The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-05-09

v
The following references Will show the main points Of
interest about the camp
/. Headquarters in st. Charles Hotel The Commssa.
rat or seventh regiment Is the basement the
same hudng
2 0Iicers' quarters.
3. Elour,pg mil on the extreme point Of the levee
A. hospital and Surgeons quarters.
s. Battery and encampment Of artillery and infant,y
three lies above the point.
9. 0utsde OF The guns indicated at this spot is long
range Of low buildings, used for barracks
Light artillery.
3. EIcempment and battery on the Ohio levee.
0. Battery of heavy artillery
10 Artillery barracks.
II. Bros Point Missouri.
The low spaco the levce Is entirely covered
with water also the regioh the of the town,
from river to river.
TOPOGRAPHY OF CAIRO AND VICINITY.
The immense preparations that being made for the
campaign in and about Washington have diverted the
attention OF the people of the Eastern and Middle States
from affairs in the west which just now would seem to
be OF nearly as much importance as those more mmed
aiely under observation. We informed that
large bodice sccessionss being concentrated at
Memphis and other points, fer the purpose of making
demonstration upon Cairo being fortified by the
government forces to e6ctually carry out the block
aiding sy stem of the edr,inistrationa the confluence
Of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers Thus Cairo is being
point only second in interest to Washington rst
at this unctuTe and tho correct topography OF the
scat Of war the West is much TO be desired that
of places and towns in the South already published
the Herald.
Cairo pronounced Karo, is situated at the extreme
sou,hern point OF the State Of Illinois, near as
some New York writer's tell u.s. but directly at the
point where the Ohio river unites with the Mississippi
The Mississippi river flows m sou.heas.ery
past town, until receives the Obi, from the
west when IL changes to the south Opposite Cairo
the Missouri shore OF the Mississippi, stands tne little
village Ohio city, distan and three.ourtns miles,
place OF perhaps four hundred inhabitants, sd wing
n Communication with Cairo only by OF a yery
ordinary ferry. railroad is now being bolig 'roa
Ohio City, which, when completed, win form a. Fed
RIVER ARK continuous rail line from Chicago To t1c
Gulf OF aexco at Galveston, Texas Opposite CAIRO o1
tho Kentucky shore, n city has been lail ou. 5ut The
ouiy thug hAown for IL Is the timber, stl T-Og.
isg upon he site where the CITY is to be, aud single
log house erected by early settler re MiJr aui
ONO Railroad, now in course of constructon vii here
have northern terminus. which at p:ess I'll g IL -.
lu~bus, seventeen miles by ar line, aqd twenty.
Two miks by river, below. The lana cp0a
which Cairo is built is as low as " can he
ard shsw surface above water indeed, were % no.
Gor 1ho leyces by which the town y com
passeo lis river sides, It would aDy be
water g od share OF the year But Illinois Cen.
tral RauIoad Company VITO the mos, OF the tonn
plat bi.y erected the substantial leyees On s
water Fonts, AID are fast hpg IN tac toTn ton -vel
with rs tfacks. Upop the soutn or Ohio side or tLe
convenience far the railroad business end fuTnes leo
" Of room Cor Commercial sTest-e broad and wel
Dull. theroughare. Aside Com TIE depot buildings
or two su siani4 lut@s aad ie@ vel olit bls 50
uses beTe noting pTepotsesacg IN the architectural
oppe15Glee Of the place the remaiuGe 81 th3 tO9n beng
built woot and 50 ne1tly haoonish be hardy
buckslot proof Above Cairo, hve mits, the ono
river, u &c mounds, 5scs The vllag, of vi and City,
place G5eiy stnse better adapted 10 Du tuess than lie
rival, cSeept touching pont FOR steamers plying be-
tween hs lower and upper Mississippi ports che Inois
Cen,roi Railroad bu branch from their rOld
a
The batteries planted II Cairo amply sufficient
10 prevont any force landing the riSer and to
effect the dTorr! !ng cut project liopan.y taket OF
by The sson aaers, II wound he neceGsy u reach
the Iinois shore above Caro- tho Mississippi, which
couj be only done ty ancug tst on the Missouri
below Cao City, and proceeding by and towards Cape
GIrs toau, orty es, through psrt Of the State
where II has been found mpracticabe hitherto To
bulc ordinary roads There 10 no railroad communca-
tou,at present west of the Mississippi, batNeon Cairo
and points either north o. southhe Iron Mountain Raj
way running southwest from ST. Louis only being com
peteo TO Ircr Mountain aud Plot KNOB. distant ninety
six racs northwest Of Ohio City ana separated from
by rDpasaUlo swat6p The river al Cairo s at its
nocc during the months Of May juno, ard hence,
the project y TO be ccctcg by cutting tho
levee il win have be curpg she next forty dlys
The res dent population Of Cairo IS rated NJ 1000
North Of Cairo one huDdred and tweve miles, cn the M
Cent? Al road, the nrst town o. importance is Cen
trslia city Of perhaps eight or ten thousand .nnab
tsns. 6ere the Central road branches, fork going
DuDlei'h and Gaena and the ether direct TO Chicago
Gistsnt three hundred ant sxtybye miles from Cairo.
Eight miles shove C<ntralie, q. olin, the Central r.
crtssci ty the Ohio ard Mississippi Railroad, from Gin
II. LOUIS N1d gevEnfy-tN0 me5 bLh further
north n Naoon, the Tefre haute, Alton ana st. Louis
ruad inctsecs adns 10 the eastward into tho richest
and mos, popoons parts Of Indians aud ono BY river
taere 10 owsG " Consequence between Clro and a.
Lops, hundec and sixty miles, except Cape Gira
doau Mo- sixtJ tbCc ilcs from Cairo, ami cronCelet
No six ml'cs below II. L)us Between Il. Louis ami
Cairo, on ,bc hssour. shore, and especially in the
vicinity or Cape Grardcau, the most considerable
part i she popuirron are Germans and swiss,
with aIrnklng OF French and Cor tho most part non
sovehclirg Indeed, w.'h the exception q st Louis
itsef Il a The most generally 'inctured With tree scs
Of any part % the Site. The people arc generally cmah
farmers ard vine growers having no use Tor negro labor
and army OF sccessfoniss marching By land nor1h
ward would have TO number IT, thousands 70 pass safely
through even ibcse sraIsely settled districts
BJ way of tho ohio tho cises Of EyaDsy lie New Albany
and Cir ucnnati the north, and Paducah, Henderson,
Iouiaye and Gov ngon The south eide o' the Tiyer
in tao neutral state Of Kentucky ~e the only places
0; import snd their location 2 % cistart iron Cairo
that thor description would be useLss.
Tho govern rent folce now al Cairo is about for thou
card ana three hundred men, with strong batteries upon
and hehnd tho eyes3 aucient y SAID 70 de nd the
place against all attacks and nmsnJ the rvers while
it would be nc impossible 70 land troops above
either on the Ohio or mississippi sdc sufficient mum.
bers to much trouble.
The following ls from the Cairo correspondence May
q Of the Chicago Pod
asys are now lhree full regiments here and another
erps cted daily We have In all twenty pieces Of
artlery-sx and twelve Founders and immense SUD
ply Of smmupNion Some heavy guns for batteries arc
expected TO arrive poop. But with the men and mum.
tors already here force which the southerners
7sNe between fere and New Orleans can take Cairo.
THE ONLY WAYS CAIRO CAN BIZ ATTACKED.
Cairo can only DO attacked 10 three ways. Frrgt, by
steam vessels approaching the river, which could be
sent 70 the bottom In thirty seconds apiece by the guns
here. This mode Of atteck therefore Il the
PR bablc Second bv batteries from the kenucky and
Missouri shores. The Kentucky shore for distance
from the river Ia very low and svanpy renoerlne bat
terry operations difficult. The Missouri shore different