Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-09-15
Matters at Paducah-Tho People Fright-
ened oud RlVlnaf

1 U0NNeEN Mt FAduCAh-Tho FCOnIe HElHnt~
ened and RIylnEi
The Cairo correspondent Of the ST. Louis
Democrat, of the 18th inst, gives the follow
ing picture of things at Paducah, now the
center of interest:
A sullen, gloomy aspect pervaded the city,
indicative Of the most rebellious and obsti.
nate feeling. Every place of business was
closed. Knots of men stood at every cor
ner, with knit compressed brows and quiv-
ering lips, and occasionally a suppressed
cheer would arise for JEFF. Davis and curses
on what they termed Lincoln's Abolition
troops The troops, with heavy, measured
tread, marched on. As we got further up
town, women and children ran out and
cheeTed for jeff Davis. The women seemed
| crazy with excitement. A musket went off
Dy accident in the rear ranks. The first i'm
| preston was that the troops had been fred
| into; but not head was turned, and the
column moved steadily on. On arriving at
| the depot it was found that all the rolling
stock had been sent off. A large quantity
of contraband supplies, marked for the rebel
| States, were found in the depot, aud imme-
| diately seized. They were marked for Fort
Gibson, Memphis, Union City and New Or
leans. The whole value of the seizure is
! over $4,000.
| Among these goods seized were about six
| hundred barrels Of -four, one hundred barrels
of lard one hundred and sixty bags Of coffee,
large quantity of leather, several hundred
boxes of starch, soap and candles, several
! hogsheads of bacon, boxes of boots and shoes,
and a large quantity of ratious.
A large detachment of five companies of
! infantry and battery ofSmith's light artil
| lery-the gallant Lieutenant Chas. Willard,
! commanding-all under Major Phillips, were
detached and marched rapidly down the
railroad about seven miles. No enemy was
discovered, but as Pillow was reported in
large force advancing, large bridge and
trestle work were burned in order to prevent
his taking US by surprise,
A large log dwelling house was discovered
to be burning down when our troops arrived.
1t had been get on fire by the rebels, lest our
troops might take quarters in it.
The stampede of the inhabitants from Pa.
ducah was astonishing and immense, and ere
this scarcely hundred families are lefI
there, out of population OF from fifteen 70
twenty thousand people. On Friday and
Saturday, Main-street was perfectly choked
with carriages and vehicles containing fami-
lies and household furniture leaving the city
for points back in the country. Many wen
over to Illinois. A perfect panic seemed t.
possess them, which no assurances of oul
officers or troops could allay. They had got
the idea into their heads that Pillow was ad
vancing on US, that in case of an attack tina
|
our gun-boats.
To show their rebellious disposition, will
cite case. General Grant gave permission
to several river officers to hoist nationa
flag on the top Of the st. Francis Hotel
f The landlord objected, saying that it woul
8 bring trouble on him, that he did not want 1t
. | protection. He was told to keep quiet, tha
that flag must wave from there, in place G
the Secession flag he had allowed to foa
over him before our troops came, and that
he or any other rebels interfered with tbs
flag, or pulled it down, they would be led ou
and shot down. This assurance from Ger
eral Paine quieted his nerves, and that fla
foated defying the rebels, despite many re
marks by them that 1.-THE damned rag mu:
= come down."
1 Lieutenant Charley Willard's battery we1
4 out on the public square to practis
and on the discharges, women and childre
would leap from carriages and run out froI
: houses, and throw themselves fat in th
street, while their rebel husbands woul
stand and gloat over their terror. Our off
GERS and men had'to go to them and assuI
y. them Of their safety, and that they woul
IL be protected, and the poor creatures, n
g lieved of their fright, would thank then
j Stillthe exodus kept on, and it is now though
= that out of a population of some fftee
y thousand, not three thousand peopl
l. are left. The most perfect terror of bsttl
4, and of the burning of the city, seemed
"a prevail.
" General G. F. Smith is now commandin
at Paducah. At Cairo the greast militar
l. activity prevails. A very large force is bein
= rapidly formed and quartered, either her
L at Birds Point, or at the new camp {
is the Kentucky side, called Camp Holt. Th
10 last camp was established yesterdsy,aud
If heavy battery erected, so as to command Il
n Ohio and Mississippi opposite Birds Poin
le Fortifcations are also being rapidly throw
up here.