Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1862-03-14


We were in an evacuated fortress, one on which the
rebels have expended millions Of money and upon which
they relcd the place where the army and navy q the u
nitcd States would suffer nglorous defeat They cal-
culatedin vain Without gun fired with hardly "a de-
monsratou " the place had fallen and army Of
sixteen thousand had fed destroying or attempting to
destroy what they could not take away.
The labor laid out to throw up the emhankments dig
the trenches Cvacuate the pits aud run The galleries
very great In addition, there had been excellent bar
racks board cabins s"ehouses and Stables out these
had been given the flames. The ruins still smok
ing Passing from the water front Of The upper battery
passed around the Publications, noticing IN my rambe
the fragments OF the heavy gun by the explosion nf which
the rebel General Polk ary lost his fc The barracks
had stood thick in rows nearly hlng the enclosure At
the southern side the remains Of large stOehOuse
where several thousand bushels Of had been burned
Passing on struck upon inclined railway reaching
from the landing In the town. used for hauling up guns
ammunition and sores. Here was the large water tank
inside the inrenchnents spoken Of In the description
furnished weeks ago. Near IL the moderinR ruins
Of magazine. All around were charred timbers and
remaus VI barracks and the wooden part Of the earth
works There piles Of roInd shot conical project
lies OF different patterns grape cnnnister and shrapne
Descending TO the water batteries found the heavy
gun carriages overturned and the guns themseveshye
" them at leastroled down the bank, evidently with
the intention OF precpating them the bottom Of the
river, but the mud had engulphcd them. There were
loads Of shot and shell along the embankment The
carriages uniujured. They had been lifted out Of
the trenches and lying just where they could have
been tubed into the stream with ease but for some I'M
explained the rebels, after lifting them from the
platform had left them in the best position possible for
any efforts Of ours to put them on shipboard Perhaps
l
boats on Sunday, hastened operations.
The town is situated on level plateau beyond the
bluff; struggling place OF I'VE hundred Inhabitants
should judge in its paimest days Here aud there were
smoking ruins where the torch had done its work did
not count the smoking ruins, but citizen informed me
that about thirty buildings Of all descriptions had been
/ given 10 the flames,
Upon the level pile Of stones and another pile Of
] Lieutenant Maurys internal machines number Of
them carefully boxed others lying upon the ground
They made Of zinc aud copper and identical with
those which have been described In the newspapers here
tofors Tho robelS evidently have little faith in them,
and by this time have found out that the romaneng
thor 81 the physical Geography Of the Sea" is not
practical scientific Near these harmless Intervals
portion Of the chain with which the llusirious
Gen Pillow to obstruot the passage Of the gunboas
portion still hangs from the top Of the bluff to the
ter. These two senseess schemes o. impractical men
have the Conederacy several bushels Of scrip Near
the orpedoes and the chain several soda fountains
aud heavy force pump, evidently Belonging 20 Maurys
beyond were several cassons for field artillery. bat
terry wagon pile Of anchors and heavy gun carriages,
mauufaetu by 81. Weller, Memphis" There were a
few bags Of and piles Of old clothes, which would
make the eyes Of old clothes dealer sparkle with de
light The place deserted by nearly all its nhabi-
few negroes peeped out Of the doors, evidently
not all sorry Leaving the levee | entered
the building used for the post office, aud secured half
bushe Of Southern newspapers which perhaps will
tain things worthy Of note, as may have leisure to
look them The mortality among the horses must
have been great judging by the which I've
upon ground. just Of the village is the grave
yard where many poor fe low the victim Of secession,
Is sleeping his last sleep
grees than Cairo judging by the mud The night
had bren cold and the ground frozen, but horrible
most horrahe, is the condition Of the place. Filth lies
where il has fallen In the But the Ofchyal
~, OF them al least have had goodies" 10
and drink judging from numerous champagne bottles
Of green and gold seal oyster lobster salad cordial
and mint bottles At the doors Of groggecs whisky
barrels indicating the rank and file had had their
ture comforts. From these notes faint lea NJ the
diion OF the place may be had Give your imagination
fall sway, be as exrayagen as you please and you will
fail u the reality.
RFnELs
From all information atained IL appears that thoT,
were about sixteen thousand rebels garrison the place
About six thousand wen, oil on steamboats, and the
mainder the aud by the main road to Union city
The evacuation began last week on Wednesday, ant
closed on Sunday night | presume that most Of thi
heavy guns On the upper battery taken away bu
there Is great u shot and she'll When the
reoeies many tons Of shot will be recovered Severa
guns which they could not carry away LEFT III
shore spiked with raai files The value Of the proper
" which has fallen ino hands is estimated 90 be
hundred thousand dollars
By this evacuation the Mississippi is OPEN II Is sup
posse To Randolph, whehis about sixty miles above Mem
, pitts. place not strong Columbus, but withou
doubt quite formidable. II that falls, Memphis ais
Yields, opening the Mississippi to New Orleans.