my impression, since coming North, is, that the mass of Union-loving people here are asleep, because they do not fully understand the resources and earnestness of the South.  There is no such universal and intense earnestness here, as prevails all over the Rebel States.  Refined and Christian women, feeling that the Northern armies are invading their homes, cutting off their husbands and brothers, and sweeping away their property, are compelled to take a deeper interest in the struggle than the masses of the North are able to do, removed as they are from the horrors of the battle-scenes, and scarcely yet feeling the first hardship from the war.  Indeed, I do not doubt that regiments of women could be raised, if there was any thing they could do in the cause of the South.  That they are all wrong, and deeply blinded in warring against rightful authority, makes them none the less, perhaps the more, violent.

The employment of slaves to do the hard work was of great advantage in several respects.  It allowed the men to drill and take care of their health, as the planters sent overseers who superintended the negroes.  It kept the men in better spirits, and made them more cheerful to endure whatever legitimately belongs to a soldier’s life, when they had slaves to do the toilsome work.  These slaves were not armed, or relied upon to do any fighting.  I have no means of judging how they would have fought, as I never saw them tried.

The natural situation of Fort Pillow is the best I saw on the Mississippi river.  It is built on what is called the First Chickasaw Bluff.  Fort Wright is on the second, and Memphis on the third bluff of the same name.  The river makes a long horseshoe bend here, and the fort is built opposite the lower end of this bend, so that boats are in range for several miles.

The first battery built here was just above high-water mark, and nearly half a mile long.  Bomb-proof magazines were placed in the side of the hill; and more than twenty guns of heavy calibre, 32 and 64-pounders, were mounted on double casemate carriages; and it was intended to mount many more.  A formidable defence was this expected to be against the gunboats.

We also made a fine military road, thirty feet wide, cut out of the side of the bluff, and ascending gradually to the summit.  It served the double purpose of a road, and also a protection for riflemen; as a bank was thrown up on the outer edge of it breast high.  Where the road reached the summit of the bluff, was placed a six-inch mortar, mounted on a pivot carriage; and a little further on was a battery, mounting three eight-inch mortars, which were cast in 1804, and looked as if they had seen much service.  A great extent of ground was cleared on the summit, and extensive land defences laid out; but while these were in progress we were ordered away.