, 1862-03-10
FROM CAIRO.

siona1 agitations by ruulors which come thick
md fast Us hai1stones. Theproyerbial 1inguial
facilities and resources OF Madame Rumor
ind ample cxemplifcation in this city Of mag
nifcent expectations. Last evening eyer1
tongue was retailing the eyacnatio9 Of Man
sas by the rebels, after de1eeTate battle, In
which ID, 600 Unionists were slain, and 5000
Fgbcls taken prisoners. Now Gen. Grant is at
Florence with $1,000 men, and now at Henry
With 5000. Now Gen Pope is at New Mad
rid, and noT sbelled out Of it. These stories
are grabbed up with the utmost ayldity and so
inflated in their lip passage that our army
crows, in the coursc Of a day, as 1nrge Us that
6 ;7a5s, 0aI generals as valiant Us Sanlsons,
and our couq9csts as numerous as Ale1ander's.
Every fresh conner has new tale to rshearse
and is sure TO secure 4 large crowd Of auditors,
for men are as eager to hear as narratoss to
tell.
: The ncws of.tne evacuation Of Columbus
has drawn to Catro another Influx Of visitors,
mally Of them from Chicago, MI eager to visIt
The spot wherein csntcrcd the sanGuine cx-
1ectations oftle rebels, and which they pro-
posed never TO Leave except at the poln: Of
tic bayonet. Means Of communication, how
ever. arc very limited at present, one little
tug alone furnishing transportation The
overwccning curiosity Of the Yankee nation,
however, cannot remain satisfied until Colum-
bus, Pillows chain, and the immense fortif-
cations have been done, and already quite
number have visited the spot aud returned,
laden with trophies. The trophy mania has
broken out almost universally, and its mani
fcstations are eften ludicrons. Fabulous
prices are paid for broken bayonets, shot guns,
tooth picks, and pistols. Autograph letters
Of the various rebel officers, and muster rolls
premium. One reporter, seized with q sud-
den attack Of the disease, returned vita Il
torpedo of enormous dimensions, and another
yfe1im arrived from Fort Doncisoa last night
with large branch Of tree which happened
to Aaye a bullet mark On it.
Among Others who passed through here
last night were Adjntant Hahn Of the Fifty
third Illinois and Lieut.. HeaEtt Of Taylor's
HatteEy- The former reports large number
upon the sick list in his regiment, and was on
his way to Chicago, called by melancholy
affections in his family. The latter looked
well.
The body ofSergeant- Major S. F. Smith. Of
the Fourteenth Iowa, killed at Fort Donclson.
md nine others Of the Second Iowa, passed
through here last night on their way to their
Il is a sad sight, these long square boxes
piled npon the depot platform, from day
to day, containing all that is mortal Of
the victims Of this wicked REBELLION.
They vent ontEn the dIusb Of manhood, eze
their country and those they had left behind
fell upon the field without murmur; died
with last thought Of distant homes they
should never SEE, content that they had fallen
in a good cause; going back to repose in the
old church;yard Deyer more to be disturbed
By the din of battle, their names to be men
toned hereafter, with respect py al men.
Repairs upon the gunboatE are rapidly pro-
gressing, aud they will soon be il readiness
Tor the downward movement on the Missis-
sippi. The Benton, which is now nearly COM
Ileted, is model Of strength and seemingly
Shot proof The st. Louis and Louisville are
at Columbus. The mortars arc all mounted
and ready for service, with the exception Of a
Few finishing touches upon the boats Two Of
these formidable engines Of war arc at CO.
lulnbus.
Everything is quiesccnt at Columbus to-day
Yesterday sensation was created by tllc ap-
peaiance in The timber at the rear Of the town,
OF scouting: eaga1rF party OF. rebels, who
drove IN ONT pieEe1s. The alarm WAS at once
sounded, and Col. Bufu1d cent messenger to
Cart Paulding, Of the ST. Louis, desiring lin
to Shell the woods. But short time elapsed
before she was banging away right 1ncrri1y, in
unison with the two mortars. h1rl1ng shell in
q 1nanner which must have been uncomforta-
bic to the ush-whackers upon the supposi.
lion that they we're in the timber, wlirh Is
rather . violent one by the way, at least the
End Illinois cavalry set out in hot pursuit aud
chased long and far without finding the ma
Tauders.
Gel Dufurd is elegantly quartcred in 4 brick
building formerly de1oted to note-shaying
purposes. The troops are comfortably housed
in the cabins and barracks which were de-
serted and half dcstroyed by the rebels,
but readily converted into = h5abitable
and hammer, a3aed with Yankee ingenuity.
Il hi1c have mentioned in 4 former letter
that the domestic habits Of tho priyatcs might
readily be traced by the debris Of whisky bot
tics and playing cards scattered profnsely oyc'
the camp ground, the bacchanalian, fres
staff might be inferred from the HeiasicI ant
green seal bottles, the rcga1ia and fean boxes
the skeletons Of chickens, silver plated spoons
4 tiny duck Of bonnet and suspicious bits O.
ribbons and stray 1aees, delicate cases Of per
fumery, al evidcnclDg that the Reverend Dish
book and gown and returned to carnal things
Columbus is still being reinforced, and to
night o battery goes down from here: Ih
51st Illinois went down yesterday. Amonl
other curiositles Col. Buford yesterday dis
| covered fourteen deserters concealed in Gel
| 1arE. They reached Cairo tonight, but thei
| disposition Is unecrtaiu-
[ AL sorts Of Tumors are current about Ger
Pope and his division, who should by til
time hare been in New Madrid. ,Yestcrda
morning it WIS asserted that the rebels ha
| evacuated the place- Yesterday afternoon i
Was asserted that our forces had been shc1le
| out Of it by the rebel gunboats, and yes
tcrday evening it was asserted with equa
| certainty that General Pope was No
within eighteen miles Of the -plaet
From an authentic source, however, lear
that Gen. Pope is threatening the town. n
informant left our forces night before las
Just prior to lis leaving. our troops :plante
battery bearing upon the fort, and shortl
after his departure, Ec heard the cannonadfns
Els statement Is corToborated by the fact th:
1t was also heard at Columbus, distinctly, th
same light. The rebel force ut New Madri
is varions1y estimated, some placing it as big
| - 40,C00- It fs certain that the rebels laS
been heavily recnforced lately from Colun
b,;s and Memphis There are eight rebel gu
bnais lying ut the landing, and .numero1
| steamers arc constantly arriving and depa1
Without transgvcssing the contrabaz
limits, may say that :: few days Will brir
stirring news from Alabama Preparation
arc being made upon gigantic scale viii
: Will deyc1op into the most happy results.
is only one of the moves upon the great mi
tary chess board 4 few more Advances Al
: the rebel king must be in check, giTing tin
, | for the movements Of the paWns. Th'
the mate is not far distant.