Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1863-07-21

MEL Dale, Miss, June &c.

It takes many little items TO make
experience. We have one added to ours
1t just takes ope f,ur-barre to make q
bed, aud you eau make wash stand on,
Of the bead. An elegant bed it makes toe
drive in four stakes with crotches-lay
two sPokes length wise-you'll get enough
nails out of the barrel to tack every stave
on. Then, t:ees have plenty of Spanish
moss-it is the same with which carriages
are stuffed. Now it hangs like grea,
Jewish beard, such as We see in the pic
tures of Abraham, Isaac and Jaeob--that
Wiry, hair-like substance is covered with q
grey fuzz-which is left to rot away after
it is gathered in heaps.
Corp. Mccormick, Dawson, Carey aud
others Of my Company, Serg. Guteiius,
Chaplain, Co. +, and others cant just
recall, have been detailed at headquarters
since before we lief, Newport News. The
other day they were eomiug down the
Mississippi, when, at Cypress Bend, /
thipk about % miles below Napoleon, they
were fred into by a Rebel battery from
the Arkansas shore. No. s gunboat was
ahead. out of sight, followed by ,be Jacob
Stradcr with ammunition, next boat they
call the "Lit,lc Reb," aud then the
pri.pa Donna. The levee all along the
mississippi affords = frequent ready made
cmbsnkmeut, behind which they CAP safely
shelter. A few shots reached the sterB Of
the Sirader; the Little Reb was damaged
10 some way and backed, so that the Prima
Donna had to back too, leaving II steady
mark. Broads:de after ro,d,ide was
poured into her, until now she shows tie
marks Of forty-three cannon balls, beside
being perfectly ridd!ed with muske,ry.
The second or third fbot went through
her boiler, which made her helpes, aud
she swung arouud. Surrender, you
id Yankees" the Rebels yelled, when
the gunboat No. s came arouud the bend,
and poured double round Of grape and
canister into them, md they vanished
with the smoke. Twenty one mules aud
five horses we're scalded aud killed. There
we're upward of twenty men on board
not one hit-fvo were wounded BY
tplinters.
Yesterday, there was the most continu-
Gus and heavy canDonsde | ever beard. |
1t is said to have epualed Fredericksburg,
IL it did net exceed. From early in the
morning until late in tho evening, the
pounding was awful The main centre
forii6ca,ioD, a uile or 50 IN the rear oil
vIeksburg, was mined, s'orned and taken
by the centre under Gen. M'Pherson.
We have beard bat !Ntle firing to day.
The lvss aud casualties We DO not know
yet
We Wero on the gu; rire for several
dsys-ready to march at moments
warning Rifle pits we're dug with raveu-
ous haste, and tho gian, forest trees were
laundering into the Tavines, and the hill
tops and the lighter cloud Of under-brush,
we're swept before the ruthless blast of
shsypebed steel. that is to say, We
chopped down the woods that obs,ructed
the range of batteries and might agOrd
shelter to an approaching enemy. 1t is
now ascertaincd that johnson only sent
Division or two across the Big ilack-has
kiuce recrcssed, and is supposed to have
transferred bs forces to up along the
River between this and Memphis, with the
design of erecting batteries aud destroying
our boa,s-cut,ipg Of communication aud
supplies.
We bsve pleasant quarters, good water.
aud healthy as yet. Little 70 trouble US
details for picket and fatigue
duty, aud no mosquitoes. Snakes as
scarce almost as in Ireland, but when
found tbsy are whsppers