, 1862-05-17
Especial Correspondence Chicago Ttibune.]

isqecaa1 correspondents tAica8o 4T1bune.j
PADucAH, Ky., May Is, 1882
On the 9Th inst. reports deemed reliable
reached Gen, Strong at Cairo Of the presence
OF large force Of rebel cavalry in the vicinity
Of Paducah, and threatened attack upon the
latter post. Flying rumor placed the ubiqui-
tous jeff Thompson in command Of this force
and magnitied its strength to four OF five
thousand. The Goth and 62d Illinois regi-
ments, then in camp at Cairo, were ordered
to hold themselves in readiness to march at
any hour. It YVES ten o'clock when the final
order to move reached the 62d; taps had been
beaten, and the officers and men had mostly
retired for the rigt, bnt at the first sound Of the
drum the regiment WIS astir, the line of march
was promptly formed, and in thirty minutes
from receipt of the order, tile heavy tread of
seven hundred men under arms, and the long
line Of bayonets glitterlng in the faint moon
light along the street leading to the wharf,
announced the farewell Of the Stxty-second to
to CaRo. The regiment embarked On the
steam6k Champion, which, In company with
another boat having the sxtieth on board,
proceeded at once up the Ohio to Paducaf1,
arriving there at seven the next morning. On
tue uay 1OuoNug 0uf alf1tas tue o1Atieiu H8S
ordered to Hamburg, and our regiment, re-
ceiEing notice to oremain here for the present,
went into quarters On some vacant lots 'front.'
ing On the Tennessee River, and adjoining the
late residence Of the rebel Gen. Tigh1man.
On Saturday night last the steamer City Of
Alton came down from Pit.sburg Landing,
t with Governor Yates on board, in charge Of
five hunred sick and wounded Illinois soldiers,
! en- their Way to the hospitals at Mound City,
| Cairo, st. Louis and Alton. She lay all night
at the coal boat opposite our camp, and early
! IN the morning, as soon as it was known that
| the Governor Was on board, the soldiers col
lected in crowds On the bauk and called on
| him for speech He soon appeared on the
| hurricane deck and responded briefly, elo-
| quently alludiDg to the patriotism Of Illinois,
| whose gallant sons had marched in the van Of
| every column that had moved to meet the foe,
camp, nor even Withholding their lives
when that sacrifice was demanded to
sustain tho honor Of the country
and the old flag. The Governor remarked that
for weeks bis time and labor had been devoted
to the soldiers Of Illinois, and all that could
be dene lad been done to alleviate the condi-
| tion Of the sick aud the wounded Of the great
battle; and be pledged anew his efforts ia
their behalf; he would still follow the reSi.
mcuts Of his State and endeayor to care for
the sick and the wounded, providing them
| with things necessary for their comfort, and
the conclusion Of Ills remarks the Governor
was greeted by the soldiers with three heart5
cheers as the boat moved away.
Gov. Yates has endeared himself to the men
! Of the Sixty Second, as he has to all Others, by
the noble and patriotic services which he la:
rendered and is sill rendering to the soldier
and the whole country, in his care for thcsict
and wounded, particularly those Of his OWL
State.
Yesterday two Of the Commissioners vert
here to take the vote Of the regiment upor
the new Constitution. 4 considerable por
tion Of the day vas occupied in this Eork, AMI
the result is Of the most satisfactory charac
ter. Out Of all the votes cast, nearly three tt
one we're against the hunbng; and this, i
must be remembered, is in regiment wllc]
was raised at Camp Dubois, il the heart Q
Egypt, and is principally made up from til
southern counties. But party prejudices an,
prl ferences seemed to have but little weigh
iu tbs election Many Of thestrongest Demo
crats in the regiment being the most carries
opponents Of the new Constitution. Til
men Of this regiment showed that they wer
not TO be led astrny by the plausibi
| piete1ts Of the framers Of this oui
1ageous swindle; they have esinced tha
they have no sympathy with the schemes c
the corrupt and ambitious men, who wer
willing to take advantage Of their country
extremity to saddle themselves upon the pee
1le as oficeholders, with largely increase
salaries, at period which Of all others in ou
history, calls most loudly for retrenchmcu
rathcr than increased expenditure.
I discover, contrary to what might haY
been expected in q community SO strongl
imbued with secession aud pro-slayery prt
c]iyitiee, that the TRIBUNE has a large cirenI:
tl0n here. The secesh curse the paper, hu
buy it nevertheless #hen they want to get tt
| Dews. ILLINOIS.