The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1862-01-16
LETTER FROM CAIRO.
The Great Erpsdition-T1s EH6arEa:iOn
IF Troops-SpeculatiOss as TO the Des-
tiaotion-A Probable Fsint.

rOr the IhSb lnTt6 Gays We nave Do0u
In q Aulter of excitement at this point. in
anticipation of something being about to
happen. What it is precisely, does not
appear as YETI but as the telegraph in
formed you yesterday, "an important
movement is evidently on foot" Day be-
fore yesterday, orders we're issued from
headquarters that all the available troops
at this point and Birds Poiut should be
in readiness 10 march the next day with
FIVE days rstiODs. Twelve o'clock NJ. was
the hour designated, and within the usual
space Of time thereafter, the selected reg
lments, with knapsacks Olung and well
tiled haversacks aud cauteens, were
drawn up in order on the levee in readi-
ness to embark. The liver furnishes al
most the onl ly- means of exit from this
town, and whenever movement is an
nouncsd it is taken ior granted that it
must be By steamboat. Now the embar-
kaIiou Of ssveral thonsahd men, with all
the baggage, equipments, animals aud ve-
hicles necessary for protracted march,
is no slight labor as can be testified by
one who ever witnessed such scene, and
although the troops had arrived at the
landing soon after noon. it was found i'm
possible to embark moro than the cavalry
that day. In the m anime tn ousands of
rumors were rife regarding the destination
and purpose OF the expedition.
Gen. Grant kept his own counsel strict
ly, and The others who were in the secret.
1t any such there were, were equally cir
cumspcct. Every one, therefore, had to
draw his own differences from the facts in
his possession, and many and various
were the conclusions arrived at, Some
thought we were to cross tbs river into
Missouri, and endeavor to bag JEFF.
Thompson, who OF late has become very
bold in his marauding expeditions, and
threatens to give the Government a good
deal OF trouble if he is not speedily sup
pressed. Others asserted that an attack
was to be made on Columbus, with vie W
of ascertainng the character of the de.
fenses on the land side, as Com. Foo,e
had, day or two before. reconnoitered it
by the river Again it was suggested
that the troops wele designed to strength.
en- General Buell's column, who was about
10 advance Oh Bowling Green. or perhaps
to break up a rebol encampment situated
some distance southwest from Paducah,
known as Camp Besuresard. where it is
asserted some six thousand rebels are col-
lected All these various theories were
lree y advanced and warmly advocated by
their respective partisans; and meanwhile
we watched anxiously to see what course
ths boats would take. At last these had
received their loads, and, swinging from
their moorings, turned their course down
the stream, Proceeding some eight miles
below, they deposited their loads on the
Kentucky shore, returning Immediately to
this place. BY tho time they reached
here, however, it was found to be too late
to attempt another embarkation, and the
infantry were accordingly marched bac \
TO their quarters for the night.
This morning the Ievee presented a bu.
sy acene. Long lines Of soldiers in grey
or blue uniforms were drawn up at the
top of the bank; officers on horseback
vera galloping hither and thl,her, beavi
ly ladened wagons, drawn by four or ST,
mules. were struggling through the dense
mud. and men, women and children wer,
pushing helter skelter about in great con
fusion. The day was gloomy and threaten
ing, with dense fog and occasiona
showers of rain-one of series of sucl
days with which we have been afflicted
and this mud was fearful to encountsr.-
Nevertheless the men were in high sp'r
It's at the prospect Of having something d
do, and rushed on board the boats will
alacrity. As regiment after regimen
moved down 30 the waters edge
they wero greeted with cheers, ad
montions and iarewells from the assem
blcd crowd. AT last all were on board
and alta little past noon, the heavily Ia
dened boats cast loose, and proceeded
down the rivor, landing the troops at the
same point where The cavalry had beer
deposited. This at once put an end Il
the theory of design to re- enforce Gen
Buell.. or to attack Camp Beauregard, anC
leaves the real intention of the expedition
as much in the dark as before. Possibly
the design is TO move down into the lint
Of the railroad, so as to prevent re .en
forcements being conveyed from Colum
bus 10 Bowling Green. in event of an at
attack on the latter place by Gen. Buell.
but am strongly inclined to believe th,
whole affair is simply feiut to draw at
tenion from some other point, and tina
no expedition is really intended, l shall
however, Join the troops morrow, an,
il they make move, 60 with them,
The reconnaissance Of The gunboats tn
other day. under Commodore Foote, wa
entirely satisfactory, and has comple:al'
dissipated all the rumors respectn!
masked batteries, ,lorpedoes, ,sunken chains
and other bugbears which have been 8,
industriously circulated of late. TIL
Commedore's own toat, the Essex, wen
down 10 within easy range Of the rebe
batteries, without eucountering any OBJ
stacle 10 the channel, and there lay Tor
short time broads.de to them, to aGorc
them an opportunity, if they desired, o
testing the resisting power of the irol
plating, but they declined TO do SO, and a
he had come down merely to reoonnoits
aud not to fight, he did not choose himsel
to commence battle. from which h
would finally be compelled to withdraw
1t is now certain that if any obstruction