, 1863-07-30
From our Special Correspondent

NA1cHEz, Miss, July 1G, 1863
date my first communication to the col,
umns Of the excellent told TR1B." from Nat.
cEez-the most beautiful Of all the fair South,
ern cities that has yet been occupied by the
Army Of the Tennessee, that In its onward
progress, sustained by the sympathy Of the
loyal ut home, has at length burst the chains
Of the Mississippi, go that the old flag goes
floating down daily from Cairo to the Gulf.
The occupation Of Natchez has led to I'M
portant results for our cause, and has made
us acquainted with the sentiments Of por-
tfon Of the Southern people, removed In a
measure from the desolating effects and terri.
bile sacrifices the war has necessarily brought
upon the parts Of country our armies have
occupied; and thinking 1t may be ofinterest
to some Of your readers to hear from this part
Of Dixie, transcribe some of the particulars
Of our advance.
The force sent from Vicksburg for this pur-
pose, left that place July 12th, and consisted
of the 14th and 18th Wis, and the I'D mud
o5th III infantry, and Power's Minn. battery,
alt Of Gen, Ransom's brigade, and command
Cd By him; The fleet was attended by the
chez July 10Th, where the troops Immediately
dlsembarkcd, and the regiments forming IN
line, marched up tue bluff, with coIors
ont and music playing, through the
streets Of the city, giving the people
an opportunity to view for the first time
regiment Of blue coats; and, although am
sure The boys marched well, and made good
appearance, tie expressions Of joy ut our ar.
lisa1 among the citizens were very limited.
Sour and glum looks met us on eresy side;
but the colored population, consisting not
tnly Of those properly belonging in Natchcz,
Int lnrge numbers brought In from all parts
Of Louisiana and Mississippi, more than made
this up in their extrayagant demonstrations
cf Joy. They hailcd us as never soldiers were
hui1ed before. But to show you the state Of
Hind to which many Of the Southern people
lave been brought, BY their OWL passions and
prtjudices, irfaMed by aItful misreprcsenta-
tons: will relate an Incident that occurred
10 Captain sent ont with his company on
tur arrival, to the limits Of the city on picket
duty.
Many citizens came to converse with him,
aid among others respectable looking elder
j. gentleman, who stated that he was from
baps.s and d as ssaastse ssnS Ss in Ss ,s @
earnestly told the captain that he had bnt one
request to make, md that was that our SOL
ciers would respect the chastity of his wife
and children. The Captain resented the In.
sult, and the gentleman,, in apology
barbarity Of Northern soldiers, rendered his
request perfectly proper.
Immediately upon our arrival, Col. Star
ring. Of the I'D, took possession Of tho te1e-
graph office and post office, and the city was
Mckee. Of the 11th Illinois, for Provost Mar.
shal. The purposes ct our expedition requir-
trg large number of mounted infantry, Gen.
Raneom went to work with Ills accustomed
energy to procure the necessary stock, aud
before eight O'Clock the next morning after
horses. A part OF the 72d Illinois, under
command Of Captain James, Of the Scripps
Guards, were mounted upon these aniulals
and started In pursuit Of a lnrge herd OF Tex
as cattle, which the negroes informed us had
been recently brought across the river for the
brought them up with the herd, and view
presented itself mostglorious to men who had
lived on bacon and salt pork for over two
months. Five thousand fat cattle were herd
ed together in field By the road side, left By
the frightened droyers for the use Of the
Yanke which Individuals Immediately sur
founded them and drove. them With
tain james, q lover OF good beef,
was In his glory. Over three thousand1of these
heeyes have already been sent up to the army
in VicIeburg.
Another eIpeMtfon, consisting OF four
companies Of the ia. A, B, D and F, under
across the river into Louisiana-and after
themselves as speedily as possible,
to proceed on scout through the country,
with every prospect of a skirmish,-as We |
knew that the rebels had been transporting
large quantities Of ammunition across the
country. Our friends, the contrabands, told |
ue this. We left the boat at three o'clock In |
the morning, and proceeded afong the banks
Of a beautiful lake, called Concordia, where |
1sc come Of the finest plantations Of the |
south, well stocked with horses, mules aud I
# lie iatter.) The Ma jor soon had the es con-. m
uahd mounted. An advance party WIS sent |
G,rward, on the track Of the ammmunttion, |
= bich, the negroes informed us, Ind passed |
trough the day previous. In a short time,
Dur or five teams were met driven By negroes,
:arried out mmnnition-which had been hid
len eight miles further on. The teams were
urned around, and guided by the drivers ne
soon reached the spot, capturing on the way ]
! Lieutenant, who wns posted with three men
It ferry to. give notice Of our approach.
lace Of concealment, but fed upon our ap,
roach. A picket WIS stationed, and our
;;ur teams quickly loaded with 5l2 stand
# arms and thirty-two thousand
ounds Of cartridges. Two hundred and sixty
jght thousand rounds we're then set fire to,
here being no means Of transportation, aud
'ur force 100 small for remaining out any
ergth Of time. On cur return, the country
EaS alive with negroes, many Of them with
Fagons loaded with their "gear ''-others
Mounted On mules and horses, and many
more on foot. You can Imagine something Of
he 1udicrous aspect We presented as our pro-
tssfon, over half 1nile In length, fled along
t the close Of the afternoon, under the shade
+ the 3g and cypress trees that lined the
t the lake The hospitality Of the negroes
'as unbounded. AS We passed the plantations
hey lined the road, holding up plates Of meat
nd bread, and baskets Of ripe peaches. figs,
ectarines, and melons, and whatever else
1eir humble store, or I" massa's garden" at
,rded. Nothing could be more tender and
8ecting than the different Ways In which
,ey tried to manifest their joy and delight at
icing us. Great numbers Of the slaves that
ere with us had come off from one planta-
on, whele they had been under the control
most brutal and hard hearted man-noto-
ous for miles around for his cruelty. Some
the men informed us that he had no less
ian thirty concubines among his female
aves. He had been contemplating for
'me weeks the running of Of his negroes to
exas, and that morning had been fixed upon
r the start. 1t was terrible thing to the
,or slaves-their fathers and mothers, hus-
.nds and wives, md children were on the
antations all around them, and now they
ere to be taken far array from them They
i ,3Ax@ @t~&- I1v+% ~ nd IN