Arkansas true Democrat., 1861-05-30
Number 8.
MatteTs at Cairo
MEMPHIS, May F. 1881.

up the river, and esjorcd the onnort,n;tv of testing the hospitality of the co1nm.rdar of the Lincoln forces at C,iro L.. thought of relating to your rs,dors uhst saw and heard in that dalect,LI. lo..I;tx l left Memphis Saturday last on tI. ,t.,r,.r J. D. Perry, which boat arrived .. C.;r. on the Monday morning followi,c Thor. was crowd of soldiers and citizens oSson- bled at the boat, and'I was immediately recognized by the man Geo S Wr;obt who formerly kept trunk store in this citv but now among the soldiers st Cairo From representations that had formerly been made to me, was induced .o believe that Gen. Prentiss, the commander at Cairo
 was gentleman who would afford m. .a guarantee against personal iAsult and vio- lence and accepted the offer of an ;ptr.- duction to that officer, made to m. bv thu mail agent of the boat, and repaired to bis quarters. Attor the introduction. som. Ias- ultory conversation ensued, when I alluded to the recent occurrence at St. LopiS nsr. ticulars of which had just reacksd rs I was asked by the General why expressed my belief that the extreme measures resort ed to would injure the administration e,nsa in that State and work to tke advant,p. of the secessionists. He then inquired sf ma the sentiments of the people in Mem,hi,- if there were any Union mon hsre-s,d if mob law did not prevail. replied that
 in February last the State of Tennessee had voted sixty thousand majority to re- main in the Union but that on tho Sth of June next, 1 believed she would poll n heavier mia lority i'll favor of secession: that mob law did not prevail here, and that persons suspected of entertaining .sditiuos sentiments toward the institutions of the South wore arrested and tried before the committee of safety, and upon satisfactory evidence that the charge was not unfounded such persons were ordered to leave the city. Suddenly the manner of the General chang ed and he declared in a passionate manner that he knew who 1 wa. before seeing me that he had been informed of the very minute of my departure from Memphis, and the moment of my arrival at Cairo He then drew from hi, pocket small fresh slip of paper and read, "J M Woodward, captain of the Marion Foxes, who have rendered their services to the Confederate States" He further said that in regard to the affairs in the South hs would net believe any man on oath that would connect himself with such mob as Jeff Davis headed, and that people were coming to hn nearly ever day from Memphis, who had their heads shaved and backs striped simply for uttering Union sentiments, and he had I.. fo, he would have one hundred from that imns- diate community. was allowed no op- portunity of controvertins his expressions, and throughout the interview, which lasted some ten minutes, the couduct of General Prentiss was that of a braggart and blood thirsty knave rather than the gentleman l had supposed him to be. 1 was ne. mentarily waiting to here the order given for an arrest, as he stated if he had proofs against me, which he expected, he would at once send me to Springfield. l exhibited no outward apprehension of such an event. which doubles. operated in my favor. was finally ordered back to the boat and permitted to reach it ill safety. Soon after, a great crowd of the rabbls soldiery assem- blel at the wharf, and some few came aboard, looking and asking for the d--d secessionist. l happened to be in better company just then conversing with lady: wheu. the castaip of the boat, noticing the disposition to opan an extra barbsr ssS4gg on board, ordered the mob ashore, cut his cable and withdrew from the landing.
 There are about seven thousand troops at Cairo, consisting maialy of the very lowest order of Dutch. There are great many of them laid up with chill. and fever, and it is surprising that their own filth, to- gether with the naStiness of the town, does not disable the remainder The men are posted on the Illinois bank of both the Ohio and the Mississippi rivers for five miles up; their ordnance are simply mount ed on wheels on the top of the levess, as they have no batteries. The ground is being surveyed, however for the erection of a permanent fortress immediately on the point. The basin formed by the lsvss has about two feet of water in 1t; their horses have to be kept on tn. wharf boat, and the men sleep in wooden booths on the side of the levee.
 From what saw and heard at Cairo, I am induced to believe that it ia the intsn- ton of this force to invade Missouri by way of the railroad from Bird'b Point, and proceed by land to New Madrid and there erect a strong fort, so as to sheckmate movements of similar character by the Kentuckians at Columbus. This plan they think more feasible than the invasion of Kentucky, as there are no railroads in Missouri by which troops could be concsn- trated to oppose them.
 l have simply, gentlemen, given you true statement of facts connected with my trip, and leave your readers to draw their own inferencss as to the de signs of the Lincoln government in concentrating SO many troops at Cairo. We should be pre-. pared to meet them, for 1 am clearly of the opinion that they will attemptto carry out the plan of operation above indicated. l have one other item to add with refer, ence to somewhat notorious individual of our own State. 1 allude to Emmerson Etheridge. It i, rumored hero in Mem phi, that he is now in Washington City. I happen to know that this Is false, as Mir. Etheridge was in Cairo, the guest of Gen. Printiss, from last Tuesday m orn, ing to Wednesday evening following. I saw him myself at Union City on yesterday (Thursdsy) morning, accompanied by a body guard of about twenty partixans. He was announced to speak at that place on to morrow Saturday.
 Hoping, gentlemen, that these few items may prove interesting ts your readers remain,
 Yours respectfully,
 J. MARSHALL WOODWARD. VI