The Portland daily press., 1863-01-08
BY TELEGRAPH.
TO THE
Portland Daily Press.
The Battle at ViCkSburg.
Killed and Wounded Federal Officers.
Arrival of Rebel Reinforoements.
THEY NOW NUMBER $4,000 MEN.
Federal Troops Fallen Back to
First Line of Defence.
Terrible Hand to Hand Encounters.
Fears for the Safety of General Hovey,

New YORK, Jan. I.
A special dispatch to the Tribune, dated
Helena, Ark, Jan. I'd, via Cairo Jan. 7th, says:
The battle is still raging at Vicksburg, with
no decisive results. Our forces took the main
battery and the rifle pits of the enemy on
Monday, but were afterwards repulsed and
lost their ground. Five cannon were taken,
spiked, and lost again. Gen. Morgan and Col
Wyman are killed. Colonel Morgan, Lieut.
Smith and Capt. Gwin are wounded, but not
mortally. Both armies rested on Monday
night, after hard fought day. Our troops
are still confident of victory. Price and Van
Dorm command the rebels.
1t was rumored that Gen. Sherman was be-
ing largely reinforced by the arrival of Gen.
Grants cavalry. The gunboats are not doing
much. Our army is well posted and protect
ed in flank and rear, and will not yield the
contest until Vicksburg is in their possession
Our loss in killed and wounded is so far esti-
mated at 5000.
CAIRO, ILL.,, Jan. Z.
We have one days later intelligence from
Vicksburg, which is highly interesting and
exciting. The rebels have concentrated all
their forces from jackson and Grenada and
along the line of the road, amounting to $1,000
men, at Vicksburg. This overwhelming force
attacked Gen. Sherman on Monday, and caus-
ed him to fall back to his first line of defence.
The rebel entertainments and fortitcations ex-
tend back from the city a distance of six
miles. Gen. Shermans forces had fought to
within two miles of the city when he was at
tackled by the superior force of the rebels.
The fighting on Sunday is represented as
desperate in the extreme. Batteries and fort-
cations were taken and retaken. Whole regi-
ments, and even brigades, fought hand to
hand over guns, and for the possession of the
defences. The 4th Iowa regiment lost 600
men in killed, wounded and missing.
Gen. Hovey, with 1900 men, was sent out
to execute special order, but since then has
not been heard from. Fears are entertained
for his safety
Nothing has yet been heard from the Feder-
al forces below, nor can we learn that our
gunboats have taken any part in the action.
1t is reported that rebel steamers are cross
ing from the Louisiana shore to Vicksburg,
and it is supposed they are carrying reinforce
ments to the rebels.
The latest accounts state that the rebel
Gen. Holmes was marching in the direction of
Vicksburg, and it is not impossible that he has
arrived there.
Gen. L. NJ. Smith is wounded in the breast.
There was some fighting on Tuesday morn
ing after Gen. Sherman had fallen back, but it
was thought that he could maintain his posi-
tion. The report that Gen. Sherman was re-
inforced by Gen. Grant, is incorrect.
1t is reported that Gen. German is evacuat-
ing Galena, Ark, with the intention of occu-
pying Napoleon. Gen. Sherman's loss is from
1900 to 5000 men.
Gen. Grants army is yet at Holly Springs.
Trains are running on the Memphis railroad
to Lagrange.
Gen. Jos. Johnston commands the rebel
forces at Vicksburg.