The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1862-03-18
COLUMBUS, KY, March Sth, 1862.

81 OF March detachment of the Cd Hi
nols Cavalry took possession of Columbus,
together with its deserted detenses. and
that upon the following day the occupa-
ton was completed in force. There were
positively no incidents of interest con
nected with this movement. Just mag
inc fleet of four gun boats and three
transports moving down the Mississippi
from Cairo, Of cold March morning.
with about two thousand troops, and qui-
city landing them at half-deserted mud
dy town Of fifteen hundred inhabitants,
and you have the whole picture.
We had aboard our transport, New
York artists and correspondents, who
will doubtless furnish extensive drawings
and descriptions of the Notifications to
the metropolitan papers, giving much
clearer idea of them than can do, and
shall con6ne my observations TO mat
ters which will probably be omitted by
them.
The eth, 42d, six companies of the
55th Illinois Regiments and two com
panies of Zouaves, were the troops land
ed here on the 4th inst. The 55th has
since left, and the balance Of the 2l Hi
nois Cavalry has arrived, together with
two batteries of artillery. Thus there is
now in occupation of Columbus force
of not more than twenty-five hundred all
told. Our regiment is on the bluffs
within the lines of entrenchment, the
balance of the force occupying the town,
which lies upon the fiat beneath.
The Notifications were left uninj
but completely disarmed-not a gun in
position. The stores and armament were
mostly destroyed or carried away. The
heavy guns were dismounted and thrown
into the river. The barracks were most
ly ruined by fire, though in some cases
nearly whole regiments left their quar-
ters uhinjured. The extent of the rebel
force here could not have been overesti-
mated it must have amounted to nearly
thirty thousand. At one time last au-
tumn it approached nearer sixty thou
sand. l am informed that most of the
immense labor on the Notifications was
performed by force of not more than
sixteen thousand. The work was done
by the soldiers themselves and not by
negroes.
have been much interested in wan
dering through the deserted quarters Of
the different regiments. Even ruins
speak volumes. These quarters were
built in every conceivable style, but
very comfortable, especially those of the
extreme southern regiments. The Lou
lslana boys evidently suffered much from
the effects ofthis vigorous climate Many
of them lived in mere dens dug in the
sides of the steep rayines and covered
with mud, without window, with a door
just large enough TO crawl through, but
with an ample fire. place which was put
to good use. Imagine thousand of the
ilustrious cane chivalry emerging at the
tap of the drum, like moles or gophers,
from their holes in the ground to the de-
fence of their beloved " institution %
Were these the dragon teeth spoken of
But their glory has departed and 50 have
they. The troops occupying this point
were mostly from Kentucky, Tennessee,
Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas
Previous to our arrival here | had heard
much of the propensity of the rebels for
liquor, but had often doubted whether il
were possible to exceed some of our
troops in its disposition. | doubt no
longer, though liquor is certainly be-
coming high. The spirit of Secessia has
departed in more senses than one, but
the skeleton remains. Bottles here, there,
everywhere bottles inside, outside,
around doors, under windows and under
stairs, IN dark holes and corners, and in
open daylight-in the Rev. Bishop Gen.
Folks headquarters and in the lowest
private's den--a small universe Of bot
ties, as though rebellion had been hold
ing a grand winter carnival over it's
coming ruin.
1t is probable that the rebels have Jared
even better than we, SO far as their com
missary was concerned. There are no
indications anywhere that they.were short
of supplies of any kind. They must
have received everything that we have,
and something more. Nor did they want
for the Injuries, as the thousands of oys,
ter, sardine and preserve cans, scattered
everywhere: attest, though it is truly a
wonder how they paid for them.
These statements may surprise some
of the more radical of your readers, who
are accustomed to iatter themselves with
the idea that the rebels must be in a very
suffering condtion-on the borders Of
starvation, dc, but the illusion ought