The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-25
LATE NEW S.

MEMPHIS, Jan. ~, via CAIRO, Jan. II.
There is great stir this morning In
consequence of several divisions going
aboard transports, preparatory 20 going
down the river Gen. Grant has already
gone.
Cotton is coming in more freely;a and
the price is advancing; los bales sold
yesterday at Coo.
Mound City, five miles above, in Ar
kansas, was destroyed by fire on Friday
night, in punishment for the burning Of
two steamboats, there recently by the
guerrillas.
General Grant has appointed General
Hamilton Oommandant of West Ten
nessee, embracing Memphis, jackson,
| Columbus, and Cofinth The Genera
will make tour Of the district shortly
and arrange defences on a proper basis
He was one Of the first 90 enter the ser
vice from Wisconsin.
We have information from Mobile ID
the 31st Gen. Simon B. Buckner is ii
charge of the troops and fortifications
and is at work preparing for an assault
Only 10000 troops are in Mobile proper
though it was understood others were in
easy supporting distance,
Commodore Ed. Randolph is in COM
mand of the rebel feet of four wooden
gunboats and an iron-clad ram in TIE
harbor. The gunboats lie above The
confluence Of the Alabama river and Tie
channel used to reach the city in periods
of low water
Fort Gaines, on the west eide of to-
entrance Of the harbOr, mounts four
heavy guns, and contains Just seven
hundred men. Fort Morgan, on the eakt
side of the harbor entrance, mounts eight
guns and contains fifteen hundred meh
A heavy battery, casemated, has been
/ placed on the southwestern corner be
| Pinto's Point and consists of four Dahl.
green guns, and rined cannon and thirty
two Founders. ,.s w st ..-sI.l
The ground at Pinto's Point is genet-
ally swamp, but the rebels have piled II
and filled it in with earth, so it is now
tolerably firm. Upon the She'll Road,
1 leading from Mobile to the beach west St
the lighthouse, is battery of six guns,
bearing upon the entrance into the hat.
Dor Below the gunboats, at Dog River
4 Bar, piles have been driven, extending 10
| quarter of mile each side of the chan
mel. AT the centre Of these piles, "a
schooner filled with stone is anchored,
ready to be swung around in the stream
and scuttled and sunk whenever the
| blockading fieetpasses Forts Morgan aud
Gaines. "
The authorities do not place much re-
lance upon the forts to resist the fleet,
and hence expect to'do the heaviest fight
ing at the point where the schooner is
now placed TO be sunk.
| West Of Mobile series Of earthworks,
of considerable extent have been con-
structed, but have no guns mounted.
Outside Of these, extending TO Three
mile creek, above Mobile, are formidable
breastworks; also redoubts at village
four miles above Mobile, and at a point
where Three-mile creek crosses the rail-
road.
1t was understood that General Buck
ner threatened to destroy the city in the
event that they could not successfully
i hold it; but, then, there were not few,
particularly property holders, opposed to
it, and, also, not few who claim foreign
protection. They, too, protest
Jefferson Davis first visited Mobile on
the 18th olt, and delivered a speech to
an audience not exceeding one hundred
and fifty, including men, women, and
negroes. He spoke from the balcony of
the Battle House. His remarks did not
enlist much enthusiasm
AT Meridian, previous to the assault on
Vicksburg, there were only 5000 troops
These were moved to Vicksburg prompt
ly when Gen. Sherman made the attack.
The rebels evidently regarded the at
tack on Vicksburg as big thing, for as
soon as it was known, all the machinery,
tools, implements, &C., at Columbus, Mis-
sissippi, for manufacturing guns and am-
munitiOn were hurriedly placed on cars,
and started for Meridian The same
cars were more needed for carrying
troops for the succOr of Vicksburg, aud
the machinery was thrown ON the
ground, and the cars devoted 10 meet the
more pressing necessity.
+ II is understood the machinery was TO
have been removed to Alabama, perhaps
Montgomery or Selma. AT last accounts
only about 5000 raw militia were al
Columbus.
/, 1t is understood that Samuel Tate, the
President Of Memphis and Charleston
Road, entered into contract with the re.
bel Government to build railroad. be-
tween Meridian and Selma. The work
is near completion, and all the roIlint
stock OF the Charleston Road is now Oh
/ that line. Extensive Notifications have
been erected ON the Alabama river, per-
haps at Selma, on which il is designed
TO fall back in case Of defeat at Yicks-
burg and Mobile
BarlOw's battlion ofcayalry is the only
force along the Mobile road, which leaves
IL in rather an exposed condition.
People along the road, especially be-
yond West Point Station, are represented
as anxiously desiring an advances Of the