, 1862-07-12

FROM THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI
spccal Correspondence OF the Chicago Trihuuc.l
ElcKsBussa, July Sd, 1861.
Four Of Commodore Dayis's mortar bouts
having been moved down to take positions
On the north eide Of the point about mile
and q half from Ficksburg, but yet hidden
from the town By the high timber, q party
Of persons, myself among them, walked down
to the point where the depot Of the Vicks-
burg Ind Shreveport railroad is located, to !
watch the effect of our shells on the rebel bat
teries and the town. The city, if possible,
had eTen q more deserted appearance than !
when We were out here the day before. Never /
did look upon so silent and melancholy q
place, net living being was to be seen Stir
ring in the streets. In almost all OF the
houses the windows we're hoisted and the
doors we're spread wide open, but examining
them with good glass we were
convinced that every one was tenant
less. The only signs Of life were
the Rentinels passing too and fro on the
tops Of the entertainments IN the rebel bat
teries, which are situated ADORE aud below the
town. In this devoted town, every feT min-
utes, large shell would burst aud throw up
ahuge cloud of dust, and just sitter some of
these explosions We could hear snbdued
rumb]ing sound like the crumblng down Of
walls. The mortars from both Davis and
Porter's fleet were now firing, though slowly,
alternately, and at intervals Of perhaps
twenty minutes, We were seated on the river
bo1f- a,,,o,,r +ha fraao 1r11foh .,ar@1C ccraarnH
US from view. We had heeI out TO the same
point before, when We knew that they must
have secnus from the batteries, and as they
did not fire on us then, wetook it for granted
that they would not now, but it seems Te
were calculating without our hosts, q group
Of dozen or go officers and newspaper cor
respondents was too tempting a mark for SO
short range, and re we're suddenly startled
by the fash Of 4 gun in the battery imnedi-
atcly opposite and almost nj the same time
that the report reached us ball Whistled
through the trees immediately overhead. In
q minute We were all down behind the leyee
in expectation Of another one. We were not
disappointed. Another roar from the battery
opposite and another shot shricked past us,
even closer than the first. Another roar, and
& shell burst in the air not more than fifty feet
from Us. This VAS getting too warm, and in
another moment the run upon the Chicago
banks during the wild cat excitement last
year,was far outdone by the run made upon the
banks Of the 31ississippi by the Bohemians.
The shots from the rebel batteries Here mis-
taken By our mortar feet for reply to them
consequently they increased their fire
| ond as 1e came back to the boat the rever.
beratiDg roar Of our Own mortar Vas terrific.
| Except lew shots fred by the batteries be.
low the city day before yesterday, this is the
! only firing done By the rebels since our arri
val here on Tuesday morning.
| About ten O'Clock last night man cams
down to the gangway Of the S. Il. Dickey, or
board OF which the Bohemians are quartered
| and said that he WAS dcserter from the
| rebels, and that he was seated on bank O.
| e,rth watching our movements when We Wer<
fired at this afternoon, soon after We left Et
hastily, and under cover Of the darkness h;
secured 3 shifl, rowea across the river, fol
lowed the road he had seen us take, and tt
his utter astouishmcnt, Was unable to see
single picket. He says that he called on
several times In hopes Of attractin!
the attention OF the guard, bu
seeing ror hearing nobody he Kept on up tn
road, expecting every minute to be fired at
until he walked aboard the Is Dickay" withou
I having seen any body since he left the rcbe
lines. lie is deserter from the 2lst L3uisi
ana regiment and says that there is scarcely
man in his regiment that would not do as
has dore if they only hadtne chance, He est
mates Van Doru's command, enc4mped jus
back Of the city, at about 10000, larg
proportion Of whom arc conscrip.s VIII
are much disanactcd toward the rebel caus
and ready TO run away at the first chance.
| HIS regiment came from Fort Pillow t
Vicksburg about month ago and Of the neal
~ 5000 Inhabitants of VickEburg q
| that time, he sa5s there Is not now e
left in the city, and they were almost i
Starving condition. The rebel arnl
wtte living OIL eerned beef and cor
bread, but the th1:lishcd citiz:ns could nj
tuy even that, aud they took the most port:
: ble and valuable articles they possessed an
moved out, some to tile army, some to JAG!
sou, and some to any pllce where they miSl
have chance Of getting away from the Soutl
He cay S that during the passage OF the flet
On Saturday last a good many houses Te
r Knocked down but that five men, woma
: and mule were all that Tcre killed by Il
L 1ise Of 1ht Vessels.
Some weeks age the town talk was that Il
gunl'oats Van Dorm, Ivy, and Arkansas,
:, adalla1oy as she is sometimes called, were e
5 above a raft Oh the Yazoo River, Which Il
u rthcls had constructed to prevent our boa
from getting up, but which they we've 10
= unable to move themselves, as the water b
J. fallen and left it partially aground
; In 4 copy Of the Eicksburg 1Faig Of Jul
5oth which I got from this man, lind d
patches from Gsn, Lee to jeff Davis, uud
date Of Richmond. June 25th, Ia which
says that Mcclellan, in The fight behii
Pow haitian Greek, near Richmond, II
u "entirtly repulsed from the field" A
IL Another dispatch says ''the discontinue
~ the Yankee army is complete, there is no II
"a for Mcclellan to get to his gunboats exec
~ BY Lis balloon, and ne is confidently c2pectt
~ By some, 10 co7itai7ate.
The Vivkeburg Why is a curiosity itself
is about the size Of ! sheet Of ordinary let
II !wpsr, printed only on one side, and the )
~ ibH, JanHC3CtA ioohll4S paper. aAa -Ae hiJftl
= g.ueral appearance show signs Of its spec
ID dc!l,isc which soon occurred, IS this WAS D
IN If its last issue5-
s. An Outrage was committed day before ;
as tesday ut Pswpaw Island, ten miles nbs
$ Ills point, wi!icl: shows the fiendish chaTac
T. Of the sebels in this rcg ion. Several re
r. soldiers came to the house Of q 1nan VII
L. they we're acquainted With, and whom Il
ch suspec1rd Of entertalDirg Union sentineE
w. ard BEGAN Boosting Of tho certain success
in the confcderac:y, the nuns mother, an
,r- woman Of c;eh*ythree years Of age, hear
-, their talk, said That ii the conitderacy sho
IN be ackno ~1edgcd, it would break up the b
h. government in the world. This kiad of
the soldiers {soldi.rs, forsootn) considt
dangerous, and forth with these eAira7
- warriors tcuk the old wolltln out, aud h,
-. her to 4 tree. Her son, frsntic with n
=, stole away, and came down to Gen. Will:
~ with his story. The general sent l50 men
=" on the steamboat Champion, No. ), last nis
'eS but she returned this morning without II
~ having been able to lind the scoundrels.
y. W July 18th. The mall boat beiog 4 little t.
s'0 about leaving, I embrace the opportusity
t-u write 4 line or two this morning, Last nj
Lits | a. nycnt1v +we1ra a,oforI, the stiffness