The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-15 00:00:00

61rN, LONDON, MONDAY- EVENING, JUNE 15, 1863.

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AMERICA.

LIVERPOOL, Sure 13.
The royal mail steamship China has arrived with
advices from New York to the 3l inst., and 25,000
dollars in specie.
The correspondent of the New York Herald at-
tached to General Grant's army writes, from near
Vicksburg on the 22d of May as follows :
" This is the fourth day the army of Gen. Grant
has lain around the intrenchments of Vicksburg.
Within that time there have been daily battles and
continual cannonade. At least 2,000 of our soldiers
have been placed hors de combat, killed and wounded.
in the several charges ordered against the earth-
works. It was rumoured yesterday that this morn-
ing General Grant would order a charge simultane-
ously along the entire line of works. Late iti the
evening the commanders of the different corps, divi-
sions, and brigades received their orders and pre-
pared to execute them. The order contemplated a
fierce cannonade from daylight until 10 o'clock, but
for some unexplained reason it was not opened until
after 8. During the night, however, the gunboats
and mortars lying in front of Vicksburg kept up a
continual fire, and dropped their fiery messengers
right and left without distinction. During this
bombardment several buildings were set on fire by
exploding shells and lighted up the darknegs,
vealing strange shapes and wonderful outlines
standing out in relief against the dark sky, which
added wonderful interest to the bombardment, as
witnessed by the distant observer. It is impossible
to estimate the damage occasioned by thus dropping
into Vicksburg those heavy 11 and 13-inch shells.
Imagination falls far short of its reality. Before we
approached the city the general commanding ordered
all the women and children for miles around Vicks-
burg to come within theintreuchments assuring them
that in that way they would escape all danger. The
consequence is that there are a large number of non-
combatants in Vicksburg exposed to all the dangers
of siege and bombardment. At eight o'clock this
morning, according to the programme, the cannon-
ading began, and continued with scarcely a moment's
intermission along the entire line until 10 o'clock.
On every hill-top in front of the enemy's works can-
nons were placed, and the fiery tempest raged fear-
fully. Guns were dismounted, embrasures torn out,
parapets destroyed, and caissons exploded. It was
a fearful demonstration. The enemy were power•
less to reply, for our line of skirmishers were
pushed up close to the enemy's works, and un-
erringly picked off the gunners whenever they
attempted to work the guns. For two long hours
did this cannonade continue, when, on the left, in
Smith's, Carr's, and Osterhau's divisions, a charge
was made. -Winding through the valleys, clamber-
ing over the fiills, everyWheie'subjected to a mur-
derous enfilading and cross fire, they pressed up
close to the rebel works to find that a deep ditch,
protected by sharp stakes along the outer edge, lay
between them and the intrenchments. They planted
their flag directly before the fort, and crouched
down behind the embankment, out of range of the
rebel fire, as calmly as possibly, to await develop.
ments. The soldiers within the fortress could not
rise above the parapet to fire at them,. for if they
did a hundred bullets came whizzing through the
air and the adventurers died. They adopted another
plan. Taking the shell, they cut the fuse close cif,
lighted it, and rolled it over the outer slope of the
embankment. Subsequently, with picks and shovels
a way was dug into one fort, and through the breach
the boys walked bravely in. The first fort on the
left of the railroad was stormed by a portion of
General Carr's division, and gallantly taken.
Colonel Stone, of the 22d lowa, led the charge, and
waa wounded. On the centre the fire was persistent
and terrible. Many brave officers were killed and
many wounded. Colonel Dolling, of the 81st Illi-
nois, fell dead while leading his men to the charge.
Later in the afternoon General Ransom's brigade
charged the works opposite his position with heavy
loss. Lieutenant Colonel Wright, of the 72d
Illinois, was wounded, Colonel Nevins, of the
11th Illinois, and Colonel Humphrey, of the 95th
were killed. Steele and Tuttle on the right,
were heavily engaged, and the former is reported to
have lost nearly 1,000 men."
" Headquarters, in the Field, near Vicksburg,
May 23.

" But little has been effected in the last 36 hours.
Over 100 pieces of field' artillery and several siege
guns rained shot and shell on the enemy's works
yesterday. The mortar fleet also took position be-
hind the Soto Point and bombarded the city the
entire day. On the right Gen. Sherman has pushed
Gen. Steele's division squarely to the foot of the
parapets. Our men lay in a ditch and on the slope
of the parapet inside one of the principal forts, un-
able to take it by storm, but determined not to re-

tire. The Union and rebel soldiers are not 25 feet
apart, both powerless to inflict much harm. Each
watch the other, and dozens of muskets are fired as
soon as a soldier exposes himself above the works on
either side. Nearly the same condition of things
exist in Gen. MiPherson's front. His sharpshooters
prevent the working of the enemy's pieces in one
or two forts. A charge was made yesterday morn-
ing on one of them by Gen. Stephenson's brigade,
and repulsed. Two companies of one regiment got
inside. A few got out again, but most of them were
captured. The forts are all filled with infantry.
Our artillery has dismounted a few guns and da-
maged the works in some places, but they are still
strong. Gen. M'Clernand was hard pressed on the

left yesterday, and sent for reinforcements. Gen.
Quimby's division went to his assistance at 4 o'clock.
The contest continued till 7. One of our flags was
planted at the foot of the earthworks on the outside
of one rebel fort, and kept there several hours, but

the fort was not taken. Gen, M'Clernand's loss is
estimated at. 1,000 killed and wounded yesterday.
The fighting grows more desperate each day. Tran-
sports now bring supplies by water to within three
miles of our right. Gen. Joe Johnstone is reported
near the Big Black River in our rear, with rein-
forcements for the besieged. Gen. Grant can de-
tail men enough flan operations here to keep John-
stone in check."

The following telegrams have been received at
Washington :

" Washington, May 31.,
" Unofficial despatches were received here to-
day from the army of General Grant, dated on the
26th. They represent that there had been no mate-
rial change in affairs since the 25th. On the even-
ing of that day General Pemberton asked for two
and a half hours' truce to bury his dead, which was
given. The following telegram was received at the
Navy Department to-day :
" 'Flagship Black Hawk, Mississippi Squadron,
near Vicksburg, May 25, via Cairo, May 30.
Sir,—l have the honour to inform you that the
expedition under the command of Lieutenant Com-
mander Walker, after taking possession of the forts
at Haines Bluff, was perfectly successful. Three
powerful steamers and a ram were destroyed at
Yazoo city. The ram was a monster, 310 ft. long,
70ft. beam, to be covered with four-inch iron plates.
Also, a fine navy yard, with machine shops of all
kinds,
saw-mills, blacksmiths' shop, &c., were burnt
up. The property destroyed and captured amounted
b
to over 2,000,000 dols. Had the monster ram been
exp edi waa t e Dor one
erY
finished she would have given us some trouble. One
r loss
on battery was destroyedtio
wounded. killedßluff. Ou
andseven

" DAVID. D. PORTER, Acting-Rear-Admiral
Commanding Mississippi Squadron.
To the Hon. Gideon Wells, Secretary
of the Navy."

'Cair
for,oMmayyo3uln.g.s
gl The despatch boat New National,
Point on Tuesday afternoon, has arrived. The fight-
ing on Monday lasted from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., when
there was a cessation of hostilities to bury the dead.
The battle was renewed on Tuesday morning, but
no particulars had reached Young's Point. But

few if any batteries had been taken. Shells from
General Sherman's siege guns come over into the
city, as can be seen from the fleet. General Banks's
forces had not arrived. Four thousind four hundred
prisoners are expected here to-night, and will be
sent to Indianapolis." . _

"Washington, June 1, Midnight.
" Up to 11 o'clock to •night no additional intelli-
gence had been received from General Grant's
army later than the previous despatch of the 28th,
when it was stated that General Grant's forces were
progressing as favourably as could be expected, and
General Grant had no fear of the results."

" Cincinnati, June 1.

" Advices up to the 27th of May, through n staff
officer of one of General Grant's generals, who left
for Washington last evening, have been received.
Three assaults had been made by our forces upon
the rebel stronghold, in all of which we were re-
pulsed. The last assault was made by Gen. Sher-
man with 20,000 men, in which we lost 600 killed
and a large number wounded. Our outer line is
within 100 yards of the rebel works. Our sharp-
shooters prevent the rebels from working their guns.
The rebel works in the rear of the city are far more
formidable than those in front. Gen. Joe Johnstone
is in the neighbourhood of Jackson with about 15,000
men, short of provisions and ammunition. No ap-
prehensions are felt of any serious attack on our
rear. The staff officer Says that Gen. Grant has
taken 8,400 prisoners old 84 pieced of artillery. A
despatch-receivedh.re-i;ivea- full particulars of the
operations of Gen. Grant's army up to the 22d of
May. When our army advanced upon the city of
Vicksburg it was confident of an easy conquest; but
the ground on the rear of the city was found so
broken and rugged and wild as to be almost impas-
sable for artillery. The rebel fortifications were
discovered to be very formidable, being grass-
grown, and showing that preparations had long since
been made to stand a siege upon the land side. The
main fortifications consist of a chain of forts, about
800 yards apart, connected by deep intrenchments,
and extending for seven. miles. Our loss in the
assault on the 22d of May was about 2,000. It was
the opinion that another general assault upon the
rebel works would not be ordered, but that the city
would be taken by regular siege approaches."
_ .

" Department of the Gulf, United States' Telegraph-
office, New Orleans, May 24.

(By Telegraph from Baton Rouge, May 23.)
To GEN. EMERY, COMMANDING DEFENCES OF

NEW ORLEANS.

" The following despatch has just been received
from Gen. Augur's head quarters :
" L. GOODRICH, Aid-de-Camp.
" ' Head-quarters United States' Forces, near

Port Hudson, May 23.

"Tne following good news has just been received
from Colonel Grierson—We are half a mile north of
the railroad. We have formed a junction with the
forces of Major-General Banks. The news from
General 'Grant is glorious. He has cut General
Johnstone's forces to pieces at Jackson, capturing 61
pieces of artillery. He has Vicksburg so hemmed
in that the enemy cannot use his siege guns.
" ' Major-General AUGUR.
" G. H. Halstead, A.A.G.' "
" SECOND DESPATCH.

"'Head-quarters, Plain's Store, May 23.

" `TO CAPTAIN GOODRICH, BATON ROUGE.

" ' General Grant has had a tremendous victory
over Johnstone at Champion Hills, capturing over
6,000 prisoners and more than 60 pieces of artillery.
He has invested Vicksburg, carried the first two
lines of the city defences, and his right now rests on
the Mississippi River, whence he receives supplies.
Altogether Gineral Grant has captured over 100
pieces of artillery. Deserters and prisoners report
that General Pemberton has been hanged by his
own men.

"‘ C. C. Atm-it.
" Cairo, Jun® 2.

A despatch boat from Vicksburg, 27th, confirms
the sinking of the gunboat Cincinnati by shot from
the rebel batteries. She was ordered to move down
the river, and when turning the point was opened
on by several batteries from above which were sup-
posed to have been silenced. She managed to
return to a point just above the upper battery,
where she sank in 15ft. water. From 15 to 40 are
reported killed, drowned, and wounded."
A despatch from Mobile of the 28th says,—
"General Grant sent in a flag of truce yesterday
about the sick and wounded. The slaughter of the
Federals was far greater in the assault upon Vicks-
burg than in any battle during the war. General
Pemberton is burning tar and using other disin-
fecting agents to save our troops from the effects of
the Union dead rotting in front of our works. Pem-
berton's quartermaster has succeeded in running
700 mules out of Vicksburg, thereby reducing the
consumption of corn. The garrison has full rations
for 90 days."

On the Ist a mass meeting was held at Philadel-
phia to protest against the arrest of Mr. Vallandig-
ham. The following resolutions were adopted :

" Whereas the people of the United States have been in-
sulted, and the laws of the land and the principles of human,
liberty trampled on by the military arrest, trial, and exile
of Clement L. Vallandigham, a citizen of Ohio, for words
spoken at a public meeting, the seizure of whose person and
the whole subsequent proceedings against whom, ending in
his banishment, were not only in violation of the commonest
rights of the humblest inhabitant of any free country, but
h.. audacious and flagrant defiance of the Federal Constitu-
tion, which declares that the ' trial of all crimes, except in
cases of impeachment, shall be tried by jury,' and which
expressly forbids the making of any law abridging the
freedom of speech,' which declares that ' the right of the
people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and
effects aga:inst unreasonable searches and seizures shall not
be violated,' and that no warrants shall issue but upon
probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and parti-
cularly describing the place to be searched and the persons
or things to be seized,' which declares that no person shall
be held to answer for a capital or other infamous crime, un-
less on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except
in case's arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia,
when in actual service, in time of war or public danger,'
which declares that no citizen shall ' be deprived of life,
liberty, or property without due process of law,' and, finally,
which declares that in all criminal prosecutions the accused
shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial by an im-
partial jury, of the. State and district wherein the crime shall
have been committed, which district shall have been previ•
ously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature
and cause of the accusation, to be confronted with the wit-
nesses against hini,to have compulsory process for obtain-
, ing witnesses in his favour, and to have the assistance of
counsel for his defence.' And whereas if the words
uttered by Mr. Vallandigham had been the most
offensive to which expression could be given they
would form hot ' the eightot. pretext nor afford
the least palliation for the monstrous crime which in his
person has been committed against the liberties of us all.
A
to the well-established,
long-descended, habit in these United
and commendable
States of free discussion of political questions, what he
uttered was neither in itself unbecoming, nor was it an abuse
o nn gd whereasde scend factnd and
in
of the freedom of speech, nor would the speaker in any
manner have been liable to punishment for it according to
the severest code administered in the courts of justice. And
whereas the measures of authority must be subject to the
freest discussion, for discussion is nothing if not free ; and
if men's mouths may be opened only to praise and flatter
power, and are to be closed when power is offended, discus-
sion is but a name and liberty is a shadow. And, whereas
this abuse of authority is justified under the plea of military
necessity, which is no justification, for the plea would
equally justify and indignify what could be offered us; and
as it served to exile Mr. Vallandigham would serve to turn
both houses of Congress out of doors, to imprison the judges,
to suspend the legitimate performance of every regular
function of the State, and resohe all authority into the
keeping of one man. And whereas if military necessity
can invade the borders of Ohio, and there uproot the laws
of a state whose soil is pressed by the foot of no public
enemy, whose people are true and faithful to the constitu-
tion, and whose justice was quietly and unobstructedly ad-
ministered till military power expelled it, this same neces-
sity may march on, and, coming into Pennsylvania and
other States of the Union, reduced us to a vassalage in-
finatelymore intolerable than that against which we revolted
when we declared our independence the 4th of July, 1776;
therefore resolved,
" I.That the arrest and banishment of Mr. Vallandigham
is a violence to which the people of the United States will
not and ought not to submit.
"'2. That ,the remedy for it is in the ballot-box at the

coviing and now rapidly approaching election, when, by the
votes of an outraged people, State authority will be restored
to the hands of the Democratic party, who will use their
power, thus quietly and constitutionally obtained, to pro-
tect State rights, to rebuke and check Federal usurpation,
to secure the personal immunity of individuals, and com-
mence the reconstructien of the Union.

"3. That as it is, if not our firm belief, at least our
strong suspicion, that tile design of the authorities at Wash-
ington is, by military aggression, to provoke a popular out-
break, and thus to furnish to themselves an apology for
further invasion of our liberties, and, if possible, to enable
them to encumber us in the exercise of our elective fran-
chise, we exhort our fellow-citizens everywhere to patience
and to that forbearance and noble calmness which become a
people who, knowing their rights, know also the means for
their peaceful vindication.

" 4. That there being no such punishment known to the
laws of the United States as that of exile, it is the sense of
this meeting that it is the right of Mr. Vallandigham, and
it will be the like right of any other citizen upon whom there
should be attempted to be inflicted by like tyranny a like
unlawful and infamous punishment, to return forthwith,
notwithstanding his mock sentence, to the State of which
he is a citizen, and there resume his place among those who
are labouring for the regeneration of the constitution and
the reconstruction of the Union.
" 5. That in the letter of the Hon. Horatio Seymour, of
New York, to the late public meeting of the Democratic
citizens of Albany, condemning the proceedings of the Ad-
ministration against Mr. Vallandigham, we recognize the
tone and language of a statesman, and the spirit of a man
worthy to be, at a great crisis, the chief magistrate of a
great State.
"6. That it is only to the ballot-box we can look for per-
manent relief, and as we deem it to be altogether incredible
and impossible that, when called to cast their votes, the
citizens of Pennsylvania, of whatever party, should not find
themselves, by such monstrous events as have been passing
before their eyes, moved in patriotic and just indignation, to
drive from power all Pennsylvanian politicians who stand
in the way of asserting the freedom of our persons and
the rights of our State ; we will therefore wait with con-
fidence the October election to give to the Democratic
party—the party of conservatism as well as freedom—a Go-
vernor and both houses of the Legislature ; and whom we
expect to bring in by such overwhelming majorities as may
be reasonably reckoned on when the question comes fairly
up between liberty and the constitution on the one side, and
on the other the most ignominious oppression."

A letter from Baltimore gives the following ac-
count of the capabilities of the southern railways
for the conveyance of troops:—

"When the war broke out the Southern railroads were
in perfect order, and their equipment in rolling stock was
enormous in amount and of the best possible construction.
With a few trifling and unimportant exceptions, none of
this equipment has been lost or destroyed during the pro-
gress of the war. On the other hand, it has been consider-
ably increased. At Macon and Atlanta in Georgia, at
Fayetteville in North Carolina, at Knoxville, and at one
other point, there are extensive shops where both locomo-
tives and cars are built, and where they are taken for re-
pairs. The railroad from Memphis to Chattanooga, run-
ning along the north of Mississippi and Alabama, is very
much broken up and damaged, except the 61 miles between
Chattanooga and Bellefonte, which are in a perfect state.
But the railroad from Tullahoma to Vicksburg, by the way
of Stevenson, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Montgomery, Meri-
dian, and Jackson, a distance of 673 miles, is in perfect
order and has abundance of rolling stock. The same may
be said of the great Southern railroad from Gordonsville to
Chattanooga, by the way of Lynchburg andanoxsville, a
distance of 526 miles ; and of the two railroads from
Charleston to Vicksburg, one by the way of Atlanta and
Opelika, and the other by the way of Savannah and Mont-
gomery. The distance by the latter route is 737 miles ;
by the former 763 miles. These facts show that, although
troops in large numbers have been sent from Charleston
and from Bragg's army at Tullahoma to reinforce Gene-
ral Johnstone before Vicksburg, yet it must require some
time for them to reach him. They show also that while it
would probably be impracticable for any of General Lee's
troops to be sent to take part in the operations before
Vicksburg (the distance being 1,100 miles), it would be
quite practicable for 20,000 of General Lee's troops to be
sent to Tullahoma, only 600 miles, to aid General Bragg in
holding Rosecrans in check. while Bragg sends 50,000 of his
troops to aid General Johnstone. They will show, also, with
the aid of a good map of the United States, that all the
lines of railroad I have mentioned constitute interior lines
of military operations, over which troops can be transported
a great deal more rapidly than our troops can be sent either
from Charleston to reinforce Banks, or from Washington
to reinforce either Grant or Rosecrans. Besides which,
the two railroads leading north from Nashville are pretty
much broken up and destroyed. The Louisville and Nash-
ville railroad particularly, 185 miles long, built on trestle-
work almost entirely, hasheen demolished to an extent that
renders it utterly useless."
During a skirmish near Greenwich Virginia, on
the 30th, Captain iltiskihs, Tormerly Of the British
army, was mortally wounded by a ball in the back,
.and, being in a dying condition, was paroled and
taken off the field.
Advices from Venezuela of 30th ult. report that
the civil war had ended.