Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-01-17
lNoRrmERN RRPORrs FHOII CAIso

correspondence Of the St Louis Republican
CAIRO, January 6.-While affairs are so still
on land. the navy Is more than atoning Tor u by
increased activity. Steamers are moving from
one point TO another, transferring necessary
some for immediate physical comfort
others for future offensive operations, while a
score of Iltle tugs dart along the water, putting
oficiously with The mighty responsibility OF er-
rand delivery. They may be seen at any mo
ment dragging away at a load tour times the SIZE
Of themselves or towing those unshapely mon
sters. the floating batteries. These have not yer
received their armament OF mortaTs, and are con
sequenily not ready for service. Ihey can De
made so IN a few days. The g~unbOats are nearly
completed. the last finishing touches being all
now necessary. The Benton, which viii be the
flag ship, has had its boiler placed lower IN the
hull, and floats upon the water the most Iormid,
able river craft probably ever made. Prom tina
the iar caused BY the hriag on the different posIs
is SO slight as to be hardly pereeptible, Hhhe the
craft can be moved in position easier than was
anticipated. They viii soon thunder their
brosdsides before Columbus, and on their effect
viii hang the fate of the rebel stronghold WhAe
the Federal gunners, under cover OF the non
sides, viii be working more safely than IN case
mates, their opponents in open earthwoLks VII
be fully exposed 70 the falling storm OF shot anc
she'll. TIE advantage possessed by the assam
ants in such q case was fully shown at FOR
Royal, aud with the immense mortars and splen'
did guns Of the present fleet in tul play, 90
lumbus cannot be held.
The country for a mile surrounding there can
in less than a day be made wholly untensbie, q
perfect rsin Of shell falling among its defenders.
y While not one shot in two hundred bred At the
boats VIII prove effective, unless setting OF
naught all calculations Of science. Although
understanding the struggle necessary to take
Columbus would be worse than folly, the oppo.
site view can be rendered still more injurious 10y
embracing the extreme and placing before Union
soldiers the ghosts of impossible and barely
imaginable tm0rs. Every elump Of bUshe.
around Columbus Is not a masked battery, and
their flying artillery are not l2o-pounders, like
the Lady Polk. Of Belmont fame. which burst
il will be remembered, some time since, killing
so many. and nearly breaking the leg OF ~
Bishop, after whose lady it was named. *
show the difficulty Of hitting vessels on tbs
river. the case of the Lexington and Conestoga
which occurred when / first came to Cairo some
months s,acs, viii demonstrate. These 5osts
were engaged for over three hours with seyera
batteries, in all twenty guns, just above Colum
BUS, aud although the c~annonadlng was KEEP
up vigorously by the Coniederates, not a single
shot took effect. A gunbost, when IN action
lies with the bow up stream, in which position ]
is more moti0nless, snd does not sway with TN
currents sction, only the stern's breadth Afford
an object for its opponents aim. aud at a mil
and a hail, or even less, this appears small
At peaceful practice it would be hard to hit
similar target, and in the heat OF battle il Is mucl
more difficult. So, with all the Dragging an,
.tsun.s of another Manassas, the most pruden
military men stoutly affirm that Columbus cal
and will be taken. The Confederate army nov
! there numbers about thirty thousand strong an
a deserter who came into the lines night betor
last states that six hundred torpedoes are sun
in the river between Columbus and Memphis
This last story serves 10 show how credul0us
commander would be who should place any rel
/ anes upon the men who constantly arrive, pre-
) claiming themselves hem the secession army an
telling marvellous tales Of hairbreadth escapes.
Something over q week ago four persons, tvs
of whom afirmed themselves EnglishEen, an
hsd passes from the British consul a. Ae'
Orleans, arrived here and passed on, the tF
Americans taking theloath. 4 day CT two sine
Gen. Grant received trustworthy inteiligenc
that one Of the latter, named S. X. Reamer, VIII
had gone to Bridgeport, Connecticut, was
southern spy, and his mission was to obtain pc
feet drawings Of the machinery used IN mani
f~sctUTing certain parts Of guns. Measures hay
been TAX q that viii bring Mr. Resmer's tosr
q sudden close,
From ramor l. would seem that torpedoes al
thicker Ia the Mississippi than fishes, bat as thcs
articles lave been known Tor fifty years, an
never killed any but those setting them, they al
not considered formidable BY naval men. A 10
or piece o. drift wood explodes them Is easily a
a vessel, and s. startling reports may, perhaps
already be the order OF the day, and night also
wherever thew are placed.
CAIRO. January THE gunbOats ESSEX
Lexington and Tyler, which went down on
reconnaissance 10 Columbus this morning, re
turned st SIX O'Clock in The afternoon.
They approached within two miles Of Colum
bus and within range Of their guns.
Six mil above Columbus they discovered th
small rebel steamer Water Witcn, mounting twt
guns, ly1 2 at the bank. Il 1t once started Of
under full steam for Columbus, and reported Ia
approach Of the gunboats, after which it TetuTne
within sgbt, keeping, however, out Of range
A few shos were fired at it from the Essex, bu
they fell short
The chain stretched across the river at COlum
bus IS controlled by a steam engine on the Ken
tucky shore, which tightens or loosens il at pleas
IRE. To tho bottom Of the chain is attaehe'
three large tOrpedoes, intended to explode in con
cussion with the wheel Of a boat. Al of th
rebel vessels, with the exception Of the Waite
Witch, arc below the chain, the batter vessel be
ing light dranght can pass over i, and oonse
quently remains above 10 re~cOnnoiter. Whei
ihe Federal gunboats approached Columbus the
could SEE plainly the batteries at that place
The artiiierists stood at the guns, ready Il
fire, and ts whole Confederate force were unde
arms. Two cavalry companies, from Bird
Point, weut down by land along with the tire
gunbOats it being known that q rebel force O
cavalry were encamped near Charleston, an
there beirg danger OF their cutting the Union dc
tachment ii, infantry were sent down Subs
quentiy b. support the latter.