CHICAGO, March 25. – The Tribune’s Special from Cairo says
that a gentleman just from Memphis brings the following information:
Memphis is in a state of agitation and terror. The Fair grounds are for a camp, every one
capable of bearing arms being impressed into the service. Men are even dragged from their beds.
The proclamation of the Mayor in regard to burning the city
has no influence. The majority of the
Aldermen, in connection with the leading military officers, decided at a
meeting held a fortnight ago, to burn the city when they evacuate in spite of
the mayor.
There are no fortifications at Memphis. The news of the battle of Pea Ridge caused
great depression. Federal gunboats
expected daily. – Two hundred and five Union prisoners in the city, who are
made victims of much abuse at the hands of the guards. One of them was shot at for looking out of a
window. Three gun boats are on the way
at Memphis, but it will take a long time to finish.
At Randolph only four guns are mounted, but at Ft. Pillow,
however, there is a strong fortification, mounting 25 sixty-fours and
thirty-twos. There are about 7000 troops
there. At Union City there are only 450
troops.
Gens. Beauregard, Cheatham, Polk and Clark went to Corinth,
Mississippi, a fortnight ago. – The rebels have a force of 38,000 men there and
expect to make a stand either at Corinth or below. It was the general impression that this
battle would be the decisive one of the campaign, and that the fortunes of the
South would hang upon its result.
At Memphis and other large points, even at New Orleans,
considerable Union feeling prevails.
Southern papers do not represent the feelings of the mass of
people. They as well as everything else
are under control of politicians and the military.
At New Orleans thirteen gunboats are on the ways to be
plated with railroad iron.
Fort Pike represented to be in our possession was only a
temporary structure mounting only three or four guns.
The report that the South is well supplied with provisions
is absurd; they have not stock enough on hand to last three months. Clothing, shoes, &c., are all very
difficult to obtain. No confidence is
felt in southern currency, southern politicians or southern military
leaders. Jeff. Davis was universally denounced
as incompetent. Floyd is everywhere
considered an arrant knave.
Mr[s]. Buckner had arrived at Memphis. She complained of not being allowed to go
further north than Cairo. In the parlor
of the Gaiso House she attracted the universal attention by her bitter
denunciation of Pillow and Floyd. The
former is reported to have said that he would shoot Floyd whenever he met him.
It was the general opinion at Memphis that no stand would be
made at Island No. 10, but that a battle would be risked at Fort Pillow. – At
the latter place, however, retreat is cut off by land, as the country in the
rear is inundated and swampy.
A detachment from Jeff Thompson’s band under the command of
rebel Kithen made a demonstration in the vicinity of Bloomfield, Stoddard Co.,
Missouri, (about 12 miles north of the Cairo & Fulton Railroad) and
succeeded in arresting two ladies residing there – the wife of Lieutenant
McCall of Powell’s battery and Mrs. D. Basfort, of Bloomfield. The ladies have been taken to Commerce
Island, seventy miles below Bloomfield, near Arkansas, where Jeff’s camp is
located.
Col. Michael Foley, of the 18th Illinois, who was wounded at
Benton Barracks, arrived to-day en route for Pittsburg.
– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye,
Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 29, 1862, p. 4
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