Correspondence of the
Cincinnati Gazette, Saturday.
The public are rather curious about the negotiations which
preceded the evacuation of Columbus. It
will be remembered that an expedition of gunboats and troops went down for a reconnoissance
in force. As it came nearly in range
with Columbus, a flag of truce came out, and the expedition returned. Ten days after an imposing force of gunboats,
mortar boats and transports went down to attack the place and after
considerable maneuvering, finally ascertained that the birds had flown.
The letter of our correspondent at that place shows that
they were ready to take a panic if our gunboats opened fire. It seems that our Generals were regularly
sold, and that the Confederates were negotiating to gain time for destroying
the property and decamping. The reply of
Gen. Grant to Buckner’s proposition to negotiate is better.
CAIRO, ILL., March 6,
1862.
The loyal people of the North are so much gratified over the
news of this evacuation of Columbus by the rebels and its occupation by our
troops, that they do not stop to inquire into the character of the generalship
that permitted 20,000 men to make good their escape, and to effect the removal
of all their stores, ammunition and arms.
A hundred different circumstances combine to prove that the
military authorities of this department knew little of the rebel position at
the “Gibraltar of America.” The gunboats
reconnoitered the place six or seven times, yet at the last reconnoissance
Commodore Foote was scarcely able to determine the position of the water
battery, even after four shots had been fired from it. The only “information” with respect to the
strength of the enemy was brought here by a set of lawless fellows – a disgrace
to the army – styled the Jessie Scouts.
I think I can safely assert that not one of the Scouts was ever within
five miles of Columbus, consequently they brought to headquarters nothing but
the basest fabrications, and these were always taken at par. As an illustration of the reliability of the
scouts: They returned from an expedition down the river about four weeks ago
and reported through their captain that they had had a conference with Jeff.
Thompson, in the camp at Columbus, and that he had given them valuable
information, which they went on to detail to the commanding officer here.
We have since learned from the records at Columbus that
Jeff. Thompson had not been in Columbus for four weeks previous to the date of
the pretended visit of the Jessie scouts.
The department occasionally get[s] in possession of a Memphis paper, and
read blatant articles about the ponderous earthworks and heavy cannon, until
the Generals in command actually became believers in the impregnability of
Columbus. – The fortifications were strong – perhaps stronger than any others
in the South – but they were injudiciously constructed, and could not have
stood an hour’s bombardment by the gun boats and mortar fleet. The water battery stood out in such relief
from the bluff that a well directed mortar shell would have buried it under a
hundred tons of earth from above. There
were no casemates to protect the artillery from the galling fire of seven gun
boats; and how long could men, unsheltered, have stood a continuous hail from
twenty-one guns, throwing eight-inch shell.
The truth of the matter is, that the rebels covered their
retreat by the flag of truce which they first presented to Commodore Foote on
the 23rd ult. On that date they were in
full force – 20,000. On the following
Tuesday they commenced the work of evacuation, which they continued during the
week, while the negotiations were still pending. On Sunday, March 2, the white flag treaty was
concluded, and on that day the last remnant of the rebels left the camp. – Had they
been attacked two weeks ago, they would have surrendered, or, if not, would
have beat a hasty retreat, leaving everything behind them. This I have from an intelligent citizen of
Columbus, who was well acquainted with their every movement. As it is, they carried off all their store,
ammunition and small arms. The few heavy
guns they left behind them are spiked and not worth “drilling” for future use,
being made of cast iron – Memphis and New Orleans manufacture.
Commodore Foote was opposed to giving the rebels any chance
to leave Columbus. He wanted to shell
them into a surrender, and he felt confident of his ability to do so, with the
gunboats and eight mortars. He gave way,
however, to the “admonitions” of Gen. Cullum and others, and the result has
been what may be called a strategic triumph for the rebel cause. – Gen. Polk
knew full well that the Southern Confederacy’s downfall would follow hard upon
the defeat of the Southern arms at
Columbus, hence the cunningly devised evacuation, carried on while our Generals
were soberly musing over the flag of truce.
The rebels knew that they had to fall at Columbus, and it was their
policy to fall as easily as possible.
– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye,
Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 15, 1862, p. 1
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