New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-03-29
FROM MOBILE.
The Rebel Defcnses Marbor Obstruc-
fiOuse

tlOnss
A New. Orleans correspondent Of The Cincin-
natl Commercial furnishes the following infcrmation
by the arrival yesterday within our lines OF two
somewhat noted Rebel personages have further par.
cuas of the condition and strength OF the deieISes at
Mobile. which are OF importance. These persons are
Capt George W. Mabcr. formerly lieutenant IN the
Ol Louisiana position be resigned TO accept that OF
assistant engineer, with the rank Of captain and -
lie Roy formerly lieutenant in the 2lst Alabama, VINO
also resigned aud appointed assistant srperntend-
ent Of the coast defensss Of Mobile Maber was edu.
Gated at West FONT and resigned a position IN the
Regular Army a. enter tie Rebel service and both are
men Of good understanding and great practical knowl-
edge, and deem their statements OF much import
ance.
IHB REBEL TROOPS.
Thopsh these men DO not pretend u state what nn'
Der OF Il oops in Mobile since they lett IL thfee
weeks yet they are confident that the garrison lgs
not been largely increased, Tor they dd not KNOW
where the troops were 10 come from. When they de-
serted the force consisted Of sx regiments Of infantry
Of cavalry and two batteries oflght artillery The
ith and Goth Louisiana went with Hood to Nashville
with COO men, and were greatly reduced that be left
them at Mobile when be went to South Carolina, to re-
ciuit When they crossed the Tennessee River, com
ing back, their rolls showed exactly ia men-in'
creased since TO $50, perhaps, Recruits are very
scarce now" was the honest remark Of one
Of these The I'D Louisiana Col. Patten
nunbered about zoo; the 2lst Alabama. Lieut.
Then there are the "a and 81 Alabama Reserves
(uili,ia), old men and bo,s Numbering perhaps, 80
each The 18th Confederate Cavalry, commanded BY
Col. Marry. nephew OF f'ov haury, las about OV
men and IL employed the outskirts Of the city, anu
he various roads approaching II. az pickes. Inc
Missouri Battery and Carpenters Battery have each
four gnns Of ordinary field srtillery.
This constitutes the garrison at Mobile. such as IL
was three weeks ago. Thee men assure US that We
will weak force there, whenever we choose
to seek 1t. bu; they warn ~ TO expec' iofmidaoc.
EARTHwoRKs.
These are Of the most scientific and elaborate charac
ter The main middle lne. ard the one on which
they depend chiefly for the defense Of the city was con
strucod by Lieutenant Colonel = Sholha, 4 RUSSIAN
engineer sud Is not inferior TO any in the Conedcraey
with which my informaDts were acquainted. IL Is
eight miles in length, dotted with orytwo snail re,
doubts averaging three guns eacl They were intended
TO monnt four. but some have as many as si1, whiie
Others have only two The glnners are wei protected
nv traverses and in many eases by bombproois. a
ditch extends the whole length, varying from twelve to
eighen feet in width aud Ten feet deep filed great
part OF the distance with water In front OF THIS Is
stout fence constructed oftelegrarh wire The Rebels
they had ono Of thirteen inches which they brought
from Richmond bG, it burst s wrought iron bonds at
the fire, trial ard since thao they have not dared TO re-
peat the experiment.
The few that the Rebels have in the bay are repre-.
.cutcd to be sufficiently formidable in an encounter on
perfectly still water bnf two OF item are 1srle.sl when
heavily with iron plating that he port holes are just
shove the water and must be closed 10 keep OFT The
waves when the vessel rocks eyen slightly.
Il
The Rebels have omitted no precantion TO insure
themselves against tn. dreaded gnnboats OF Admiral
Farragut Around Of their batteries which stand
in the bay opposite the city. and the points OF some
low islands they have driven double row OF ping'
thirty feet length and filed IL the Interval with logs
making }; mpre gnablc against he shock oil the most
powerful rams. Below these batteries, snort distance
is the rst III obstrgcons, reaching across thv
bay IN consists Of seven distinct rows OF pine OF the
sane length rs those above spi'n or projecting ABOVE
the water about six feet and outside ofhs still there is
another line acrosshe bay. Ia like manner formed by
driving ~ pung a, sufficient distance apart
allow old steamboats, barges and other vessels TO be
sunk between them, thus completely bockading al sp
prolch against ordinary vessels. .
ON the sido Of the bay however, between the
shore and small island runs another channel which
might be used to pass around these obstrUct!ons but
been literally sovca with torp~does 30 thick they
that small boat containing the surgeon and peiy
officer from the Tuscaloosa who rowing them
hunting ducks. by accident exploded one Of them and
blown TO atoms. This happened but few days
before my informant deserted.
The troops nj Mobil. have small hopes those who
intelligent and thoughtful NJ holding the place. There
are enough 81 them. and when they stretch their
line In the aiemp, 20 the whole extent of works
they dlsmayed at the great gaps they see. They
stand too frr apart; conld rush In between.
They know this and understand perfectly that II our
army attacks along any considerable portion OF the line
simultaneously they will come in. They understand
that II is so far Mobile Ia concerned entirely fore
gone conclusion. and that when our columns appear
before its walls IN full strength the hopes Of Mobile
departed So these engineers had long thought. and
embraced the first opportunity to swim away from
the sinking ship.