Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-05-10
LATEST FROM THE SOUTHWEST.
THE REBEL FORCE AT CORINTl
NO GENERAL ENGAGEMENT.

PITTsMAN's FERRY, ARK, May S.-Two
gentlemen who have been in the south since
the commencement of the blockade, arrived
here to-day. They left Memphis two weeks
since, coming to Jacksonport on the steamer
Samuel Hale which arrived there last Tues
day; but her officers learning that our troops
were marching on that town, Immediately
started down the river. Our troops reached
there the following evening. Provisions,
clothing, and all kinds of merchandise are
very scarce throughout the south. Tennes-
see money is at premium of 20 per cent. and
gold one hundred per cent.
Drafting for the army is going on, regard
less of position, and many Union men are
flying to the mountains and swamps. Fort
Pillow is the only defence on the Mississippi
that is considered secure on the water side
Gen. Prices army has gone to fort Pillow and
Corinth. The force at COrinth is supposed to
be 10000. Fifteen boats are now at Little
Rock, taking on board u, 200 Arkansas troops
for Corinth.
CHICAGO, May "a special from Cairo to
the Journal says 1.-THE steamer Brown,
from the fiotilla, arrived this morning at day
break. Yesterday, four rebel gunboats were
seen rounding the Point, making their way in
the direction of the mortars, evidently with
intention Of capturing them. Our gunboats
formed in line of battle, and the decks were
cleared for action. Some fifty shots were
fired, when the rebel boats returned Their
distance was so great as to make it impossible
to tell whether any shot took effect. The fir
ing from the mOrtars, which had been sus-
pended for two days, was renewed, and when
the Brown left, was going on with great vigor
TO guard against any surprise, the mortar
boats are t0wed up the river every night and
remain behind the fleet.
\ special to the Tribune says :-''Major
Sharpe Of Columbus, who was carried away
by the rebels at the time of the evacuation of
that place, has escaped and tells pitiful sto-
ries of affairs at Memphis. He pointed out
the place where the rebels buried thirty
pieces of cannon in Columbus, all of which
have been eXhumed and are now in our pos
session"
a boat from Pittsburg arrived here last
night, and reports that our army was within
two miles of Corinth, and that heavy firing
was going on with our extensive advance, but
it was thought that no general engagement
was progressing.
Memphis papers of the Bird and 9TH are re-
ceived. The Avalanche of the 9TH says that
''the battle so long anticipated at Corinth is
postponed for the present. From fort Wright
our ,advices are to Saturday. The federals
continue their harmless pastime much to the
amusement Of our gallant boys. We believe
there is every prospect that our authorities
will under no circumstances surrender this
stronghold. From Vicksburg we learn that
the authorities are rapidly hurrying forward
and completing Notifications, which are rep
resented to be of such formidable character as
to preclude the possibility Of the passage of
the enemy's feet up the river" The Ava
lanche acknowledges a loss of twenty killed
and one hundred wounded at Pennington on
Saturday last, and deprecates the adoption of
the policy Of prosecuting men, and says such
a course of action by the government is cal
culated to lead to disastrous results The
government is becoming unpopular, and the
Avalanche does not hesitate to attack it Wig
orously.
A gentleman who left New Orleans on the
LIST, says that the federal war vessels, after
having passed the forts, bribed the Irish wo-
men to influence their husbands in the forts
to give up. The result was that $50 men
spiked their guns, and delivered themselves
up to the enemy. Gen. Butler is in the city,
having come up in the first transport from
below.