, 1863-06-18
The SIEGEOF ;VICKS-
BURG. ;
LATEST FROM GENEl-
AL GRANT. j..
RuIl'ors Of Rebel I Positions !
and Forces.

THB GENERAL SITUATION. -.
HEADQUARTERS WALNUT Hills. .
F1cKsruEGs Junn Il, via CA1ao. juno II. 7
Tho hcstinformatlon credits Loring at Jack
son with t, ,oco men; Walker at Yazoo city witt
s,oco, and Johnston at Canton with Il, 900
These Will bo massed together to attack Gen
Grant in the rear, but ho holds all tho fords
on the Big Back River, which must, b:
crossed by Johnston and Lorlng. Rebel cay.
alry are continually on the scout outside o!
Grants lines. Much sickness is said to pre-
yail in yicksburg, and tho citizens desire It:
caritulatlon, which Pcmbcrton absolutely
refusts. !.
tspee,a1 Dispatch to the Chicago Tfibunc.1
CAIRO, June II, 1853
The arrival ofseveral boats from below has
thrown in The way quito mass Of late inter.
esting rcws from Yicksburg. It was no light
job to undertake the capture Of the most I'M:
portant stronghold in the Confederate st1tcs.
Fully aware Of the necessity Of holding Vicks.
burg, the rebel Government Is putting forth
Ill their energies to prevent Its capture.
On the other hand our Government seems
to appreciate tic full extent Of the Situation,
and to. be taking the most energetic steps to
counteract the rebel concentration. The cx-
pedition up the Yazoo was not as successful
as at first hoped, although not deieat. Tho
cost of holding Gatartia would be more than
tic position was worth to our forces now op-
Grating ngaiust VlcksburE. -
The gunboat expedition WIS more success
full, having succeeded in destroying four
steamboats,, the John Walsh, Lasoon, Golden
Era and Scotland. They we're burned at or
near Yazoo City.
There is considerable force Of rebels on
the wcst bark Of The Mississippi. It was re-
ported hy passengers on the: Belle Mem
plis that the rebels were in possession Of the
schfcvepo:t and Ylcksburg Railroad track
from De Soto, immediately opposite Vicks-
burg, TO Monroe, on the Washita River, md
that they wcre bringing supplies to the be-
sicged city by Its means, In IN Immense fleet
Of dugouts. This rebel torce ia supposed to
bc from 10000 to 1900. Later arrivals,
however, contradict these reports to aconsid-
c1nbIc extent. :.
Reports have been circulating to the effect
that Johnston was marching on Haines' Bluff,
and bad captured and was occupying it.
These stories turn out uniounded. 0urforccs
we're stcure In possession Of that strong and
important position as late as the 18th, Satu:-
Cay morning last. There was not eyen q
probability Of TN attack in that direction
Gen. Grant ia receiving reinforcemcnts cy-
cry day, and making Ills positions stronger.
AL the strongest positions around Vicksburg
except one are now OURS ="
Tie rebels are in possession Of Richmond
and New Carthage, L., and are destroying all
the cotton yius on the plantations leased By
tho Government to the planters inthe vicinity.
The Confedesates, uuder Gen. Joe John
ston, arc said to occupy the banks Of tho va
zoo river, in the vicinity Of satastla. ..
Rebel prisoners now confined in Irving
Prison, In this city, give very contradictory
statements in regard to the state Of affairs In
eide Of Vicksburg. Some assert that Penn
bcrton will be able to hold his ground until
Joe Johnston raises the siege; o!hers, that he
cannot hold out much longer. -
FROM GEN. GRANTS MILITARY DEPOT. :
CmcKAsAw bayou, June s, via CA1Ho, June
17.-Ths is the depot for landing and for
wardipg supplies for the entire. army under
Gen. Grant. It is sixteen miles up the Yazoo
river, which empties into tho Mississippi
about ecren miles aboye Vicksburg. From
this place to tho first forces Of Gen. Grants
army is about three or four niles--,so that 1t
il Just far enough removed from the army to
render II free from that pest to all: military
dcpote, loupgers and stragglers from the
ranks.
Notwithstanding the inlrnense amount OF
business done here there are no soldiers run
ming around loose, and especially no drunken
or rowdy ones. The difference In this respect
between this Department and that Of the po-
to1ac in other times is wonderful. As an evi-
deuce Of tho discipline that prevails In this
army I may mention that 1t only takes one
company to guard the whole Department
here. The place Is in command Of Colonel E.
N. Eldridge Of Chicago, Of the 127th regi-
ment. Captain Frank O. Gillette Of the same
regiment is Provost Marshal, aud 1t would be
well for parties coming here to remember that
they must invariably report to him and Oh
tain from him bis pass before entering the
lines.
Upon arriving here the first o1lcar met
was Col. Hoge, Of the 18th regiment, Chica-
60, who Was wounded in the temple with q
fragment Of shell. Although reported serious
ly wounded he~ was strong md hearty, and
seemed ready to enter again into action.
4 day OF two since some two hundred con-
4rshonds The mninri}v nf them hclrorrfor ~