Daily national Republican., 1863-03-20
SIEGE OF vICKsBURG.
THE DAMS or THE CANAL BREAK AND
CAUSE 4 STAlPEDE.
QUAKER GUNBOATDRAWS THE
REBEL FIRE.
Correspondence of the Evening Post.
HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY orr

NICKsBURG, March 10, 1858.
Day before yesterday, while the men in the
canal were yet at work, the dam at tho upper
end of il suddenly began to yield to the i'm
mense pressure Of the winter Of the river, and,
with only few minutes notice, gave way and
allowed the river 10 rush In. When II broke,
there was a difference of eight feet between the
bottom Of the canal and the surface Of the
water in the river. The violence OF the torrents
as IL rushed through, sweeping away whselbar-
rows, plank stagings and all the implements OF
labor, was terrific. A wave Of foaming, angry
water rushed like an avalanche along the whole
length Of the canal---a mile and a quarter. The
caual itself was full In a fow minutes, and the
water began TO spread In few hours there
was not spot Of dry land on the peninsula,
except the narrow pathway Of the levee which
surround II, ana by noon there was lake of
over n thousand acres In area, where in the
morning there had been as many acres Of land.
EFFEcT oP THE BREAK.
The earth which had been taken out of the
canal in eXcayating, had been wheeled up to
the west side OF tho canal, and there formed an
embankment, or levee, which It was supposed
would prevent the water from flooding the
country on that side, and the ground on which
nearly all Of our army was encamped. Ut will
be remembered that the point of the peninsula
is to the east, toward Vcksburg, and that the
canal, running north and south, cuts the penn-
sula at right angles, nearly three miles from
the city, aud that nearly all Of our camps were
behind this embankment, and having the canal,
the peninsula, and the river between them and
Vicksburg.) Neither the canal nor the en-
bankment, however, had been quite completed,
and the water soon began to pour over the un-
finished bank. Some regiments that were in
EXPOSED positions had lO gather up tents and
camp equipagc In hot haste and dire confusion,
and run for the lcycu. Several companies,
which were on tho south side ui the peninsula
Hs,fI h.st
be ferried 10 the main body Of the army in
boats.
The embankmcut of the EiCksburg and
| Shreveport railway, however, which cuts the
peninsula nearly longiuudinally has thus far
prevented the war from flooding the northwest
quarter Of the peninsula. But yesterday even
| that was considered insecure, aud the troops
were ali ordered to shift their camps to the
levee. A few regiments did move up, and find
| the "glbOw-room" ssant enough. Think of a
whole army-men, mules, horses, wagons,
tents and artillery, crowded on an embank-
ment but little wider than q railroad track
Tonight there seems TO be less danger of the
floods reaching this quarter, and those regi-
ments which had not moved are ordered 10 re-
tain their old camps.
Gen. Grant has taken steps to rebuild the
dam ankpreyent the influx Of any more water
until tho canal Is completed. There is but
little TO do 10 II yot and II can be completed in
spite of the water, but the accident win retard
the movements which were in contemplation a
week or ten days.
ANOTHER MOCK GUNDoAT.
Last night the enemy were victimized again
by another Quaker" gunboat, on which they
must have expended three to four thousand
dollars worth Of ammunition. The sham craft
which ran the gauntlet Of their batteries at
! Nicksburg hos been In course of construction
for several daySby the crews of our fleet, which
lies in the mouth Of the Yazoo. A small raft
Of legs represented the hull of q ram and gun.
boat sunk low In the water with the supposed
great weight Of her metalj upon this a slight
superstructure was built 10 represent the case.
mates; her smoke stacks were represented by
two logs set on end, and the whole painted
black. The counterfeit was so accurate that
even in daylight Il was difficult to detect It at
distance Of three hundred yards.
About midnight she was towed down TO the
point by one OF the tugs and cast adrift TO begin
her engagement with the rebel batteries. A very
small fire had been kindled inside the sham
classmates TO deceive the enemy iuto the belieI
that they caught glimps0s Of tTeacherous gleaml
of battle lanterns. She had scarcely turned thI
point before the watchful enemy opened ter
rife cannonade upon her with their huge siege
guns, which lasted nearly an hour. The pc
ninsula is 80 flooded that we have not been ablI
to learn anything of her fate, and cannot, there
fore, judge of the accuracy of tho enemy's tirI
at night.
What gave some color of truth to the RUS
was that the new gunbOat Lasayette came dow
yesterday afternoon 10 the enemy and tried tn
range Of her enc hundred-pounder Parrotte OF
the city, and they doubtless were certain tina
II was she running the blockade TO take plac
of the lndianola.