubt the pirates had
"lively time of it" in taking the guns
This act should satisfy any man that II IS tne III
tenton to disarm the ncarGl states by any means ~
the power of the practical government under 49,.
of ntercepting contraband goods to the Confederate
States.
Imports from tennessee Free OF DuEy'