The New York herald., 1862-02-09
THE REBEL DgPENCES OF COLUMBUS, KY.
Interesting Statement OF a
Rebel O1ylcer.
COLUMBUS CONSIDERED IMPREGNABle.
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Decentralization of the South
ern Army.
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BITTERNESS BETWEEN OFFICERS and MEN.
LIFE IN THE SOUTHERN ARMY.
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List Of the Principal Officers and Regi.
ments in Columbus.
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Southern View Of the Importance
Of the Position,
&C.,. &C., &c.
COLUMBUS CONSIDERED IMpREeNAele E.
BITTERNESS BETWEEN OFFICERS and MEN.
LIFE IN THE SOUTHERN ARMY.
List Of the Principal Officers and Regi.
ments in Columbus.

Of the Position,
&C.. &C., &C.
The following interesting and In many instances TN
portant statement Of Mr. Leonard Dentz, late drill
gsant 10 the rebel army u Columbus, KY, will be
with great satisfaction BY the people Of the North Mr.
Dentz having been for oEg time behind the and
IN the very midst Of the rebel army able to speak by
the book, and in his statement will be found good many
facts throwing light the hitherto hidden features Of
the great Southern conspiracy His description Of his
personal suerngs are Of great interest," and his inel
gent observations the rebel defences show shat he
man Of considerable military knowledge.
Accompanying Mr.. Dsntzs statement ws publish map
Of the rebel dsfencss Of Columbus with the designation
Of all the points alluded TO- BY comparing the statsmsn.
with the map the reader will be better informed OF the
immense extent Of these Notifications Tho places where
heavy guns are mounted are clearly shown well
the rife pits and intrenchments mentioned by
formant. ufe
The following is verbatim ststsrnsns OF his expert.
once, taken from his lips and 10 Would be a. wen
here TO state that Mr. Dentz native Of France but
naturalizsd citizen Of the United States He gentle
man Of considerable ability, Of a highly respectable
family, and his statement may be fully relied on
10 now nearly two years since arrived American
New York was mostly occupied in the house OF Mssxrs
Bernhemer Brothers, Broadway. had not to complain
Of anything while resided in the North; but after
my leaving this business house and going to
the South really did not have one happy
gay. a short sketch q my entire travel. and
return to New York will be unintsresng left this
city In the month Of August, 1880, with gentleman for
Ia Grange, Georgia, in whose store was employed as
clerk for short tne but, not agreeing with him, left
Bic house and went on my own hook After having done
some business in Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana, ar
rived at New Orleans in Nay, 1861. did some business
there and made little money until in August through
my Union principles, rather freely expressed and utter
3D. that Northerner could whip Eve Southerners,
brought before the Mayor who ordered instant
y into ths rebel army, and decided tina. my property
should be eonfscated for the bene6t Of the Confederate
government. My resistance to being forced into the
army was great even expressed the resolution that
would not FIRE shot, All this resulted in nothing and
had to serve In the Eleventh Louisiana regi
ment, Colonel Marks. We were first sent to Camp
Moore, where we remained woek, and really
it week full Of pain and mud and OF a the suffer
ing soldiers stand. believe that very few could
long remain in camp like this Camp Moore. Thence
sent to Union City. Tennessee to place called
Camp Brown. cannot but say that this camp was clean
and neatly laid out and had II been for the ragged
Of the uniform Of the soldiers we would made
pretty good appearance ABut alasl IL not long hs,
had the pleasure Of staying there. For three days
we were very clean, but very hungry, there being
quarermasters department. and the soldiers had to live
or what they had brought in their haversacks, which
scarcely enough for days sustenance. From
this camp proceeded to Columbus, Kentucky, and
the first regiment that ventursd Kentucky
coil. must say that rather spunky expedition,
and would not have been astonished IL every Of
had been cut down. Fortunately, the next day the
place was filed with soldiers, both infantry aud
artillery, and could count ourselves partly safe
What tell Of the soldiers life in the rebel army
and in the intrenchments Of Columbus Kentucky II
cannot be described One must have been there Judge
Of its severity Indeed without clothes shoes fed
dead mules and diseased meat with half rations at
that win be interesting to know little OF what oce
CURED there.
The rations about follows pounds OF
coffee for one hundred men; one pound sugar TO ten
men, half pound of the above mentioned mule
beef per man and six Of -four per For my.
self believe that every soldier could eat twelve such
ratons day they all able bodied men, and had
TO work every day from six 10 eight hours the
tses. Columbus is strongly fortified and to give little
sketch Of that city Notifications will not be out or
place
The town is situated by nature TO make il Sc
cond sebastopol. Tho hills followed by valleys make
It, properly fortified, stronghold against 200 900
men. But all the advantages which could have
been taken have not been soizsd upon However must
confess that the short time they worked on IT, the
place nearly mpregnable. will nrst give glance at
the river on coming from down tho stream The frs,
fertilization you is tho FIRST bend Just opposite
the principal street, called Front street, running along
the bank. This Is battery Of twelve pretty heavy
guns. Going still further, to the next bend, great
elevation commanding Columbus and all around M Here
there are three hundred and twenty pound red
guns and two mortars, working rivos aud ready TO
turn all sides throw shell any other destructive
material.
Going stl further on you meet on little lower elcva
tion, battery OF eighteen rded thirty o.poundsrs
which battery made under the direction Of certain
Captain Fleming, Of the Eleventh Louisiana regiment
who assumed to know everything knows nothing DO
cause in building the battery he built On wooden panks
without putting piles under H. that on On approach OF
the gunboas this battery could not stand three rounds
without sinking into the sand.
SIN further on you nnd several masked batteries
which however do not believe will do much exsc.tion
In the river itself arc lowered two heavy chains which
viii obsruct any gunboat coming down To these chains
are anchored At interval or from one 10 two fee, tor
psdoes which intended TO explode by means of rs
vanic battery placed the shore side All these
Just described the shore SIDE closed by heavy
intrenehments with mortas Of good material Ia throw
any quantity Of shell. On the side Columbus Is
strongly fortified and in place where graveyard atood
before arrival there are heavy ntrencbments
and rinsd pits, all provided with good artillery The
woods down prevent the approach Of any
ry artillery Of the enemy. In the the sort OF
fortincatons made. On the railroad side these in
trcnchmens broader and oannons are position
while the place is more difficult to approach Above this
and inside Of them fortincaions made, with other
Entertainments and rifle pits and, in the first orcs
ehouid be taken by assault, their covered roads and
heavy artillery will ensble them to remove any reg nt
from one place to the other, without the enemy bei
able 70 do any damage In my humble opinion believe