New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-03-24
THE SIEGE OF vICKsBURG.

THE SIEGE OF vICKsBURG.
Another Sham Gunbsat RAINING the Rebel
Batseries-Hcr Warm Reeeption-Morc
Southern Cannon Explodcd-The Enc
my Indignant nj the Loss Of the Indin.
noIs-Experimens Of the Ia cfte-The
Canal and the Crcvnssc-Hygienic Con.
ditisn Of the Army Corduroy Roads
Metcorslogy md Mud.
From Oar Special Correspondent
AREr 0y THE TESsEssKR, opposite Vicksburg.)
Below YonnIs Point, MADISON Parish. La,
Thursday evening March H. 1863 }
No mail has gone North from here since my last
letter was written. The dispatcb.boats continue to
increase in regularity and diminish in number, on
account of the mprsssment of steamers 90 the West
ern ard Southern waters into the service Of the
Government.
On the morning Of Tuesday, tho 10th, between
and O'Clock, another sham gunboat, which had
been prepared some days before, was turned sdrift
and hoated in formidable and bellicose style down
the curren, in the direction of vicksburg. She was
coon perceived by the Rebel sentries, though the
morning was dark and stormy land signals were
made to the commandeg Of the batteries to prepare
for the hostile vessel.
From tho deck Of Admirnl Porter's flagship it
was plain . sensation prevailed in the Secession
stronghold. Lishts fitted rapidly to and froi
rockets CLEANED in tho air, ms the sable Quaker
moved do vn the Mississippi, and the enemy was
evidently resolved 10 make the running Of the block
ade, tbls tim.. o very serious busness.
Tse heavy guns spoke out bravely as she scow
aoated by In .orene indifference. They fairly bel
lowed with rage. The shells shrieked aud the
grea, round-shot howled they Cow over and fell
around her. bat on che went, unhurt and unchecked,
till the foo lost sight Of her in the bend Of the river
Ninety shots were fired At the Yankee Doodle, ."
as we call her, which must have cost the " Confsd-
eracy" some &, 900, while the scow herself was
constructed at 10 expense Of elk dollars aud seventy
five cents.
A d.sertsr says tie Rebels burst two Of their
guns. one thirty-two aud the other a sixty. -four
FOUNDER, on tie occasion, which, il true, must have
n.cunjarily "a well as otherwise. The enemy. ac-
cording TO account exploded four or five guns in
firing AZ tho Queen lndianola and the sham gun
boat No. |. Ii no continue ut this rate, he will get
rid OF a number Of cannon before the siege 10 over.
Tho "chiyalry" must have been very Indignant
when thew found themselves duped by second
nard on water. The Z" Yankee Doodle had flag
ayin1 al her bow with "A skull and cross-bones, u
carcature Of the "Down-Easter' ION the wheel.
housed with long.taed coat, pair OF short pania-
Icons, aud his fingers 10 bis nose, assuming cant
| come IL expression.
since nv iast have seen q very late paper from
yicksburg. which contains an editorial that fully
and explicitly corroboraies the loss OF the lndanola,
nnd gives the manner thereof. She was, after all,
blown up by tho Rebels because they saw the Qua
| k.r No. floating down toward Warronton under
the imprersion that rhe was formidable iron-clad.
| Tie military authorities observed her, and sent
word TO the officers on board to destroy her. Soon
after they revoked this order; but It was too late.
The devoted Indiinols had been blown to atoms
notbiug saved whaever-hoI even respectable
sized fragment Of u gun.
| After making this statement with deep sorrow,
the VIcksburg journal proceeds 10 say that it would
seem as if they rbe Rebels Lad no need OF gunboas
on the Missssipp-that 1t 10 impossible to keep one;
that If fortune ave them u hrstciass Hon-clad she
ia certain TO be destroyed by the oyer-hse or fear
or mbecllity of the authorities, when single vessel
of tho kind would be worth whole army 10 them.
The enemy assnredly has h4.. ill luck with gun.
boats down here. Alter having tried 80 often aud
,o netsey.ripgly to construct one, and failed in all
cases except in that OF the Arkaueas. he, by Il
strange piece Of good fortune, Obtains possessou al
tina Indinuoi and blows her into fragments at sight
Of AN inpoceat aud venerable coal-boat that had
never even slept beneath the shadow of cannon.
! Poor Rebels Happy lndianola! You persisted IN
a good cause but IN bad hands!
| The experiment OF the Lafayette in running below
here. ana trying her powerful guns upon Vicksburg,
a day or two ago, was not very satisfactory. She
did not succeed drawing the ensmys fire, aud il il
suupoaed her own shot passed over the town. She
crsat.d n good deal Of excitement in the city
oppo.ite and the tower Of the Coart Hone was
thropu.d with Confederate officers with various
plass.s In their hands, aud, viii not venture to as
sau. how many more down their throats.
! Two dredgiug-machines are still at work near the
bead of ths canal; but nothing effective has been
done IA vet TO stop the crevasse, which has Indeed
materially increased. II Ia proposed to stop the
break by sinking at-boats laden with earth in tue
uap and | think this may be effective, If attempted
before t IL too lac. Meanwhile the river is running
through the canal at O tremendous rate, washing.
wearing and sweeping the soil rapidly away.
! The canal will not 10 completed, IN my opinion,
during the month, and must BAY once more, l have
! little faith that il W II ever prove advantageous
to us in proportion to the amount of labor expended
on it, Hardly any one Inns coniidensA in the enter.
prise, although Gen. Grant expects material results
from and is very anxious to complete the work.
/ Let US wait aud hope
The late very wet and stormy weather, and the
partial overflow of the peninsula has increased the
sick list OF the sole remaining corps tho 18th, now
! in this immediate vicinity.
| No wonder. The camps OF Shernan's command
are huddled together along the ievee with the wa
ter above, below, and all around tbem-still, stag
nant understanding damp chills, miasmatic mala
ria; breeding debility, pneumonia fever, death.
In tho present locality this condition cannot DC