The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1862-07-29
THE DEFENCE OF VICKsBURG.

1t is now ten weeks since the first appearance O.
the Federal bombarding feet before this city
New Orleans, the great commercial metropolis O.
the Confederacy, has fallen without scarcely q
sturdy blow being struck in her defence Sub
sequently, feeble was the resistance offered to
the onward progress of the Yankee sailors and
marines, that the early realization of the much
Wanted promise Of the enemy-the opening OF
the navigation of the Missssppi-seemed only a
question of time. But happily at this point
there interviewed quite formidable obstacle to
the fruition of their hopes. Here were men who
could stand by their guns" fearlessly and deter
mlncdly, no matter how overwhelming the number
Of the foe. And here were people firm, united,
aud unyielding in their spirit of hostility to the
invader-peopie who preferred the sacrifice of
life and property to abject and shumiliatiug sur
render
Night and day the enemy continue their work
of bombardment. Nothing whatever is accom-
plished by this expenditure of gunpowder, save
the occasional desolation of brick wall, or the
pertoraton of roof by their immense shells.
They also interfere somewhat with the pleasure
and quiet of walk about the streets, for it is not
known when where we will encounter one of
these huge messengers. You may we'll imagine
that trade is slack
considering the vast number of missiles of death
tnat nave been thrown into the place. the loss of
lie has been miraculous small. Including soldiers
ten persons have been killed. Among those slain
was Mrs Gamble, a lady whose entire time for
months past has been devoted to the relief of tn c
SICK and suffering troops. She was killed at her
post, while with the fearless soul of pure woman
mlnlsterlng to the wants of brave BOYS, whose
mothers and sisters were far away Let us shrine
her memory in all our hearts
Afraid of our batteries, the Yankees for some
weeks have been preparing to eyade them by dig
SlnS canal across the point that projects opposite
us on the Louisiana shore. For this purpose thew
had pressed into service some five thousand
negroes from the plantations below But after
working the negroes to death, and shoveinc i'm
mense piles OF dirt, they were compelled to
abandon the plan. The river commenced falling
rapidly, and their cutoff scheme proved impracti
cable. They have since then been constructing
railway to connect their upper and lower fleets,
using the iron and croSs-ties Of the Vcksburg and
Shreveport railroad This will assist them in the
transportation of supplies FOR their troops but the
river remains sealed, and mark my prediction, it
will remain closed to the commerce Of Yankeedom
while the war lasts Thus the bravery and con-
stancy of Vicksburg has demonstrated that the
navigation Of the Mississippi is not free, and the
great Northwest will have to seek, as she has
during the past year, other and costly out
lets to the
A correspondent of the Jackson Mississippian,
speaking of the Arkansas, says:
The Lord has preserved US through a most
terrific fight. We reached the mouth of the
Yazoo River, where it empties into Old River, at
6 A. NJ: to-day (l5:h instantly We met four
iron-clad gunboats, of which the Benton flag
ship was one. We disabled her, and she ran
ashore in sinking condition, and hauled down
her flag. Wepassed close that we touched
her, giving three rousing cheers as we passed
having no time to accept surrenders 1 do not
know what damage the others sustained They
ran before US all the way down to the upper feet,
we giving them S-inch shot astern every time
We did not use at all. We whipped
them with our guns When we reached the
upper fleet at A. NJ. we had to run the gauntlet
of the fire of two sloops-of-war seven gun-boats,
SIX mortar boats, with rife gun on each, | be-
lleve, and also to receive the respects of six rams
L had shot at one not fifty feet distant. de-
pressed my rife gun, and bored two holes through
her, and feel perfectly confident she must have !
sunk. We had to run the gauntlet of fifty heavy
guns-the vessels ranged in line, up and down
the riVer-opening one right after the other. 1t
was terrific, especially when the sloopssof-war
would pour their whole broadsidcs into US at once
We came through it all, however, firing at each |
as we passed, with our heavy metal We blew up
one ram.