, 1863-06-08

their way into Vicksbnrg. The spies had upor
their persons two hundred thousand English
percussion caps. One Of them bore u mes
snge in cypber, directed to Lieut. Gen Penn
berton, signed "Joseph E. Johnston, Mnjol
General" and was dated "Jackson, Miss.
May 25th, 1863" The message has not ye
been deciphered.
The following wounded soldiers have diei
in the Carr Hospital since last evening:
| Wm 81 Fortune, CO A, 89th II.
Lient " Cray. GO z, z e9th IL
1HInTEEN1H DAY IN THE nEAB
l OF yICKSBUIaG.
a Rebel Bearer Of Dispatches comes into Oh
Lines-His story-List Of Federal Prisoner
Pazoled by Pemberton at Vieksburg.
| In TIE REAR OF V1cKsBuna, May 81, 1868.
The ru1nor to which I referred in my lctte
Of yesterday, is, to-day, said to be unfounded
a sutlcr from the 6sth Ohio reports that Gen
Lcggct's brigade, Of Logan's division, had en
countercd the enemy at one Of tho crossing
OF Big Black River, aud had been o7erpow
cred and compelled to fall back with consider
able loss. This Eu,nor, like the one Of tn
previous day, 1 hare not had time to verify a
headquarters, and give 1t as Ihaye received it
hare been considerably interested in th
story Of Greene s. Douglass, son of J. G
Douglass, Of Mason county, Ill, who cam
into our lines Thursday mbrning last, bearin,
a message from Lieut.. Gen Pembcrtoa tt
Gen. Johnston, at, Jackson, Miss. Youn.
Douglass left his home in Illinois, sere1
| nd H. rN
where he enlisted In the United States scryic,
us "Ranger," under Capt. Hayes, who wa:
attached to Col Canby's command. He wa.
in this service at the breaking out Of the re
bellion, assigned to special duty on the from
tier at Fort Lamar, small fort on the heai
waters Of the Brazos River. Canby's entire
command, consisting OF three hundred ani
sixty regulars and one hundred and sixt,
Strangers" Douglass among the number, VA:
captured by Earl Van Dom. Capt. uayc:
subsequently, effected his escape This CAP
tu1e vas made while the command was on It;
way to Brownsville, to seek transportation te
the United States. The regulars were paroled
and sent home, but the '' 'rangers," being con
sidcred irregular troops, and supposed to con
sist main1y Of Texans, we're offered the alter:
native Of joining the rebel service or
hanging. At the expiration Of the twenty.
four hours given them for consideration, one
| hundred and fifty joined cavalry regiment,
known rs GREEN'S 2d Texas cavalry, and werc
| assigned to sibley's brigade, then operating
| in the territory of Arizona,
They left San Antonio and marched to Ari.
zona- A battlc was fought at Valyerdc, on
the east bank Of the river Rio Graude, In
which they were defeated. Afterwards they
| retreated to Gloriada, forty miles from Rio
Grande, on the plains ut the foot Of the Blue
| Ridge Mountains. whore they harazdod another
engagement, and we're again defeated and
forced to fall back with the loss of bagsaye
trains and artillery and seven hundred men.
Here 5eung Douglass Was wounded. The
rebel army ret1eated to Albuquerque, sklr-
mished little, and then fell back upon San
Antonio utterly disorganized.
After forty days the ranger's term Of scr
vice expired, aud they Joined Wallis Texas
Legion, commanded by Col. 7. L. Wall. Al
most Immediately after, they were sent to
Mississippi, reaching Vicksburg on the 3fd Of
September, 1863. From that time until the
present, they have been busily engaged in
scouting service in Mississippi. When Col.
(now Geueral) Lee led the advance Of Grants
army from Grand Junction to Grenada, Wallis
Legion, with Jackson's cavalry, brought up
the rear Of the retreating rebels, and partici-
pated in every skirmish.
Douglass was in the battle Of Cofeeyille,
md stood not ten feet from where Col Nc
Cullough, Of the 18th Illinois cavalry, was naur-
dered. He had surrendered, and while In Gus
tody, WIS shot by the DoneIso1 prisoners.
The rebel loss in that affair, he says, was
about two hundred. One battalion :alone, Of
Wallis Legion, lost one hundred and three
men.
With his command he went to Grenada,
where he Joined Van Dorm in his celebrated
raid npon Holly Springs, participating in the
fight at Davis Mills, and Afterwards, at Mid
dleburgh, where he WIS seriously wounded.
After his return to Grenada, Gen. Pemberton
needed the services OF q confidential scout
ed. He came to Vicksburg in February, and
has remained there ever since.
Gen. .Pemberton was shut up in Vicksburg
and desired to communicate with Gen. john
sion. He looked around for confidential
agent, and could find none whose fidelity was
xonne noneiasss Donp1as was 1usGm w;iiinr 'a, nnd
1he nFeciouS document Vas commftt eii r. 11ia
bands. This was last wednesday nipht'
Dressed in the garb OF u citizen, he lett Vicks-
cts # ~ m Here he renamed Til df 1avil@ht iH
when he vas passed out the lines. and senton,
his nerilons mission. Douelass had 1nnp en-.
tertained fhe hone that he ntiebt one Inv free
himself from tie rebel service. and ioin his
friends in Illinois. Here was his golden op-
brace It. With great caution, SO as to deceive
his comrades within thc fort. he nInnued info
a dense t1,icket. and songht a tfeen carfi;e.
and ~1en veil mt af ronSa ~ thc Iehai 81 n;cI,
etg. he called to our sEi71nishers and pave
himself ma nrisoner Coi - ~ H. ~
man. who. after n Iitt1e nnestionin@ ~, I,anded
him over to Gen. Grant md tn hifn h. re.
ycated 1his n;ss;nn md nare thc nrecions dis.
natch. The suhsfance II the Letter WA. An
urgent demand for help, Number Of rein
fofcements rcouired. H0In00-odvisinu ratraot
If be could not br1,ne That nmmbs, i t11[1us nnon
Grants rear within ten day1Caumbef' Of
troops In Vicksburg, 1S,000-on hand. thirty
days3 1ations for the garrison, one meal q
day-nmmunition scarce, particularly gun
caps. Douglass was further instructed 10 as
certain the exact number of Johnston's
He desired to return home, and Grant sent
him up the river on The steamer Sultana. He
eays there are 1900 fighting men IN Vicks-
burg, commanded By Generals Pcmberton,
Stevenson, Reynolds, Bowen, ,Forney, Nor.
rfs, Lee and n L. Smith. Pemberton Is chief
in command, aId exceedingly unpopular. 1t
is kurmIscd that he thinks Of surrender Re-
terring to this, Bowen said in his (Douglass')
hearing; that If Pemberton made the first
movement towards giving up the city, he
would hang him as high Us Hannah" Tho
evident policy Of Pcmberton viii be, when he
$rc fn1 r1J Tz1