The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1863-07-25
The Inter or OF yickshugg,

VIZ e'"0ua'ioh. we SeleC6 IcW Of the
most interesting facts.
AT the first glance, the place does not
appear to have suffered much from the
bombardment. 1t is only after minute
searching that you begin to see that
almost every house is pierced by she'll
and shattered in places. Not a whole
pane of glass is to be found. The streets
in places are plowcd up, and huge era
ters about the size of hogshead are to
be found all over. Some of the houses
have had corner or side blown out by
the bursting of shells inside.
~ little girl was instantly killed by a
shell entering the cave where she lay,
taking off her head.
A speech, composed at the Mississp-
plan office, in Jackson, purporting to be
that of Pemberton, was received with
great surprise when carried to him to be
approved lie never made any such
speech, and it is believed this was in
vented by Johnston, to encourage his
own troops.
The greatest curiositcs are the caves
hcwn into the banks of the earth, in
which the women and children and non
combatants crcpt during the heat of the
bombardmcnt. At night, and sometimes
during an entire day, the whole of these
people would be confined to the caverns.
They are constructed about the height
of man and three feet wide, fork Y
shaped into the bank. There are per-
haps five hundred Of these caves in the
city abound the works. As many as tif-
teen have been crowded into one Of them.
We fud sixty cars and sixty locomo-
tiyes on the track near the depot. Many
Of the one hundred an two field pieces
have been dismounted, and some few
ruined by our shots. Two of the heavi-
est rifle guns have been burstcd of la C
by the inccssant firing
The Rebel Notifications we can now
see wi a more comprehensive and con-
nected view. The line running from the
river above to the river below is some
what of The crescent shape, bent little
on the upper end. 1t is eight miles in
length and runs irregular so as to take
advantage of the inequalities of the hills.
On every hill land they are numerous)
is slight raised earthwork of gabions
similar to our own. The works are we'll
laid out, but at present so defaced and
torn up BY the thousands Of shells that
their features are at present not recog-
nl2able. The ground is honey combcd
with pits and trenches, where the infan-
try men have crouched day after day
doing little more than shelter themselves
against bullets How they were enabled
to do it so successfully is a matter Of
profound wonder. Indeed, it is the
most remarkable phenomenon of the
siege, that notwithstanding the shells
were coming in unexpected intervals, and
III caprlcious quantities and directions
the whole III erlor arear being under the
range-that the people could not move
| about.
1t will be observed that the Lieuten-
ant-General was anxious to make a stip-
ulatlon saving the personal property of
the officers, which was intended to i'll
clude the slaves and servants. We had
hardly gotten possession of the city
when we were apprised of the signf-
canoe Of the clause. The recruiting
officers commenced their novel style of
recruiting by forcing the darlies into a
CORA and there enlis, Ing them into the
service of uucle Sam. The Rebel Off
GERS were indignant, the darkies amazed
and the new cap aims delighted with the
operation. We shall soon hear of the
LIST and I'd Mississippi regiment OF the
Corps d Antique.
should mention these curiosities of
warfare which saw in the shape of
wooden mortars, which VIC had put in
use against the Rebels, for throwing 10
or l2-pounder shells over our works
without exposing themselves to the dan
ger of premature ignition or the chances
of being picked off while loading
These are an old invention, almost for
got en-, revived, and turned to servicable
account. The mortars are turned in a
lathe, like the hub of wagon wheel,
and bored out to hold a small SHE'LL
An ounce or two Of powder is sufficient
to throw over the shell and light the
fuse with the charge. These shells
prove destructive to men, as the Rebels
could throw them further and with more
accuracy than If thrown by hand They
make but very little report when fired.
They had but one l3-nch mortar, situa-
ted in ravine below the town, and so
worked as to fire over the river towards
Logan's 'front.'
The statement is made that when
General Grant landed in Mississippi,
Pcmberton had under his command at
Grand Gulf and Eicksburg over sixty
thousand men and about one hundred and
seventy pieces of artillery--a force larger
than Grants army at that time. 1t is
also SAID that the $4,000 now captured
are the last Of his army. Over e-half
was lost by deaths, wounds and deser-
tons during the series of battles fought
east of Black river. He lost very large
ly by desertion at. Champion Hill and
Black river bridge. What record !
In two months and four days Grant
destroys an army larger than his own,
and takes the most strongly fortified
position on the continent, with compare
tiyely small loss to his own force.
Including quite number of 8, 10
and ll-inch columliads in the water bat
terles, the number of cannon taken will