New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-03-10

Was still impossible to zee the condlnon OF Couno"o'
though figures of men discerpible on the piu"'
The four mortar rafts nearly 100 yards apart were
tied up on the Missouri bank quite hidden from 'ne
Rebel Notifications but where they could pour IN
their thineen-incb shells with security. Inc gu"'
boats remained in the vicinity to protect ,ne 'au
ports. which, as soon as this was accomplished '''
back out of range then we moved slowly ioi"a'
in line of battle a mile and q half TURNER, a"'
ronnded 70 once more. We were now little more
than q mile from the nights Of Columbus and III iui
vievv Of ,bem The 20 or 80 men visible there were
,,o,rc fac bnt iis coors we're 80 dim that 1t could
No, no identified There are no houses on the Zen
lucky shore, and nearly all those on the Missouri
side were deserted One OF them was perforated
with shot. thrown during the battle OF Belmont.
Another. however, showed signs OF life and Gen.
Sherman started upon the Sptfre TO nterrogate the
occupants
At last tired of the delay, Commodore Foote Dis
patched Captain Phelrs of the Conestoga, and Lieut.
Iyford, Chief of Ordnance, upon another tug
yclet the FREELY, the members of the press accom-
panying them. We made straight for the forifca-
TONS Gen. Sherman's tug, which was lowering
near The other bank, euulated the example, and the
two little steamers pushed forward in hot COMPETE
ton. At las; we identified the mysterious ensign
being waved upon the high bluff. 1t proved an
ancient campsgu flag bearing the Stars and STRIPES,
but so much faded and battered that We concluded II
must be the veritable, oft-invobed cod Flag
itself Its blurred union was adorned BY spread
eagle, and among tie stripes could be detected the
motto, "The Union, the Constitution, and tie In
forcement Of the Laws."
The FREELY grounded, but not until she had
reached the bank, and won the race. Capt. Phelps
and Lieut.. Lyford sprapg ashore, and ran mp the
bluff bearing the Union ensign, and two sailors FOL-
lowed with the flagstaff of the tug. Climbing the
almost perpendicular bluff proved toilsome work, but
the party pushed on, past Tho Rebel water battery
and through winding excavation, until, breathless
thew reached the summit. Here they were wei
coined by the men who had been waving the old flag
SO long, and who proved to lie a portion of the I'd
Illinois Cavalry. The staff was planted on the eX'
IRENE hight Of the bluff, just outside the main FORTH
cation and the next moment the Stars and Stripes,
raised by Capt. Phelps, hoated gracefully in the
breeze. The bystandeIs swung their hats and huz-
zaed. and tumultuous cheers came up from all the
pnnboats and transports. The Union flag waved
over the Gibraltar Of the Mississippi Valley, indica
ting the expulsion of the lat Rebel soldier from the
soil Of Kentucky.
On all sides were evidences Of the haste in
which the enemy abandoned the position. We were
in the midst Of ruin and desoation. Scores of build
pcs, nearly destroyed by fire, but still partially
standing, with haf-burned chairs beds, and tables,
within, explained the confagrations we had wit
messed from Cairo. Round shot, shell, and grape
mutated and charred gun-carriagos, musAet-Larels,
bayoneis, cooking-stoves, haf-desroy.d provisions
all which had passed through the fire, and letters and
papers, were scattered the ground None of the
guns remained in the main work, but there FIVE
32-pounders down on the edge Of the river, which
had been preciptaed over the bank in the expecta-
ton that they would roll into the stream and lower
down, we found two 6i-pound howitzers. There
were also hundreds Of round shot the bank Of the
river come Of them half submerged, in such posi-.
ton as TO indicate that many more bad been rolled in.
The first impression received was Of the i'm
pregnabiity of the position. II seemed almost in
possible to exaggerate It's strength gain any ade-
quate idea, of its formidable character, without per-
sonal inspection. For half mile above the village
of Columbus, an almost perpendicular bluff rises
nearly a hundred and fifty feet above tho river.
About one-hrd Of tie way up is little shelf where
"water battery" OF twenty-four guns WAS planted,
surrounded b. a deep treach. From this, deep,
winding excavation, or, in military parance, "gal-
\ lery" wide enough for three or four men TO walk
as, leads to the top Of the bluff. At the summit
u eIeat plateau upon which the main fortified.
) tons, which mounted eighty-lhree guns. They CON-
. InGnded the channel above for nearly three miles
To storm them from the river would be utterly in-
r possible as 10 animal less agile than a mountain
goat could climb up the bluff, except through the
! narrow gallery alluded to above. Tie great eeya
ton would have rendered it difficult to do them mnci
harm with the gunboats. On the land, in addition
to the trenches and rarapets they are protected by
very extensive system OF rife-pits and the country
from the summit Of the buff, slopes inland, without
any other euiinence in tie vicinity commanding i.
Below the main fertilization, toward tie town, va;
another water battery Of thirteen guns. In addition
to all these, winch ranged from 2i-poundeIa 10 ~
poundert, including many rifed pieces, tie enemy
had artillery enough 10 swell his armament to nearly
a hundred ana ffty guns.
Securely fastened 10 the summit Of the bluff, and
extending down ito face into the river We found one
end Of The great chain-cable, with which Con PHI
low attempted The brilliant project Of establishing an
obstacle TO render it impossible fox gunLoais 10
pass Gown the Mississippi It is composed OF seven
eghths-nch iron, and at one time stretched en-
tiTely across the river. Though supported by huoys,
ii iuaIly broke Of its own weight. Tie momentum
Of ole Of our heavy gunboats, striking it Ut full
speed would have snapped i, like pipe-stem.
On the lower eide Of the main fortIiicatoD, We
found an inclined plane railway, extending down to
the iiver which WAS used for drawing up the guns
aad supplies. DEFENDING it, we were at tie upper
end Of Tie village, and stroed down the leyee il