New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-04-05

passing around them. Some, WHOSE HabSab ndn
left with the Rebel army, expressed, however, the
hope that /" dom NorderDers" would catch them, and
never allow them TO come back. One old fellow,
whose owner had been taken at Fort Donelson,
asked me whether had seen massa and upon being
asked whether be was anxious to have him come
back, shook his head, and uttered "not much"
with grin.
AT Franklin, 90 miles south Of Nashville, very
pretty little town. came across an old acquaintance,
DR.. Cliff, who bad been taken prisoner at Fishing
Creek, and afteiward accompanied the bodies of Zo-
licofer and Bailie Peyton to Nashville. Franklin
wus bis residence and be had charge of number Of
sick Rebel soldiers left behind by Gen. Johnston
The Doctor got enough Of the war In the one battle
he witnessed is persuaded Of the ultimate downfall
Of the Southern Confederacy and determined to stay
at home.
All along the road heard accounts Of Rebel trey
passcs upon private property. Horses, mules, whg-
ons grain, and even negroes had been carried of by
them unfortunately upon their retreat; yet the
sufferers did not seem to be disposed to take it very
hard. II our troops had committed one 1.-THE Of these
outrages, our Generals would be overrun with COM
plants.
am satisfied that the high prices realized by tho
farmers in Middle Tennessee for their cattle hogs
and grain since last Summer did than anything
else in confirming them in their Partially toward
Jefferson Davs's Government. The Rebel Commis-
saries and Quartermasters paid them from 80 to $2
per 100 lbs net for hogs 81 busbel for corn, and
for everything else in proportion, and hence it is not
to be wondered at that they not perfectly satisfied
with the new state Of things. How il will be- after
they shall find the piles Of Confederate Treasury
notes, nearly all Of them now possess not to be
worth the value Of the paper on which they are
printed, remains to be The Union successors
Of their Confederate customers having their own
way in the matter Of prices, and adherDg in their
purchases Of food for and beasts to the low
Northern standard Of values, do not Of course enjoy
the goodwill of the Rebel producers. But it will
not be loig before Uncle Sans promises to pay will
be held in much higher estimation than the Confed
crate pretensions of the same description among
these gentry. For there ia really class of people
in all this world more selfish and lucre-loying than
these very Southern planters.
The four divisions of Gen. Buells army found
between Franklin and Columbia two waiercourses
to he crossed-Rutherford Creek, some seven miles
north Of Columbia and Duck River, Just this ride
The bridges over both were destroyed upon the sp-
proach Of our advance guard by detachments Of Col
Forests Louisiana Cavslry detailed to watch and
impede by distractions Of the road the march OF the
Union army upon Northern Alabama. That over
Rutherford Greek was CO. that over Duck River $50
feet long.
! am informed by an officer high in command that
/ Gen. Buell. was not aware that there were two
bridges between Franklin and Columbia when he
ordered the forward movement TO the latter point.
( His plan was TO have q sudden dash made from
Franklin upon Columbia by the cavalry OF Gen.
McCooks division 90 ~ 10 give the Rebels no time
to Ere the bridge over Duck River. But the cavalry
/ force in question: consisting Of the I'd Ohio and ID
Kentucky regiments, found tho execution Of this
purpose impracticable by tie discovery of unex-
ected obstacle in the shape Of the Rutherford Creek
bridge, the existence OF which had not been known
TO our troops until they its ruins. The Rebels
we're thus given ample time to work the thorough
destruction Of the larger bridges. and make good
their retreat further SOUTH
| have not yet crossed Duck River aud visited
Columbia. now occupied az an advance post by Col.
Wilich's German regiment. The town Ii situated
upon tho high south bank Of the river, and resembles
in APPEARANCE Bowling Green, in Southern Ken
tueky. 1. is the county seat Of Maury County, and
numbers about 3, 100 inhabitants.
There was An immense quantity Of corn, bacon,
and beef accumulated at Columbia for the use Of the
Confederate Army. Owing TO the slowness Of our
movements however, nearly all Of it has been safely
got oil TO Decatur, Ala.
Columbia was the residence Of ex-Presdent Polk,
and bis brother VIM. ii. still Of the largest
plantations in Tennessee in it's vicinity. II AT
hi. place that the Provisional Government OF Ken
lucky, George ~ Sanders and other Rebel notorties
fr,t rested their weary limbs after their exhaustDg
footrace from Nashville after the fall OF Fort Donel
son. Parties that have heard Mr.. Polk relate the
particulars Of that interesting VISIT state that
laughable story they never heard. The fogiIiyes
stopped about lweny.four hours and then continued
their flight to Alabama. Unable TO procure convey
ances, they were compelled 10 walk, themselves
carrying in carpet-bsgs all the baggage they had.
Five miles southwest OF Columbia on the road
TO Savannah, is the plantation Of the redoubtable
Gideon j. Pillow. shall improve the first oppor-
tunity to pay visit to the place. II is said to he
better stocked with colored humanity than any
ether farm in the county.
In my last alluded to m order of Gen. Buell., re-
curing of the several division commanders the i'm
mediate expulsion Of fugitive slaves from their re-
spectiye encampments. l have since learned that
the execution Of this order was accompanied in
some Of the divisions by revolving circumstances,
under which our soldiers were made TO appear IN the
PARTS Of saye.hounds for the benefit Of notorious
Rebels. It appears that not only were the poor
rrnaways buuted up aud expelled, but before their
expulsion, they were formed in line at headquarters,
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