Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-04-22
Late f.oy, the N;Iss,s.,,r, >,

special correspondent Of the Chicago Times
writing under date OF April 14-tbe day follow.
ing the departure from New Madrid-says:
Fort Pillow Is right before us, In our very path;
strong fOrtifcat!on, In admirable position, de-
iended sy battery Upon battery. and peopled by
thousands OF rebel soliieTY. There are great
number oi The heaviest pieces OF ordnance In the
possession OF the Rebel army hete mounted Therf
are eleven batteries the shore In the curve of the
river, which Is as much the same as al Island No
10, IN regard TO shape. The curve is much
broader, however. and the channel sweepx an en-.
tire half circle around the circumference of :
broad lake formed by the videnins OF TIE rive,
in The bend, thus exposing boats thai may attempi
to pass to gauntlet OF five or six miles of open
range, for which the batteries are planted. On
posie the last bate distinctions are planted in
the river, which compel boats to pass close TO the
shore. Other obstructions are placed near the
upper battery-al Of which tend TO complete a
most forfnida bic and ttou5 esome defense I
On the hill, in the rear Of the batteries Ia the
main fort, an octagonal structure with bastfops
mounting some twelve or fifteen large guns. Sur.
rounding this, and embracing line seven miles
In length, from shore to shore are fortfhcations
consisting Of batteries, rihe-pits &C all ofwhich
are being increased and strengthened by all means
In the power OF the rebel army -
This position must be aiken by hard fphtinu
There are no traps to catch the rebels in as al
Island No 10. All is plain, open country in the
rear, and the fortiAcatiohs are on high hills
There are other hills which command them. and
upon them Gen. Pope will probably erect bate
r'es with which to fight them. The gunboats
have no alternative except TO lie behfrd the point
as at Island Nc. 10, and throw their shell across
the Intervening space ut the batteries The NOR.
tar bcats will necessarily take the same position
IL Is my opinion that they useless for shellinQ
batteries. They may be made tn throw she'll into
the fort, however, In which case they will do
go9d execution. .-..
The whole fotilla is here, including the gun
boats and ten mortar boats Gen. Pope's army is
also on the spot, having come down the river in
transports The great trouble seems TO be to q nd
piece OF dry land to light upon The army and
navy are both sanguine Of speedy victory, but |
do not share In their snticipations. 1 think the
rebels will make most stubborn T -sIstance here
and that we shall be held In check until the
pending battle Mt Corinth decides the matter n
we gain the victory there, they are fsnked
and will yield the position. IL not we must IA e
1t by hard fighting. Report puts the sirength of
the place at l50 heavy guns, and Il 600 soldiers
L think the latter Is over estimate as Beaure-
ga'd has drawn heavily upon all these outposts 10
swell his ranks at Corinth. He took 10 600 men
from Island No. 10, which was Just 10 COO prison.
eIs rescued from our clutches. -
The correspondent of the Cincinnati Gazette
writes:
learn since my arrival here that Fort Pillow
Is situated near the town of Randolph, between
that place and the mouth of the Ilatchee river
and not ten or twelve miles above, rs has been
generally supposed. Indeed it 10 the Randol nh
Notifications, about which we heard so much lat
summer This, at least, find 70 be the general
impression here among those who should kncw
best, and Il seems plausible from the fact that we
are not now more than eight or ten miles from
Randolph. raa r.. :, p .slr a..