surrender of Island No. Ten, the garrison was increased to five thousand, which has been drained down to about two hundred and fifty by the army of Beauregard at Corinth. The length of the bluff is about four miles, three of which are skirted by the river, Cole Creek running inland along its base. It is at the debouch of this creek that the fortifications commence. Commencing at Cole Creek, we find first in the list of works a series of charred and smoking gun-carriages and platforms, eleven in number, the guns of which have all been removed, with two exceptions thirty-two-pounders — which have recoiled by the shock, so as to throw them from their carriages. model, from the character of the shot surrounding it. Next in order comes a battery of six guns, all thirty-two pounders. Three of them have been removed, two burst, and one dismounted. A large number of Read balls and shells are left behind, significant of their worthlessness. Further down-stream we come upon a single gun, also a mammoth one hundred and twenty-eight pounder, completely reversed by the recoil, so as to be pitched back over, vent down. A compact and admirable magazine is constructed in the bank close behind it. Further down we come upon two separate excavations, evidently designed for a single gun each, but bear no appearance of having any mounted. The Continuing nearly in line with this work, we come upon a huge one hundred and twenty-eight- Here also we met with those immense piles of pounder columbiad, cast at the Tredegar Works dirt to which we have become so accustomed, in Richmond, careened over so as to rest its the invariable earthworks and rifle-pits. breech upon the ground, pointing up to the hea- trenches and breastworks back from the river, vens at an acute angle, several piles of shell, solid of which there are in some places two lines, and shot, and two or three small ovens for heating in others detached pieces, are of the most stupenshot, more smoldering carriages, and then a dous kind. Deep and wide rifle-trenches have blank space in the middle, which appears to have been dug around the brows of every commanding been overflown, and the guns, if ever mounted, hill, backed by a stout line of earthworks, behind have been displaced long ago. Toward the low-which field-pieces are intended to be placed. er end, the tier of batteries rises so as to present a large, roomy and elaborate system of bombproofs, traverses and parapets in front of the steep bank, of the most formidable kind. Some five burst guns and two spiked remain of the twenty originally placed there. The magazines, large and commodious, with rat-holes under the embrasures, were well constructed, At the extreme lower end of this tier were two monster mortars rent into massive fragments, which by the rusty fractures indicated they had been burst long before. These were evidently intended as imitations and offsets for the terrible engines with which we were assailing them daily. They had been cast at Memphis, and from the marks of the metal, cast from bad iron. They were only fifteen inches of rim, while those of ours have seventeen, and were cast with a chamber in which the powder is inserted. Unlike ours in all other respects, they were intended to be like our mortars. The shells were exact copies, probably obtained from some of ours which had failed to explode. Two of these mortars were found three quarters of a mile further down the bank, spiked. These are the mortars which they have been firing at us of late; but either through inferior powder or want of skill in their use, they have not been able to reach us, although placed at a great elevation over our own. The line of intrenchments running from one end to the other is estimated at six miles long, which, on account of the broken and abrupt face of the country, renders an attack in the rear almost suicidal. Ravines, spurs, ridges, and jutting points are intermingled in the most fanciful order. On the extreme east of the Fort, and above Cole Creek, we found the remains of the camp all charred and in ruins. Here was the usual assortment of bottles, biscuits, playing-cards, Bibles, utensils, and letters, a few coarse tents and some coarser clothing. The remains showed the soldiers to have been living in great discomfort. Strange to say, no shells had been directed to this spot, lying as it did too far to the left of us for our attention. Accommodations were there for perhaps two thousand men. In a ravine at the lower end we found the commissary storehouses burnt to the ground. An immense pile of smouldering pork on one side of the road, and an immense pile of corn and beans and peas on the other, told us the secret of the illumination of the previous night. Some twenty or thirty barrels of molasses were left, which our forces quickly appropriated to their use. All the barracks, houses, and stores in the place had been consumed previous to our departure. The quantity of shot and shell left behind was unusually small, and the magazines were entirely empty. The evacuation was complete, clean and entire, nothing worth the carriage was left behind. The principal battery of interest, placed nearly at the top of the bluff is the casemated battery overlooking the entrance of Cole Creek, as it is From a farmer, living three miles from the the only casemated battery in the place. The Fort, we learned that our land force had moved rebels had burned the roof and supports of the the day previous to our arrival to Mason's staroof, and the earth had fallen in so as to cover up tion, on the Memphis and Nashville road, where gun-carriage and all, and the description of the they would take the train to Corinth, as they gun must be omitted until it is exhumed. It is said, not knowing that Corinth was in our hands. supposed to be a rifled eight-inch gun of superior Before leaving they had assigned their stores to the residents as perquisites. A detachment of Fitch's men, finding them with large quantities of molasses, sugar, and provisions in their possession, ordered them to haul it to the Fort so soon as they discovered its origin, which the owner did. He professed to be a Union man, and had been in Memphis only three days previously. The evacuation of Corinth was not then known publicly, and our flotilla was still at Vicksburgh. Memphis he described as being deserted; gave some account of the history of the Fort from its commencement, in which he described the actions of the rebel commanders as exceedingly tyrannical. "An intelligent contraband" also backed up the asseverations of his master by various statements. He was anxious to get North, and declared himself fully persuaded of the superiority of the Lincoln cause. the river a short distance below the gunboats, and sending their huge columns of spray high in the air. It needed no unusual power of divination to comprehend at a glance that before abandoning their works, the enemy had loaded their guns, pointed them up-stream, and then applied the torch to their carriages. The design of this was to keep the flotilla at a respectable distance until they could make good their escape. The night wore away slowly. All were anxious to advance, but the order to do so was not given till five o'clock this morning. At that hour the flag-ship Benton weighed anchor and started in the direction of the Fort, signalling the remaining gunboats to follow. On turning Craighead's Point, they were not a little surprised at seeing the Stars and Stripes already waving over the deserted rebel works. It was afterwards learned that during the night, Col. Ellet, of the ram-fleet As the clear result of this masterly operation-who, it will be remembered, acts independentwe have secured ten uninjured guns of variously of the Flag-Officer-had moved down the calibres. The enemy has destroyed at least an equal number and has removed a larger number. He has sacrificed an immense amount of stores. He has abandoned a magnificent position, from which we could hardly ever have driven him with the fleet alone, and has shrunk from a contest with his flotillas. The State of Tennessee is abandoned. In less than a week we shall have no enemy in the State. All the labor expended upon the works becomes useless. For the hundredth time the rebels have fallen back as a matter of pure strategy, abandoning guns, ammunition, and stores. The gain is not much to us, but the loss is great to the rebels. Most of the guns they have left behind they can never replace. All the guns which they took away are supposed to have been put on board the gunboats; those which burst are, of course, a dead loss to the enemy. CINCINNATI "GAZETTE" ACCOUNT. NATIONAL FLOTILLA, MISSISSIPPI RIVER, IN SIGHT OF MEMPHIS, Thursday Night, June 5.) Fort Pillow has fallen! The only remaining stronghold of the enemy on the river-the much talked of "last ditch," named after the celebrated ditch-digger himself, where the rebels have so long promised the world they would die-has at last been abandoned. stream with two or three of his boats, and finding no enemy to dispute his passage, had landed at the Fort, and hoisted the banner of beauty on the flagstaff where the rebel ensign had so recently waved. The act was thought to be rather discourteous to the flotilla, some of the officers of which manifested a little ill-feeling, but this soon wore away in the general joy of the occasion. By eight o'clock every vessel, directly or indirectly connected with the flotilla, was either at the Fort or in motion toward it. The gunboats were huddled together in the stream; the tugs were screaming and bustling about as if they had never before had quite so much business to attend to; the ammunition-boats—the Great Western, black as night, and the Judge Torrence, exactly the reverse-were lazily drifting down; the tow-boats, puffing along slowly with two or three mortars apiece lashed to them, were doing their utmost not to be behind the rest, and the rams and transports were scudding along at their highest rate of speed. The scene was most inspiriting, and every pulse on the flotilla beat quicker at the sight. No wonder the hospitals of our land forces were almost entirely cleared. No wonder that pale faces grew flushed. No wonder that each vied with the other who should be first within the deserted rebel stronghold. The long, long canker of inaction was over, and something toward closing the account of the rebellion on the Mississippi was about to be done. When the transport having on board a brigade of newspaper correspondents reached the Fort, we found its intrenchments thronged with our men, Col. Fitch of the Forty-sixth Indiana, having been on the ground some time with his regi Early last evening it became apparent that the enemy were evacuating Fort Pillow. Between six and seven o'clock dense volumes of smoke were seen rising in the direction of the Fort, and as the shadows of the coming night began to thicken, they were succeeded by fierce flames which shot up from a hundred different points, above the tops of the highest trees, brilliantly il-ment. luminating the scene in the immediate vicinity, Our transport had hardly touched her landing and leaving no doubt in the minds of those on before we were on shore, leaping ditches, scaling the flotilla that the immense barracks of the ene-escarpments, peering into magazines, looking my had been fired and abandoned. During the down the muzzles of huge guns, creeping into conflagration, some twelve or fifteen heavy dis-casemates, looking through embrasures, threadcharges of artillery were heard, and before the evening was too far advanced, some of the shot and shell from these could be seen plunging into ing zigzag paths, climbing almost perpendicular heights, walking seemingly interminable lines of breastworks, and kicking around the charred re mains of the desolate-looking place. All were astonished at the strength of the works and the vast amount of labor that had been expended upon them. 1 10-inch Parrott, dismounted. All these guns, except the mortars, had been which burned their carriages and caused them heavily loaded, and fires were built around them, to explode or dismount themselves when dis charged. The two ten-inch mortars are located a short distance back of the brow of the bluff, below the lower end of the water-batteries. They are old Fort Pillow is naturally the strongest place on the Lower Mississippi. The Chickasaw Bluff, on which it stands, is from seventy-five to one hundred feet high, and is cut up by ravines in a most remarkable manner. Those who have only seen it from the river have no idea how broken, rough, rolling and rugged its surface is. Before the evacu-fashioned but very good guns. The thirteen-inch ation of the Fort, ten thousand determined men could have successfully held it against ten times their number. As a defensible point it is even preferable to Columbus, and although more guns were mounted at Island No. Ten than at Pillow, the former place will not compare with the latter either in commanding position or strength. mortar is split directly through the centre. Portions of one half of it are embedded in the surrounding works, and the other half is lying where it fell. The metal is porous, hard, and altogether unsuited for the use to which it was in this instance put. This confirms the statement I made some weeks ago relative to the bursting of this gun. The work on Fort Pillow was begun on the thirteenth of April, 1861, and was prosecuted It appears from the statements of some of the with great vigor during most of the summer of natives, that after the surrender of Island No. that year. From three to five thousand negroes, Ten the garrison of Fort Pillow was about twenty so I am informed by one of the natives, were em- thousand men. All of them but about one thouployed upon it at one time. Its intrenchments sand five hundred were withdrawn some six weeks in the rear are miles in length, and have been constructed under the superintendence of able ago to reenforce Beauregard at Corinth. A week engineers. Their counterscarps are lined with ago the garrison was further weakened by the withdrawal of the Twelfth Louisiana, the only plank, and the whole works surrounded with full regiment in the Fort, and during the last two ditches of the most impassable character. or three days not more than seventy-five men reThe bluff presents a bold and almost perpen-mained - barely enough to make sure the work dicular front to the river. From its base to the of destruction. These, we were informed, rewater's edge, there is a kind of plateau, two or treated into the interior, but not before performthree hundred feet wide, and generally elevated ing the duty assigned them in a manner that above high water-mark. Here were located the must have been highly satisfactory to the rebel principal batteries of the enemy. Embrasures authorities; for a place more barren of trophies have been made for about forty guns, but ap- than Fort Pillow it would be difficult to find. pearances do not indicate that more than twentyfive have at any time been mounted. In the by Col. Fitch yesterday morning, but was not An attack upon Fort Pillow was contemplated construction of the batteries, sand-bags, railroad-made, owing to the non-fulfilment of some plans. iron, and heavy timber have been used without stint. All things were ready, however, this morning, when an assault would have been made had not the evacuation in the mean time taken place. A "sloo" between Flower Island and the Tennes I cannot give your readers a better idea of the armament of the Fort than by making the follow-bridge of cypress logs had been thrown over a ing transcript from my memorandum - book. Passing along the line of water-batteries, about half a mile in extent, beginning at the upper end, I made the annexed entry: 1 128-pounder, rifled, casemated. 1 heavy 10-inch gun. 1 8-inch Parrott. 1 24-pounder, dismounted. 1 32-pounder, burst. 1 24-pounder, burst. 1 32-pounder, burst. 1 64-pounder, (Dahlgren,) burst. 1 32-pounder, dismounted. 1 heavy 8-inch columbiad, burst. 1 heavy 10-inch columbiad, burst. 1 13-inch mortar, burst. 1 128-pounder, dismounted. On the bluff but eight guns and two mortars had been mounted, of which six only remained, as follows: 2 32-pounders, dismounted. 1 64-pounder, (rifled,) burst. see shore, on which our forces would have crossed, landing near the head of the upper battery, and in such a position as to have enfiladed the enemy's guns, without their being able to reply from any of them. Col. Fitch is satisfied his plan would have succeeded. Perhaps so, as there were only seventy-five men in the Fort; but if there had been two or three thousand instead, I am inclined to think his plan would not have worked entirely as he anticipated. tain road, and by capturing the enemy's pickets, we succeeded in completely surprising General Adams's command of rebel cavalry, encamped at the foot of the mountain. They formed in line and fired upon Col. Hambright's advance, which we replied to from two pieces of artillery, which had been placed in position unobserved. They retreated through a narrow lane, towards Jasper, closely pursued by a portion of Col. Haggard's Fifth Kentucky cavalry and Major Wynkoop's battalion of Seventh Pennsylvania cavalry. My escort, commanded by Lieuts. Wharton and Funk, led the charge with reckless daring, dashing into the midst of the enemy, using their sabres with terrible execution. The narrowness of the lane, and very broken ground, alone prevented the enemy being totally destroyed. They fled in the wildest disorder, strewing the ground for miles with guns, pistols, and swords. We captured their ammunition and commissary wagons, with supplies. The enemy's loss, as far as we could ascertain, was twenty killed and about the same number wounded, among whom is Major Adams, General Adams's brother. We captured twelve prisoners, including two commissioned officers, with a large number of horses. Our loss, which I regret to say was chiefly sustained by my escort, is two killed and seven wounded, several seriously. The troops acted with admirable efficiency. Col. Hambright, Acting Brigadier-General, with Col. Haggard, Major Wynkoop, and Lieuts. Wharton, Funk, Sypher, and Nell, deserve special notice. Yours, very truly, JAMES S. NEGLEY, CINCINNATI "COMMERCIAL" ACCOUNT. Under an order from Gen. Mitchel, Gen. Negley, in charge of a heavy force, left Fayetteville on Monday, June second, to pay a friendly visit to the large bodies of guerrillas infesting the counties of Franklin and Marion, in East-Tennessee, with additional instructions to call on Chattanooga, if possible, and Mitchel seldom deems anything impossible in his department. These guerrillas have been making sad havoc among the people of that section, destroying the property of Union men, and all those who will not yield to the edicts of the barbarous conscription act. Hundreds of men have taken refuge in the mountains to escape imprisonment into the rebel service not only white, but black men — leaving their new crops unattended, their families subjected to every species of insult, their last ear of corn and peck of meal taken, horses and cattle carried off, and they left in comparative destitution. Mitchel has been aware of these facts for some time, and has only waited a fitting opportunity to surprise them. To accomplish this, it needed the right kind of a leader; that leader was Gen. Negley. Negley is bold, brave, and ardent in his attachment to the cause that has called him out from his Pennsylvania home. His worth is known and highly appreciated by our Commanding General. He is a Pennsylvanian, and reflects great honor on the old Keystone State. He found no rebel forces between Fayetteville and Winchester. On reaching Winchester, he learned that the rebel General Adams was in command of a heavy force of rebels at Jasper, some thirty miles distant. He at once determined to surprise them. In order to do this, he was compelled to make a forced march, some twenty miles, over a rough, mountainous country. This was accomplished. He soon discovered their pickets, and by a welllaid plan, succeeded in capturing them. He immediately moved on, and within a few miles of Jasper, came upon a large force of the enemy. They, the rebels, immediately formed into line of battle, and opened with a heavy volley. Col. Hambright, who was leading our advance, replied from three pieces of artillery, which had been very rapidly placed in position. Only one round was needed to rout them. They became panicstricken, and commenced one of the most disgraceful retreats ever known. They took up a narrow lane, toward Jasper, closely pursued by Haggard and Wyncoop, the former of the Fifth Kentucky cavalry, and the latter of the Seventh Pennsylvania cavalry. They gained upon them, and coming into a narrow defile, they closed with them. Hand Then commenced one of the fiercest skirmishes of the war. Our charge of cavalry was led on by Negley's escort, commanded by Licuts. Wharton and Funk. The contest was severe. to hand was the terrible sabre-duel, ending in the death of twenty rebel cavalry, many badly wounded, and some twenty prisoners, among them Major Adams, brother of the General, and also two other commissioned officers. The road for miles was strewed with guns, sabres, carbines, knapsacks, etc. Some fifty or sixty horses were also taken, together with a large train of commissary stores, ammunition and camp equipage. The flying rebels passed on through Jasper, notwithstanding the great efforts used by their officers in trying to stop them. They cursed Adams and their ill-luck, and only stopped in their frightened career when they reached Chattanooga, having placed the waters of the Tennessee between them and their pursuers. Night closed in over the scene, and our brave but wearied lads rested on the north bank of the famous Tennessee. Our casualties were two killed, of Negley's escort, and seven badly wounded. Though small the enemy's loss, and this only a skirmish, yet nothing has taken place here, since the capture of Huntsville, so important in its future results, as this gallant charge of the daring Kentuckians and brave Pennsylvanians, led on by such as Haggard and Wyncoop. Col. Hambright, who led the advance from Winchester to Jasper, and received the enemy's first fire, displayed great courage and coolness. Who will dare say that this foul rebellion will not be forever crushed, and our Union sustained, and come out of this fearful contest like gold tried in the fire, when such scenes as the above take place? Away out here, amid the mountain capturing the enemy's pickets at the ferry and passes of the Cumberland, Kentucky and Pennsylvania shake hands, and with the love of the Union strengthening their every sinew, they rush on side by side, with drawn sabre, to bathe them alike in the blood of treason and cowardice. The effect of this skirmish was soon seen. As the retreating foe disappeared, the persecuted Union men of Marion began to appear. General Negley's despatch to Major-Gen. Mitchel says that hundreds of Union men have flocked into Jasper, and, with tears in their eyes, hail Mitchel and Negley as their deliverers. To-day four men came in from Chattanooga, and report that Adams's 's men came into that place in the utmost confusion, many of them only stopping for a time, then continuing their retreat to the "last ditch," I presume. The distance over which they retreated was forty-three miles. Doc. 56. OPERATIONS IN EAST-TENNESSEE. GENERAL NEGLEY'S DESPATCHES. HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES FORCES, preventing the further retreat of Adams's men over the river. My main force came by Anderson's road. Col. Scribner's command is occupying an important point, which I omit alluding to except by saying that it is for the benefit of Starns and his artillery, who are now at Altmount. We captured a large number of rebel cavalry HEADQUARTERS, BEFORE CHATTANOOGA, Gen. O. M. Mitchel, Huntsville: SIR: I have no tidings of the gunboat. It is almost impossible to construct sufficient pontoons to cross the river in force. I do not consider the Gen. O. M. Mitchel, Huntsville: SIR: I have just captured four men, who left ardous, if we were prepared to do it and then capture of Chattanooga as very difficult or hazChattanooga this morning. They report the arri-hold the place. But taking into consideration val of a portion of Gen. Adams's cavalry, who reached Chattanooga last night. This, with the statements of citizens living along the road, proves the total rout and disgraceful flight of the enemy to Chattanooga-a distance of forty-three miles without stopping. An attempt was made to rally in Jasper, but they cursed Gen. Adams, and rushed on with their foaming horses. Hundreds of Union men have flocked into Jasper from the mountains. The enemy, who were crossing the river at Shell Mound, retreated to Chattanooga by rail this morning. Appearances indicate that they will not defend Chattanooga. There were but two regiments at Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday last. Col. Starns' regiment of artillery avoided meeting us, and are now near Sparta; we will give them attention on our return. I trust you may be able to engage the attention of Starns until we can overtake him. I shall push on to Chattanooga to-morrow. JAS. S. NEGLEY, HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES, Gen. O. M. Mitchel, Huntsville: the exposed condition of both front and rear of Col. Turchin's command may be expected via Doc. 57 THE CAMP OF INSTRUCTION AT ANNAPOLIS, MD. WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT GENERAL'S GENERAL ORDERS No. 59. SIR: Yesterday morning moved Col. Sill's com- A Camp of Instruction for fifty thousand men mand direct to Shell Mound to divert the enemy-cavalry, artillery and infantry, in due proporopposite that point, also prevent them from cross- tions-will be immediately formed near Annapoing. Col. Sill found two pieces of artillery in po- lis, Md. Major-Gen. Wool, United States Army, sition and opened upon it without reply. As I will command the camp, in addition to his duties expected, they threw heavy reënforcements to as Department Commander. The ground will that point last night, expecting the attack to be made there. Col. Scott and Capt. Shaffer's Ohio | cavalry were sent from Jasper by a path through the mountain, which resulted in surprising and be selected, and the troops, which will be assembled as rapidly as possible under orders from the War Department, will be placed in position as they arrive. Brig.-General L. P. Graham is as |