, 1863-05-26

ready to receive artillery ut short notice.
These extend back from Vicksburs for five
miles, and are so constructed that the5 COM
mnnd the approaches from every direction
Our advance @ill be eterDly resisted.
- s1EAMEns IN Zig BLACK.
There is one punboat In Big Black River,
the Paul Jnnes, IN inferior eide wheel trans
mort, formerly used as freight boat The
rebels hay clad her with cottun. and moun!ea
three guns upon her, one 3-.ponnoe1 tarfott
and two ]2-pounder brass pieces. f.. aaese !, Gh ART
htsidee three other steamers, the Charm,
Dot" and another, whose name ms 1nformant
did not remember. None Of these can pass
the railroad bridge.
Big BLACK COUNTRY.
The country through which the river flows
is Of sutpaseing beauty and fertility, and ordt-
nariy rich in thu great stapls inst now: ~ ~
oheasnfe to ths acre
be found In the cntiro region. There arc no
towns on Big Black below the bridge. just
nj that point the rebels have built sort oi
fort upon which thsy havG Is Setes tesi
lumber, Size and position.
TILE RAILROAD BRIDGE.
The railroad bridge crosses Big Black at a
point fourteen miles from Vicksburg, due east.
The structure Is one mile and half long, and
composed Of light trestlc work. In the
centre, directly over the stream, 1t Is lofty,
but gradually decreases In hight on either
side Us you rise the lower bottom lands, and
strike the crest Of the hills beyond. This
bridge is the main artery of Vick.bug.
Once Guilt oil, aud stop the ebb aud flow Of
provisions and soldiers, and the heart, the
city dies. Lieut.. Col. Thompson, the Inspec-
tor General Of the Department, says that
FickEbuIg is 'gone up'' if the bridge be
| taken. Col. Thomhso has made many less
| foolish and untrue remark.
| Jv,Th hHF he 3S
| with heavy plank, to tacilitate the crossing Of
! artillery. The present force is small, but
when Threatened, troops will be moved
thither and the position most pertinaciously
! defended.
jackson is the Capital Of Mississippi, and
| the Ehire town of Holmes county. Its popu-
lation is about 5000. II has peculiar import
ance as the general headquarters Of the West
cru Department Of the great md glorious
| CoDfederacy. There are two hotels in Jack
son, which make some pretensionsto ;;ele-
| gnuce-the "Confedcrate House," and the
..Bowman House" The price Of board Is q
jackson is entirely without forttfcations,
| and thousand men could have captured the
city at any time before the present Manu-.
features are hourlshing-espccially those Of
cotton- The ptuitentiary is turning out an
immense amount OF these goods. There is
! HI arsenal at Jackson.
WHO SHALL BE GOVERNOR.
- Considerable division of sentiment exists
in Southern military circles as to who shall
have the distinguished honor of ruling Afissis
sipri. Of course Governor Pettus desires 9
reelection. but other gentlemen arc equally
ambitious to serve their country, and there ii
great danger that he will, ut the Forthcoming
election, be consigned to ohscurity and retl
racy, The Mississippi militia, called out b5
the Governor, and afterwards kept In sergice
are called the Pettus Beef Eaters. It may
readily be supposed they have no especial lost
for The old tyrant.
NEWSPAPERS N JACKSON.
There are Two daily papers published II
Jackson, the Menlphis Apptal and Daily JEs
sissiIpian. The latter is much the more cx
tensiyc establishment, although the Apped
1 has. the largest circulation. Both papers or,
making money. The circulation Of the Nis
sixxitq3i"n is 5000 daily, at $50 year, and Is,
Coo weekly, ut $40 year. There are connect
ted with the establishment, 20 coupositors
2 editors, 6 clerks and 1 penmen. T. T
Cooper, the principal editor, is j llau Of mod
crate abilities, but Industrious aud painst;lk
ing. The Assistant Editor, Thompson, is
brilliant, er1asic genius, given to poetry an'
whisky. He is n hard drinker, intoxicated
! three days out Of five.
FEDERAL OFFICER AS L spT.
In the Pcnitentiary at jackson, Spence
;; Kellogg, 4th master Of the guuboat Essex,
, , about the middle of last August and has eve
eincc heen KEPT IN close confinement. Fo
some reason the Confederate authorities II
fuse him Il trial. The attention Of Gen. Gr;r
J I Las been called to his casc, and efforts will b
J made for his release. Bop.