, 1861-07-30
MR. RUSSELL,S LETTERS.

mR. RussELL's LETTERS.
Foys Randolph, 1e1,nessee-G Gen. Ifllow-Strangs
Ia1uet practice at tho Battsrtes.Gcn. R4oo's
IteGt[a The Land Of Di1ie"-Gou. Rkus
+ Of 1fiss:sstppi, etc.
!. 4 letter Of aeveral columns from Mr. Rus-
sell, dated Cairo, Ill, June 90, appsaFa IN the
Lor6on Times, embracing his journey from
Natchez to Cairo. The following description
Of Fort Randolph and its surroundings is tho
most interesting portion Of his observations:
Eayc just returned from visit to the
works and batteries ct tho intrcncAcd camp at
Kando]pll's Point, Go miles above Memphis,
ty which 1t Is intended to destroy any ilotilla
coming down the river from Cairo, and to op-
puse any force coming BY laad to cover Its
flank aud clcar the left benk or t.e M,:s;as;ppt.
The 1pgomar Is Eow 1ys1., :-*G,g .ist: ragged
bank or bluff, about ls' j: e. ll**h, ~ht:: ee-
ccdes in rugged t.:o.:t. .H.: ~.@~s -: '.,cs
flied with brushwou:, III. ~, l.. .,:... ". H..
river, some llnlf g 11:..'. :'i'' - A.7'. ~
strtam at this nc:'.t, 50. :: y - sa.- $50.
Pillow is still ridE:G r.:-'' ..! * >:..i
ea1thworks and b.: liua.:..--s ;;---. s'".. I,
an2iola to make ttu f;:.- ~: II: : =. &C.:
that 1 am fairly Oh tbs :4h :..' ny t:s3 It
operation, have come un ta1;- :-.,.s sia z1yw
y.itt-g II the cabin, long roofs. 1...9a, *::sh
stt,n Of the American boats over the main
DICK This saloon presents u curious scene.
OTer the bow at the one side there is IN Office
to1 the sa1e OF tickets, now destttuso Of busi-
nfes, for the lngon,ar belongs to the 5tate Of
Tennessee; at the other sid. is :. bar, where
thirsty souls who have ,..tetel On board
from the camp for ju1ep, sc:as:: or 4 cock
tail, learn with disgust t1ot tie oa1y a.sic1e to
be had is fine Mississippi wafer With ice in it.
Lying On the deck in oil attitudes are nan
tere Of men asleep, whose pluncd f:lt hats
are the only indica!iczs that they aro soldiers,
except in TIC rare case Of those who haye
rude uniforms, and buttons, aud stripes Of
colored cloth on the legs OF their panta!oons-
4 gentry Ia sitting on chair smoking cilgar.
lie is Oh guard over the after part OF the deck
Gene1al and his staff and attendants. He Is a
tail, geod-1ookiug young fellow, In q gray
flannel shirt, a black wide awake, gray
trousers fastened By 3 belt, on which
Is brass buckle inscribed "U. S."
Hia rife is an E2tie!d, and the bayonet sheath
| il fustened to the belt BY thong Of leather:
| Thai youthful patriot is intent On tho ups aud
t1.wIB ,uf fortune as excmplitied in the
| p:iasl.e game Of euchre, which is exercising
| lie faculties Of several Of his comrades, who,
| tiunli.s Cf tEeir nature in that national in.
stitu:icn but lie ia not Indifferent to his du-
| ii=s, a1-E &c fosb bids your correspondents en-
! france u!tIl he has explained what he Wants
aid nlo lie is-and tho second is more easy
to do than the fi1ht: TIC sentry tells his cap.
end resumes his seat and his cigaz, aud Tie
| ~u1k goes hsaVe!y on. Indeed, it went on last
| night at the same table, which is within few
| :ards OF the Generals chair: and now that T
| have got scrap Of ptp:r aud 4 moment OF
| quiet, let me cay what have to say OF this
illcy would b. to the Fele1alist General up at
l Cairo If lie could tear them In time, unless he
is as little prepared as his Antagonist. Oa
| JuckiCg cut 0t NY caEil this morning I SAW
the Lii gh lud rugged b!u1r Of which have
spoken On the ia:t bank Of the river. 4 few
1ldgs-pcltd tents, pitched under the shade Of
o1ne trees, en- q small spur Of the slope, waa
the enly indication immediately visible Of q
martial character. But close inspection in
ftcnt eDnhltd MT to detect two earthworks,
mounted with guns, On the side Of the bank,
considerably higher than tile river, and three
heavy guns, possibly 42 Founders, lay in the
erst close to tie landing I:lece, with very rude
carriages and bullock poles to carry them to
The batteries. A few men, 10 or 1o in number,
wetc digging q: the encamr'ment OF the face
Of the slope, Others werc louns:ns. about
the beach, md others, under The sane infatu-
a1i0n as that which m:kes little boys dispors
in the Thames under the notion that they are
washing Themselves, were bathing In the Mis-
slfsipFi. A dusty cart track wound up to the
brow Of the bluff, and there disappeared.
Some carts tolled up and down between the
boat and the crest Of the hill We vent on
shore. There Vas no ostentatlon Of any
kind about the reception Of the General and
his sta1t A few horses were waiting inpa-
tiently In the FUN, for flies wiu have their
way, and 1aaVy men are not 60 uubearlb!e
colonies = one late United statesman,
who wss readily dist;ngujshable by his
air from tic yolubteers-the General proceed
cd to visit his batteries and Els men. The
tirst work inspected was plain parapet OF
earth placed some SO feet above the river, and
pa1apets. Six guns, ;3 Founders, AMI howilz
eIsq1 an CID pattern were mounted e7dar5stke
without any irarerses whatever. The car
riages rested On rough platforms, and the
wheels ran on :. tsayclEiog sem;circlc OF pl INK,
as the iron rails were moi yet ready. Thegun.
re1s, p:aln !eeEirg boey Of men, very like
folm, were engaged in dr:A. It ras neither
good ncr quick Work-about equal to The ay.
er9ge OF = squad after couple Of davs' exer-
| clae; but TIE men worked earnestly, and ]
have no doubt that, if the Federa.lsts give
end. The Central ordered practice to BE-
made with round Ehot. After some DELAY, o
| kind Of hybrid ships carroEade was loaded
Tie Target was tree, about z, 500 yards disr
tant, was told. l. appeared to nc about
l,IC0 yards CT. EFery ole was desirous ot
side for the wind, aud ventured to say SO.
HOWEVER the General thought and said o.ter
Wiae. Tie word " Fire??" Tas given, Alas
the f1iction:tube would not expie de. Il was
one CT new scrt, which the Tennesseeans
are trying their prentice hand at. A second
answered better. The gun ven. OF. but
where the ball vent to no one con1d saw. as
the smoke came into cur eyes. The party
moved to windWar3, and, after another fnse
mad missed, the gun was again discharged e!
in good line, 200 yards short Of the target, and and
did not 1icochct- Gun No. 2 was then dis
charged, and of went the bali, at no particu
iar marx, Gown the river; but If 1t did 70 oil,
60 did the gun also, for it gave frantic leap
ncr vas This wonderful, for it was IN Old. .fash,.
ioned chambcred cagToEadeor hoHitzer, which
had keen loaded with q full charge, aad solid
shot enough to make it burst with iu3igna.
tion; Turning from this battery, we visited
another nearer the water, With fonr guns (3a-
psuneeIs), which we're well placed. 10 sweep
ricoclet; and high up On the banS.
tuEards high peak commandins the
Mississippi, here about 200 yards broad, and q
emm ha.t cohuuent which rms into it. was aao:h-
n,and, but only I'll for shell, ns the IRE must be
plupgmg. Al; these batteries were yery nj
constructed, md il only one was magazine
n1aer Gecent cover. In the first it was ID rear
I " tEE VatleIF. up Ine ILL 0en1nd 1t, HE Uar-
apets were Of Eaed or soft ca,tn, unprorided
with mcrlons. The last had few sind baga
between the guns. Riding up steep road,
| We came to the ccmps uf the men on the wood.
e9 and undu'at;pg plateau over the river.
Which Is broken By WatcTcourzes into raYiile5
covered with brnehEood and forest trees. For
itvs weeks the Tennessee troops uRIer Gen.
Pillow, who is at the head Of the force Of fbe
state, have been working at series Of curious
lnfrerchmcuta, which are surpassed to rcore-
cent an intTeIcEed camp, ani which looI, 1il,;.
an assenb!age Of mud beaver dams, In
Wozd, they arc so complicated that thew would
prove exceedingly troublesome to the troop.
Engaged In their defence, and it would require
very steady, experienced regulars to man thsn1
| 80 as 10 glve proper support to each Other.
Inc maze OF EreastToTk5, Of flaaking parapets.
OF paraFcfs fer field pieces, Is orer-dpne, Sey.
Graz OF them might prove useful to an attack
l:g torce. In some places the wood was cus
down In front SO as to form formidable nat
nTal nhattis but generally here, "a in the bat
ieI1es below, timber AID brnshWood were left
urc1t up to easy musket SHOT Of the works,
50 as to screen an advance Of F,damen, and to
expose the defending fcrce to considerable
annoyance In small camps OF Is or 20 tents
each the Tennessee troops were scattered, 70.
health's sake, over the plateau, and On the
lcyel ground few companies we're e3rared
at drtl. Tht men were dressed and looSed
Ike IaEof1Eg peopie-small farmers, mechau-
lcs, with some small, understood lads. The
majority we're in their shirt sleeves, and the
aWkFatdness with which they handled their
an arms shoTed that, however good they might
@E&rT% L.