Late Southern News.
Our Southern exchanges bring as the following items of interest;
Gen. Fillow and his command — their Parting.
Allusion was made in this paper yesterday morning, to the resignation of
Gen. Pillow.
The
Columbus (Ky.) correspondent of the Memphis
Appeal, writing under date of December. 31, given the following interesting particulars of his parting with the men under his command.
When the news was confirmed, it seemed as though the usual spirits of the whole army had forsaken them and every face you met seemed to say, ‘"The here of
Belmont has gone.
Who will replace him?
We all know his claims had been overlooked, yet hoped his sacrifices were not beyond endurance, and that he would remain to lead his gallant division to other fields of fame."’
This morning about one hundred of his officers collected at the quarters of
Col. Walker and marched in a body to pay their respects to him previous to his departure, and such a scenes I had never witnessed until a few hours afterward.
Col. Carroll spoke for the officers to the effect that they, as a body, had seen him on the battle-field, and had come to implore him, if he could do so without sacrificing his honor, to remain with them — that they wanted no better leader.
In fine, that they knew him and could appreciate his worth.
To this
Gen. Pillow replied in a few words, and informed us of his resolution — that the step he had taken was no hasty matter, but done after mature deliberation, and that we must part, During this scene there were but few dry eyes in the room, and all departed from him after an affectionate but silent grasp of the hand, Not a word was heard except a few nearly regrets as the hearts of those present were too full to express themselves other than with a burst of tears.
This is no fiction, but stern and stubborn truth.
Those generous hearts there present were kindled with the same emotion that filled the breast of their gallant chieftain.--They felt that their commander had been deeply wronged, and that those less worthy had been honored with what justly belonged to him, and that no other course was left him.
After leaving the rooms of
Gen. Pillow we hastened to our respective quarters, and soon the six regiments composing his brigade were turned out, and marched down to the cars to take a last farewell of their beloved General.
We formed in open order that he might pass between our lines; and as he did so, a scene transpired which the pen cannot portray.
Since
Washington's farewell to his army, perhaps the like has not occurred on this continent.
As the
General rode silently through our ranks with uncovered head, and with tears rolling down his manly face, that mass of determined braves became children again.
Every eye was filled with tears — not a word was spoken — all were too full to articulate.
The Old Guard did not repay
Napoleon a more heartfelt tribute of regret when he bade them adieu.
After he was seated in the cars a burst of applause went up such as was never heard on the banks of the
Mississippi before.
Cheer after cheer was given him, and thus he left us to wend our way to quarters, solemnly and dejected.
To-day eyes were moistened which for a decade of years had not known what it was to weep.
Reported Marching of the Yankees upon Camp Beauregard.
The
Columbus (Ky.) Confederate News, of the 2d inst., says:
‘
Rumor was rife in town yesterday and last night that the
Federals, in large force, were marching from
Paducah upon our army at
Camp Beauregard.
The feeling here was enthusiastic to let them come, Our boys have gone to meet them.
The force that will be there to meet the enemy are ample to drive them back.
We mention the rumor and note the effect it had upon our army here, but do not ourselves believe it is true.
’
Contradiction — late from Missouri.
The
Memphis Avalanches, of the 3d instant, says:
‘
A gentleman just from
General Price's army contradicts the
Federal report of the capture of nearly a thousand Southern troops on their way to join
Price's army.
He informs us that large numbers of recruits were constantly arriving at
General Price's camp.
Many of
Price's men whose term of service had expired had gone home to see their families, and induce their neighbors to return, with them to engage in the defence of
Missouri, so that the expiration of the terms of service of so many of them will, in the end, augment rather than diminish
General Price's army.
He reports
General Price as being at
Springfield, preparing for more extended operations than ever.
There is a general uprising of the Missourians against the invaders, especially in the northern part of the
State.
They will never lay down their arms until
Missouri is rid of her oppressors.
’
The release of Parson Brownlow a blunder.
The Knoxville
Register, of the 1st inst., expresses the opinion that
Brownlow's release was a great blunder, and gives the following reasons:
In brief,
Brownlow has preached at every church and school-house, made stump speeches at every cross-road, and knows every man, woman and child, and their fathers and grandfathers before them, in
East Tennessee; As a Methodist circuit preacher, a political stump speaker, a temperance orator, and the editor of a newspaper, he has been equally successful in our division of the
State.
Let him but once reach the confines of
Kentucky, with his knowledge of the geography and the population of
East Tennessee, and our section will soon feel the effect of his hard blows.
From among his own old partisan and religious sectarian parasites, he will find men who will obey him with the fanatical alacrity of those who followed Peter the Hermit in the First Crusade.
We repeat, again, let us not underrate
Brownlow.
The New Orleans
Picayune says:
‘
Our readers doubtless remember the beautiful tribute to the memory of the late
Major Butler, of the Eleventh Louisiana Regiment, which recently appeared in our columns, from the pen of a lady correspondent.
In the letter of our correspondent allusion was made to the great affection borne the deceased by his noble horse Argyle, and in the Plaquemine
Garette and Sentinel, of the 21st, we are told of a most touching instance of the affection of
Argyle for his master.
During the night of the day
Major Butler was buried, he jumped the fence which separated him from the enclosure containing the tomb, and next morning was found standing over it in mournful attitude!
We are assured of the perfect truth of this incident.
’
Woman's Invention.
The
Eutaw (Alabama) Observer states that a lady of that place, being desirous of obtaining a military scarf for a relative, and not being able to buy one to suit her, cut up and carded a silk dress, spun it into thread and crocheted it into a most beautiful and elegant scarf, such as
Jeff. Davis himself might be proud to wear.
The
Columbus (Ga.) Enquirer says:
‘
We are gratified to learn that this gentleman was nominated by
Governor Brown, during the recent session, as
Judge of this (the
Chattahoochee) Circuit, and that the nomination was unanimously confirmed by the Senate.
His name, we believe, was not in the list of appointments published by the Milledgeville papers.
’
Laters from Cairo.
From the
Columbus (Ky.) Confederate News, of the 31st ult., we extract the following:
A force was sent out night before last, from
Cairo or
Bird's Point, and captured some 20 or 30 persons.
Of these, all except two were private citizens, two were members of
Price's cavalry.
These marauders took all the mules, horses, whiskey, &c. they could lay hands on. We give the names of a portion of the captured as follows.
Those halth.
Frank Goodwin, Silas,
Smith,
Silas Swann,
John Gatey,
Bailey Wilkinson,
Dr. Guess Mr. Hagan, and
James Dalton,
John H. Lee was arrested, but made his escape.
Thomas McIlwing was arrested, but released with his stock, on the ground that he was a Union man. This foray was at the distance of about, six miles from
Charleston, and on the mute must have approached within the same distance of
Columbus.
After the seizure of the whiskey, the party indulged too freshly got drunk, and the privates quarrelled with the officers, and all hands got into a general fight, in which
Lee seized the opportunity of making his escape.
They endeavored to seduce some of
Lee's negroes to run away, but the fellows had too much self respect to be found in such company.
Particulars of the fight near Umsay, Ky.
The
Bowling Green,
Kentucky, correspondent of the Nashville
Republican, writing under date of the 2d inst, given the following
particulars of the engagement near Rumeay,
Kentucky:
News of the brilliant achievement of some of our cavalry have already reached you. The partitioners of the engagement are about these.
On the afternoon of the 28th, about three hundred of
Colonel Forrest's cavalry encountered near the same number of
Jim Jackson's (Federal) cavalry, about 9 miles south of the town of
Rumsey, on
Green river.
The Federals were led by
Major, formerly
Captain W. S. D. Megowan, who you remember was at one time high sheriff of the city of
Louisville.
As the two narlies met warm work immediately commenced, our men cutting and slashing right and left.
Our boys made quick work of the job before them.
The enemy could not stand their daring and impetuous charge, and fled in every direction, their
Valliant little
Captain leading in the stampede.
Our loss was
Capt. H. C. Meriwether, of
Louisville, killed, and two privates wounded--one mortally, the other slightly.
The loss of the enemy is estimated at near fifty.
They had thirteen killed and fourteen badly wounded.
We took eighteen prisoners.--Among the enemy's killed were
Captains Bacon and
Davis, who had been quite active in doing
Jackson's dirty work.
The loss of
Capt, Merriwetheris deeply deplored.
He was a flue officer, an accomplished gentleman, and brave to the highest degree.
Col. Forrest is from
Mississippi, though his cavalry are mostly Kentuckians.
A part of his cavalry was the first that passed through that place last summer on their way to Camp Boone.
Jim Jackson is at
Washington, under pretext of resigning, if the Cameron policy is not modified.
His real object there, however, it to fill his sear in Congress, and draw double pay as officer in
Lincoln's army and a tool in his Congress.
The
Columbus Confederates News, of the 31st December, has the following.
We learn that, under the influence of the
Federal soldiery at Camp Holt, a great many negroes are escaping from their owners.--
Geo.Utterbach, a very estimable and inoffensive gentleman, has lost nearly all he had. So has
Mrs. Adadme and others.
Utterbach went to hunt for his slaves, and was attacked by a burly negro fellow, who would doubtless have given him rough usage, but for the interference of a negroman whose wife was the property of
Mr. Utterbach.
This gentleman was indebted for his safety to a negro fellow, when there were hundreds of white men around who would not lift a finger in his defence.
A Noted character made Paisomen.
The
Columbus (Ky.) Confederates News, of the 31st ult., says:
‘
Elisha Owens, notorious in this community as the murderer of
Chas. Elliot, at
Milburn, and one of the prowlers who, from the bushes, killed
Lieut Cruse, was brought into
Columbus, a few days since, a prisoner.
His misdeeds would have warranted a summary disposal of
Owen's case if the same law had prevailed here that was applied to the poor fellow at
Paducah, who had his hands nailed to a door-post, and his body perforated with bayonets.
But this case was disposed of according to usage of war, as administered by men who have not forgotten the dictates of justice and humanly.
Owens has been sent off to some of the
Southern places of confinement for prisoners of war.
’
A capture,
The Mobile
Advertiser says:
‘
Our readers will remember that a day or two since we gave an account of nine Lincolnites who landed on Last Island, La., being made drunk by an oysterman, who then took the arms of the sleeping warriors and made off to the mainland to give information to the military authorities, who dispatched a party to capture the tipplers.
The party was successful, and returned with their prisoners, who are a midshipman, named
A. O. Child and eight seamen, all belonging to the Yankee frigate
Santee.
’
