, 1862-04-04

CRY TeStIge OF former 10ycllneSS Is removed,
aid the ground is trodden hard as rock By
lAe not too respectful feet Of patriot soldiers.
discovered here and there an attempt on the
part Of couFag gcous tulips to penetrate the up
per crust, and revel in the bright sunlight, but
it was evidently q wearisome task, and nothing
came Of it. In October an extensive orchard
in the rear Of his mansion, greeted the eyes Of |
our forces, and visions Of fruit, golden apples,
donced before their iinaslnations. The vision |
WIS realized, but the orchard is dead, withcred |
and destroyed A few leatless, limbless trunks |
mark the locality. Around the dwelling are
scattered shattered, dilapidated shantles, for /
merly the negro quarters Of the proprietor. !
Ono Of these is used as Post Bakery, and the |
others rs barracks for our troops. The whole |
property is ruined past restoration, but the t
rctribution is just one, and should serve as a
waning to other aide1s and plotters Of rebel j!
lion
It is said that Col. Bird gave the Southern
Conftdcracy Slo0,o00, and offered Sl00.00
more in the event Of the recapture Of Birds
Point.
The entire locality and its surroundings pre-
sent q dreary, deeoiatc picture, painfully IN
like the rural paradise with which he had sur
rounded himself before the rebellion.
FORT HOLT.
The fort vas located Oh the Kentucky shore
directly opposite Birds Point in a position OF
rare natural beauty, and was intended to be
pcrmancntly garrisoned By Federal troops.
Extensive barracks we're built, guns Of heavy
ca1ibrc mounted, and troops concentrated,
but When the Olio commenced rising it was
seen that we should be compelled to evacnate,
troyGd, and the encampmeut broken up. The
entire spot S now covered, only the ridges Of
the barracks visible above the waste OF waters.
NORFOLK
On the Missouri shore about ten miles below
Cairo, lies the miserable collection OF houses,
luts ;ntl novels, digniIicd By the high sound
ing tile Of Norfolk. It is i place OF 10 i'm
pcr;ancc, astcan,boat town of the most insiy
ui.icant character, aud noted principally tpr
swanrps. secession and tov-headcd children
i few miles below is point called
LCCAs BEND.
This locality is noted rs the scene Of con-
tiiet, which, early in tile war, occurred l5c-
tween uur grntoats and jeff Tho,nrson's
troors. The 81 'Conestoga,' - in an action last
ing i've hours, alone siIenced nine OF tue
enemy's guns and compelled him to retire
with considerable loss. Along the bloody
field Of Belmont, whicl VIC PASS With shortclf-
ed breath and with feelings Of reverence, NC
approach the heights of
COLUMBUS.
The tlufi: Of Columbus rise abruptly from
the dead level Of tie river, about L mile this
side Of the stronghold, present. ing first i sue
cossion of chalk clitls, scared and seatned with
channels cut by streams Of water pouring
down tho precipitous sides. As ne approach
the town, TIC water battery is seen, and then
Other batteries, one above another, till the
| works upon the bluffs, capable OF being
bluffs, eigi.t1 ftet lign, are crowned with can
| non, ard, extending tIou, the top to tue river,
| lies the inmeDs. chain which was stolen by
| 1he rebels from Charleston, and with which
| Gen. PILLOW hoped to prevent The navigation
| OF the river by the lotiila- Like his ce'e-
| brated ditch, it proved Of no earthly use, and
now lies there a monument to the stupidity OF
tic brave General. In the distance, between
| the branches Of the trees, are seen fields Of
heat AID vegetation just surfing into early
| life, while il the foreground the apparently
! impregnablc position rounces upon rs rs if to
| question our right Of passage The Works
con nlard The river in every direction, and il
| the rebels had not been compelled to retreat
by the cutting off Of the source from whence
they derived their supplies, in the capture o1
round about Nashville, it would have required
all Of ,hc skill and gailan,ry OF brave Co,a,uo,
dore Foote to have silenced and taken them.
The town itself is situated ut the foot Of
and below the blutfs-iow, rnarshy ground,
now nearly covered with water. The houses
are deserted and the general aspect Of the vil.
lagc is melancholy Illustration Of the hor.
rtTs Of iutcrccdine snlfe. Gun carriages and
b1okcn guns line the lcyet for q mile OF more,
eng in ore PLACE is piled a llf hundred u
torrpeeoes taken from the river, AAd the lat;.r
nal machines planted in the bluffs, with wlllcs
| the rebels Intended TO blow up the works
nhcn occupied by our soldiers. They Wer<
connected By wires with 4 galya:.lc batter,
LOCATED some distance i'll tue rcar, and had noi
the rehels 1ctrrated i'll such extreme hastt
upon the arpronch Of The Union forces,
single Spark from the battery would hlEr pro
. dcccd ! terrific explosion, and cvettuafed il
serious loss Of life. The Mobile aud Ohit
RailToad has Its northern terminus Il
pended. The depot and the track arc unin
jured, but neither engines or coaches AT
+ seen. The stiffness Of deso1ation and nigh
. rests over the whole village. Below tho dc
. | pct, a1e the blackcned remains Of barracks
eturcs, 1orts and dwellings, burned an
light. The persistency and opposition Of til
few remaining Inhabitants alone prcyente
the entire destruction OF the remaining poi
| ton OF the town. In this case there wa
NO military or strategic advantage to be gaiu
cd which justified the act. It Was simply
j | wanton destruction OF property, impellcd b
, aniuosity and a savage thirst for vengeaoct
: determined to wreuk it upon the heads OF Il,
i innocent, If the guilty could not be reached
!. Sixteen miles below Columbus, On the Ke,
j. tuca.y shore, lies the beautiful village Of
: HICKMAN.
- | 1A4S IL Il EtAoEEA4E1 tAaa5E VI
{ Inhabitants, loclted upon the southern slol
g Of The bluffs which rise gradually from II
lt | rivers edge to the summit, half mile in Il
= rear. The housts have comfortable, hom
like appearance and more resemble those Of
5 New England village than any / have get see
A1ornd the neat cottages, the peach trees Al
: III full bloom, the a1ianthus, maple aud ell
Il arc green with their wealth of foliage; Il
white tents of the soldiers dot the hiIi-sid.
regiments are going through their cyolu:ionl
I'm $n97r3z
b. before the portal transports laden with troo
~ arc monred to the levec, and N air Of actiyf
pervaSes the town; the whole presenting
picture Of novel beauty and loneliness rare
E. noticed that when the Ccncstoga haul
~ alongside the Louisville, tlst the negsbo
we're besieged BY eaggsr ci.izens, who parcha
&c cd the TRIBUNE, with which they were II
Or provided, apparently needless that it was
the darkest dye, only anxious to obtain t
e. latest intelligence from the seat Of war- Til
nt sold hundred AZ dime each. We left Hic
nc man, and made the best Of our way to t
- bomharding feet at
ISLAND NO 10.
e In the bends Of the Mississippi, faithfully
ds presented on tho map, scores Of transports q
u tugs wcrc plying backwards aHd forwards, {
&c gagged in the grsat strategic movement, a.
!s scIiption Of which has been declared coat
u band BY military authorities, but whis
u thanks 10 the impudence ofsnewspaper corr
!, / pondcnts, has leakcd out nevertheless, d
nS is well understood By outsiders. The pc
't- ton Of the feet and mortar bpats, and the
On ca]iiy Of. the island can be learned from
ng illustrations in Frank Leslie's Gazette, to VIII
he refer your readers. The bombardment =
til considerable slaekened during the day, out
e. respect to the Commodore,s prejudices, q
or the gunboats were qniet. The 1nortars fl
1e- shot every half hour, but owing to the h:
&C. mesa Of the atmosphere, the. effect cauld not
~ determined. With strong glass, Tcould
Of tucky shore. but fbe upper battery annes
to be cvert1owed and deserted Occssiona
the dull, heavy roar OF artillery was heard
In tar aE4 In1u -. + Z.