Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-06-27
r7edsraI Aeoounls from, ViolIssurg.


produces the following items from the Black
kaisk Chronicle, q journal published in Grsat's
camp at Viekyburg:
/ The naval batteries have been erected in tbe
rear Of Vieksburg, enc on Gen stesle's front,
! two 64-pouaders under command Of Lieutenant
! Commander Selfridge; two 6l-pounders in
/ Gen. McClsrusnd's front and two nine inch
| guns from the Tu7cumhis, in Gan McPhsrsou's
/ fIont. They viii make their mark.
On the 7-h inst. quite IN excitement prevailed
i in the squadron, ewing TO e report that the
rebels, in force about 1000, were threatening
/ MilHken's Bead where a quantity Of army
( stores were kept guarded BY two black regi-
ments snd part OF the 29sh Iowa The gun
| boats Choetsw and Lexington were immediate
! ly dispatched ts that place, and few troops at
! Y0ung's Point plaesd under arms. Our troops
had thrown up some extra iutrenehnents near
the lsYee, and prepared 20 receive the rebels,
with some doubt as to the issue. The ea-
emy made bis attack before daylight, and
many Of our mon had not arrived at that
point Tho blacks, hsweveT, me! the onset
mantully, and p company OF the Iowa regiment
stood A. tasir post unE they were slaughtered
20 8 man, killing an equal number Of the rebels.
Tbs hght was desperate IN the extreme, and cur
men oye-pOwerod, haS to retreat behind the
bank, near the waters edge, followed closely hy
the rebels. Then our gunboa!s opened on the
enemy With shell, grape and canister they fed
IN confusion, not knowing that the gunboa.s
were there, or expecting such reccPtisH. The
rebels had q lsrgs number Of cavalry with them
but the shells lrem the gunbeais mads wide
gaps in their ranks. They Refreshed rapidly to
tbs woods, and soon disappeared.
Eighty rebels we're left dead en- the ground, in
front Of the riffs pits, and our trenches were
pseked with the dead blacks whe stood st their
posts like neBi many ef them were shot in the
top Of the head, the rebels meunting the loves
and firing down on them. The Black Hawk
got under way Immediately, and proceeded to
she spot, and q scene was witnessed that bsggars
description. The reb9ls we're miseTsbly clad,
and poer, eTzacisted beings; many Of their
frees were burned wits powder, and were most
ly shst dead. very few wounded being ca the
Ground. While there q dispsth was seHt to the
Admiral tiat the enemy had appeared in fsrcs
at ths canal, aui Yeurr'5 Point, vixen the
Black Hawk got under way and proceeded to |
these points. It proved 70 be > false alarm
Proper precautions were taken, spd line Of
gunb5stg placed to eEfiade tho liRes, if the ere
my should come Wien last heard from, be
was ia tia direction Of Lake Providence; gun |
boats were sent ts cheCkmste hia there Less /
than six hundred men and tie guuboats beat |
ever 400.
Wlos Cen. Banks evacuated the opelsusas
AID Rid river country, the wisest course weHld |
have be.n TO proceed with all dispatch to join |
Gan. Grant with every soldier hs could take |
villa hiu. de had already left Port Hudson to |
Itself for a month. and s month lesger would |
havs made no ditsyeacs in the position OF st- /
fairs there. Tho rebels had no inteatioR Of
further fo-tifYing place thst was sRly intended
to delay rs for a time, until plans, impsrtsnt to |
them, were more fully matured. The result Of |
Gsa. Banks last move against Port Hudson /
proves how iuUtile il is TO undertake 20 reduce |
q place Of hat kind without being properly pre- |
pared and supported by = force It would be |
useless to coutend against The moment Gen |
Baaks heard that Grant ind invested Vicksbgi-g, |
he became possessed with the lauis5le desire to /
do the ssms with Port H1dsoa.
Gen Grant urged q union Of the two armies /
agajast Vicks5urg wi.hoat effect, w5ich riay |
turn cut to bs the NEST fatal error committed /
during the war Port Hudson is Of small ina |
P0r.agcs compared with Vichsbarg, and yet |
owing ts two severe TepU'sss met by Banks |
army that place has assumed On importance It 1
never deserved. il is net too late to Withdraw /
half Of Banks army aud send that 30 Vicks- |
burg Port Hudson cannot run away, nor csR /
the occupants add to It's slreuglh-they have |
used up al their ressUrces. In military point /
of view, "Gitempiag too maRy places at once, |
is eTOBeous war; concentration should be the /
rule, asd tho great dsteo. OF this war has been |
that we have had teo many armies, and too /
many generals
A number Of women and children came over 4
to-day from Ycksburg, representing families to 1
be in q starving condition; the cistsrns have, in
many cases, been demolished By ths mortar 1
shells, sud the caves where people were hiding /
were no longer ssfs, the shells going through |
them. The spirit of the troops was kept up by |
the reports Of Joe Johnston being close at hand; 1
and JEFF Davis was reported IS coming, in per |
son, TO ,Leig relief TIE soldiers were piilaging /
the houses for food, and even. look it from the /
children. Peas and rice ground together were /
reported to be the only lood 70 be had except in /
private families, where there wGs still q supply 1