Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1862-02-01
TIE DAILY PRESS.
SAL 1URDAY.".........."".... UAHY 1
Very Interesllns Items frem ,hc sonth.
PUBLISHED DAILY, BxoEPr sUsDAIs, by
THE CINCINNATI PRESS COMPANY.

Very Interesting Items from the south,
A gentleman, formerly resident of this
city, arIi ed here yesterday, and commune
Gates some interesting items to the Gazsfte
relating to the condition of the Southern
people, the number of troops there. prices of
clothing, provisions, &C. He says that busi-
ness in Memphis is completely prostrated.
Two thirds of the business houses are closed
altogether; the Others keep open from nine
O'CLOCK IN The morning until three in the
afternoon. The streets are desolate and moi
more than one-helf Of the dwellings o,or !.
pied. Shortly after the breaking ont oS tbe
war about two thousand men left for tbS
North. Since then nine-tenths of the ebIe.
bodied men of the city have enlisted in the
southern army. The women are very ZEAL
GUS in the cause of Secession, and have
formed more than twenty societies for the
manufacture of wearing apparel for the solS
die1s. Provisions are very high in the Snntb
In Memphis flour sells from SO to $40 ner
barrel; bacon brings 80 to 40 cents per pound.
Fresh pork is sold at 10 cents per pound
the lowpess of the price being accounted for
py tne TACT that salt IS SO scarce as to COM
mand $ll per sack. Coffee is sold at from GO
to 20 cents per pound, and would be dearer
still but for the plentitude of substitutes.
which are so freely used as to make the de-,
mand for the genuine article very small. The
leading men of the South have SO long been
accustomed to the use of rye, that they find
it easy to take instead of Rio.
Unless the blockade is raised verv soon
the Dixlanlc provinces will be resolved into
ore grand state-a state of Egyptian dsrk
ness. Candles are in demand at ST. % oer
pound, and these very poor quality. The
scarcity OF coal has compelled the manufac.
tureTs OF gas to mix great deal of resin with
the black diamonds. The consequence ia
that the people of Memphis see through the
gas dsrkIy, and are constantly crying for
"ight-moIe lightW Soap is another scarce
article IL sells as high as candles-not less
than 81 per pound. In boarding houses az
a consequence, one lather has to subserye the
purposes of several faces. But the article
which the Southern heart most feels the need
OF is whisky, and that has gone up TO So 50
per gallon-hardly to be had even at that.
Clothing is very dear. Overcoats, such as
can be obtained here for Sis, are sold in
Memphis for $45 to $50. Pantaloons and
other articles in proportion. Boots, such as
are sold here for ST. command $40 there. In
the way of motions" there is great dearth
also. A paper of needles, worth ten cents
here, can not be had for less than 81 20 there.
Confederate notes are laken at par in paw
ment Of goods and debts. They constitute
the principal circulating medium. Southern
bank notes are also taken at par. Sbiu-
plasters flood the whole country, and pass
current every where. Gold and silver are
scarce, the former at a premium of forty. five
per cent, the latter at premium of thirty
five 10 forty per cent.
1t is a great mistake to suppose, notwith
standing al these troublous indications, that
the people of the South are not 10 earnest in
| their effort to overthrow the Government.
| There may be little of the dormant MON
spirit in Tennessee, but it seems to have no
desire to burst forth. The Southerners are
confident that success will crown their efforts,
and they have united to make bold strug-
| gle. One thing that serves partly to keep
up their spirits is the unflinching disposition
| to lie evinced by the Secession newspapers
| In Memphis they have heard of but one Fed
eral victory since the fall of Sumter-the
battle of Rich Mountain. In all other en-
gagements the Federals, according to the
rebel journals, were routed aud killed, in
numbers ranging from 1000 to 10000
| When our informant reached Hopkins
vile, on the 23d Of January, General CLARK
was expecting an attack from General Crit
tenden, and feared the worst in case it was
made. The Confederate forces at that point
number about 5000, nearly one-half Of whom
are on the sick list. Six hundred sick mer
were sent to Ciarksville between the l7tt
and 23d of last month.
Of the Seventh Texas Regiment stationed
there, 1873 privates, twenty. eight non-coni
missioued officers and four commissioner
officers are In the hospitals Ola Mississippi
regiment also there, l63 privates, twenty
non commissioned officers and three com
missioned officers are sick.
| At Feiciana, twelve miles from For
Henry, on the Tennessee River, there arr
200 cavalry. In Fort Henry there arr
1900. .....
Our informant gives US the following item
of news in regard to the strength of tn,
Confederates az different points:
| AtNew Orleans there are 10000; at LAX
Borgne there are two batteries of artillery
and at Lake Pontchartrain there are three.
At Mobile there are 1900, in command o
General Walker Elk Secretary of War.
Between Charleston aud Savannah, on tn
railroad line, there are 900.
| At Pensacola there are between 10, 900 ant
10000. ,,, ......
A Columbus there are 10000
JEFF. Thompson is at New Madrid, il
command of 1900 men.
General Floy d is at Scottsville, twenty fv
miles from Bowling Green, with 3, 900 men
1t is believed in the South that he lef
Western Virginia, not because he was de
feated, but because of the scarcity of provi
sions. They say his men lived on boilet
chestnuts and dried apples for two month
previous TO their retreat from Virginia.
Ben McCulloch is in command of a regi
ment of cavalry near Manassas.
There are no troops whatever in Mem
phis-nothing that looks like war, except tn
manufacture of army clothing, &c.
AS to the efficiency Of the Southern army
I our informant says the men are poorly ella
and poorly armed, but we'll fed; they hav
plenty TO eat, and can not be starved ou
Few of them, he thinks, will re enlist afte
the expiration of their years service.
The resignation of General Pillow was
source of disappointment to a great many
Pillow, it appears, wanted to re-enforc
Bowling Green, and General Polk decline
to let him leave Columbus. He then threV
up his commission in fit of indignation
He is now at Bowling Green as spectator;
but it is thought he will again enter th
service.
The Southern people are confident tbs
their Government will be recognized by th
foreign Powers before the lst OF Apri
They are in great glee over the "masterl
inactivity" of our army, and believe tht
nothing but consciousness of our ow
weakness prevents us from making an attac
upon them.
Upon skates, the Journal of Health
particularly strong. 'lt the Thermometer
below thirty" il says, 'and the wind
blowing, no child or lady ought to
| skating" We don't know about this,