, 1862-07-08
BOMBARDMENT OF VICK5BURG.
The Women and Children Dwell
ing in Caves.
TIE CITY DOOMED TO DE-
STRUCTION,


From the Memphis Bulletin, 4th.1
The federa ram Monarch arrived yesterday
from Commodore Davis. 1eet, above Vicks- |
burg and brings sintel1Igence OF the most
startling character from that point. The par |
ticulaTs, as ne leara them from Capt. Geo. f. !
Curry, who was witness Of the whole afair |
fom on board Commodore Porter's flag ship |
Octarora, were as follows:
Our readers are aware that some vessels |
from Commodore Pdrter's heet have once or
twice before visited Vfcksburg and exchanged
some shots with the confederate batteries at
there has not been at any time anything like i
real bombardment at that place.
About daylight on Thursday, however, the
signal for general attack Was given. The
fire was mainly directed against the fort on
the top Of the bluff below the town, which
day, the battery replying with more OF less
rapidity most Of the time. As evening drew
on, the firing ceased Oh both sides.
On Friday morning the attack was resumed
dore Porter signailed to shell the town lseH
which Was done for about two hours-what
effect could not be definitely ascertained.
The shells could be distinctly seen to burst
above the town, but the nearer buildings con
cealed the exact effect from view.
The batteries on shore replied lightly and
irregular during most Of the time. About
four o'clock the signal was given to cease
firing, and the fleet drew off About half an
hour after the cessation Of the bombardment,
the water batteries suddenly opened upon the
FEDERAL mortars, which replied until the bat
terles ceased firing. No damage was done to
the mortars.
During the engagement the gun5oat Oeto-
rara fired number Of shots from her 100
pound rided gun, which ezhibited surprising
began 10 throw high.
Soon after the firing ceased, the signa1 1as
given for Ill the captains Of divisions to report
on board the flagship. Here they received
orders to open fire again with the entire num-
her Of mottar6 at eight o'clock that night. Ac-
coraipg1y, at the appointed hour, the entire
fleet Of mortars, twenty in number, COM
1nenced to hurl their fiery missiles upon the
| devoted town.
The scene is described as grand and terrible
| in the extreme. The believing Of the mortars
was like Q continued peal OF thunder; the
zare Of the explosions illuminated the hori-
| zon like lnccEsant flashes Of lightning. The
ealta fairly shook with the repeated concus-
sious, and the huge shells seemed to hover
above the doomed city as if pausiug to select
! place in which to plant their deadly missiles.
| For more thau an hour this terrible scene
| continued, when the order was given to with
| draw.
On Saturday morning Commodore FarEagut,
whose feet was then lying about five miles be-
low the city, got word to the mortars to open
fire upon the batteries at four o'clock in the
| morning, and he would endeayor to run some
Of his vessels past the batteries. Accordingly,
the bombardment was re re~commenccd at the
hour Eamed, and during It's continuance, Far
ragut succeeded in passing the entire Confed-
crate batteries with eight vessels, viz: three
men-of-W ar, two sloops-of~war, and three gun
| boats.
These vessels, it will be remembered. are 81
wooden one5, being part Of the United State:
sea going navy, and not iron-clad gunboats
| 1iGE fh1ca haT1nErfrY n Gn0oro adero ,3r& ofs
fleet.
During the passage, the batteries continued
: to pour shower Of shot and shell upon til
passing vessels, but without lnfiicting any Sc
rious damage and disabling none.
The fire Of the batteries Was generally tot
high, and all the vessels had their riggip:
considerably cut. The Hartford, Comnodor
Farragut's tag ship, was struck in the hui
twice, one passing through her starhoard bul
J warks, near the bow, about ten feet above he
, water line, the other about the same height
near the stern: Otherwise she was but Ittl
. damaged. AL the vessels also kept up
sharp fire during the entire passage.
Two Of these vessels Immediately passed o
7 to the mouth Of the Yazoo River, the resi-
, WHEN our informant lett, were still at aucho
} above the town.
The damage to the city in these dii1eren
attacks must have been immense. Tepplin
, houses, tumb1ing ehinneys, cracking roof
: con1agrations bursting out on every hant
v
! bursting shells, present 4 scene which no pc
i can depict, and only the most vivid imagin
u tion can conceive,
e Such is the vengeance which has fl1len upc
. the city which first, and before even her o i
r State had seeded from the Union, attempts
to assume control Of the navigation Of Il
'r Mississippi
e 1t is ASSERTED, also. that largc force Of I
II groes are being employed under orders fro
C Msjor General Butler, in cutting can
| al.
:, burg is situated, which will change the cna
mel Of the river and leave Flcksburg an inlal
D. town.
l. Capt. Curry was informed By the peop
n living along the river that the women Al
ID children had all been removed from the ci
previous to the final bombardment, and til
&c are now dwelling along the line Of the Jacks
al railroad, many Of them iu holes dug in t
ge sides Of the hills. He represents the distre
~ existing not alone in the neighborhood
ne to be terrible. The disturbed state OF t
country prevented the planters from putt
", III The usual crops, and the amount Of prov
ut ion taken for the use Of the army, las reduc
Ell the people almost to the verge Of staryatit
ek FROM fAzoo RIVER.
~ We are further informed that reconn{
nj sance made by some Of the Federal rams
nv Yuzoo river last week, discovered. stTe
- batteries planted at point on the right ha1
90, some sixty miles from the mouth Of
,e- river. This battery mounts four guns. J
,ht below the battery heavy raft was moo
Of across the stream to obstruct the upw
nv passage Of boats, and below it lay three e
e. boats and transport, the old Mears:
gunboats were the Van Dom, the Polb,
;tv another, name unknown. AS the
* eral rams approached, these boats "
as as set on fire and turned adritt TO act as
no ships against the rams, but the la
nts succeed lea in avoiding them. Not having
~ guns, however, to cope with the battery,
[ov rams returned. They learned, however, Fl
;tff the carpenter Of the Van Dom, who was
a. tured, and also from persons living along
aye shore, that the gunboat Arkansas and s.
raI twenty transports we're lying at point ah
sixty miles above the battery. and that it
nn- for the purpose of enabling her to be c
her pleted that the raft and battery were pl:
me there to impede the passage Of the Fed
tuIt g1nboats.
of An expedition consisting Of gunbe
ed. transports and rams, with sufficient force
ntss remove the distinctions and capture the
the tery, was preparing to start up the I:
River when our informant left.