Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-04-20

Thera Il NO Ilttle confusion In regard TO the
rsbsl forsiacatIona on the Mississippi above
Msmphls. NotonIy sheposlhOnsbuts shs name's
Of ths forts appear to be cODfOundsd As In
sOnnec.ion with yorktown, the Southern coast
and Corinth. the Mississippi between Island No.
10. and Memphls e q point Of grea, Interest, We
win sndeavor 70 lay before our readers the best
information We have been able to obtain re-
specting the rebel fortiHcalions that guard the
approach to Mempbis. Below that point there
are said 10 be no batteries 70 impede our pro-
eress down the river TO New osleaDs .idt
A diapStch, on Friday night, reported that
Commodore FooTE's fotIlla, on Monday, the
"A ii Inst, attacked and captured Fort Wright
This fort q By some confOunded with Fort Pill
Low. Bui Fsrt Wright appears 10 have been
the Fret siroDg position Commodore FoorE bad
to encounter on bis passage down the river. IL
h said 10 be situated on the Chickasaw Bluis,
about eighty miles above Memphis. II IL be
true as reported that II has been reduced, the
uexi stsongly intrenehed rebel post below Is
Fort Randolph, though this some accounts place
below For, Pillow.
Fort Randolph is described as on the Mlssls-
sippi river, near the town Of Randolph, TipIon
county, Tennessee, about sixty miles above
Memphis, one hundred and sixty below COlum-
bus, and one hundred and eighty below Cairo.
ltis q. rough, incomplete earthWork, constructed
last fall. II Is built upon the Second Chicka
cav Bluffs, more than one hundred feet above
the river. and Immediately south Of Island No
%. the lower part Of which commands three
mouths Of the HGtchis river, steam that
smpsies into the Mississippi river just above
che town Of Randolph, at the upper edge Of the
bluffs. These bluffs form natural paraPets for
che batteries, and at this point command q vie"
Of the Mississippi for six miles each way.
Below Randolph Is Fort Harris, which. how
ever, Is is said, the rebela have abandoned, and
sat al she guns to Fort Pillow.
The latter tort, named after General GIDEoS
l. RirEow, of Fort Donelson notOriety, eng. gee
most Of lhs attention Of newspaper srltero sno
correspoudentss Pho general impression il
chat % capture viii clear the passage OF the
river to Memphis. The detailed descriptions
generally given Of Fat PiIIOW apply snbstau
italy 90 the des Hiption of Fort Randolph given
above. Different accounts locate it az different
distances above Memphis-some placing u
three miles from thas point and others At vari.
Sas greA'er distances.
Toe rebels, who bull. Fort Pillow. ought TO
kuIg where it is located. The Memphis Ap
peal saysir Il on the east bank Of the Ms.is
sippl. ssvsu.y miles above Memphis, near the
mOu b II the Elstcbie river Ifso, tits NOS far
from Fort Randolph. either above or below.
When Uacle San gets bic FOOTE in oil thee
forte, sbich. We Irasi, viii soon be the case, q.
shall probably learn the precise location Of each
dis hght name. /, seems that We have to
make conquest Of certain pOrriOus Of OH
common cOuutrs in or Ter to know their geogra.
ply Success, then, to Commodore FOoTE's
voyage Of discovery doWn the Mississippi! It
is quite ss important to the world as was tbe
exploration Of the Father Of Ws.ers" BY the
grsat voysger Dr. SorO three centuries ago
All accounts agree 10 representing FOrE Pil.
low, whether we place Il above or below Fort
Randolph, as the strongest rebel fortfcadOn Oh
the MisaissippI between New Matrid and Mem
phis. The batteries ere said to extend half .
mile along the Tennessee shore, with tive
batteries twenty and forty feet above the Va
tsf. There is In the rear Of the fort line Of
6reastRorks Ave or six miles loEg, mounting
siege guns, and twelve hundred negroes are re
ported 90 be working on the fOrti6cstions dA,
ana Lighs.
The number Of she garrison stationed effort
Pillow is Of course not known accurately, bui IL
believed 70 consist Of about fifteen hui dted
men. General vItlInauE, q Creole, Is In com.
nand. BE is Represented to be nsxs to Beau.
a1sahp, the abIest engineer in the Confederate
Iers:es. The rebels place great confidence 10
bic scientific qualifications but General PorE
and Commodore FoorE showed both their
science and ability in the reduction Of IsIsDd
No. 10, and the same qualities, we doubt not.
Will be exhibited In the reduction Of the rebel
Ioris above Memphis.
-. H.,~., y. r v.ryrv,s "A c,oa Raodati Il