, 1863-07-02
The SIEGE OF VlckSBuRe.
NEWS TO FRIDAY, JUNE 18TH.
Sharp Fighting i'm
Grants Army.


CA1Ko, July 1st, 1853.
Your correspondent {Waldo) who Is with
the advance in the rear of Vlcksburg, and
who speaks Of matters he himself has wit
messed, sends the following dispatch, arriving
here this morning, rio Memphis, upon the
steamer Gen. Anderson:
REAR OF V1cKsnUKG, FR1DAr MORNING.,
JUNE cG1H-Yestcrday afternoon McPher~
sons corps 1nade an assault on the rebel
works, for Which they had been preparing
several days. A little before four o'clock .
heavy carnonading commenced Ill along the
lihet, and the whole army was drawn up In
,a1tle array. AS I previously stated, the rebel
fort, iu front Ut Logan forces, which Logan
had b. EN- steadily approaching, was under
mined night before lust, and the trains all
ready TO spring. They were successfully
trruIg at fvur o'clock aud forty minutes yes
1erday afternoon, during the very hottest of
our firing. One thousand pounds Of powder
were used, and the result was quite success-
full. 4 wide emhrasure in the elnbankmcnt
was nude into hich the noble Lead Slime
regiment, led by Col Maltoy, rushed in and
Ut once planted our ha..ucr amid terrific flrp
fion tie cbemy. TEelr ire was not well d.
1ectcd, or else our loss must have been
gr a1er.
Tit conduct Of the 45th Illinois regiment
was grand in the extreme.
Lieut.. Col. Malancthon Smith, Of Rockford
ILL.,, late Provost Marshal at Memphis, fell
with bali through the back part Of his head,
touching the brain. Physicians say 1t is i'm.
lcssible for him to recover. lie Is still alive
und retains his senses, but Is given up as lost.
Col. Smith is cheerfully resigned to his fate.
Major Fisk, recently promoted from Cap
1aincy in the same regiment, was killed bY a
bullet through the heart, being the third shot
be had received understand number Of
line officers Of the 45th, we're among the kill
I'd and wounded. The e5th, 18th, 31st, 123ath,
Esd and Seth Illinois, and 17th Iowa regi-
nlents assisted in this grand assault. General
Legget was Immediately IN command Of an
nssaulting force, and is reported slightly
wounded. After the entrance into the fort
was effected, fighting was principally with
hand grenades which were used with terrible
effect upon the crowded rebel forces.
Gen. Mcpherson estimates the Confederate
loes at above 500 killed and wounded. Our
loss was less than 100, and at the outside Of
those slightly wounded, not more than fifty,
leaving the total loss at $50. Many were
wounded in the hands and arms This morn
ing We hold the position gained last night,
and we're in no danger Of losing our foot hold.
We have not possession of the entire front,
The rebels still holding portion of it, but q
few hours must dislodge them.
Lieut.. Col. John D. Reese, commanding
3lst Illinois, was wounded in the arm and
side By shell, and Major Bradley, command
ing the Goth Illinois, Was wounded By a mus
ket ball in the arm and breast. This morn.
ing two regiments occupy the fort.
The army expects to spend the Sabbath In
V1cksburg. Rebel prisoners are coming In
constantly from nll quarters. 4 squad has
just been brought from Haines' Bluff, late
fiom Johnston's forces.
HEADQUARTERS WALNUT Hills, VICES.
BURG, June 2d-a. m.-Festerday afternoon,
Gen. Logan exploded the mine uuder the
rebel furt in lis front, blowing one side and
one angle away. A struggle thea took place
for Its possession, which has not yet ceased
Our men hold one side and the enemy the
other. We are endcayorfng to mount cannon
in the work, which they resist, Gen. McPher.
son thinks he will be able to plant battery
in our portion. a heavy fire Of artillery and
mn:ketry vas kept up along the whole line
centrating on that point. Our loss in tho
affair up to this time may reach 800 killed and
wounded. The enemy's loss must have been
severe.
Gen Johnston stl1l fails to come to
close quarters, and is known to be waiting
for reinforce ments.
RIGHT WING OF THE ARMr, V1cKsBUa0,
June 25-p. m.-Cc1. Woods pickets captured
Il messenger, this morning, bearing letters
fsom Eicksburg, also the following verbal
message from Penberton to Johnston: " !
can hold out ten days. If not sooner relieved,
will be obliged to surrender"
a letter from Gen. Withers to his wife
speaks Of going North and speedy exchange.
01e from Il. L. Smith speaks despondlngly.
Another gives list Of 1hy-three persons
killed and wounded In an Alabama regiment.
The courier says he was to be mustered out
Of the service for returning with IN answer;
but as some Of the letters bear marks Of be-
ing intended for our eyes, they aro not in.
rllcitIy believed. There Is an abundance OF
Concurrent testimony to suetain his story Of
the general disasters.
MEMPHIS. Dune 29.-The steamer Tycoon
arrived up today with official adyices from
Gen. Grant up to noon ot the 2Gth. The
siege is being pushed with renewed rigor, the
approaches are nearly completed, and inside
Of wetk will prove the rracticabIlisy Of car
ryipg that stronghold. Johnston has deyel-
oled no new movement. His forces are oil
east Ct the Big Black Grants watching him
ca!itics where they annoy the rebels az they
get water from the Mississippi, and all efforts
to dislodEe them hare been Intellectual. There
IL nothing Of public interest transpiEing lu
this command. The hospitals here are get
ting pretty well filled by arrivals from belo r..
The weather is getting hot.
LooAx's DIVISION,
CKKTnR SIEGE LINE E1C1sBCHd,}
June Is, 1852, m.
1 hea1y fire of riaemen has been kept up all
day. Our men have been able to throw up
considerable earthworks around the centre
within the fort. The rebels prevented ns
f,cm placing our guns by constant fasiliade
aud By throwing ignited shells over their pat.
epet. The rifles are within hundred feet ol
each other, but our advantage IN eleyattng
and the number OF sharp shooters Is ap
parent.
Among the sufferers in the storrning last
night is A1sj. Lander Fisk, killed.
MEMPHIS, June 2S-At last accounts, most
| Of the rebel troops were between Canton ant
Bridgeport They are making desperate ef
| f,rte to attempt navigation on the Mississippi
below Memphis. They hare a battery Of 81.
guns at Catfish Point, opposite Greenville.
| Marmaduke is also using all his energies tt
blockade the river. These matters arc recciy
ing the prompt attention Of the proper mill
larry authorities.
Scouts from central Mississippi and Ala
lama report the feeling in regard to Vicks
burg, Us very despondent, and reports OF tht
reInlse Of Grants army are freely circulated
to cheer up the people.
! Jackson sappers say Grant lost II, 600 mel
in the assault on the 10th, and that Johnstol
was ginning advantages on Grants rear. Th'
rebel Gen. Johnston is endeayoring to organ
ize State militia in Central Mississippi, bn
with yerr poor success The people begin t.
The entire State. JEFF. Davis has called upol
| Alabama for seventy Thousand additiona
troops to defend the Stnte from invasion. ant
Alabama papers are discussing the advan