The New York herald., 1862-02-28
IS COLUMBUS EVACUATED?
HEAVY EXPLOSION AT COLUMBUS,

HEAVY EXPLOSION AT COLUMBUS
&c., &c. IT. 10
ST. LOUIS, Feb. 81 1862.
Cairo despatch says heavy rumblng explosion wa
heard ysq6ny IN the direction Of Columbus. The enc
my wsFs supposed to be blowing up their intrsnch
ments. ..c1 ,91
[Cairo carsepondsncs (Feb 2a) Of Cincinnati Gazette
from ConcserS yOote 70 Captain Pssiaiag, Of the 81.
Louis. y prepare the vessel for getting under way.
vast quantity of work necessary to such preparation
was accomplished in very short time and BY eight
O'Clock we were in the stream. The Cnciunat wss On
carrying cne oa fWcy eve lsH nUs Gss
mcnt also the l. G. Wilson, towing two mortar boats
Tor the mortars We steamed down the river as oar rs
Fort Holt when we wero joined by the gunboats Garon.
doet ana ncund City which had been doing sort Of
picket du In anticipation of an attack from the seces-
aiop Hotil|as ~-f.t..-~ staI q "A erar~r
onr sst consisted Of the ironclad boats Cincinnati,
boat Conessgs three transports two mortar boats and
two tugs. ne morning was clear and bright The
shone IN beautiful usre upon the river and upon the
banks on either sidc and viewed from the deck Of the
forward vseDs the aotna presented very grand and
imposing o1D1lSance. ir,1r ,e.f rtHi tt-f-
eason M m % wss the vcy Of
umous, snd eur oDset IN going there in
a. rf rrsl
We prosssaed down the river At good rate Of spse-
about nine mies an hour-reachng Lucas Bend at ten
O'Clock. We bad not steamed mile below tAenb bmd
when, whns nany Of us wsse esgy hooking eut ~ ths
Columbua Hn6s, We were suddenly apprised BIZ their
whereabouts by the report Of the alarm eur-k blank
shot fred by the enemy just rounded point from
which the smoke Of vessels revealed our approach
The order was given on ascsrtanng the whereabouts
board Of each q vessels tho men ppsd
was msnped and loaded. About ten minutes srtsr the
first report we heard second one and this time look
ing towsr ne b,es we saw what appssred TO beA six
Our ep seemed anxious begin the contest and nothing
but srict order from Captain Padding prcvented abe
second challenge Of the enemy. We stin kept nearing
the pont whence the shots had come when about fifteen
minutes later third fash and third report told that
we reregArded as trespsesers r1' lJ
The Cincinnati which had kept ahead Of all the other
boats during the passage from Cairo, and was st ahead
ndipg TIT Ave minutes drifting would bring her right
under theenemy guss she headed mp the stream and
sgnalizq9 the other vessels TO fall into nehe st. Louis
on her skarboard quarter and the Carondeet and Mound
City on Mr. port quarter. M aw .-lH-t
The trkDspors and the Conestoga were hove TO- mile
being lied up on the right bank Or the river '''0N
About an hour was spent in lacking and turning the
iron clad bcns 70 into tho line OF battlc just
as they were about 70 form, acr they had all taken this
positions and were chasing up sstesmboat, heading up
the river towards us hove IN sisht the Belmont
was the Red Rovsrformsriy sCanberland river and
New orlesns paskstand that white nag WAS Tying at
her jsckstsn. s.frl lst9 tss .o7-...f
similar one on the Cncnnat He then ordered the ST.
Louis Carondset aud Mound City to proceed slowly up
the river so as to keep beyond the telescope range of
the Red Rover and not 10 discover nature
ment 10 the rebel officers. The Cincinnati dropped along
side the Columbus steamer Tho bearer OF the flag or
truce was Captain Bske commander Of the post Co.
lumbus What the nature of the negotiation sought
70 bo made cannot say at present, further than that
he rtbes a.ked for some SORT e 'ms 81 oafit1laian
tnv Irp0e AZ hQ mafg
until the matter is referred 10 General Halleck. The
pa,Iy lated too hours and hdG Commodore Foote
close 70 tho rebel batters curing his conference
with Captain Blake that he enabled TO all
he had hoped 10 learn from reconnaissance.
Al three O'Clock tho conference ended The Red Rover
returned 10 Columbus and fleet, with the mortar
boats and transports started for Cairo, which point they
reached at eight O'Clock. The Commodore informs me
that the subject Of the flag Of will be Immediately
referred to General Iaeck and tha, the people will be
informed OF the result in a few days.
[Caro correspondence Feb. 2 OF the Chicago Times
Information had been accumulating here for some
weeks that Columbus would be evacuated by the rebel
troops and after repeated conferences with the author
ties by parties who had watched the movements, re-
connoissance was made week ago by Colonel N. b. Bu
ford Of the Twenty Illinois the results OF which
satisfied tho authorities that there something Of
character 10 indicate that change going at that
rebel stronghold which might terminate In an evacua-
ton. Our successes on the Tennessee and Cumberland
rivers tended 10 strengthen that belief. Colonel Buford
who has been in command Of Fort Cairo for time
past and who has been closely watching events, has
been mainly instrumental in drawing the attent Of the
authorities to this matter. From information he had re-
ceived, an armed reconnaissance was made Today.
The expedition got under way this morning at twenty
minutes past eight O'Clock and consisted Of the gunboas
ss SSnd % and Cones Ss
Eighth wisconsin, Col. Murphy, regiments. Two NOR.
boats towed down For the purpose Of testing
their capacity n occasion should offer.
The feet steamed down the river far Of Fort Jeer-
son, seven miles distant, when the gunboas toek the
advance, close after them the mortar boats, and
followed by the transports. The expedition was
under the command OF Flag 01ccr Foote aud General
George w. Cullum. Colonel Thorn, engineer, member
Of Gen Hallcck's stan, accompanied the Expedite,
About ten O'Clock n gun was heard from Columbus,
which soon followed by two others. Half
hour after another gun was fired, as was supposed,
fcI in The water sconsiderabe distance 'i, in
front Of the advance gunboat. The first shots
were evidently signals for their gunboats to return to
Columbus, probably being some distance down the river
The last shot was from hoavy gun from their batteries
or from gunboat hidden from view.
In going down the gunboat officers made a careful
examination Of the Shore 10 discover If possible, any
masked batteries which might be planted. There were,
however, found Col Buort, with one Of the small
steamtugs also made close examination OF ali points,
bayous &c. lie landed In Lucas Bond at the resdonce
OF Dr. Francis, where he learned that within the last
week the rebels had secured The river up as far thoy
dared 90, and had seized all fatboats and skis, and
taken them 10 Columbus. ~.
Al different points mounted men, evidently rebel
pickes we're seem who suddenly disappeared n direc-
doubtsdly the rebels Columbus knew of our approach
before we wcro within ten miles OF the place.
the whole fleet noated down. and had thus proceeded 10
within Ave miles OF Columbus, when steamer rounded
the point from tina. place, which proved TO be the Red
Rover with white flag floating from her ackstaf This
strange proceeding coming from the Sebastopo Of
the Mississippi, which was only menacod by five gun
boats and two regiments Of infantry No one could give
solution OF the matter The rebels at Columbus had here
tofoe been 80 insoet and defiant, and % send up
flag of truce when hcre ros only possibility Of icing at
fackd By an immenseIy inferior force 10 ers,
erptcobie After some half anhour's delay, asteamtug
was sent of from the Flag 0cers boat 10 the Red Rover,
which soon returned. bringing away some rebel officers
,h a consultation Of near three hours ccs held, at Mc
pirafion Of ,chich ne rete officers ,c s ON bard ner
opcn boat tuhich rmeiiaicly returned 70 Columbus, and he
Flag Officer sgnalcd TIE e 10 retun When the Rcd Rover
had arrived as Car up she cane rebel gunboat
discovered coming out from behind Island No. g. close
to the Kentucky shore, and under lql head q stcam
made It's way toward Coumbus II II had been desired
10 FIRE at the rebel tho flag OF truce was in tho way
The sricest s enforced on what few persons
wsro admitted TO the conference will anything be
known TO the object Of the ag Of truce until General
HolIck Is heard from, and probably General McClsllan
yci be consulted Undoubtedly, II the Red Rover
up with flag OF truce from the rebel authorities pro-
position has been made OF extraordinary character
and General Cuum did not feel authorized 70 act the