New Orleans daily crescent., 1862-01-16

- emyLanding or the Enemy above Us-Their Ap
- prcacPseparaans for the Grea. Fgh-fleasure Party
special to the New, orleans Crescent:l = s-"
7g-..7s- ST. s@GoIpsEus Ky, Jan. ~ 1862 4
: Mr.. sEditor-After several days of logs and
Scotch mists, making the weather sbominably
muggyl and muddy, we shave another wiDtry
change. bleak Northern wind is blowing to-
night with gusts Of sleet, and everything is freez
ing fercely. Old Boreas is beating the tambuu-
rine on my tent yciously, and but thatI have be-
come used to the old rascals .fooIshneas, ] would
find it impossible to- write. 1t has been dreary
Sunday in all respectss 50 much SO that the usual
weekly inspection was generally dispensed with,
All llrumors and. Appearances indicate that our
long period of inactivity is drawing a close. The
enemy's attack has been expected daily for the
last week. Yesterday, two. of the Hessian gun
boats, the st. Louis and Essex, came down the
river again, and stopped in the invisible part, of
Lucas Bend, On the Missouri side, the same place
where the five gunboats stopped q few days pre-
yiously. Our gunboat, the Gen. Polk, and the
| when they were opened upon. Our boats fired
| but few shots, whilst the enemy's boats fired
some twenty or thirty, filling the whole surround
ing country with the roar, and leading many to be-
1eve that the grand attack had come. -
But the enemy,s boats came no further down,
and ours, being too weak to cope with them, went
| no further up. Nobody was hurt, though several
of the enemy's shot came very near the Polk.
Since the Hessians know as much about it as we
do, it is not improper for to state what makes
the enemy's boats approach this place gingerly.
Great numbers Of submarine batteries, or terpe-.
does, are sunk all over the river, from one shore
| to the other, or rather buoyed foot, or two be-
meath the surface. A certain opening is left for
| our boats to pass through, but this opening is
| within range Of our batteries. That these tor
pedoes are terrible things to anything coming
in contact with them, has been satisfactorily
| demonstrated. Not long ago a cake Of float
ing ice struck one Of them, and the way the
ice flew was a caution. Yesterday evening, after
| the enemy's boats put back up the river, q drift
log came along and struck one of the things. The
explosion was terrific. The log was thro wn high
| in the air, whtet the steamer Grampus, about
| quarter Of mile off, sustained a severe shock.
Let me tell you something Illustrative at once of
! Yankee courage and Yankee poltenesss. After
the gunboats went up the river yesterday 1.-THE men
on board the steamer Red Rover, attached to the
piece Of pine shaped like a boat, drifting down
past the stern Of the steamer. It had mast, from
! which aoated something like little flag. Capt
Guthrie sent out yaW and picked the thing up
veope, Containing a piece of paper, on which was
written the following: -.
4 "You damned cowardly rebels, why don't you
4 come out and show yourselves?
This Porter is commander Of the Essex, and, If /
am not mistaken, is son Of the renowned old
l
| men of a gunboat commander?
During the past week we have had the report,
said to be very reliable, that the enemy intended
attacking US the first fair day. So much credence
has been attached to it at headquarters, that
ellis of war have been held nightly, and the whole
army put in complete readiness for action. ~:
To-day we have it that the enemy is coming al
last. We have it tonight that feet of transports
landed on the Kentucky shore, at Pntney's Bend
some ten or twelve miles above here, and some
distance this side Of Mayfeld Creek, force o
twenty thousand men. 1t is also reported tha
large forces were being landed on the Missour
side Other reports are that the entire force com
ing against u.s. by land and water, Is not less thai
!, sixty Thousand men, So direct and well authenti
Gated is thereport about the landing at Putney'
Bend, that the attack is expected tomorrow, ant
tonight the camp is all astir with preparation TO
the conflict.
Cold and freezing as it is, large numbers of or
brave boys out to. night, with picks and spades
throwing up new breastworks on those roads By
which the enemy may approach, some distance
beyond the regular Notifications. l cannot bu
| think that the greater the force the enemy bring
the greater will be the slaughter on their side
The spirit of our army is one of the bravest def
ance, and stern determination to fight to thu
very last, though the hosts of Nerxes SHOULD be
: Lacquer us. l can imagine with what intense in
terest the whole South, and New Orleans especi
ally, regards the approaching attack upon ths
, place-the effort to open the Mississippi, and Il
pillage and desolate her fair borders from Colum
, bus to New Orleans. But ere this reaches you
} the telegraph will perhaps have told you of tht
, event and its result.
1t is believed by many that the sudden bite
change in the weather will cause the enemy ii
, hold of few days. 1t was warm this morning
when they disembarked at Pntney's Bend but
is now blowing and freezing at terrible rate ant
though the enemy is always welleclothed, if he dt
not bring his tents along he must suffer greatly Il
! such weather as this. -9srt q. ..,. S., .-.- -
+ Touching the gunhoat expedition, it is believe.
that the boats intend TO clear passage throug
the torpedoes by sending old hulks and othe
e empty craft adrtt in advance. From the point o.
> the other side, above Columbus stretches line Q
J fats strung on chain hawsers, crossing the rive
nearly to this side, diagonally, in downward d
s rection. Should the enemy's boats pass the tor
E: pedoes, they will hardly be able to break throug
a this obstruction, and to get around it they wi
, have to come SO very near that our batteries ca
/ fairly blow them out of the water: You may loo
8 for big thing when the attack takes plsce.
: A faithful negro servant belonging to Colone
i. Eappan, of the 18th Arkansas Regiment, wa
s taken prisoner at the battle of Belmont. He stat
5 at Cairo pretending to be satisfied with his pos
tion as contraband. He had several opportun
v ties OF escape, but took no advantage Of ther
g because of mis- desire to stay with and wait upo
one OF our men who was taken wounded as
J., prisoner few days ago, however, Sampo COZ
l. cluded to. come back, and dld. Stealing ont pe
hj tween the sentnels IN the dafkhess OF nlght,
h | took skill Wllcl lie UQQ previously SpOLteG