Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1862-03-13

THE TOWN.
Columbus is situated upon a narrow
neck Of land running south from the base
OF bluff of steep ascent and some ninety
feet in altitude above the present water
works Upon this bluff the rebel batteries
were located. The town is simply het
rogeneous collection of mongrel wooden
most of which were at one time
devoted to bowling, billiard and bibatory
Purposes. One brick residence lays some
well defined claims TO architectural pre-
tensions and finish. One lawyers Single
decorates side wall, and ope church lifts
its meek wooden turret to .he sky. some
distance above it. A dilapidated depot
for Columbus, Insignificant as it is, es-
tablished an imaginary claim to COM
mercial importance in being the terminus
Of the Mobile aud Ohio Railroad or
three grocery stores and as many insignif-
icant taverns, a post-ofIice combining fluid
with its postal arrangements. the whole
backed by swamps, fronted by the river
and hemmed in with bluffs, make the
town. Everything bore the marks of de-
sertion and destruction. The houses were
closed AMI the inmates gone. The stores
had been raasacked and the contents scat
tered through the streets. Moasses. -four.
groceries, letters. candle boxes. playing
cards. whiskey-bottles, house furniture,
and other articles. ad infntum. Uttered the
sidewalks, A contraband mounted upon
a forlorn and mud-bedaubed mule, and a
butternut-legged saloon keeper bestrad
ding a dirty counter. whose glories had
departed down secession throats. were the
only signs Of male life in the town. Every
woman had departed. Every dog. hog
and other animal adjunct of civilization
had followed Rev. Gen. Polk and his for
ces. The sand -bagged levee was covered
with gun-carriages, casions. torpedoes.
shell. shot, chains and anchors. The tor
pedoes which were generously intended to
blow Commodore Foote'S fleet heaven
ward. were constructed in the shape OF O
sky-rocket. and would prove about as ef-
fective for the purpose as one of the latter
piercing institutions. Large quanti-
ties of coal were piled upon the landing
which will come in excellent use for our
gunboats and transports. Ordnance was
scattered in every direction, much Of which,
from appearances, had but recently arrived
All OF the gun carriages were OF Memphis
manufacture, and were addressed to Gen.
Polk.
THE NOTIFICATIONS.
The Notifications upon the bluff and its
slope are reached from the town by an in.
clined railroad plane. They are construct
ed in the most thorough manner. and upor
purely scientific principles. showing the
handiwork Of q master engineer. Tht
water battery mounted twenty-five guns
some of them of heavy calibre. which hat
been dismounted, and probably thrown il
the river. Five of them were lying upor
the slope. and undoubtedly others are a
the bottom of the river. The gun plat
forms were filled with grape. canister ant
shell in great profusion. The upper works
presented front of some two miles aud {
half in extent, the earth works mounting
lo8 Founders, and the whole embracing
about go guns. All the upper guns haf
been removed. The forts were so located
and constructed as to be almost impregna
BILE to an assault by storm. The capture
of enc by no means involved the captur
of the balance. A fresh assault must b
made in each instance. At the main fort
and many Of the eartlworks. stockade
crossed the trenches. exposing the assault
ing party to storm of bullets from rifle
men firing through loop holes. Every ra
vine and ditch was thoroughly protected
and the various approaches of the rivel
commanded for long distance in every di
rection. The bearings of the guns will b
more readily understood from q cut l senc
! you. than from any technical description
1t is sufficient that an unusually strone
natural position was seized upon. and sc
improved by rare engineering skill that th'
equal Of the Columbus Notifications. il
extent and perfection of detail combined,
can hardly be found in the United States
The water battery was exposed to the fir,
of the gunboats. and in no lengthy time
could have been silenced by vigorous she'll
ing. The upper works, if manned by de
termined men. would have proved disas.
trous to the gunboats. and could be hello
against the assaults Of vastly superior
force by lanl.
INTERIOR OF THE FoRTIFIcATIoNs.
The parade ground is about mile ant
half in length. and three hundred yards
in width. and most admirably adapted fol
its purposes. Most Of the larger barracks
were burned. bat many of the huts remain
ed intact. These were constructed simply
ont substantially. A capacious cellar wal
dug. and the excavated earth banked w
around the structure. Many of the cellars
were flooded with water. rather incommo.
ding sleeping arrangements: q difficulty
which was obviated by mounting the beds
upon logs. Our boys. with true Yanket
tact, seized upon these institutions. and
rapidly converted them into comfortable
and hospitable domicils.
About the only souvenirs of the camp
life oI the rebels and their theological pro-
gress under the sutton of their reverend
general. were countless packs Of playing
cards. and shattered fragments Of whisky
bottles. which were strewn all over the for.
tiications, sandwiched into tho pyramids
of grape and scattered down the slope o.
the bluff. Nothing of any value in the line
Of camp furniture. small arms or private
property was left; whatever could not b.
carried off was burned.