, 1864-10-25

Correspondence OF the Chicago Trib1ne.l
MEMPHIS, Oct. 19, 1864.
On Saturday night. or early Sunday morn.
Ing, the military authorities here received
positive information that Forrest was at
CoriEth week ago, and was also massing
considerable bodies Of troops at Grenada
and jackson, Miss. The accounts of these
forcee were doubtless exaggerated, as he
was reported to have 20, 900 men.
On Sunday last demonstrations were made
toward our lines. Whether they really iu.
tended to attack the city or not l caunot, o1
course, cay. There is great diversity ol
opinio7 on the question, many thinking the
demonstration merely feint to cover the
transit southwaEd OF p1under captured at
Eastport, or to strike northward Into Ken.
tucky. Taylor, Chalmers and Writ Adams
we're reported to be acting in concert with
Forrest. On Sunday night the enemy were
known to be In four strong divisions, on
four roads lending into Memphis, and o.
tlat night signal rockete, red and white,
were sent up. Our forces made all possible
prepa1a 1ations to give the rebels warm re-
ception by digging r1ns-plts and thro iog
up barricades Mt the various crossings Of
Gayoso bayou, taking up the bridges, and
urgicg forward the work upon the four new
tur1s In PROCESS Of erection, lying beYoud
the bayou. One Of these forts Is now con-
pleteo, and the others very nearly so. the
oI jutt completed Is south Of The city, aud
IL Intended to prevent the rebels from fore
iug their way In through Memphis. and thus
cutting of the troops in the city from Fort
Pickering, take both in detail and at an ad
vantage
The regiments of enrolled militia were al-
so engaged on tie fortlncations. All through
the city the streets we're oarricaded with cot
ton balea, and all preparations for vigorous
defence were made (On seeing thtir cotton
thus unceremonioubly made nse Of, many
pers ns offered to sell 1t for thirty. i've cents
pound.) On Sunday night the military
stortg, cars, and other material at Whites
ate attack was anticipated, but signal lights,
b1ue and white, were sent up Us II to &Arn
the rebels. They were probably thus waru-
cd by persons in the city, aud the military
are making every effort to discover the spies
who gave information in this manner On
this hight, also, number Of black regiments
We're taken into Fort Pickering, and outlS-
Ing regiments we're drawn bearer to the city.
Ou Monday the preparations were In con
tiIutd prtgress- The militia patro1ed the
stTee's, HrrestiDg aid pressing into tue Ser
vice a1l who were capable Of rendering as.
sietalce; and it speaks well for the increas-
il loyalty Of Memphis that many citizens
rily atf, red their services to do what they
could for the defense Of the city. OQ Mon
day light the 1ebeIs had made no further ad-
vance,; Their advance Was At that time With
IL twenty miles OF the city.
80 imminent Was the danger considered,
on SUI day and Mtudsy night, By Gen. Il.
Smith, that all the cars at the depot east of
3nf IL =
With all the stores in their vicinity.
This morning Chalmers is known to have
LETT Cold wstef. One account stntes that
Monday or Tuesday he crossed the Memphis
and Charleston Railroad, Eear Moscow. He
lett about one hundred OF Hendersoa'a men
at Coldwater on picket duty. Ten Dick
Taylor is said to be In ftropg force Or the
the city.
al 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon, the militia
who bud been constantly employed sioce
Sunday morning, Ahd were VERT mucn
tatteutd, were allowed to return hotne for
a lew hours rest Their respite was not Of
very long Duration. at O'Clock this morn
irg the cannon was fired ard the bells were
1nng as the efgpai for them to Assembt.:
The. responded promptly TO TIE s, and a.
it hos been since Monday morning. The
militia seem very willing to do all that is re-
unired OF them. At the New Memphis thea
ltr last evening, come one called out that
tue cannon had fired, and 1t was quite ludtc
rus to see the hBste with which they left
the louee, Iumbling one over the other
after ali, it turned ont to be = fa1se alarm,
and they had tie satisfaction to See the play
out.
Generals II L. Smith, Griersor, sad Buck
land have been in Consultation, aui have adj
vice. that the euemy still threaten Memphis.
But whether the attack was OF is intended
Tor rs it ttin utc. rtain, Simultaneous With
this haye psen demonstrations against Co.
lnmbuf, Pkducah aid MaJsvil!e. The prob
Abiliiy ls, however, that tie latter are only
ttfu1e TO cover the attack on our city, aud II
they do not attack ns, it will be because ther
are advised that ample preparations have
been made to repn]se any force they could
b1iIg against Us 1t wculd be impossible for
them to take the city, aud Of this their OIL
Gers are doubtless we'll informed through
their eptes and their many eymparnizlug
trlends here
Too much praise cannot be awarded to
Geutrs1s Smith, tiri"rsau. BucE1and, and
Veatcb, who baye helt frequent consultations
and acted with entire unaDimlty Ihr 'ughout.
General Veatch was at Fort Pickering, In
charge of matters there. It is reported inst
he is to supe1sede General Buckland, but that
il probably mistake, the wish being father
to the thought, perhaps. The rumor is based
on the suppositjon TINT General Buck!and is
F1uu R,,t -. " 5aaa M taia h;s n,sit;an IN Con.
cress nnt31 Tear from thfs lime. and he viii
E. oe1 ittelr remA,n vii, us for sorne time to
coue
There are, however. some changes to take
place here that viii interest you, Lieut..
Col. T. H Harris, Asst Adj. Gen, is relieved
from duty AZ Acting Mayor Of the city Of
Memphis, and will report to Maj. Gen Dana,
at Tlcksburg. Capt. Chann1ng Richards,
ed Ohio volunteers, Is relieved trom duty at
head quarters, Memphis, and appointed Act
ipg Mayor Of the city, In place Of Lieut. Col.
Hhrrl2, The districts OF West Tennessee
and Vicksburg have also been combined, aud
are to be commanded by Maj. Gen. ". J. T.
Daua. Gen. Waahhurn thus appeara TO have
beer relieved OF his command, which IL add
ed t0 that OF Gen. DanA It is supposed
that Gen. NJ L. Smith will remain here, act.
Ing for Gen. Dana
u There Is great oeM o. 1naaena1lon 1eit a
The loss Of sevtnty-one killed, wounded
and mieeing. Other accounts say sevcra
huncred, About SIX hundred went ashore
ner,cctlY unconscious Of danger, taktng 1er1
i;tfle ammunition with them, and 1ouugin&
80 living about at their ease, when suddenly
tie 1ebeis opened on them with chain soot
Er from two masked batteries The slaugh
te~,,,nst hsre been immense It Is reported
f1,at, onlr TWO guns were lost: One Wa!
asbtre. The other one on the staging
iust being taken out. Much regret ts felt 70
the losg 1,f Cant Hort, Of the 1l3th Illinois
uhon, i, 10 fotld uss tiltcd al Eastp 1r.