The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1862-01-15
From the south.


We are In receipt of late and reliable in
tellgence from the South, ard # is rot Of a
character calculated to fill the friends of the
Union with bright anticipations. The reb-
els bave pro6ted largely by the mysterious
and unaccountable delay in the advance of
our troops, and have concentrated men, mu-
nitions OF war, and means of defense of all
kinds, at Bowling Green, with an energy
and dispatch that seems almost marvellous.
The gentleman through whom we derive
our information, says be did not conceive it
possible that such a material difference in
the appearance of a place could be made, as
has occurred at Bowling Green within the
last two or three weeks. The rebels, who
we're, in great measure, unprepared for re-
sisting an attack, three or four weeks ago,
and were panic stricken at the thought of
an advance of the Federal troops, now
breathe easy. They have erected seven
strong Qualifications at different points in the
vicinity of the town, which, they consider,
adds to their strength at least the equiva-
lent Of 1000 men each.
Many Of their recent levies are raw troops
and not very well armed. These, however,
are kept within the Qualifications, while
large division of picked troops has been
organized for operations in the field, and to
prevent the Union forces from interfering
with their communications and cutting of
their supplies. The raw troops will be al
most as efficient behind entrenchments and
in rihe-pits, as regulars, and with a thor
oughly equipped and disciplined corps for
field operations, the entire rebel army will
be quite as efficient for all purposes of de-
Tense, as though all the troops were regu-
lars. Everything calculated to hinder the
advance of the Union troops, has been re-
sorted to. Bridges have been burned track
torn up, trees felled across the highways,
railroad cross-ties and rails destroyed, and
all that the ingenuity of the devil himself
could devise, seems to have been thought of
and acted upon. &
The number of troops aoGO under the i'm
mediate command of Johnston, and concen-
trsted in the country Immediately about
Bowling Green, is estimated by our CORES
pendent at 10000, and the number is daily
Increasing. These are scattered among the
various Notifications and kept diligently
employed adding to their strength The
rebels already feel comparatively easy, but
say, If q few more weeks time is given them,
they can render Bowling Green invulnera-
bic to any assault upon it by ell the power
of the government. Ra
Forts Donslson and McHenry are also
being strongly fortified. These constitute
the center of General Johnston's line,
and, till lately, have been comparatively
weak. These hitherto unimportant earth
works and small body of men at Hopkins
vile, have constituted the center of an army
whose wings-at Columbus and Bowling
Green-numbered its tens of thousands.
The rebels must have calculated largely on
the blindness of the Unien Generals. to have
left SO important a position SO weak. A
column of $4,000 or $4,000 men thrown |
across the country from SmithIand, few |
weeks ago, would have broken up the rebel
chain of defenses, and so materially inter-
/
fered with their communications, as to have |
prevented anything like systematized and
combined defense at all points. GAINESVILLE |
could have been taken easily, and the gun
boats would have experienced little diff |
Guilty in keeping the Cumberland river open
for supplies. But these golden Opportuni-
ties have been lost. 1t will now take ten
men to accomplish what, four weeks ago,
could as easily have been done by one. The
rebel Generals have undoubtedly calculated |
largely on the blindness Of our army leaders.
and their conclusions have in no insta nee /
been erroneous.
What is more painful than the slow ard /
hesitating character of our army move
nents, is the fact that traitors amcng us are
becoming holder in their dealings with the
rebels, and more outspoken in their efforts
t. throw obstacles in the way Of the good /
cause. We have it from source and in a
way that we cannot doubt the correctness
Of the information, that right in our midst
citizens who stand high are deliberately
plotting against the Union, and in behalf Of
ING ieDeiS' a fegu4ar CHAIN OF communl-
cation through the gap between Henderson
and smithland, KY, is kept up that is as
efficient and available to the rebels as
though regular telegraph line had been
constructed and was in full and perfect
operation. This is melancholy; but as the
Government never Furnishes, it will ever be
betrayed A former citizen of this city has