The independent. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Kan.) 1860-1874, 1863-05-30
Vicksburg from Within.

The Chicago Post states that Solo
mon Woolworth, privale in the 1871
Illinois regiment. arrived la'ely direct
ly from Vicksburg. During the las
two and halt months he has been re-
connoiiering the Confederate lines, h a.
visited all the rebel camps and forli6ca.
tons in and about Vicksburg, Por,
Hudson. Mobile, Grand Gulf. Colum-
bus, Ala, and o:her importan, points,
taking notes of his observa,i rs.
The Post further says:
| Nj Woelworth was in Vicksburp for.
ufcaticns for four days in March. and
minu'.ls examined them. He STATES
lhas there Are about 500 guns mounle ed
! in AMI about the city. rsass.ng from one
hundred and elgn,y 10 SIX FOUNDERS.
well manned by experienced ar.illerists.
The Confederate troops be calculates al
thirty -one thousand strong. under Lieut.
Gen. Pemberton /; al Tie time OF his
visit, most oil the infantry in the city
we're on half ra,ions Of corn meal, with
no other provisions Of any kind. The y
are well clothed. and are armed with
he Harper Ferry muske,s. stolen by
Floyd. OF the above force aLou, 5000
is cavalry. Their supplies are kept AT
Jackson, Miss. ready to be fo' warded
at momeuts S notice to the army.
| From his interesting narative We learn
that through the States Of Mississippi
aud Alabama commissioners have been
sent, whose duty it is t. divide up the
provisions ia those two States, belong
ing {" planters and others, and all is
contiscated with the exception OF the
following rations: To white residents.
sufficient food for their Subsistence TO
The Ist of July: 10 each negro lbs oil
bscon per week. and half peck OF
meal up 10 the lst of July. The sur
plus will barely supply he army until
July next. All means OF obtaining pro
visions from other points outside Of
these States have been Gu; of.
Having the confidence of the com
manding generals as we'll as all The in
te,ior officers, Mr. w. succeeded in
eliciiiny the following information as To
their intentions. In The event Of the
fall Of Vicksburg they intend to retire
To Tennessee and 60 to The aid Of Bragg.
with every man in the southwestern
part Of the Corfederscy, and by the
aid OF superior force, cut their way
into Kentucky, where they expec, 10
obtain supplies TO feed their army. and
win TO their standard many Of the in
habitan's Of that State. They boast,
that they will then carry the "war into
Africa" by crossing the Ohio. AMI en-
tering Indiana. half of whose lnhabi,-
ants, they say. are with them when
their advance guard approaches ID,
border. They calculate upon raids in.
to Illinois and other S ates in the north
west. for The purpose of devastating
the country aud destroying cities, there
oy producing an eifec, upon the public
mind IN favor OF compromise sud peace
on their own terms. This is their pro-
gramme. and they declare that ii is
their last and only hope.
His description of the feeling all
Vicksburg while our forces were she'll
ing the city, is interesting. lie was in
The city at The time and hundreds from
The rural districts, including ladies. came
ln to see "ihe Yankees fo,ling away
their ammunition" as they styled i'll
Only two shells reached the city. The
sanitry condition is horrible. FOUL
smelling dens are ia every pa,t. The :
mail pox RACES fercely, and other con- ,
aYeous diseases are not uncommon.
There was considerable sickness among
he Confederate soldiers.
In February he witnessed the explo-
Ion OF a percussion shell in the Jack
ION arsenal. which blew up The arsenal.
iiilins 100 women and 40 men, and 5
endcfins il a total wreck. Vast ouan {
ltles OF powder. shells. and other am
milton were destroyed. The explod-
ng shells destroyed many baiiiinss in
he city. and killed a number of eli a
ems IN the slreeis. Two shells pene. ]
rated the capitol. The shell thai cre-
led all this mischief had been cap,ur- . .
u from tosecrans, and while being l
andied in the arsenal exploded, with q
t. abovp rasnl,s u