The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-02-21

tile soil, from which the rebels gain their
supplies Of corn and other grain. He
tells me that there were millions Of
bushels of corn stored in this region last
summer. At West Point the rebels had
but one company of cavslFy and two
guns-nO Notifications. This was IN
September or October last.
At about the same period the Confed-
crates had at Meridian, Gems. Justin's
and Aliens Mississippi brigades, and
LoveIPs brigade. AT this place is located
an extensive mandatory of small arms
and several factories of other descrip-
lions. There were also camps of pa
rolled prisoners, cotton csrding mills and
two gunboals were being built
At Tibee, near West Point, Gholson's
State troops men fortified south of the
bridge, where they had erected stock
AIDES.
In the rear Of Mobile and as much q
five miles from the city. are three heavy
lines of earthworks. Fort No. l is on
the southeast side of the city. No. 2 is
on the east side of the river opposite the
termination Of st. Michael street. As
you 20 down. the river and turning to
the left is the landing of the Mobile and
Ohio Railroad. Here is located battery
No. 3, consisting of three riaed 32-pound
guns, and one ten-ineh gun. This is
called the Spanish Battery. Further
down the bay to the left, is battery No
6, called PintO's Battery. Between this
and Fort Morgan are batteries ChoctAw,
Cedar Plain, Grand Spell, aud Light
House Bsttery, in all six, consisting each
of six 32-p0und rifed cannon.
At the time nv informant was there,
Fort Morgan had 500 men in it, of the
first Confederate regiment, and Fort
Gaines was gsrfisoned by about an equal
number.
Upon the walls and within the embra-
sures of Fort Gaines are so guns-Or 80
guns and the rest howitzers to repulse =
land attack Fort Morgan has 100 guns
and 8 number of howitzars. Two of
the guns from Fort Sumter, used in sink
ing the KeOkuk, have bean removed to
Fort Morgan, and are now there prepared
to do more of the same kind of work.
About the harbor of Mobile the rebels
have two gunsboats, the Morgan aud the
Gaines, each having on deck some ten
guns, but the propelling power of these
boats is defective. They move very
slowly.
There is third gunboat called the
Selma, made like barge, after the mon
itOr pattern, carrying eight guns, but she
cannot be of much effect, from the same
cause, defective propelliDg power. In
addition to these the Confsderates have
two very small iron-clad monitors, but
they also move clumsily along in the
water. They have 5 howitzer in front
and five port guns each. These, with the
Lady Davis, 10 guns, and Richmond, 8
guns, and two others. not IS large, carry
ing six guns-now off or in the vicinity
of Richmond, constitute the rebel navy
now stationed at the two points men
toned.
With the exceptions named, my in
fOrmsnt says the entire distance from
Meridian to within five miles of Mobile
wss unforsifed, and unprotected by
Confederate soldiers. Excepting the
railroad is torn up and completely de-
stroyed, there is nothing to prevent
force from moving direct by that route.
At the same time cavalry troops might
cooperate by moving them south from
jackson as far az say BrOadbsven, and
then cutting across the country obliqusly
and in 4 westernly course to the
rear of Mobile.
The country five miles back of Mobile,
which has been fortified, is described
low and fiat and not capable of defense
even when thus fortified, the lay of the
land being an effectual bar to such de-
Tense. We have not here to fear the
natural bulwarks of Vicksburg and
Memphis. The country is low and level
and at the same time not wet and Doggy.