New-York daily tribune., 1863-07-02

impressions concerning l,s present command omcer,
Capt Smith, we visited Ransoms brigade, and
were there permitted to talk with an mtsllRsnt
looking and apparently honest deserter from the lie.
bells. He claimed to bave belonged TO corps OF sap
'pers and miners, aud evidently understood that
branch of the service very well. He says that the
and that their mines are in an advanced stage, ana
will 10 charged with 100 pound charges. he pre-
tends TO no knowledge concerning the amount OF
provisions and ammunition on hand, but says that
there had not been, up to the time he took French
leave any diminution of the rations issued 70 the
men. He also confirms the statements OF nearly ell
other deserters concerning the immense number OF
Rebel wounded. the manner in which the e1tclent
soldiers live in the trenches, food being carried TO
them by night, and the Willingness of the meh, but
the unwillingness OF the officers 20 surrender.
The next point TO which my GdSette friend and
mysel urged our provokingy lazy aud perversequad
rupeds was battery in Gen. Logan's Division,
mounting two 30-pound PARROTS, two 9.inch Dahl.
grels, and several smaller pieces, and connected
with which is an extended range Of nte-pits Whiie
securing our mules shell from the l3-lnch mortar
ia possession Of the Rebels gave US bceptaole
erecting IL burst, with loud explosion, about
fifty Yards from us. We walked about among the
pits, peeping at the Rebel works through the port
holes for rifles for ABOUT fifteen minutes, when
8lheF M94gleF ghsll fFSla lAs sgws n9Iiar wepI
wbizzing over our heads aud exploded III tne nlus'
Of perhaps one hundred men, only one Oh WHOM was
oper,tions of TWO Union sharpshooters, VINO had
ttken a nosition AT the base of one OF the keoei
earthwork iorts and were digging away Ut INC sauo
with might and main, protected by o'ner snafP-
shooters IN our pits from the enemy who could ho'
have been more than twelve or fifteen feet IRON
them. and then turned back to the battery Arrlved
there we asked for drink Of water, and While
drinking our entertainer remarked that II was ABOUT
time Tor another saell and pulling ont his wa'cn,
he said; Sa- is nearly INFINITE behiId tiine bo",
" Here she comes-look OUT cHed man u Tue
door of the tent at the same instant. rushed out
lopipg and expecting TO see the hage p'issiie
sail over my head. To my conslerIa-
tion. however, | discovered blaek-look.
ug object coming straight toward me, aud
before could turn 10 retreat, 1t struck 'he sronhu
about twenty feet IN front oi me ana Instantly eA
tloded | was covered with the dirt IN which TIE
shell lmbedded itself before exploding, but other
wise was uninjared. 4 loud laugh from all hands,
RS If the bursting Of shell thirteen inches In diam
eter were oue of the beet Jokes oi the season,
notified Inc that nobody was hurt, ana regained
the perpendicular winch 1 had involuutarily ex-
changed for a horizontal position. walked 10 The
spot where the shell struck, aud secured piece
weighing about two pounds. MY inspection OF the
hole naie III the earth afforded me an eA lana'ioh
OF the fact that there Rebels still alive IN llcks
burg. Notwithstanding the storms Of shot and she
70 which they nave been almost daily subjected Tor
more than a month. Tue earth bereaO0ui u eA-
ce.edingly soft. When shell srikcs the ground, IL
Inevitably buries itself to depth OF two or three
feet and when the explosion follows the fragments
have to travel through the earth 10 various aiec'os
10 reach the surface and when ,here their force IL
spent The shell have spoken OF struck not three
feet from one of the large Dahlgren guns IN the
battery. and vet not scratch upon the gun or
carriage indicated that piece had touched II.
{ have omitted to mention that 1t was in Gen.
Logau's tent | standing when TINS shell was
announced as coming g on tmo.' The Rebels have
A dislike 10 the Dahlgrcns and PARROTS in this bat
tery and have been hflng at 1t occasionally Tor
week past. They have obtained for their mortar
the exact range. and unless something Is done TO
r medy The matter they may render the position un
tenable. Ii is now dangerous. The men who WORK
the battery however, appear 70 ENJOY The s1u1e.
ment OF tue game they are playing, ana when
suggested the derirabhty Of more sheltered posl-
ton, they laughed at me. Gen Logan bravery, IN
making his quarters al such place, 10 more 0onSpi'
uous tnsn his prudence.
While lingering 10 tais place, learned something
concerning our ammunition, which surprised ms
Our shar,sboOters IN advance Of our batteries are
much more afraid Of our own guns than OF those OF
he enemy. Premature explosions oi shells from
our guns while contract ammunition ir employed,
are 70 quent that they almost constitute the rule
instead OF the exception The gunners say that
Government manufactured Ammunition 10 all rl.ht
but they have 10 reIDrpect contract AMMUNITION be
fore daring 10 use it, ana that they find 1t very de
feclye. have made some further inquiries about tie
matter and was told this morning that P.mberton
! bad offered g. pound Tor the piodsd powder
III our slells and was collecting considerable guam
titles OF II IN tins way.
For contractor TO furnish soldier. with adulterated
and detective ammunition is infinitely more villainous
than to give them sboddy blankets or putrid beef,
and # tins army bss been swinded Ia any such way
hope the perpetrators Oi the swindie Will be
brought TO condign punishment.
The heads OF our mules beng turned toward where
thev knew there "a store OF forage, II wEr won
II. L. q 49,. a.. A
travelling While the tun was yet high in the
heavens they landed us at these Bohemian headq uar-
ters and were dismissed III care Of n sturdy wagon
master, the crack Of whose whip they seemed TO en-
JOY.
FIGHT AT RICHMOND, Ia.
There was "a considerable fight on Sunday the
l4th between tue Rebel force which lately attacked
Mllhken's Bend and Youngs Point and q body oi
our troops under Brig Ger. A. w. Ellet and zen.
Mower. The three bngades Of Rebels were con-
centrated In thelneighbOrhood Of Richmond, with
Dehi-a point at the intersection OF the Tensas
BAYOU with the relroad-as their base of supplies.
apparently undecided what to do next, when 1t was
determined 10 give them some employment; aud ac-
cordlngly Geus. Eliet and Mower Inatched ont to
attack them The Rebels met the attacking force
east of Richmond, were speedily routed, with Ii Ioss
, of 10 killed, - wounded, aud 40 piirDuers. IDe
Rebel force IL estimated NJ 900 and two batteries.
The commands OF Gems. Ellet and Mower numbered
1000 and was accompanied by two batteries.
Their loss was one Killed, ono severely and live
slightly wounded. The good people Of Richmond
bad prepared big dinner for their gallant defend
ers to eat after they had whipped the Unouists,
wbch was not lost, our troops enjoying II finely,
and then burning up the town. Que Of the fret
pris0ners captured on this OCCASION was wounded
Texan, who seemed overoyed upon discovering that
his capsors not negroes, and who SAID lie eK-
pec,ed no quarter from that class vi troops.
GEN. M'CLEREAND RELIEVED.
On the 18th inst. Gen. McClernaud relinquished
the command Of the 18Th Army Corps to Ma. .-Gen.
Ord who came from Washington City with the
requisite order. On tho day the relieved Cen
eral took his departure for The North AN not ad
ysed aa x2heiLer ANY NE W command hha heeu IA.