, 1863-03-07

Fl Humorg-Lake ProVfdcncc-yaxoo-
The 1ndtanola-Thc Future.


HumorE-Lake ProV1dcncc-ya1oo
The 1ndtnnola-TAe Future.
from Our Own Correspondent.1
MEaPH1s, March I, 1873.
The facility with which rumor5 originate
aud gain currency in Memphis is astonishing.
There is this peculiarity about them, they are
mainly prejudlcial to the Union cause. This
is attributable partly to her position On the
border Of rebcldom, and partly to the semi
secession character Of her inhabitants. The
citizens gather at the corners Of the streets,
and some one confldentially tells of a victory
holed for below, and at once the story is that
1t IL. achieved. The wish is father to the
thought in many instances. Of q character
similar TO this are the startling rumors current
for the last three days, and doubtless tele-
graphcd from Cairo as gospel truth. It is q
safe rulc to believe one half Of the sensational
reports coming from this direction. Barely
one half are true.
We, the correspondents, have been particu-
larly requested not to mention the projected
movements at Lake Providence aud Yazoo
Pass, and have therefore observed the pro-
foundest reticcnce. But I notice the Journals
are not under the same restriction. Not that
there ,s any sense in compelling 11s to be ST.
lent, but the Generals think there is, and ne
yield 10 them.
I hare been anxious to speak Of both Of the
matters alluded to aboyc, but from considcra-
tions Of public policy, have forborne. You
may Imagine my chagrin when saw in tho
TRIBUNE Of the eth, this morning, a man in.
dieating clearly and properly important STRAIT
cgic movements, which, have no doubt Gen
Grant fmagincs to be closely locked in the
innermost recesses Of his own heart. Nextto
the pleasure Of hearing good thing, is the
pleasure oftellingit.
During my recent somewhat hazardous trim
to Dixie, when the Queen Of the West
Was captured and small remnant
Of tho crew barely escaped, I Bas at
come pains, IN my conversation with intelli-
gent Sontherncrs, to sound them as to theIr
information Of our movement, and to nv in
ed. They knew Of the project Of emitting a
canal from the Mississippi to Lake Proyl-
dcnce. thence by way Of the Tensas. Washita
and Blaek to Red River, and laughed ut it.
They eaid the turning Of this volume Of water
into I've Iensas would have no other effect
banks and submerge large section of coun-
try already sWampy and nearly yalueless, and
when I asked If new channel would not in
eTitably be cut for the Mississippi. they
pointed triumphantly ut the Ficksburg Cut
of.
The movement By way Of Yazoo Pass and
Moon Lake, into the Coldwater;; TallaA tchfe.
Ynllabusha, Sunffowcr and Yazoo. Was s;m;,
lar]y dcrided. While admitting the practi-
bllity Of vessels Of light draft reaching these
rivers, they said the streams we're narrow, the
banks so close that trees standing upon them
could be felled, and intcrlacing as to their tons
and branches would render navigation q work
ot Intense difficulty. Admitting that these
might he overcome, they spoke ominously Of
torpcdocs, and referred to the destruction Of
tue Ennboat Cairo while on the Yazoo, two
months ago II all these expcdients failed,
the steamers, the avowed objects Of our
efforts, could be towed under the batteries
at Haines' Bluff and elsewhere.
had also gathered a large number Of rebel
papers, which. In the Abandonment Of the
&ueen OF the west, was forced to leaye be-
bind and in these, also, found these sub
5ccts freely discussed, and I arrived at the
conclusion that they knew more Of our plons
than nine.tenths Of those engaged in e1ecu-
ting them.
at the mouth Of Old River, bloc1zadiug the e1.
trance to the Red River county She looked
tnyulnerable then in her coat Of mail, and I
did not believe the steamers were built which
could capture her. 1t seems { placed too
much reliance upon her inyulnerability. The
lndianola WAS one Of the recently constructed
iron 'c1ads, and VAS fitted up with especial
reference TO the present dangers Of Mississip-
pi Riycr navigation. She was provided with
four engines, and all the modern appliances
to guard against accident. She was both
side-Wheel and propeller rigged, the latter
70 DC used in ease the former were disabled.
n hnv n}ar n+o1 -.
iron plank tongued and groved, three inches
thick, her towers fore and aft, were similar
" protected, and over her deck which coy
cred all the machinery was wrought iron
plating ono inch thick. On each side of her
were empty coal barges.
find it impossible to obtain any Of the in.
cideDts Of her trip up the river, or the occa-
sion Of 1t. I only learn the main facts, that
when thirty: five miles below Vieksburg. she
was Sttacked BY the rebel rams ". Il. Webb,
whose name to my informant was unknown
The first efforts Of the rams was Of course d.
rected to the destruction Of coal barges. The
first 'hutt'' finished them, and now they
turned their attention to the 1ndianala. Three
rams were more than she could manage with
her immense guns, and although she Tired re-
peated]y, she was unable to ward of the blows
with which they eudeavored to crush In lcr
sides and stern. She soon became disabled
and began to sink. Capt. Brown, discovering
her surrender. She was run in shore and gunI.
Capt. Brown, and every man on board, except
one who jumped oyerboard, swam ashore,
and after night and days travel, reached
Gen. Grants headquarters with the news,
| were taken prisoners.
/ The next day the steamer Frolic came I'M
under flag oftruce, asking to exchange 500
prisoners. and to be permitted to land sup
| plies at Ticksburg instead of Warrenton. 7
did not learn if this request was granted.
Col; Watts, the officer in charge, said the
| 1naianala was capturedEand sunk. have no
donbt it is true. The Mississippi between
y1cksbnrg and Port Hudson is now free from
Federal cruisers. That 1t will long remain SO,
| no one believes, who knows the {ndomitable
| will and energy Of Rear Admiral Porter, and
| his co'adjutor, Col. Ellet, of the ram fleet. /
believe if they deem IT necessary, they will
run the entire fleet past the batteries at Vicks-
burg, before they will allow the Webb and
Queen to navigate the river at will between
f1ckebnf6 anu Fort hudson. Bop.