Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-03-16

ready to push forward again in the morning,
according to orders already issued. Some of
the vessels look pretty hard. The gunboat
Romeo has both her chimneys carried away.
| The tender Bayard has a hole in her hull. All
of them have their upper works badly torn to
pieces and their wheels more or less dlmaged,
but none are so badly injured as to at, ct their
working qualities materially. We shall start
forward at daylight in the morning with high
hopes and earnest desires to meet the enemy
as soon as he can conveniently show himself
We hear of him at the mouth of the Coldwa-
ter, which is now reported to be only twelve
miles from here. 1t is said that he has bat
terry there. He certainly has nothing at that
point that can hold out against our force. We
have not yet seen enough of civilization and
population since we emerged from the Yazoo
Pass, to ascertain what the condition of things
is below us. We expect warm work before
we get through. The more glory we shall
win.
CoLDwATER RIVER. March 3.-To-day we
have made about six miles down stream and
are now catching our breath after this rapid
locomotiOn, preparatory to an early start to-
morrow morning. The Coldwater river is but
slight improvement on the Yazoo Pass. 1t
lisa trihe wider, it is true-so wide, in fact,
that the branches seldom meet above it--but
III OelICl ICopSCIo VIC nave Sdlllcu HObuluB, So
far as ease of navigation is concerned. The
course of the stream is nearly as tortuous as
that of the pass, so that we cannot yet ven
ture to steam ahead, and as floating and back
ing up continues to be the order, the progress
made is provokingly slow Since my last
date we laid quiet at the mouth of the pass,
waiting for all the boats to come up. This
detained us until this morning, when we once
more started forward. The gunboat Petrol
and rams Lioness and Fulton have Joined us
and been placed at the head of the line-the
Petrol as an advance guard and to pick up
cotton, with which to make additional barr-
cades for the light draught gunboats. A plan
has been devised of so dsposing of cotton in
bales on these vessels as to render them near
ly as Impregnable as the heavy iron clads.
We are moving directly into the heart of the
most productive cotton region of the south,
and before reaching any point where we an
ticipate finding any formidable batteries we
shall have no difficulty in finding all the cot
ton we want.
Our force has also been increased by the
arrival OF two mortar boats. The huge 200
pound shells thrown by these monsters, added
to the heavy metal we are prepared to throw
in unlimited quantities from sundry nine, ten
and eleveninch guns, will have startling effect
on the nerves of the quiet people of Yazoo
City. These mortar boats, with the IA S,
bring our little expedition up to formidable
dimensions. If any anxious auticipations
were previously INDUCED in, growing
out of the daring and almost reckless
character of this movement they have been
entirely dispelled by these reinforcements,
and we are now all in excellent spirits, and
have not the slightest doubt of our ability to
pass through the Yazoo river despite any OBJ.
stacles the enemy may oppose to US. As yet
we are in utter ignorance of what arrange
ments have been made for us below, or when
we shall meet reception committee from the
rebels. Some accounts say we shall find
them at the mouth of the river; others tell us
that Van Dorm, with his entire army, is lying
in wait for us at the junction of the Talla-
hatchie river with the Yazoo, and is improv-
ing his leisure time in throwing up earthworks
and mounting guns, and generally terrifying
his position. If he is at the point indicated,
We shall probably come across HIM within a
week, when SOMEBODY will be hurt, unless
there shall previously be a grand skedaddle.
CoLDwArER RIVER, March 81 can re-
port but little progress since my last. We
have dropped about twenty miles further
down the stream, but have failed to discover
building or clearing to relieve the monot-
Ony Of an unbroken wilderness. The stream
wldens a little as we advance, but our boats
seem to suffer more damage than they did in
the pass, owing to the efforts made to crowd
them forward. We exgect to be i'll the Tala-
hatchie tomorrow, when we shall doubtless
begin to make progress in earnest. We have
received no intelligence of any kind as yet
from in front of us, having seen no living
being to talk with.
CINcINNArI, March ia special despatch
from Memphis gives report of fight on the
riy Al.
ers and eight transports were captured. No
particulars.
WASHINGTON, March l3.-The report from
Memphis OF the fight on the Yazoo river, and
the taking of transports, is consistent with the
knowledge that exist here that demonstra-
ton of our gunboats was at hand in that di-
rection, with a view Of cutting off rebel sup
plies. This is doubtless the signal of COM
bined operations.
OTHER OPERATIONS NEAR VICKSBURG.
CAIRO, March AT Lake Providence, l
am informed, our soldiers are actually revel-
ling, not sin clover" but in peach blossoms.
The air has become baImy. 1t no longer
bears poison and miasm upon its wings 1t
breathes only zephyrs of the ''sweet SOUTH
Is not this, also, cause for rejoicing? And
then success seems to have alghted upon our
banners. At least we anticipate success,
which is almost equal to enjoying it. And
several projects, long delayed, have actually
eliminated successfully.
The troops under General Grant, at Youngs
Point, are enjoying much better health than
when last wrote to you. Whether this may
be owing to the presence of better spirits, the
apparent success of portion of their labors,
or some other unknown cause, it is certainly
truth, apparent to all who have occasion to
move among the soldiers. The last news
from the point was brought yesterday, by the
steamer Diadem. 1t is TO Tuesday last
All the canals are now pronounced success
full, Notwithstanding the sage prediction of a
rebel newspaper, that the Yankees would fail
in the Williams canal because they wouldnot
dig deep enough to cut through the strata of
blue clay found beneath the sub-soil. 1t
would appear, from recent accounts, that even
that ditch may yet be of some service to us.
1t seems the Yankees did dig through the
clay, struck the quicksand under it, and as
soon as the dam shall be removed from the
upper mouth of the canal, the river, now
upon the rampage, will rush through it with
great force, and quickly delve channel large
enough and deep enough to float our heaviest
gunboats, and what more do we need2 Vicks-
burg may surrender, or hold out, if she can,
after this. We can afford to bide our time.
But she can not much longer hold out. She
must soon surrender. l am at loss to know
what they may be able to do to escape the
meShes of the net spread about them. True,
they may, through some imperfect manage
ment-some loop hole, unknown and unpro-
fpptad nv orr forpas-hp able IN pvapuata tha