Difficulties of Transportation at Chattanooga.
--A correspondent of the Cincinnati Gazette, writing from Chattanooga on , says:‘ A line of heights (Mission Ridge) surrounds Chattanooga apparently, and upon the side of this next to us their encampment, as well as their earthworks, can be plainly seen. The summit is also covered with works, and you can see the workmen busy at their tasks in creating others still. Behind this ridge lies the main body of the rebel army. As long as the enemy holds Lookout Mountain, there must exist a feeling of uneasiness in the minds of our leaders which is anything but comfortable. The point of Lookout is the key to the whole rebel position.
’ To-day a steamboat came up from Bridgeport, heavily laden with rations, which were unloaded at Kelly's Ferry, requiring to be hauled ten miles in wagons before they could be distributed to the troops at Chattanooga. As they were taken from the boat they were piled upon the Chattanooga side of the river. Thence they were hauled upon the same side to Brown's Ferry, which is only four miles below the town. The river makes a great bend in running from Brown's to Kelly's, sweeping away from the mountains, (Lookout,) and of this bend, with the territory enclosed, we have, thanks to the recent admirable movements, entire control. But from Chattanooga to Brown's it makes another bend toward Lookout, and of this last the rebels still hold possession.
Hence, after the supplies are wagoned from Kelly's to Brown's, across the first bend I have mentioned they are taken again over a pontoon bridge at Brown's to the north side of the Tennessee, and then hauled to a point immediately opposite Chattanooga. Here another pontoon bridge was ready until night before last, so that they could boat once again across the Tennessee into the town. This process, in the relating, sounds rather formidable; but in reality it was simple enough, merely involving the crossing of the river twice, and the travelling of about ten miles by the teams, which carried the supplies from Kelly's to the town.
But night before last the mischievous rascals who are now beleaguering us threw great logs and trunks of trees into the river, away above Chattanooga, for the purpose of having them floor down and carry away our pontoon bridges as they went. But the indefatigable Colonel Stanley placed lights upon the Island which lies in the river just by the town, and some distance above our uppermost pontoon bridge; made ready several skiffs, flatboats, and canoes; and sent a number of men in these to watch the river all night, and haul to shore the rafts and logs which the rebels might send down. They succeeded in doing this; but finally there came along entire trees, green trees, which had been cut down and thrown into the river, with all their branches. These trees dragged heavily upon the bottom of the stream, but were forced along by the momentum of the water.
The men in the canoe were powerless either to draw those on shore, or even direct them from their course. As a consequence, they swept down the river and broke both the bridges opposite Chattanooga and the one at Brown's Ferry. These were repaired the next day; but last night the bridge opposite the town was again taken, and more than a dozen or the pontoons carried away.
