New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-09-28

Special TO the New Orleans Crescent
Columns, September q, 1861.
Editor C'escent-All continues quiet here-noth-
ing going on but drilling and working upon the
deences, which latter indicate the adoption of this
place as the permanent base of extensive military
operations. l ought to except the cavalry of Gen.
Thompson, over the river, and some of the cavalry
on this side. They alone see anything like war
like excitement OF the late skirmish of a com
pany of our scouts with the enemy near Mayfeld
Creek, and Of the skirmsh, on the same day, of
GCn. Thompson's scouts with the enemy near Nor
folk, on the Missouri side, you have heard ere
this i have been too busy in camp, in the
trenches one day, on guard the next and so on,
to follow up the various reports that fly and sft
the truth from them. The reports here are, that
in the affair at Mayfeld Creek our men killed sew
eral of the enemy, and in return had one horse
killed and two horses wounded and that Thomp-
sons men, on the Missouri side, killed quite num-
Der of the Hessians and lost IL of their own num-
ber. I give the reports as they go, without being
able to vouch for their accuracy or to give any
particulars.
Two of the Cairo gunboats came in sight again
the other evening, firing at the Missouri shore as
they came down; receiving no salute in reply,
they turned about and put back, Doubtless manu-
featuring, on the way, as they have done before,
some sensation dispatch to send from Cairo, in
forming all Lincolndom how they visited Columbus
and S1lenced the DattefleS, etc EVERY Hgnt we
can hear the guns Of the enemy up the river, and
early the other morning their signal rockets were
visible.
Gen. Johnston is reported to have dropped the
remark that our forces and the enemy were too
close together for the continued health of both.
This is hopefully construed into Indication that
the General will keep us here only until the de-
fences shall be completed, when, leaving a sui1i-
cient force for the defence of Columbus he will
move onward with the main body. At the most
remember, these are mere coBjectures. We can
not be expected to know anything until we receive
the order to move, and even then are left
pretty much in the dark. Such are the necessities
of war.
Some 30 Lincoln prisoners, captured from time
to time by our scouts, have been sent to Memphis
for better security.
sad thing is the sickness and mortality in the
Twelfth Louisiana Regiment, encamped next to US.
Many of the men have died, and there are now
about 400 the sick list. Our regiment, the
Eleventh, has had sickness enough, but nothing to
compare with the Twelfth. Measles, pneumonia,
and bowel complaints, are the chief ailments, with
pretty good sprinkling of chills and fever.
The cold nights are coming upon us now; and
as most Of our tents are no eitecual bar against
either cold Or rain, the promised supplies OF winter
clothing, blankets, etc., cannot come day too
soon. The boys pile together for warmth III their
tents at night, and in the morning, wrapped in
their blankets, with their breath steamlng under
the frosty tnge of the atmosphere, huddie around
the fires with appetite for warmth which IS only
to be seen in winter Before long, we Will see
FROST ice and snow, and bushels OF it. 1.-THE sol
diers are not warmly Clad there will be much sut-
ferng among them before November reaches us.