New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-10-02
Positions Of Huckaer md Polk.

Correspondence Of TIE " Y. Tribune.
HgADou tKTTHs GgS; sH1tsAN's DiyIIos, }
Two Dilo' from Eli4be,htown, Ey.. SEPT 20, ltci.}
II the readers OF The TRIBUNE viii he 20 good as
10 remember the contents Of my last two letters IN
relation TO Poke seizure of Hickman and Columbus
and the counter movement OF the National forces
upon Paducah, / shall have no difficulty in giving
them pretty clear idea Of the military situation IN
this part Of Kentucky. If Buckner had succeeded
in getting to MuldHughs Hill before tie Union
troops lie would have done over again precisely the
same thing for all the world that Polk did. That
he desired TO get there that be started go there is
now manifest however difficult il may have been u
get at the truth of tie natter in tie frat excitement
of tie invasion. The essentia identity Of the enter
prize in which Buckner failed with that In which
Polk succeeded, will be apparent upon calling 10
mind few interesting facts. or course, ! speak
only of tie intellectual phase Of the two movements.
The great uphesva of the earth's erust from which
the Appalachian chain resulted convulsed what IL row
the State OF Kentucky to very considerable extent.
This agitation must have begun at or near the point
where the northwestern extremity Of the range now
u.s. and been fropsgaed northward, the fiery pillows
at first lifting the strata but slightly aud evenly; but
as they rolled forward gathering strength and still
finding outlet, they madly tossed the incarcerat-
ing rocks into a chaos OF mountains Or ifthe great
convulsion travelled from northeast to southwest,
its burning waves, eased by vent at the north,
gradually subsidized swelling up the surface lees yio-
lently the further II proceeded and finally dying
away in imperceptible and powerless ripples. But
leaving the question Of direction with the geoogis,s
where Il properly belongs 1t is enough to state brief
y the effects of the convusion upon that portion OF
AZ :pclud.d II, aha n /,
lucky. The eastern portion Of the State, being near
es the center Of agitation, not only underwent gen.
eral elevation, but broken into bills and noun
tains. Proceeding westward, the broken waves Of
the sea Of FIRE, beating against the eaths crust, pro-
duced that remarkable unduaton Of the surface for
which central Kentucky il 60 widely noted. AT the
same time there is general inclination, slight Dip
of the whole surface toward the southwest. Pro-
ceedng still further west, the internal surges were
no longer strong enough 10 produce fluctuations Of
tie surface but they still caused uniform and gen.
eral elevation. This elevation constitutes an even
and regular tabe-land which embraces all the area
Of the State lying west Of the meridian Of Louisville
This table-land juttipg out over the Ohio and Mis-
siseipp rivers, forms the bluffs which are 80 much
spoken Of. Dipping away gradually, almost imper-
cepuDIy, 10 Ine noflH-Nebt ~ It huuy ioht in the
dead level of the lower Mississippi. About thirty
five miles south of Louisville the great internal
swell, travelling northward, appears to have met
with an obstruction. Leaving the edges Of the strata
which it had previously been gently pressing up
ward standing square above the undstuibed plain
in front, it rolled around each .ide tie two cur.
rents describing almost complete circle, and rearing
up what are now the Ohio River hills above and be-
low the in,ermiited level, and the knobs back Of
New.Abany, Ind. On the northern verge Of this
fiat which was left free from interruption stands the
city Of Louisville. The Ohio River cuts off O seq.
mcpt Of the northern semi-circle aud throws it upon
the Indiana side, the length Of the chord which the
river marks from highland to highland being about
forty mies. The whole circumference Of the hills
from the point where they quit the river to the
eastern extremity Of this chord 70 tho point
where they return TO its western extremity, is
perhaps, not far short Of two hundred miles. Froa
three points in the circumference Of the hills streams
of considerable size are sent down into the plain.
The first, having its source not far from the Ohio,
bears the name Of Floyds Fork. II flows in
wavering southwestern course, and falls into Salt
River, fifteen miles due south Of Louisville. Tho
second, or main stream, Salt River rises in the
southeastern bend of the hills and running directly
through the center Of tue plain empties into the
Ohio twenty miles below Louisville, at the point
where the bills return TO the river The third water.
course the Rolling Fork. comes in from the south