, 1862-07-17

52g and picket firing on The clst bask; beloo
pfcksbarg-He6tts found dead in the moods
i3t the no1ning-IAe Mem Orleans liai{-Cox-
dition Of things in that City.
V1cksBURc, Ju]y 10, 1862.
Since my last, written On the 5th, almost |
nothing has been done at this place. We b.
hemions go down every day to tie point oppo-
site Vicksburg, and look across 1.-THE desert
ed city, in which we see no change, no signs
of life, except the Strengthening Of the rebel |
positions above and below the town BY the |
throwing up Of 8 few new earthworks. Even |
this seems to be done by unseen hands, for |
somehow we never catch the rebels at the !
work, and all that we have yet seen Of the
army Of %, COO that is reputed to be encamped |
in the suburbs, are the sentinels that pace
slowly up and down the rauparts, just as they
die week ago when We first saw them.
Two or three times during each day We hear
the boom of gun from the batteries at Vicks-
burg and the gauntlet in the shape Of sixty
four pound shot is flung down somewhere in
the feet to us; but the vessels-~thc Hartford,
the Richmond, the Iroquois and the rest-only
m ore up little, so a. to be out Of rauge until
tie rebels shall discover their position, and SO
oblige them to move again, for the position Of
this upper fleet as related to Vicksburg is ex-
actly as it was at Fort Pillow, having the wood
ed point between us and the enemy, which
cbstructs their view. But, as I said before,
to this gage Of battle thrown down our four
hundred guns and mortars make no reply the
Vessels are as moio1less and as silent Us if
they we're laid up Sin ordinary" and to-day
ne hear from reliable authority that all Of
Commodore Porter's mortar fleet Will leave
the lower side Of the peninsula tomorrow for
New Orleans, the steamers of that fleet it is
said are to tow the mortar schooners to the
mouth Of the river aud then return to this
place 10 resume the siege except the flagship
Octorara, Which goes to Fortress Monroe.
The destination Of the mortar schoouers is not
known, some say Mobile, and some say
Charleston. But before this will be printed,
! aud SO give aid aud comfort to the enemy by
te11iEg their destination it will doubtless have
been decided by their arrival at the scene of
action.
The canal is not completed yet, it has been
! made deeper than the original desisa, and
may require second deepening before cur
rent will run through it. Six hundred negroes
from the nc'ghboring plantations, besides
| portion Of tie troops Of Gen. Williams com
are net famous for doing great deal Of labor
| in short space Of time, and the work pro-
| gresses slowly.
For week past large detail from Gen.
| Williams force has been stationed in the
| woods on the east shore, just below the rebel
| batteries, to prevent another attempt on the
| Iart of the rebels to board the mortar schoon-
| ers and steamers Of Poster's feet, which arc
| lying against that bank Of the river, and be-
tween this portion Of our troops and the reb-
almost every night On last Sunday morning,
! after considerable guesE-work firing during
| the night, wherever they heard sound in the
| thick, dark woods, our soldiers picked up
| nine dead rebels that had been Killed during
the night, and day before yesterday morning
ing before, one Of whom was rebel captaia
| and another lieutenant This is about the
only fighting that has been done siace the
fleet run the blockade of the batteries on the
has been done has had but little effect. The
enemy has done no damage with any shot
fred from the batteries since the 26ih. and the
only Visible result Of our firing since then has
been to knock over a few houses.
Yesterday the steamer Empire Parish ar
rived ut the lower fleet with the only mgff that
| has been received from New Osleans for sew
eral days. She had to run the gauntlet OF The
rebel batteries at Grand Gulf and ut Ellis
Cliffs. She Was fired into at both places and
was struck seven times, but no one was killed
on board.
Ne~ Orleans papers received by the ts En-.
| pire Parish" represent matters in the city tC
De in very discouraging condition. Trlde
there is none; merchants are doing nothine
but the smallest retail business, III the me
ehalicat trades, and the professions, there i:
nothing to do. The mechanics are all idle
and living upon their former savings; attor
neys are without business, preachers are with
out congregations, and even the physicians
chen they serve at ALL get but little pay
Food Of any kind is extremely scarce; tlou
can hardly be obtained at thirty dollars pc
. barrel, and there are hundreds Of families wh<
have always been considered wel1-to-do in th
world, who hare always lived in ease ant
plenty, who now have not tasted wheat brea
for Weeks, those citizens who are yet rich ar
doing nothing to relieve the distress Of til
poor, and the only relief they have receive
has been from the officers OF our army, VIII
have employed several thousands Of then
: in clearing the streets Of the city, the pay re
!, ceiyed for this has enabled many Of them t
: : death.
r The business quarter Of the city is utterly
deserted and silent, and in Magazine, Poydras
Tehapitoulas and Leyee streets the grass
j, spripgfpg up abundant1y. The ieVee an
wtatTes present q spectacle Of ruin unparal
leled on this continent. When the rebels sc
+ fire to the shipping in front Of the city on th
e approach Of our feet from below, it destroye
not only the sixty or seventy vessels lying q
+ the ~hafres, but all Of the wooden portion
i the wide levee, and the spot that once Ws
t filed with the cargoes Of STEAMBOATS, fros
q all the Northern rivers, and ships from d
l. parts OF the world, IS now nothing but heap
q Of ashes, half submerged in the Mississippi.
+ V1cKsBrRa, July 9. 1854
- The "openiug.upn fleet Of Com. Davis
~ now lying before this city. On the way dow
the transport on which I was travelling coli
>, ded with another boat doing the former col
2 !, siderable damage. In fact. she had to I
l. l. towed down ths balance Of the way
g at Napoleon all was seemingly dead. IT
+ United States marine 1oBp{taI there IL nfoht1
Il watched By conservative citizens to keep tt
country 'rackinsacks from burning it. tt
le town is partially depopulated, and only one
1e two stores are open. There are few-a very fe
10 --Urion men IN the town who are daily e
1t pecting . federal force to come to their re1ie
Being well Informed Of the state OF thin,
y there, spoke to Com. Davis about the tow:
Is and he promised to station gunboat there
u eoonas affairsat V1cksburg permitted. Heller
"a ne ee6a the same Watchfn care.
Is Our progress down WAS accompanied vi
N no demonstrations Of welcome, = With o.
I'd exception, not ahat or handkerchief wou
ne us welcome with, the whites. The negro
rs we're more demonstrati7e.. The form
q class, indeed, we're seemingly rase, neln
". took position III the pilotheuse Of t
ss Dickey most Of the way down, for the p,
aJr pose Of observing the effects Of the Feb
ion On the people. I say that ye
X many homes Eere ahandonea the wood hn
be hood to the poorer classes, is wholly gon
q and, with but two exceptions, I saw no n
or t buildings, Less land than usual-less at le.
ST. by one-third-has been planted, and the Ct
oe- put in is al1noal entirely corn. 4 few fields
@ fsPE EaS 1n "a i fgss Gee
x Arkansas side, where anything like the us
III cotton crop was growing. I know: not: b
va general has been the destruction Of cot
be- crops along the shore. No signs Of destr