The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1862-04-29

ana still the leaden sky above pours
down more rain. Some Of the timorous
ones are suggesting the propriety of
building an ark, in anticipation Of another
flood while others disposed to be in
credulous, appear at the doors Of their
cabins, look up at the sky, yawn, shake
their heads, and retire, with the sage re-
mark that perhaps "it amt goin' to be
much of storm" Others assert that
the Mississippi is leagued in with the
Federal Government, to wipe out the
Southern Confederacy, filing up, as it
does, every old bayou for them TO run
their gunboats around in, and washing
away the secesh forts. There is some
truth in this observation, at least, for
there is no denying but what the high
water has been favorable for the fleet,
while it has retarded the operations of
the land forces. The lowest point
reached by our boats is 100 miles below
Cairo, opposite an antiquated river town
by the name Of Manson, and eight miles
above Fort Randolph. Here the steam
ers were made fast to the shore, and re-
connoisances ordered, to ascertain the
relative strength and position of the
enemy. A few shells thrown from the
mortars were replied to by the fort with
some heavy guns, after which they
maintained logged silence. A spy,
who has had every facility for obtaining
information, brought the following intel.
ligence, which he says can be relied on.
The enemy's fort mounts forty guns,
four of them being 1913 Founders, while
the river is filed with gunboats. The
troops number from seven to eight thous-
and, mostly raw recruits from the State
Of Mississippi, and much disheartened
at their recent reverses. An intelligent
gentleman, lately from that section, rep
resents the state of society as awful.
That worse system of espionage is
practised than ever France knew during
the reign of terror, and honest peaceable
citizens are forced to leave their business
and fly for their lives. He insists that a
strict censorship is maintained in many
places over the press, which will &C
count for the violent tone of some of the
journals, and that the fanatcal leaders,
wishing to deceive and mislead the mind
Of the people entirely as to the cause Of
, the war, are seeking to infuse into their
t heads the silly idea Of new territorial
organization of the Southern States, by
the Federal Government, whenever they
shall become subjugated. The whole
, scheme is too preposterous to think Of
We have succeeded in planting battery
of four heavy guns below the Fort or
: the Arkansas side, so as to prevent sup.
plies coming from below, but all active
. operations have been suspended on &C
count Of the high water. From below
, Tiptonville to this point there is not i
single place where troops can be landed
and in view of this retrograde move
ment has been ordered, and the whole
fleet, as write, are steaming back for
New Madrid again.
Much excitement exists in regard to
the battle of Pittsburgh, and many CEN
sure Grant for what they are pleased to
term "his carelesness." At all events
it was dear victory. and has probably
demonstrated to the Southerners the fact
that one "Tiger," is not quite match for
five Yankees. The enemy has now
fallen back to Corinth, and all accounts
represent him as preparing for tremend.
Gus fight Corinth, Tlshimingo county
Mississippi. is very important strateg.
ical point. 1t is situated in a billy,
emi-mountanous country, a branch OF
the Appalachian range, which DIVORCES
from the Allegheny mountains and forms
the mountainous and gold bearing reg
ion of Georgia and Alabama. Here, al
so, is the junction of the Memphis and
Charleston, and Mobile and Charleston
railroad lines, which form the intact
communication Of the Atlantic and the
gulf seaboard, and which is very import
ant to the rebels. AS is we'll known,
they are under command of Beauregard,
who proposes there to dispute the ad-
vance of our army upon Memphis. from
the east. What its defences may be, we
are not apprised, but the number of rebel
soldiers there is stated at a very high
fgure-one correspondent with good
means ofinformation, putting it down at
eighty thousand.
APRIL 18th, p. m.-Reached New
Madrid last night and laid by for the
rest Of tie fleet to come up. The
Chateau, on which was our regiment
with tho aycaptinn of compary E