The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-07-03
siege OF vieksburg.


Is REAR OF NIcEsBURo, June 81
Thirty four days and the siege still
continues, the flag OF treason still llies
dehantly over the parapets in our front.
Meantime events Of startling nature
are extremely rare. People seem to be
expecting something sensational from
here every day, forgetting that nothing
is more tame and prosaic than regular
siege. Between the difficulty of finding
anything interesting TO send North and
the equal difficulty OF sending it when
found, we have a hard time Of il. The
postal arrangements between here and
the North are simply abominable 1t is
now the evening OF the 2lst, and not
boat has left for up river since the t0th.
When we do get n dispatch or letter
aboard of boat at Chickasaw Bayou,
ON the Hazoo, feeling confident we are
sending something that viii be late and
interesting we are frequently narrowed
twenty hours after by hearing of the
same boat at Young's Point, going thro'
the performance they call coalng-
Somebody or something needs overhaul.
ing in this connection, but am not will
ing with my present limited information
to express any further opinion.
AT daylight on the 2Olh, a deserter
came into our line in front of Quimby,
having, however, the advantage of credi-
bility over Bulwer's. Sixteen months
ago he was in the United States gunboat
service, and passed inside the rebel lines
at Columbus, as a spy. After day or
two of perfect security he found himself
so closely watched that he discovered il
to be impossible to repass the lines, and
to ward of suspicion he enlisted in the
rebel sapper and miner service, and had
continued in it up TO the night he left.
His revelations OF matters in Vicksburg
are considered in official circles here to
be much more reliable than those usually
obtained, and no doubt they are. His
story does not differ materially from that
of the deserters who have been coming
into our lines nightly for the last three
weeks. In the matter of provisions, he
does not profess TO have the best infor-
nation, but he thinks it possible for
them to live ten days yet without actual
want Their stock of fresh meat has
failed entirely, nothing being left in the
meat line but very inferior article of
bacon They have some flour left, which
they have been reserving during the
whole siege, having issued none until
the last few days, from which he infers
that the stock of corn meal ia exhausted.
Nothing is issued but bacon and flour,
and of these one-third rations are dealt
out. On the other important point-am-
munition--he says tits admitted on all
sides to be the pearl of greatprice which
they are outstanding with the greatest
care and vigilance. Pemberton EMPLOYS
the citizens to gather up all of our shells
falling inside his lines that fail TO ex-
plode, and extract the powder from them.
for which he pays them six dollars per
pound. This fact, together with The
extremely careful manner in which they
expend their stock upon us proves con-
clusiyely that they have not the vast
stores of ammunition that rumor has all
along placed in their magazines.
On The next important item--theii
Dl0rale-his account is little more Ia
their credit, and and somewhat different
TO the usual version. lie says that thc
majority Of the rebel garrison are still
firm in the idea of resistance; that the
escape by surrender from their dilemma
is not yet thought OF in a word, that
there are no apparent signs OF demoral-
ization. They still pretend TO believe
in the hope of relief from Johnston, and
feeling secure behind their lastness: arc
loud in the expression of their opinion
that we cannot take the place by assault
A large portion OF this, however, is mere
whislling, as they are going past the
graveyard of their hopes as they are
eqally ready TO acknowledge that If We
canUot get IN, they cannot get out.
lie places their number above the
usual estimate, being firmly convinced
that there are twenty-five thousand men
in Vicksburg belonging in some capacity
TO the rebel army. OF this number he is
equally certain that ten thousand are
sick or wounded, and their sullerings
being terrible in the hst degree, the
mortality among them is lrightful
There are great many women and child.
rem in the place, but the loss Of iif,
among them has been grossly exagger,
ated. Some few Of them--exacuy how
many y is impossible TO tell--Wcre xii.
led and wounded during the first days o
the investment; but they are now toler
able secure in the numerous bombproO
caves they have constructed, for whicl
the ground on which Nicksburg is bull
is admirably adapted. The sensation
story sent North Of the death otPembar
toms wife, be denies in toto, saying IA
never heard Of her presence in the towl
since the siege began; and is certain tina
il she had been there and had been in
iured, he would have heard Of IT,
fact, our fire has not latterly been yer.
, destructive to human life even anon
: their soldiers. During the first week o
= ten days il did great execution, but nov
> each man has his burrow on the lines
aud where G open the word is given. IN
TO your holes" when they disappear lik
SO many pr,irie dogs.
/. II has been a prevalent opinion (bu
e not, think, in official circles that sh0ul
r we assault and carry the line now in on
e view, il would only bo 10 lind ourselyo
r. encOmpassed with a stronger network 0
l forti6cations behind them. This yiol
q he shows 10 be erroneous. lie says an
I the nature Of the ground confirms hin
!. that we have reached their last line; ther
{ is nothing behind the forts upon whic
o W. are hammering and under which "
- are digging, butriile-pits on lower grouu
which would be entirely lndeiensibl
when the forts are won, nor are other
d necessary. twill require more skill an
70 courage, on more patience 10 carry thcI
3 present line than TO carry any other dg
8 iensiye position on the continent. Com
q mcncing and ending on tho AisassipI