New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1862-01-20
Northern Reports from Cairo.

d
Correspondents Of the st. Louis ReuubIiesul
CaIRo, January O. While affairs are 30 sin on 4
land, the navy is more than atoning for il By n
creased activity. Steamers are moving rom one
polntto another transferring ioads. some
Tor immediate physical comfort others for future
offensive operations, while 4 score cf little tues
dart along the water, putting oiciously Win ia
mighty responsibility Of errand delivery yhay
may pe seen at any moment, dragging aWay Sats
load four times the size Of Themselves or foszine
those unshapeiy monsters, the floating batteries.
These have not yet received their armament 81
mortars, and are consequently not ready for ser.
wee. They can be madetso IN o few days. The
gunboats are nearly completed, the last finishing
touches being all now necessary. The Bentol.
which Will be the flag shfp, has had Hi boiler
placed lower in the hull, and floats rpon tie water
the mos. formidable river craft probably ever
made. From trial the jar caused BY the FIRING On
the different boats is SO slight as to be hardly per-
ceptble, while the craft can be moved in position
easier than, was anticipated. They will soon thnn-
der TIER 6roadsides before Columbus, and their
effect will hang the fate Of the rebel stronghold.
While the Federal gunners, under cover Of the
IRON sides, will be working more safely than In
casemates, their opponents IN. open earthworks
will be fully exposed to the falling storm OF shot
and shell. The advantage possessed by the assaiL
ants IN snch case was fully shown at Port Royal
and with the immense mortars and splendid guns of
the present feet in full play, Columbus cannot be
The country for mile surrounding there can in
less than day be made wholly unfenabIe ner-
feet rain Of shell falling among its defenders while
not one shot in Two hundred fired Of the boats viii
prove effective, unless setting at naught all eaens
lations Of science. Although under.estimatine lie
| struggle necessary to take Columbus would ia
| worse than folly, the opposite yiew can be ran.
uered still more injurious by embracing the ex-!
treme, and placing before the Union soldiers tie
ghosts of impossible and barely imaginable terrors
Every clump Of bushes around Columbus il not q
masked battery, and their flying artillery are not
i2S-ponnders, like the Lady Polk of Belmont
huruf will ha
time since, killing so many, and nearly breaking
the leg Of Sir Bishop, after whose lady it was
named. To show the difficulty Of hitting vessels
on the river the case of the Lexington and Cones
toga, which occurred when first came to Cairo
some months since, will demonstrate. These boats
were engaged for over three hours with several
batteries, in all twenty guns just above Columbus,
onsiy by the 5Confederates, not o single shot took
effect. gunboat, when in action, lies with the
bow up stream, in which position it is more mo-
tioness, and does not sway with the currents ac-s
its opponents aim, and at mile and a half, or
even less this appears small.
At peaceful practice it would be hard to hit
similar target and in the heat of battle tits much
more difficult. So, with all the Dragging ard
tannts of another Manassas, the most prudent
military men stoutly affirm that Columbus can and
will be taken. The Confederate army now there
numbers about thirty thousand strong !, and q
deserter who came into the lines night before last
states that six hundred torpedoes are sunk in the
river between Columbus and Memphis. This last
story serves to show how credulous commander
would be who should place any reliance upon the
men WHO constantly arrive, proclaming themselves
from the secession army and telling marvellous
tales of hairbreadth escapes. 55-S
Something over week ago four persons, two
of whom affirmed themselves Englishmen. and had
passes from the British Consul. at New Orleans
arrived here and passed on, the two Americans
taking the oath. a day or two since Gen. Grant
received trustworthy Intelligence that one Of the
Bridgeport, Connecticut, was q Southern spy, and
his mission was to obtain perfect drawings Of the
machinery usedin manufacturing certain parts af
guns. Measures have been taken that will bring
Mr.. Reamer's tour to sudden close.
From rumor it would seem that torpedoes ara
thicker in the Mississippi than fshes but as these
articles have been known for fifty years, and
never Killed any but those setting them, they are
not considered formidable by naval men. a log
or piece Of drift-weod explodes them as easily as
vessel, and startling reports'' may perhaps.
already be the order Of the day, and night also,
wherever they are placed.
CAIRO Jan. The gunboats Essex Lexington
and Tyler, which went down on Reconnaissance
TO Columbus this morning, returned at s,clock in
the afternoon. '' sE3
They approached within two miles Of Columbus
and within range of their guns n N u
Six miles above Columbus thew discovered the
small rebel steamer Water Witch mounting two
guns, lying at the bank. It at once started on
under full steam for Columbus, and reported the
hPP ~ elAS dtker w
within sight, keeping, however, out Of range. Is
few shots were fred at it from the Essex, but they
fell short. NJ @ ~ ~ S - ~
The chain stretched across the river at Colani-
nus IS controlled BY q steam engine on the Ken
tncky shore which tghtens or losens it at pleasure
10 the bottom of the chain is attached three large
torpedoes, intended to explode in conclusion with
the wheelof boat. All Of the rebel vessels with
the exception of the Water-Witch, are below the
chain, the latter vessel being light-draft can pass
over it, and consequently remains above to recon
! noiter. When the Federal gnnboats approached
Columbus they could see plainly the batteries At
| that place. The artillerists stood at the guns,
| ready to fire, and the whole Confederate sforcs
were under arms. Two cavalry companies, from
three gnnboats; it being known that rebel force
of cavalry were encamped near Charleston, and
there being danger of their cutting the Union ds.
taehment of infantry were sent down subsequently
to support the latter. a.