, 1862-12-08

l"
longer. Boats drawing eight feet Of water
could not cross the Helena bar on Wednesday
last.
The ram feet Of Brigaaier General .E11et is
vice, and is in fact already engaged in useful
duty, pntroling tue river at Helena, above
Helena and below Helena. Bome Of the rams
are also stationed ut the mouth Of the Yazoo.
watching, us a cat watches for O mouse,
for the exit Of some Of the terrible
river monsters common report has created
the Contedcracy with having built further up
that naFrow stream Water in the Yazoo Is
higher, ut the present time, than in the Mis-
sissippi, and it is to be feared that, taking ,,l-
vantage Of this, the Star Of the West and what
eyer other gnnboatS the rebels may have there
may take stalt, come down and engage our
1cet when unprepared and in too small force
to compete with them. Such an event is to
be deplored. 4 rise in the Mississippi should
be prayed for that the gubaoatS above Helena
may speedily be enabled to go below. Gen.
Elltt will do all he can with his fect, and is
yet his bouts are lily calculated to Withstand
shot and shell, but are really great in 1'but
t'ngn m
only exceptions to this state Of affairs is the
fight the Lexington On Tuesday last with
gucrillas twenty miles below Helena, and the
reported firing upon tue steamer at Hickman
IN Sunday night last. Neither Of these ac-
iltrs were very serious. That Of the Lezing-
i'm I Lave already sufficiently detailed, and
that sail to b;ye occurred laier at Hickman, i
dce1h hoax Or big scare, not needing elu-
citation III my hands, Below Memphis, boats
carr ing provisions are now allowed to pass
i'll peace. The ealuta1y lesson Of Gen. Sher--
nlan, previously detailed, in burning ten PLAN
t:tions in Arkansas, adjacent 10 the scenes Of
guerilla thing upon dtfenceleEs and peaecable
steamers, has served . good purpose. The
(r that H.
destroying their property is az Investment
that does not pay. Hence they cease to
inycst.
SUE MARINE FIRING.
Since coming to Cairo have formed the ac-
qUaintance Of 4 very agreeable and yEell-in-
formed gentleman, at present attached to the
Mississippi fotiil:l Of the West, james ".
Whitaker, esq, the inventor Of system Of
submarine firing, which, when applied, bids
fair to enact a revolution in naval warfare
Mr.. Whitaker is 8 practical engineer,
for the last five years connected with
the regular naval service Of the United States
For sOnle years past he Las had in mind and
given much attention to the various plans Of
submarine firing: or means Tor successfully
combating iron clad steamers, batteries, etc.
.Hc has at last invented a system Of warfare,
or 4 machine, Of which, Of course, no public
explanation can ut present be given without
endaEgering tke success Of its application or
Interfering with the pecuniary interests Of
| the inventor, which has already been ex--
practical men in the country, and to the COM
| MandtFs cf different naval stations, inc}ud~
ing Rear Admiral Porter, commanding the
Mississippi 1lotill, all Of whom Lave given
their unqualified approval Of it, and recon-
1hcndcd tic govcrnmentto make immediate
trial BY applying it to some Of the steamers
! now in course of completion. Permission
| has already been obtained from headquar-
| ters ut Washington, to hare the new Monitor
now being built at Mound city. equipped in
! tlv nanncr recommended BY Mr Whitaker.
| This gentleman Las been out to the sipyard,
made 4 casual examination Of the null Of the
new boat and pronounced hcr just tic craft
to he successful with his invention, and as
| socn as some final orders shall arrive from
| Washington, lie will proceed to st. Louis, OF
| some other sLipbuilding port, build his lna.
chine himself and soon ha7e it ready for use
j gunboat, battery or othvr substance with
which Ibis craft, equipped with Mr Whit,
| ker's "Eub-marine," comes in contact, is JUS!
rs certain and inCEi1able as fate itself Tit
inventor asks but trial Our best na7a
mtn recommend it in most unqualified terms
and unless much mistake admiral Porter
disposition, lie will not ALLOW the inventor te
languish, even though nothing better than {
mud-scow should present for its application
All such inventors should be encouraged; nj
| such useful improvements snonId at once bt
adopted, and thcir originators well rewarded
PRISONERS OFFICERS, ETC.
Three hundred and fifty Confederate pri=
| oncrs from Louisville, arrived here Oh 1h'
steamer Mary Anne, last evening. Over ifi,
in TIT usual filthy condition. They are to b.
placed in barracks here until a sufficient mum
ber additional shall arrive to form {. steam
beat load, then they will be shipped io
Ficksbnrg. These prisoners complain Of til
m:sncr in which they arc crowded o.
| il would stem, we're never nade to b
showed upon Il river boat whose capacit
will give rom for less than q thousand Ye
such las been the case within Inc lust tw
weeks. CT course the prisoners die. VITA
WelitieT?
The number Of confederate surgeons travc
ing Souln for release, Las always caused 1uue
rtlEark. Never more 1han within the pas
week Looking over the hotel rc.i5te:
here, ere Will bc surprised to count tie cl
tries. Surgeon, c. s. A. which seem t
con;ti!u'e tic majority of all 'hc cnt RIGS latel
army las great many surgeons inils am,
who all get captured, or some other Officer
are ralning themselves of upon the Unite
States authorities as surgeons These me
stul. at first class hotels, carry their side arm
with their hagsager their negro servant
and bitterly, Put on airs, and in some insta1
'ecs conduct themselves rs much unlike ge7
tlcmen us they possibly could. They wa
the streets. eve everything, hear ever
, thing and il they Tcrr spies could not tai
mere interest in movements going on abu'
, ntm. This lcnitncy on The part ST the 50
| e.HlEtn at HEY he generous, may be- right, u
it is certainly very i11cau,ious, and compare
: with the treat! ut Federal Officers have 7
cciyed in Southern prisons, il is yerC lunl
to say the lelst.
SOUTHERN NEWS.
= The rcws frcn Grants army ycu have
ceiSe0 from your eorrcss'ent3ent with The a
6 T:ilcc ere this. From Sherman lIve np1
s inr later than the Memphis papers Of ound
) last. Even thai is lnlntercs:ing / te
e GRABBED lasi week the main particulars q:
= ski?1Eish between f'Tiy-iye 1ncn Of Csr:;
e Shcpai dsou's company Of ihc 9TH Him
t cayal,y, and ECU rebel cavalry under C.
cial report Of the affair, as a matter Of int
est to people in Central Illinois, where t
corp6 was recrnited.
LAGRANGE. Tenn. Nov. Is. 1856:
q Col. 7. Lyle Dickee. Chief Of the Cavalry Dcns
= nacnt OF the Tennessee:
l. DEAR CoLoSEL: On the 18th OF tl.is mouth. W
= force Of forty FIVE men. I encountered 200 re
l. cavalry under Col. Dawson. near Chestnut 81
= and fought them Eight Of the enemy were xii
on the ground. and twelve were wounded. ofwll
| LN0 nave since AfEu. MY n0TSc WIS klliCtl IN
me. received six ehots. one ToNpding ms
y so that Row travel on crutches. a1d mist TO
get for weeks. Tile remaining five shots W
parriel ty steel breastplate. bru;sing my bre,
however. quite severely. -Four OF my men "
T. slightly wounded. WIS captured with one priv
"a I OF my company. Edward 3. Powers. Of Co. 1. :
~ ten Of our horses were killed. Including my o.
e. | The private Powers and myself were pago1ed.
~ | Col. Dawson. commanding the rebel force. On
u 18TH inst ask foc orders and for leave Of abse
n for twenty Gays when hope to be able to do d
"a | II ny exchange can be effected
~ Very respectfully yours.
le GEORGE j. SIIEpARnsoS.
,s Captain commanding in 4th Ill Cayalr,
st Capt. shepardsen was left, after being
o. rolled, at q negro hut, more than 4 mile fr
c. amy white mans residence, and three or +,
10 days elapsed before himself aud the priv
rv Powers, could get transported to hcad1r
- tcre. Meantime the captain had been robI
Ill hy the chiyalry Of his slcel waistcoat vii
N had saved lis life, and which hc wisl
* much to preserve, for the good it had do
= lis sabre, pistol and oyercoat- His wa
" and money untouched. lie may congratul
n himself upon lis escape i'll this eonditi
re however, for it is seldom that man who
nj struck fairly and stiaarely III the body by
Nv muske1 balls, lives to tell the story 1t is