Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-01-24
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LErrER FRoH wEsrFEe KEN
Especial Cor espondence of the Memphis Appeal
CANr DESHAE Hickman county, KY
IaunurH d. Lsla

Especial Cor e~spondenoe Of ihe Memphis appeal
CAar DESHAE Hickman county, KY
January Ia, ls0@
The condition Of things here and bereabout be-
inc Of a nature to open a fruitful field for the
operations Of Madame Rumor, and anticipating
that the dame with a thousand tongues viii en-
plov her many members in disseminating exag-
gerated reports, 1 hasten, however ungallantly'
70 give her the lie while the sounds yet linger in
her throat.
For some two weeks past there has been an
undue excitement throughout this end Of the
State in consequence of an iI-foUnded anticipated
attack on Camp BeauregaTd, and the 9th Ten
nessee cavalry, Lieut.. Col LogwOOd, on last
Sabbath were ordered to that point, but returned
70 Camp DeShae the same night, having ascer-
tanned that there were no Federalists nearer
Bsauregard than Paducah. 1t was a very dis
agreeable day; the roads were in desperate con
dition, and the command felt poorly repaid for a
forced march of thirty-two miles, in simply as
certaining that the Federalists were almost as far
frem US at Beauregard as they had been at De-
Shae.
Having reached camp, weary aud covered
with mud. after drying our saturated clothes
and rubbing the coat Of mud from our horses,
we again entered upon the routine of camp duty,
havingadded this to the catalogue of instances in
which we had placed our thumb on the enemy
with the result Of the memorable instance on
which a Celtic individual thought he had caught
the destroyer Of his repose.
Things passed of quietly after this until
Thursday, the 10th, when an order reached
camp for the battalion to report itself at Column
bus. together with the rumor that the enemy's
pickets were stationed within three hundred
yards of our own. The bugle soundei" boots
and saddles, +" the command fell into line, and
two hours after leaving camp, we found our
selves within the Notifications at Columbus,
this time feeling assured that the chase would
result in blood, and confident Of being " in at
the death" BY the time We had watsred VI
stock the shades of night had already gathered,
and procuring a lot for the better security CT cur
horses, the command were turned loose upon
the town, 10 procure accommodation wherever
they could find it, with orders to report at s
O'Clock in the morning at the horse lot.
7 was fortunate in finding a friend with a
spsre =" cot and abundance of blankets, and
for myself was content with this uumilitary dis
position of a military command, though a num-
berof my comrades were less fortunate.
IIearned while in Columbus that a strong
force Of Federalists had taken position at Bland
vile, the county site Of Ballard county, some
twenty miles eest of north from Columbus,
where they were erecting fortiisations. Bland
vile is situated on a high bluff ON the north
side of Mayfeld creek, and the only passable
road leading to it from Columbus crosses the
creek about a mile below the town, and running
between the creek and the bluff to q point oppo-
s le the town, suddenly turns up arayine and
q csnds X chill. With these natural advantages,
a few guns judiciously placed would command
the approach from this side most ehectually,
and / have no doubt tkat it is their purpose TO
foTHfy it as the nearest point to Columbus
where a successful stand could be made by re-
treating army. It would be invaluable to them
in case Of deieat al Columbus, and they 60 wen
t. provide against an emergency that Is already
written by the fingers Of Fate, though obscued
by the curtain of Time, which they themselves
can raise at their pleasure.
Information had also reached COLUMBUS that 3
G 5lznln of the enemy, said TO be ten thousand
strong. were at MilIbun, fourteen miles east
from Columbus, on the Mayfeld road, and about
sixteen miles north from Camp DeShae, and it
was presumed their mission was to pass through
Clinton 10 Desbae, destroy this place and cut of
railroad communication with Columbus; whiler RI
mors were aaoat-ofe course without foundation
thatthe Fe3eraIsts had crossed he Mississippi at
Hickman, taken possession of that place, and
obstructed river communication with points
below.
On the morning Of the 18th the command
very generally were at the place Of rendezvess
At he appointed time, and at an early hour we
were in line Of march on the Clinton road. Soon
after crossing Obion creek we took q road to the
that avoided the angle Of q passage through
Clinton. striking the road leading from Clinton
70 Milburn, some four miles from the former
place, and continuing on the road toward Mil
burn. about seven miles distant, where the Fed
~araIists, IS above stated were reported ten
thousand strong. though by that accumulatige
process which numbers have in passing from
one mouth to another, the original ten thousand
had increased 20 seventeen thousand. Follow
on this road to within some three and q half
miles of Milburn, We found the bridge cut down
across the Obion, which closed our passage to-
ward Milburn short OF a circuit Of six miles.
Here we halted, procured provender for cur
horses, and while we were resting " on our
we received information that the Federal
lists had left KGlbun that morning CT the road
toward MaYfeld.
Acolumn Of infantry had also left Columbus on
the s.me morning, on the road direct to MilbuIn,
though bow far they had marched before learn
iny that tho bird had Town, 1 havenO knowledge
Under this state Of affairs " q rouaced our
s,eps and passing through Clinton REACHED our
own quarters at Camp DeShae shortly after
dark, covered with mud, and worn cut with a
long and ruiHess march.
am reliably informed that the enemy at Ail-
burn were neither seventeen, nor ten, but about
Eve thousand strong, with twelve pieces Of az
alsry and three hundred cavalry; that they
moved on to Mayfeld last night and took the
road to Pennington, Kentucky, TINS morning
What the design Of such q movement on then
mart can be. I am unable TO divine. Il they
stray away any further from their holes they are
in imminent danger of being gut of and " bag
god - by any enterpnsing commander who can
succeed better than Gen. Pillow Ia procuring
the assent Of Gen. Polk to plans that are entirely
feasible.
The weather has been cold and stormy during
the past two weeks, but has at length turned
warm and rain has fallen IN torrents for the past
~twenty-foar hours Tie nature Of the soil here