Washington telegraph. [volume] (Washington, Ark.) 1839-1871, 1863-03-18

FEDERAL VIEW OF THE SITUATION AT VIcKs-
BuRG.-A correspondent Of the Chicago Times.
writes as follows from Vicksburg on the 18th
January:
Eut VII thi= las little VI do with war, YOU say.
or that other absorbing topic, the taking Of
Nick-burr- Well. here we are, in plain view
Of Nicksburg, and our plck.ts within shelling
distance Of the city. Oar troops are all On the
Louisiana shore. and extend from three miles
above 70 Milik MS Bend: and from about the
same distance below Vickzburg 10 nearly oppo-
site WarrentOn. twelve miles below. Our bat
teIl ST. now command the river below the city
rs Wei! a. theirs 90 AZ it. Until within few
ahls rebel steamboats, were Tlying continually
between hirEsburE and Port Hudson All this
Ii stopped now. One boat. tn G CITY Of Vicks-
burE. Iles at the wharf. and will become our
prey whenever the city does From .-the point
tEe clty and Notifications ale infinitely dis
ceEHabie, anu dozens ~ down there daily AT
he risl. of their lives no doubt TO CRAFTY their
curiosity hy nearer view III the far-fained
American Gibra.rrr. lApropos, Gibraltar was
taken lre nF twice. Your correspondent was
yIsaiIy reckless. He walked even to the va
frl, edge. within 2 mile Nj the rebel water
batteries. At III the shore, skipped rocks on
the river, waived his hat aiieciiOuately to the
rH--i.'- on the opposite bank 40 parting anil
came away. When Il dozen or two get hudiled
nEether, shell il generally thrown to scatter
tEcm- but individuals may wander along its
banks Niin IMMUNITY 4 dozen shots were
thrown on tie point yesterday bv the rebels
o. rl-Uten some engineers who were busy 1t
wnlk liking bearing. Nh one was hit, 40 one
discontinued Ais occupation, but the firing
stepped.
Their fertilization. are plainly in view III tile
naked eve. aud extend along the summit Of the
bulls tp tne n9rLlwar,i fJr mii.--prpbably ail
TIE way 10 the lazoo. r. tie southwark
was unable Nh obtain q good view Immeii-
atrly below the city they have 4 fort mounting
several oi their heaviest guns. anl casemated
Men can be Seen Nj " rl strengthening their
tertiicaGous everywhere. Guns are planted
hat "nr up the hili. in Tile middle Nj every
street leading from tie landing. aud most Of
ihe streets appear 81 he barricalel. All the
loser part ot thc city lhy which | mean the
portion next the river j deserted by families
soldiers aIe quarterei n many uf the buildings
but muuy more are teuauiless The few dozens
Nj Federal soldiers who -fra.gle through our
TicAct- Hul reached the river bank on -he point
lay there for hours. watching all that was
r"M- rn. Az cnc rimu woman came out vi
% mouse, g into buggy aui drove away.
nlicA zo excited every emotion nj r4ilantry,
la4f- 1hd three -ro4u~ frr the broken down
ml-4 -Au drove. Thp cheering w4s t1s M
rlarDu., anl the rebels diminished them 70
le ISL A1I-t nay pitching "A she'll directly over
their heads which exploded but 4 few yaris in
the rcnr- lt boss took the Lint and their
leave It tn~ same rnr. flr " cont and "A
brI followed the first IL short intervals. and
wlW hiMrl Later KID fiia inv. -trag-irrs from
th- e'h Missouri chased a drove OF hogs % tile
v-rr water, el-r. anl killed and carried of
number Iu >ritr .f shot Bun shell. Miracu-
.on-iy. none * them were hit. small cnun-
trr -t.re aad ucen Eept there Mt seine former
pe..u-. bus Tie stock was reduced to a few
nrH..i. t me- TAPS anl nm a-efipt articles.
These wrre bounced Ippu, however, am con
n-rlfr. r.. naiv ffe Sth c4n do it,
Nln-l i4- uvrn ~nrgr.n-lv Slrl INV Northern
papers CIR tr.r past q: --the ditch which
tlc rana. Ha-trrs w-rr diligently hunting
Cur troops Film into 10 aeEpectedly when they
came down hi- timr, hut found il on onr side
ui rle r.yrr-the wrrk ut Federal hands. III
tne one commenced last year across the point.
iur thr purpose lf turning THE channel III the
Mississippi away from Wick. burr. be not the
ia-t one in nuEh; Up hc-lf that kind A more
miserable abortion never slw. The river ~
row uuc0mronIy high f,r the season; vet th ere
I'm nat water ennu=I in IN ~ carry a saE-lor
through. IL was miserably planned and worse
constructed. lI n-r THE word construct ai-
v.scdly. fir il i actually brill a part or the
way, Instead of dug BEGINNING in eddy
water. starting Ak nearly 4 right angle from the
river. auI being nothing but ditch of the
>canticst dimensions lut little water runs
through it, aud thi, with much less velocity
than the current Nj Ans river. Ii has levees
on. boih sides W II, aul may YET be tile means
M iuEnaating our 0Nn CAMP aud destroying
those M was inttnlel to benefit This will be
more apparent when tie reader remembers
tLat lrvce fifteen feet high. built many wears
ago. i~ All that protects the whole country for
miles opposite NickshurE. in the bend. and
THAT this ditch ~ cue through that levee. Ana
has very iimsv hanks Of its own in lieu OF il.
IA canal cam nu Doubt he cut across that will
enable ligit-lraugnt boats to pass through al
high water ani that might, at some distant
period, bec1m. THE main channel And tlis.
in iny opinion nil he the true plan Of alta K
dn NinkSburg. IN Lccl hot exceed one mill IN
length, and would b., out OF reach Of rebel
batteries Ihc distance around bv the cham N
cannot be less than four miles. AMI some sav
siN N 4 Mil In completed. saw ten ar fifteen
Tea deep. aud forty or fifty feet wide. IN Y rev
weeks "a tniihest. n the whole army was male
-n1servienF M hat object. Then troops could
ne tan Tea below, AMI the place attacked with
a- alnch prospect oi success r. from anv quarter.
know nothing Of Gen. Grants plans: enough
III Hot yet done y reveal them. Those in com
tnAnl here nad men constantly Al work. trying
70 enlarge the Oh ditch This argues that the
hope INA passing Nick-bnrg in this way j. not
abandoned.
Gen. Grant and staff arrived this morning.
ana u at present looking over the ground ID
determine his operations. Whatever they may
", NJ one DOUBTS his ultimate success. The
place Is uncOmmouly strong in natural position.
and M deiences have been made formidable
a. months a. time and the best engineering and
military skill Of the C1nfeieracy could accom-
plish. That il should be taken in a day, ought
not 10 be expected Weeks must, and months
may. slip by before il succlmbs; but taken i,
must be or we may as well acknowledge the
Independence OF the Southern COnfederary Al
once A. no individual has a. much interest
~ winning a battle as the general commanding
III may rest assured thu after stalking everv
thing on its capture by ira sporting the q wei
of his army here. and coming in person "a
command il. Gen Grant will never move from
it, front till 1t surrenders, or annihilates his
army.
10 Russell the correspondent Of the
London Times, has written a diary Of his
-ojourn 10 America. The London Spec
/ Il