About the middle of August, General Pillow’s division, including my regiment, was ordered to Columbus.  On our way we passed Island No. 10, which was then being fortified, and did not stop again until we landed at Columbus, Kentucky.  This town is situated on the east bank of the Mississippi river, 140 miles above Fort Pillow, and 20 miles below Cairo; while, directly across the river, lie two or three houses which are designated by the name of Belmont.

The hardships of Fort Wright were here renewed; that is, hard work and harder drill.  At one time we worked twelve hours out of every thirty-six, so that every other work-turn came at night.  Generals Polk, Pillow, Cheatham, and McGown were present day and night, encouraging the men with words of cheer.  General Pillow at one time dismounted and worked in the trenches himself, to quiet some dissatisfaction which had arisen.  The night was dark and stormy, the men were worn out, and many gave utterance to their dissatisfaction at having to work on such a night.  General Pillow was sitting on his horse near by, and occasionally urging on the men the necessity of pressing on with the work; when an old Mexican war veteran, named W.H.  Thomas, who was allowed some little latitude by his general called out, “Old Gid, if you think there is so much hurry for this work, suppose you get down and help us a while.”  The general, seeing that he had an opportunity to gain popularity with the men, dismounted, and laying aside his sword and cloak, worked for several hours.  This was a feather in his cap, in the eyes of the poor fellows, for many a day.

An immense amount of work was performed here, and Columbus was often called the “Gibraltar of the Mississippi river,” and the Confederate generals fancied that it could not be taken.  The town itself is built on a level plain scarcely above high-water mark, as it has been submerged by some of the great floods of former years.  A range of hills running parallel to the river, rises directly north of the town.  On these hills most of the batteries were erected, and extensive breastworks were also thrown up, since this was the terminus of the Mobile and Ohio railroad, which it was important to keep unobstructed, as the only land communication to Memphis and the interior, should the river navigation be interrupted below Columbus.  On the river side were the heaviest batteries.  A sand-bag battery mounting six heavy guns, was constructed at the upper end of the town, just in front of General Pillow’s head-quarters.  This battery was constructed by filling corn-sacks with sand, and piling them up in tiers, leaving embrasures for the guns.  These tiers were carried several feet above the heads of the men employed in working the guns, so that they were comparatively safe; for if a ball struck the battery, it was merely buried in the sand and no damage done.  These guns were thirty-two and sixty-four pounders, brought up from New Orleans.  About a mile north of the town, where the bluff juts out