Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-03-22
OUR SPECIAL CAIRO DISPATCHES.
sEIRmlSH WITH JEFF THOMPSON
Late News from Memphis.
Disappearance of Gov. Harris.
A Floating Battery for Men,
phiS Defence.
RIOT AND BLOODSHED At MEM
PHIS.
The BOmbardment Of Island
No. 10.
The Works extensive and for
midable.
THE FORTS TO Be REDUCED BY
DETAIL.
The Works extensive and for
midable.
The FORTS TO Be REDUCED BY
DETAIL.
lsp;oIAl Dispatches to Cleveland Leader


sEIRNIsH WITH JEFF. THOMPSON.
There is a report this morning from Skies
ton that JEFF. Thompson is marching upon
Cape Girardeau, and pressing men and horses
into the Confederate service. A skirmish
had taken place between the Union forces
and bis advance. Three of the enemy were
killed and wounded. Reinforcements have
been sent to the Cape.
TIE SITUATION AT MEMPHIS.
A gentleman, who has been contractor at
Memphis, and left there on Thursday arrived
last evening. he reports that Gov. Harris
disappeared from Memphis the second day
after the one to which the legislature ad-
journed, and has not been heard from since.
He is supposed to be down the Mississippi.
The Legislature has adjourned, and gone
no one knew whittier.
The subject of burning the city, in case an
evacuation was necessary, wss still openly
discussed. There had been no iupressment
of Union men into the Confederate service
to any extent, except for guard duty, until
since the fall Of DonelsOn. Since Governor
Harris proclamation, impressment5 have
bsen general. Hundreds were picked up on
the streets, taken from stores and dwellings,
and marched Of to camp instruction at the
point Of the bayonet.
A floating battery, so constructed as to be
sunk to the waters edge, leaving nothing
exposed except the armament, which consists
of nine Dahlgren guns, which was built for
the protection of Memphis, has been tOwsd
to Island No. 10. Hollins' steam ram was
also sent there.
Union men are leaving Memphis in great
numbers, leaving their property to be con-
Ascated, and glad to escape with their lives.
Quarrels in the streets are Of frequent occur
renee, between Union men and secessionists.
Shots are hourly exchanged
The rebels greatly need iron. They have
offered $25, 900 to any artisan who will dis
csver the process of making maleabIe iron.
Ammunition is plenty, and manufactures
are in operation day and night in the vicin-
ity Of Memphis. They have no mail facili-
ties except along railroad routes. Letters
and papers are carried from town to town by
private enterprise.
LATE FROM ISLAND NO. TO-
Another correspondent telegraphs he left Is-
land No. 10 yesterday noon. Firing was only
moderate from the Benton and Mound City
at intervals of fifteen minutes each, the OBJ.
jsct being to reduce the upper battery. Five
guns were dismounted, and two left from
which occasional shots were fred, some of
them coming very near our boats. The
works both on the mainland and island are
far more extensive than was generally sup
posed. There are st least eighty guns, many
Of them of the largest calibre and several Of
them rifed. There are twenty thousand
troops l saw at one time ten regiments on
dress parade on the mainland. Their quar-
ters are out of reach Of the mortars. The Is
land is pretty well covered with tents The
shells reach all parts of the works on the
island. 1t is evident that all the rebel bat
teries have bomb proof classmates, as the men
can be seen to disappear when a shell falls
into the batteries.
As soon as the upper fort is reduced the
gunboats will advance on the others in de-
tail.
Tuesday night the Mound City kept up g
steady fire on the upper fort, preventing the
rebels from making their usual night repairs
The result was that early in the morning they
commenced removing the dead and wounded
from the casemates OF the fort Large num-
bers were carried out and taken back into
the woods.
On Monday nine hundred shot were fired
from the gunbOats, mostly shell, besides
three hundred shell from the mortsrs. Tues
day the Commodore directed the fuses to be
wet down with the view to destroy the
works and dismount the guns. The result
was most satisfactory. As yet but one man
has been killed by the enemy.