, 1863-03-21


gun previously agreed to be fred In case Of
success. If this rnmor be true, 1t is the pre-
lude to amoYcmeut which must be made upon
Vicksburg from the rear, Several days since,
General ~ division left Memphis with the
intention Of proceeding to Lake Providence.
I am told they have been turned back and
only await the arrival Of smaller boats to take
them into Ynzoo Pass and Noon Lake, from
whence they will join the forces under Gen.
German. Whether these various reports are
correct, !, Of course, not being en- rapport
with Gen. Grant, cannot determine.
The Canal ut Lake Providence is finished,
and only requires Il few hours labor to admit
the water. The channel is seventy feet wide
and deep enough to admit as large drauglt
boats as Gen. Grant will desire to send Into
the streams and bayous below, 4 soldier
from an Illinois regiment stationed there,
tells me 1t is doubtful If the authorities will
admit the water ut all. He says they are
fearful the element will be SO aroused, that it
will be difficult to manage it. In other words
that the wuter instead OF keeping the channel
designed for it, may seek IN outlet either aide
and submergc the whole country. The trees
are cut down in Bayou Macon and Bayou Ten
sas, and the experiment will be tried when
Gen. Grant thinks proper. Personally, / have
nu fait1l in H..
Yesterday, Col. Ferguson, Of the rebel
army, Eent fag Of truce to Col. Pritchard,
cf thc gunboat Tyler, now stationed opposite
GrecnyiIle, demanding TO Know upon what
principles the United States authorities iusti-
fed the capture Of two Of his men, bearing a
i'ag of truce, the preceding duy. Capt F.
told the officer in charge Of tlle flag, that it
was borne by two men whom for sevcral days
he had found lurking about the streets Of
Greenyillc, evidently. spying the movements
stead Of being taken prisoners, they should
lave been shot He promised to refer the
matter 10 tie Admiral for decision. HI re-
qucsted Col. Ferguson to be informed that
this plan Of sending fugs upon trivial errauds
must be abandoned, and dismissed the party
very cavillerly.
Col. Ferguson if the officer in command of
the forces whom Gen. Burbridge engaged a
fortnight since near Greenrille. There are
] zoo Of them now cncamped on Deer Creek,
six miles cast Of the town. From all ac-
counts they we're more thnn match for Bur-
Il retreat more hasty than dignited. It is
proper to speak we'll Of the bridge which ear
r1cs one safely over, but it is not usun1 to des.
troy it. They say that the advance Of the re-
treatinG column destroyed an important
bridge before they had nll crossed over, and
fell into the valiant Co!onel's hands,
The sanitary condition Of the army is i'm
proving, circumstance rather remarkable
with we take into consideration the rapid
rise Of the water, and the imminent danger OF
being drowned out.
The canal across The peninsula is being
dcepened at reasonable rate Unfortunately,
Hf H11 ffe 11nG
citnt to Keep out The Mississippi; but an-
other is being constructed. The water rush.
lnE III when VIC We're unprepaTcd for it, caused
the side leyees to yield 10 the pressure. This
accident of course will delay its completion
several days.
Tie Confederate steamer Webb lies on the
Mississippi shore, evidently sinking. 4 largo
fracture Is apparent in her bow, and she
looks as If abandoned Bod.
Il E1enr OF V1cKsBuna. March Is, 1868.
The ditch digging peans Of our generals,
frankly confess, hayc-no attractions for me
hare more confidence in the efficacy Of shot
and shell than in the spade and faith. Il
prayers, ftsting and ditching would save !.
country, the bogus Confsderacy would long
ago have occupied the highest niche among
the nations. It may be that, in their efforts
TO save their country, they have not used up
propriatc accompanying works.
Vicksbu.g, like the kingdom Of Heaven
must be taken by force and violence. Ou
soldiers arc in the daily habit Of visiting tht
point Of land directly opposite the Vicksbure
steamboat landing, and holding conversation:
with the soldiers and citizens. The river /:
here but five or six hundred yards wide, AM
they ate able to converse with little diilic1lty
| Day before yesterday some Of the 6th Mis-
souri, regiment visited the Point, and talket
| with the rebels as follows:
t'Where is the lntianola:''
"G9ne to 9,i ~, wl'e;e you'll go, If yo'
"Whtn are you going to surrender Vicks
bnrc:''
Never! by G-dn
What do you think of The Dummy':''
Big thi1g.''
90, Orr stock Of f. in'sr1ogatories was soon ex
WHATS your regiment"
"The Sth Missouri"
s'C1car out, we've got no chickens herc!r
whats yuur opinion Of the canal?"
"Go TO h. replied the Federal, and sui
lenIy retired.
We have learned the occasion Of the brigh
light in Vicksturg, mentioned in aprccedin
| letter. On the plateau south Of the VicEs
b,1g and jackson Railroad, the rebels hay
erected Drumn,ond Light, whose brIllian
rays arc from time to time turned upon tn
river lest pcrchance strange craft from aboy
should be found navigating the waters. TIL
value Of the Institution to them, in case th
Gunboais shall again attempt to run the bal
: tories, cannot he oyer-estimatcd, since thu
would be able to know just where to dtrct
their shot. The usc Of the Drumnond Ligl
is not new. The Federal army hare long use
| 1t on the Potomac 10 detect snugglcrs. II
inf, .,n I11iprf his rama nftnr d1r1
Just below the en16oNchtr Of the cut of, Hhe
all at once, the fnl1 rays Of the light wei
: turned upon him, and Immediately thcreaftc
there came Kissing and screaming oycr tt
waters shot from Whistliug Dick" whlc
dropped in the water just in front and covert
+ thus easily, and sought the leyec.
q ] have just learned that Capt. Ostrandcr ar
, | the Clerk Of the Alinnehaha have been sent
Alton "dnrinE the war; by order Of Gel
: Grant, for landing Andrew jackson Donclsc
and lht friends on the Mississippi shore, col
= been to Memphis for supplies, and inform
tion, and By some means obtained from Gcl
!. | I1ur!but . passport for Ills return. The Ca
5 tain Of the boat, instead OF landing him at Il
. mouth Of White River under the protectic
ola gunboat, as he was required to DO By Il
b instructions, stopped the boat At Carson
c Landing, and sent him ashore In yaw1, th,
erdangerinr the boat and the soldiers II
stores on board. This decision Of Gener
/. Grunt, in his case, is just right. An ente
1rising party Of guertllas could have capture
the boat and all On board.
D The Coprerleads are at work In tho arm
| oftLe Mississippi. Ono Brown, an Egyptis
/ member Of the Illinois Legislature, is said I
: b. here on = mission Of treason. I am
!. formed that he brought down q trunk, II
Q false bottom Of which WAS filed With incc
; diary and reasonable documents for distrlb
ton among the troops. Fortunately, a loy
Z man on the Minnellaha heard Of it, and
formed tho Provost Marshal, who at on
e placed him under Surveillance. The eTiden
IS Is accnmulating, and the prospect Is th1t Il
|. | Hon. Brown Of Adams will ere long become
IS sc1lizcn Of Alton.
). have just learned that more importa
i demonstration Will be made upon Vicksbu
9 by way Of Yazoo Pass, and Us there are
t | evidences Of movements here, I have co
IS cluded 10 shift my quarters, and shall leave
q a day or two for the interior.
n cannot leave this locality without addil
A ! nv testimony 10 that Of thousands Of othc
Il to the good accomplished By that not
charity, the Western Sanitary Commlss1c
They have loaded a steamer with vegetab|
IN ard delicacies, which they are now dlstrib,
ing without money and without price, to t
~ sick and weary soldier. "God bless the Sa
" tary Commission" is heard On every hand.
le Bon
y. 0ER WASHINGTON LETTER,