Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-02-15

The defcnses are Of several kind=-batteries
of heavy guns on the bluff commanding the
river. batteries beneath the bluff the lowland,
floating battery, a sub marine battery or torpe
do regular Notifications, with ditch. eounferscarp
and terreplein commanding the rear, and more
breastworks of extended rified pits- ! have en-
deavored % reduce 20 a ANAL scale. to permit TIE
printing, the place with its various deienses lou
nav be able TO obtain an idea from IL what our
army and Western navy will encounter. FIRST,
the water batteries Batteries which are but little
elevated above the water are usually thus termed
There are eighteen guns in battery on tie low
land and bordering the stream. They are placed
Ga the loo lasd 10 pseseat our boats running past
the town bv hugging the Kentucky shore. il all
their guns were ON the bluff, we could run the
gauntlet for the bluff Is too steep to admit the
depression of the guns sufficiently 20 BIZ a boat
close in shore. Second, the floating battery.
There Is floating battery carrying several guns,
AZ the lower end of the town. The wharf boat
has been taken for this purpose. and strong bull
varks erected. IL Il moored in the stream It's
guns are IL and Is Founders. Third. batteries
on the bluff Ascending the bluff there are sew
eral works, the most important OF which - an
eartilwork. polygonal in form. in which are
mounted three guns. which throw one hundred
and twenty eight pound shot. The great gun
that burst some months since. which the rebels
killing the silver haired sighting rebel Bishop
Polk was in this work The work is in such a
form that the moment q Federal gunboat rounds
the point. the monsters will open their lips and
hold on to their eloquence long while These
three guns command the rivera distance OF near
" four miles
South of this battery. running along the edge
OF the blaif, which here retreats from the river,
overlooking the town, is strong work com
manding the rear well the front. IL u n
large work, with a ditch outside on the rear. The
guns overlooking the town would hardly be able
To open fire till the gunboats had passed the other
batteries. and we're abreast Of the town. Still
south OF this. beyond the railroad, commanding
long stretch of the river, is battery Of four
guns.
The batteries defending the rear contain eight
guns overlooking the extensive region of fallen
timber and all the approaches from the north and
east.
The rifle pit or breast work commences at the
edge of the bluff on the north, and continues TO
the railroad excavation. and along il to the work
already described, which overlooks the town
An idea of the extent OF the defenses and Of the
ground enclosed. may be obtained when il Is
considered that the work is more than a mile in
length
a submarine battery of torpedo is placed in
the stream opposite the water battery just where
n guubost would receive the direct fire of the
fourteen gun water battery and the pIunging fire
Of three nortars ON the bluff IL Is proposed TO
fire il with electricity Perhaps in this. the plans
of the rebels which have been made with so
much care and nicely, may be a failure. The
powder may not readily take fire after long
burial beneath the stream, or it may fail from
other causes. Com. Foote does not very much
fear any trouble from this source.
Taken all together there is formidable display
of artillery, there are probably eighty or ninety
guns, exclusive Of field artillery; they of va
rious calibies-many of them are 32's.
In addition the rebels have a gunboat which
carries four guns and a small stern wheel steamer
which carries one They are not iron clad. A
single broadside from the Benton would make
them old hulks in twnkling.
A large number of troops are encamped on the
bluff. They are supplied with water from sta
tionary steam engine, located just below the four
teen gun battery. The Commodore knows the
locality. and one of these days shell dropped in
that direction may put the water-works out of
order. Near the railroad il a church which is
used for magazine General Folks headquar
tiers are between the bluff and the church.