The Hillsdale Standard

THE TRIP TO FLORENCE, ALABAMA.

Further Interesting Details—Prevalence of the Union Sentiment in Tennessee and Northern Alabama.

St. Louis, Feb. 13.

The Republican's Fort Henry correspondent gives further particulars of the Tennessee river gunboat expedition. The people insisted upon loading their visitors with presents, and as far as Florence the river can be navigated almost as safely as the Ohio. Blessings, cheers and the wildest enthusiasm greeted the gunboats everywhere. Numbers of prominent men came forward and said should the Union army enter Tennessee, 50,000 men were ready and anxious to protect their homes, and would at once cluster around it. Under the laws commanding them to join the rebel army or lose their property, they were obliged to succumb, in self-defence.

The officers of the gunboats say it is impossible to doubt the genuineness of the greetings that everywhere met them. The rebel press is wholly under the control of the politicians, and don't speak the people's feelings. The secession element is principally composed of the lawless portion of the community, who overawe by violence the order loving Union citizens.

At Savannah, Lieut. Phelps learned that a rebel cavalry regiment was encamped about a mile distant. He immediately ordered a company of a hundred and thirty marines under Col. Given to march against them, but the rebels hearing of the movement flew in panic, leaving everything behind them Their camp was burned and a considerable quantity of arms and stores were captured.

Only one steamer (the Dunbar) now floats on the Upper Tennessee.

The Appleton Belle had 4,000 pounds of powder on board, and when fired was purposely anchored opposite the fine residences of Judge Creavatt, a noted loyalist, which was completely shattered by the explosion.

The partially finished rebel gunboat Eastport is a fine and fast steamer, 250 feet long, very staunch, and constructed so as to be shot proof by compressed bales of cotton and iron plates.

The steamer Illinois brought down a quantity of tobacco yesterday from Paris; a large quantity of pig iron near there will also be removed as soon as possible.

The Nashville Union and American of the 5th, says that Generals Beauregard, Pillow and Cheatham were there. It also contains Beauregard's plan of battle at Manassas, and prodigious speculations as to what he will do at Columbus. Numerous articles are copied from Southern papers asking the Government to take some measures to keep the soldiers in the service, as their term of enlistment is expiring and they are fast becoming demoralized. The papers also say that a large amount of Confederate stores are lying on the banks of the Cumberland river.