New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-07-18

ton mus, be regarded as peculiar, if not peril
ous one, and if escape without capture or serious
disaster, il will he owing TO fortune rather than to
foresight
The day il intensely hot, and the three Bohemans
on board too glad 10 escape the frying process
they Were undergoing at anchor iD the Mississippi,
to care, while they enjoy the benefit OF the grateful
breeze engendered by the motion of the boat,
whether she IL bent taking batteries, or gong 10
the bottom of the river.
CHARACTER OF TIE YAZOO RIVER.
The YazOo, very important TO the residents OF
Mississippi Ga means OF communication with the
towns and cities OF tie South, il quite deep-fron
y 10 20 feet-thOugh narrow, being navigsblc dur
ing greater part Of tie year for good sized boat
almost its entire lengtb-250 miles. The fazoo Is
formed by the Great and Little Tallahaiebie, and
through those, boats 30 within 10 miles oi Mem
plis, Tenn.
The river is formed from swamps the water bear
my the dark and opaque appearance peculiar 10 those
slugRhh aqueous bodies, and ID uowhoesone and III
jnrious 10 persons in the habit of drinking 1t.
The left Western sjfe of the stream If Little else
than one vast cyprefs swamp, aud cypress ioss
form large portion vi the commerce OF thiS paricu-
| lar region.
The right or eastern bank is higher and st inter-
walls rises into biuis skir;ed by bottom lands favor
able 10 the raising of cotton, and on which there are
numerous large plantations, whose products hhd d
market through the laZOO. These build can easily
he defended, and the batteries at Liverpool Land
neg are CONSTRUCTED a lofty ridge; ahd II is ssid
Others have been fortified between here ana the hos
tile dam
No donbt good deal Of cotton has been concealed,
ana j. still comet led mp the lGzoo, and we have
heerd OF five Xix hundred bales at different pocs
above which, with proper caution and management,
could doubtless be all secured.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS ALONG THE woo.
During our trip thus far, we have seen nothing Of
special interest, though we have twenty miles
| up the srcam-Od River for twelve miles being the
outlet Of the Yazoo into the Mississippi. Hardly
any white persons are visible, but uegros are
| abundant along the shore. We have taken several
of the slaves ON board and they cay all the white
men, both old and Young are with the Rebel army
at NIcksburg, and that many OF the families lave
gone to Jackson, the capital Of the State. Very
htte cotton has been planted this year along the
lazOo, and there hss been great scarcity of provs
ions not 30 much account OF the sDortness OF
crops hut because 20 large portion of the rural
products has been seized for the support Of the Con
feder-,te forces.
| The net oes have complain Of bed treat,
Inent, ana declare they were treated 20 badly
as since the rebellion broke out. II they ever asked
any questions about the war, it, causes, iis OBJ
lecis, they Were severely whipped, and they have
frequently been beaten for discussing the matter
among themselves when tiey thought no one was
near. Their masters usually told them they raid,
hat the was waged for the possession Of certain
Territories claimed both by the North and South,
and that Slavery had nothing 20 do with the issue;
ougb il was certain II the North eedod, the lot
of tine ncgroos would lie much Worse than il ever
had been; for The Abolitionsis hated and were
anxious TO get possession of the blacka that they
mrht compel the latter TO such severe toll do would
kill them in lcss than year.
ALARM OF TWO PROSECUTED SATiyrs.
We have just taken on board two Mi-sssippians
living IN n wreched tenement on the west sido OF the
river who ray they have been compelled for the ast
few months to hide from the Rebel cavalry going
about the country lmprcssing soldiers into the
service. They have tad very little 10 eat, and are
almost entirely raked and ere az wretched and
forlonn-looking duo o. mortal- IA have sen for
month past even down here ia desolate and sem-
tarbarous Secessis.
After being ordered on board, they begged 10 he
taken to the fleet, declaring they would be shot or
hanged informants II they returned TO their dwell
ing, ~ there Rebels all through the woods,
some OF whom must have them come aboard
the ram Three Of the men Col Ellet seized aud
questioned during his recent expedition up this river
have since been executed II is said by the Seces-
fionists, who accused the unfortunate fellows OF
being traitors.
on the Yszoo that provided p!aCe for them On
the ram, and leaving their wives behind without /
any APPARENT regret, they accompanied us, venting
10 each other tremendous oaths against the ID /
country generally, but the South particularly, which
they hoped, with M extraordinary degree OF Chri.-
tan charity would he sunk forever in the Bottom
less III.
Tie men have Informed US there Is Rebel battery
some four miles above us, and ours is the only
boat in the river, the commander Of the expedition
las decided il advisable not to attempt the capture
Of tie hostile guns under existing circumstances,
aud we therefore about TO return ~ the fleet IL
the Mississippi.
POSITION or TIE COMBINED FLEETS.
Farragut, Porter, aud Dayiss fleets remain que.
enough, though our mortars lire enthusiastically,
and the enemy send Iound-shot aud shell over the
,s,a I.s,d .rfV
vessels. There il 10 apparent change IN the sns-
ton and no present indication of future activity.
We all lie here painting and enervated from The
steady and unvGrying heat. and hoping without be-
Eeying, that something will soon be done to release
III from our present most unsuitilciOry and uuc0m-
Portable position OF Nicksburg.
TIE LOUISIANA CANAL.
The contrabands are still employed on the LOuii.
ana canal, bat the river, though rising now, VIII
again fall faster than they can dg, and faragut at
present have little expectation of accomplishing
what ho hoped last week would be entirely pfacti-
cable.
Our success there would have been glorious,
though it Ii not AT AL necessary to victory before
VicSsburg and therefore failure will not be more
injurious 10 our prospects, or even moriiyi ng to our
pnde
LrrcEuiaIiI, Of Maidstone OF tie snms 10
be Converted into Di-paiel, Eonis-situ-
n,iou Of the Union Ficrfs-The Peninsu-
InrCannI a Failure, Probsbi, Removal
Of The Vichsburg Press TO Jnchson-The
Yayoo River Expedition - lnissisrippi
Yolunieers-Valuable Rebel Steamer in
the YazoO- & Continued Eeg ira OF slaves.
grom Om Special Correspondent
MIssisslPri rIOTIIIL orr VIcXsBuRG,l
"Wednesday p m, july D. 1904.
Tie mails arriving at and departing from the iieet
are very irregular, az you have probably learned ere
this. There Is 10 certainty here when we shall re-