Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-02-04
NEWS FROM THE WAR.

which have met with greater discomfitures
during their short term of service than the
42d Massachusetts, Col. Burrill. Divided at
New York and embarked on four transports
the colonel was separated from his command
and the companies from one another. Those
who were favored with an expeditions VOYAGE
were captured by an overwhelming force of
the enemy at Galveston; these who were
spared that fate narrowly escaped shipwreck
and DEATH through the criminal negligence of
those charged with engaging transports. TO
provide sea-worthy steamers for the Banks
expedition. | believe that three out of the
four transports on which the 42d embarked at
New OK were compelled to put into ports
for repair. One of them, at least, the She.
tucket, touched at nearly every open port on
the Atlantic coast, between Hampton Roads
and Tortugas. The steamer, the safety of
which the greatest apprehensiDns have been
felt, left New York on the 9TH OF December.
the day after the departure of the North Star.
having on board company c, Capt. Leonard,
and company IL, Capt. Bailey-who came out
himself on another steamer-the whole under
command OF Major Stiles of the 42d. On
9TH the Shetuckct struck on Hog Island Reef
oil the coast OF Delaware, but was got off
the following day, when she put into Norfolk
with rudder disabled and otherwise damaged.
The troops disembarked and remained at Nor
folk eleven days, while the steamer was nm
dergoing repairs. She left Norfolk on the
DIST; but put into Hilton Head on the oath
for coal and water, and also into Key West
for the same purpose on the 4th inst. The
steamer was four and half days in steaming
from Key West to Ship Island, and arrived
here on Monday morning last after a weari-
= - J I'M
are all well and have gone into camp with the
other companies at Carrollton. The regiment
is at present under command of Lieut. Col
Stedman. Adjutant Davis and quartermaster
Burrill, who escaped from Galveston, have
joined the regiment. The two sets of coors
presented to the regiment by the state, all the
adjUtant's books and quartermaster'S accounts
fell into the hands OF the enemy at Galveston.
Cannot Gov. Andrew send the regiment anoth-
er state tiag?'
THE OPERATIONS AGAINST vICKSBURG.
A private letter from Memphis, dated Jan.
2lst, confirms the reports of the formidable
movements of Gen. Grant againt Vicksburg.
On the goth Gen. McArthur's corps, compris-
ing twelve thousand troops, left Memphis on
fourteen transports for Milliken's Bend where
all the troops were as rapidly as possible con-
centrating for the grand final movement
Other bodies of troops had left for several
days previously, and other still were to follow.
One hundred and twenty-five transports, with
troops arms and stores, had gone down the
river up to the DIST. 1t was sad that there
were at that date between seventy thousand
and eighty thousand men at Mlliken's Bend;
and it was generally believed in military cir
Giles that before this immense force Vicks-
burg must inevitably fall. The sccessionists,
however, were equally confident that the ex-
petition would result in acknowledging, as
a reason for their confidence, that the Vicks-
burg Notifications mount three hundred and
eighty guns, and will be defended by a largely
increased force of veteran troops. The gen
tlen,an from whose letter we extract these
facts, believed the place would be taken, but
at an enormous sacrifice of life. Gen. Grant
himself was confident and determined, and
would leave no effort or combination untried.
From other sources we learn that General
Grant has been obliged to dig an entirely new
canal opposite Vicksburg, that commenced by
Gen. Williams last fall having been planned
ON unsound engineering principles. At last
accounts the water was flowing in rapidly, and
it was expected that the river would soon
make itself at home in the new channel. Gen.
Grant had several guns in position at the foot
of the canal, with which to silence a battery
planted by the rebels opposite. A consider
able force has crossed the bend and is now en-
camped opposite Warrenton in order to COM
muncate with the forces from below when it
arrives. Warrenton is probably twenty or
thirty miles below Vicksburg
REBEL TERMS OF PEACE.
The confederate house of representatives
has before it a set of resolutions, offered by
Mr.. Foote of Tennessee, defining the condi-
tons on which they will consent to treat for
peace. This is the best offer they will make
in response to the overtures of their northern
friends for armistiCe and Cancellation. The
preamble to Mr. Foote'S resolutions sets forth
that the confederates have demonstrated their
ability to maintain their independence by
force of arms; that great politi ,al reaction
against this unnatural war has taken place in
the most influential states of the north, but
that the friends of peace in the north do not
understand southern opinion; wherefore the
confederate congress proceeds to set forth =
/. There is no plan of demonstrating what
was formerly known as the federal Union, to
which the people of the confederate states will
ever consent. Wrongs too grievous and null
tiplied have been committed upon us, and
upon our most cherished rights, by united
north, since this unprOvoked and most wicked
war commenced; majority of the people of
the northern states have too evidently shown
themselves to be utterly incapable of self
government and unmindful of all the funda-
mental principles upon which alone republican
institutions can be maintained. They have
too long submitted patiently to the iron rule
of the basest and most degraded despotism
that the world has yet known; for too long a
period of time they have openly and unblush-
inpv sympathized with the lawless and fero
cious mlscreauts who have been sent into the
bosom of the unoifending south to spill the
nrecious blood of our most valued citizens
TO polute and desecrate all that we hold in
esnecial respect and veneration-to rob us of
our property-t0 eXpel us from our homes,
and wantonly to devastate our country-to al
low even of the possibility of our ever again
consenting to hold the political connec-
finn with those who have SO cruelty outraged
our sensibilities and so profoundly dlShonored
themselves, and in association with whom we
feel that we could not expect that freedom
which we love, that self-respect which we are
determined ever to cultivate, and the esteem
and sympathy of civilized and Christian ma
tions.
-. While the confederate states of Amerl-
ca are not all responsible for the existing war,
and have been at all times ready to particl
rafc in such arrangements as would be bes
suited TO bring it to close, in amanner consis
tent with their own safety and honor, they
could not Weld their consent to an armistlc'
Il sirgle dav or hour so long as the incen