, 1863-05-26
FROM YICkSBURG TO
RICNM0ND.
Travelling in Dixie at
Rebel Expense.
kN0RTHEhEl CORKESP0 0NNEMT
---MHAT he SAW,
INTERESTING AND IMPORT
ANT STATEMENTS,


lis FIVE SAGE Coa;lus1oas.
Especial Dispatch 10 .Ae Chicago Tribune.]
| WASHINGTON, May ej, 1868.
Nr Richard F. Cclharn, chicf Western cor
respondent Of the New Yors TEU7ld, has Just
arrived here from our army near Viyk>buig,
| via Vicksburg itself, Jackson, Miss, Selma,
| and Montgomery, Ala, Atlanta, Ga, Knox
vile, East Tenne=sce, Lynchburg anu Rich
mond, Va. He furnishes the following narr:l-
tive, which is all the moro Important from his
reliable habits Of accuracy, ard the unusually
| excellent opportunities he enjoyed while pass
ing through the country to converse with the
| people, aud to learn whatever could be seen
along the route.
On the evening Of sunday,th Sd inst., three
correspondents, Mcssrs. a. D. Richardson
| aid Browne, Of the New York Tribune, and
Co!burn, Of the IEofsd, anxious to reach the
advance column Of Grants army, then near
Graz Gnst, took advantage Of m expedition
to our batteries at Vicksburg, Warrentou and
Grand Cult, with provisions for the troops.
The tug sturges, towing two bargcs covered
"iail hay bales, started ut o'clock Il. IN. from
| Milnken's Bend, with fifteen sharpshooters
tieni Company B, 47th Ohio, crew Of eight
fer the ting, aud four others besides the cor
respondents volunteers.
| At O'Clock they approached the batteries
| above Fickeburg Just as they reached the
extreme range the rebels sent up rockets,
ard in ten minutes they began firing, the
beautiful moonlight giving them perfectly
! distinct view. In rounding the point the
| firing became very heavy, The first shot they
tired struck one Of the bargcs, and several
oth.rs soon after. At IS o'clock, as they
were passing abreast Of Vicksbur4 Court
House, as they were exposed to conccn-
1catcd fire Of all the bat cries, n 10 inch shot
struck the boiler and furnaces Of the tug, bio n.
ing her to atoms with u terrific explosion. 4
shower Of cindcrs from her furnaces setting
tire to the hay OIL the barges. At the same
Instant several shrlls burst on the
barges, adding to the flames. The lire
srread rapidly, and The scalded and
wounded men began crying for help. The
rcbels on the bluffs were yelling like demons
shots whfstling over the boys almost con-
stantly, the firing seeming hourly to increase
At the discovery Of our helpless condition
!; bales Of hay were thrown oyerboard fur the
crew and sufferers; when all was provided for,
the correspondents leaped iuto the current
and swan to the nearest hay bales, and then
cndeayored to make the Louisiana shore.
While tloundcring about in this effort, the
rebels ceased firing, and sent out boAts to
seize us. After having been in the water
about an hour, all the survivors were picked
up. -Four persons were killed by the expEo-
sion or drowned; the rest were all saved, five
of them badly Ecalded, and one wounded by
shell. In all about one hundred shots were
fired, at least twenty of which were fired at
the burning vessels, and at the crew and pas
sengers struggling in the water.
Tn landing, the survivors were taken TO
yicksburg Jail, a horribly filthy place. After
few hours custody, Capt. Ward and Surgeon
Dandlon and the correspondents were trans
fer1cd to the city Court House, where they
! remained two days, when it was decided to
j send us to Richmond. We were disappointed
Mt the real weakness Of Vick5burg. Nut
more than II, 900 men have ut at auv time
been there. The defences, both Of tronr and
rear, are vastly less formidable than Is gcner-
ally supposed; thu rear detenceS arc rude
and unfinished. The Big Black River Bridge
is almost defenceless. The country about
|icksburg is Ailly and broken. The roads
everywhere bad.
When Sherman landed at Milliken's Bend,
in December, the rebels had force Of l,;,OO
lien in Vicksburg aud its dcfenccs, but they
were rapidly reinforced till the day OF shcr-
mans assault, when they had 5000
At the time VIC were there, the city was half
deserted, aud the whole military force con-
sisted Of 600 west Of Black River, uuder
Gems. Forney and Losing, and COCO east of
that river, under Gen. Bowen. They we're
bringing supplies By railroad as rapidly as
possible.
Grlcrson's raid did not obstruct the railroad
| more than forty eight hours
AT jackson, on the 9Th inst, Gov. Pettus
| issued proclamation assuring the citizens
| that there was no danger, while at the same
tia: lie was removing tho records aud public
| ploi erty to Columbus.
Gen. Grants advance was within twelve
miles Of the place when We were through,
md great CONSERVATION prevailed in the city,
| On The sta, We we're sent to Dcmopolis, Ala,
thence 150 miles up the Alabama River, TO
! Montgomery.
Through central Alabama the wheat and
corn crops were abundant. Very little cot
ton is being raised, and, it is believed, con.
siderable Union feeling exists in that region.
Expressions of sympathy were common
There were but few troops either thsough
that region or any part Of the interior Of the
Contrdcracy which We visited the people
generally praying for peace. and very anxious
II inquiring when the war would be over.
! While we we're at Montgomery, Gen. Joe
! Johnston and staff passed through, on tho
way to Vick.burg. From Montgomery. we
we're sent to Vest Point, Ga, aud on the 18th
to Atlanta, Ga, where, contrary to our treat
nlent at all other places, We were confined in
! the military prison, on account Of complaints
that officers Of the gunboat 1ndi1uola, and
officers Of Col. straight's command, had been
treated with too much ciyility, by the popu-
lace at this place.
Newspapers were kept from us, and the
! food was cxecrable--sour corn bread and
rusty pork. In other places we were per
n'it1ca to pass through the town at will, but
here, II seems, other prisoners had bte:s cAertel
and tel1y tie pop"[der. Hence the unusual
stringency in our ease.
At Atlanta are large machine shops and an
o.6n nce foundry constantly engaged Oh cann-
on, s1uall arms aud ammunition. In all these
towns and throughout the country tile atlc-
bodied Acn are all gone, and the women, ne
grocs and children alone were left. The ne
groes are employed in repairing the railroads,