The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1862-01-10

1
Correspondence Of the Missouri Repub lican.l
CAIRO, January Z.
While affairs are SO still on land, the
navy is more than atoning for it by in
creased activity Steamers are moving
from one point to another, transferring
necessary loads, some for immediate physic-
al comfort, some for future offensive opera
tons, while score of little tugs dart along
the water, putting ofTiciously with the
mighty responsibility of errand delivery.
They may be seen at any moment dragging
away at load four times the size of them
selves, or towing those unshapely monsters,
the floating batteries. These have not yet
received their armament of mortars, aud
are consequently not ready for service.
They can be made so in few days. The gun
boats are nearly completed, the last finishing /
touches being all that is now necessary.
The Benton, which will be the flag ship, has
had its boiler placed lower in the hull, and |
floats upon the water the most formidable |
river craft probably ever made. From trial |
the jar caused by firing on the different |
boats is so slight as to be hardly perceptible, |
while the craft can be moved in position
easier than was anticipated. They will
soon thunder their broadsides before Colnm-
bus, and on their effect will hang the fate
of the rebel stronghold. While the Federal
gunners under cover of the iron sides will
be working more safely than in classmates,
their open earthworks will be fully exposed
to the falling storm of shot and shell.
The advantage possessed by the assail-
ants in such a case was fully shown at Port
ROYAL and with the immense mOrtars and
splendid guns of the present fleet in full
play, Columbus cannot be held. The conn
try for mile surrounding there can In less
than a day be made wholly untenable,
perfect rain of shell falling among its de-
tenders, while not one shot in two hundred
fred at the boats will prove effective, unless
setting at naught all calculations of science
Although under estimating the struggle nee
essary to take Columbus would be worse
than folly, the opposite view be rem
, dered still more injurious by emb racing the
extreme and placing before Union soldiers
the ghosts of impossible and barely mag
Unable terrors Every clnmp of bushes
: around Columbus is not a masked battery,
: and their flying artillery are not l2s-pound-
ers, like the e Lady Polk" of Belmont fame,
which burst, it will be remembered, some
time since, killing so many, and nearly
breaking the leg of Sir Bishop, after whose
? lady it was named. To show the difficulty
of hitting vessels on the river, the case of
the Lexington and COnestoga which oc-
Cured when | first came to Cairo some
!, months since, will demonstrate. These boats
: were engaged for over three hours with
. several batteries, in all twenty guns, just
above Columbus, and although the cannon
aiding was kept up vigorously by the Con-
iederates, not single shot took effect. A
o eunboat, when in action, lies with the bow
q up stream, in which position it is more mo-
tionless, and does not sway with the cur
rent action, only the sterns breadth affords
: an object for its opponents aim, and at a
# mile and d half, or even less, this appears
# small.
o. At peaceful practice it would be hard to
Il hit n similar target, aud in thu heat of bat
II tie il is much more difficult. 80, with ali
/ the Dragging and taunts of another Manas-
l., sas the most prudent military men stOntly
affirm that Columbus and will be taken
;" The Confederate army now there number
II about thirty thousand strong and deser-
d ter who came into the lines, night before
10 | last, states that six hundred tOrpedoes are
sunk in the river between Columbus and
III Memphis This last story serves to show
?, how crednlous a commander would be who
N should place any reliance upon the men whC
"a constantly arrive, proclaimng themselve:
from the secession army, and telling mar
10 vellous tales of hair breadth escapes.
y Something over a week ago, four persons
10 two OF whom affirmed themselves English
men, and had passes from the British Con
sui at New Orleans, arrived here and passed
on, the two Americans taking the oath. a
E day or two since Gen. Grant received trust
d worthy intelligence that one of the latter
" named S R. Reamer, who had gone Il
:, Bridgeport, Connecticut, was Southern
u spy, and his mission was to obtain perfec
e drawings of the machinery used in manu-
n featuring certain parts of guns. Measures
re- have been taken that will bring Mr.. Rea
mer's tour to a sudden close
III From rumor it would seem that torpe
10 does are thicker in the Mississippi thar
Mt fishes, bnt as these articles have been known
go for fifty years, aud never killed any bu
d, those setting them, they are not considered
;" formidable by naval men. A log or piec
of drift wood explodes them as easily as
vessel, and ''startling reports" may, per
of haps, already be the order of the day, anC
We night also, wherever they are placed.
a. At New Madrid, just below Columbus
~ jeff Thompsons army, or mob, which ha
rs been stationed there for a month or two, i
he rapidly disbanding. Stopping at Cape Cir
IN ardeau the other day, found that over tvs
10 hundred had came in lately, delivered Vi
their arms, taken the oath, and returned Il
their homes.
IN They were thoroughly sick of war, rag
te ged, ruined in purse, with families starving
n, and bitter winter before them. Jef.
>, mode of living, one of them described, a
III from Inland to mouth" Corn is taken TO
re mill and ground, the meal being immedi
Is ately distributed and baked as 'hoe cake,
o. in ashes, with pork TO accompany it, neithe
:. coffee, tea, -four, or such articles, being
;" procurable. In lieu of the former, a drinl
er is sometimes used, made by mixing anC
th heating whisky three, water two, and mo
lasses one part, making species of "blacl
jack" or 'swamp coffee" They said mos
of their comrades would soon do as they
90 had, deliver themselves up disperse.-
IN JEFF. Thompson was not on good terms will
th the rebel army officers, who declared he hat
81 done more to curse their cause by his COW
ardly acts than eternity of his future ex
LII istence conld atone for.
~ By The Sd Indiana Cavalry, Col. Carte
hos W., MIA e