Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-06-12
The War News of the Week.

several weeks to come. But we are hap
py to report that progress is made, tho
10 us who are so far away from the scene
of strife, it may seem slow. Speed is not
the characteristic of seges. From the
nature of things they must necessarily be
slow. That has been their history from
the time Jerusalem was beleagrred by
the cohorts of Rome to the taking OF Sc
bastopol by the allied powers, and if we
succeed in making short work of this re
bel stronghold, it will only tend to con-
firm US in our previous opinion-that we
are smarter than anything that has ever
preceded US, The idea of taking Vieks-
burg by storm is now discarded. Gen.
Grant has decided that regular approach
es is the safest, surest and most humane
way that il can be taken. The muzzles
Of the guns-r'e b c and federaI-now
touch each other. All that separates the
opposing forces is their entertainments !;
they can hear each other talk. Starva-
ton is the power that we now depend
upon TO reduce the city, and if accounts
are true the rebels are getting short of
provisions. It is said that Gen. PEN
berton sent dispatch to jeff Davis, to
the effect that he had provisions for but
ten days, but that he could hold out thirty
and that forage for his horses was all
gone. This was verbal message sent
by q confederate soldier who was captur
ed by Gen. Grant. Oar army has been
heavily reinforced, and its commander has
no fears Of rebel army in his rear com,
pelling him to raise the siege. General
Johnston is said to be lurking around nI
the vicinity with $4,000 poorly armed
men, and deficient in artillery. He isl
narrowly watched by Gen. Osterhaus.-
Taking all things into consideration we
think our prospects Of soon planting the
old flag upon the defenses of Vicksburg,
are quite cheering
In another column we publish an ac-
count Of very severe battle at Port
Hudson-one Of the severest Of the war,
We Jrnra ,La rak,1. ,;lo a. q, c,,,;C,o
tions and have surrounded them, so that
Gen. Banks is doing for that place what
Gen. Grant is doing for Vicksburg.
The rebel batteries at Vicksburg on
the 23d of May sunk one of our steam
ers, the Cincinnati. She was disabled
almost at the first fire, and for three quar-.
tiers Of an hour above thirty guns were
playing upon her, but she would not haul
down her flag, but sunk with it flying.
Our loss was 25 killed and wounded.
We have accounts Of the destruction
of the confederate steamer Caba, by fire,
May 18th. She was discovered by Capt.
VIM. w. Walker of the U. S. Navy,
who made for her with his vessel, and
finding that escape was impossible, the
officers Of the Cuba set her on fire and
then left her. The cargo was said to be
worth in Havana nearly 100000, and
If landed in Alabama would have been
worth from million 10 million and
quarter.
We have also reports of various other
captures made by our vessels of Late
They were mostly Of the smaller craft
and some of them were British.
On Friday, June 9th, the engineer
brigade of Hooker's army was ordered
TO the Rappahannock with pontoon bridg-
es, and ordered to construct two bridges
across the river, one mile below Freder-
icksburg. As soon as the engineers be-
gan to unload their pontoons the rebels
fiocked into their rifle pits and began to
pick off our men. Our artillery opened
on them and kept up heavy cannonade
for two hours, with no effect however,
upon their sharpshooiers. The rifle pits
were then stormed by Col. Morrison, of
Col Grants Vermont brigade, who rush
ed upon the pits, when The rebels left
them. Our men were then deployed as !
skirmshers, who captured some sixty of
the second Florida regiment. Other re. c
giments of the Vermont Brigade soon c.
followed in boats, till nearly the whole of b
two brigades were over. Our loss was Il
small, as was that of the enemy also II
Our object in crossing was merely TO re- Il
connoitre the positions Of the enemy and IL
to find out what disposition Gen. Lee u
bad made Of bis forces. The crossing ;"
was an audacious movement and greatly II
surprised the enemy. Gen. Hooker has u
demonstrated to a certainty be thinks. 81
and by this movement. what has become
OF Lee. We wish that be would demon +,
slraie one more ibing-his ability to whip P
him. Il,
ANOTHER SMART HEN.-Mr. John N
Wilson of Salem has sent us a hens ego ST
which measures but a shaving loss tho, .