Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-05-28
REBEL VIEWS OF AFFAIRS AT vIcKsBURG.


We have nothing new from vicksburg The latest az
thentc intelligence from that place. it will be remembered,
comes down to nine o'clock the night Of Friday last the
22d instant The Richmond Examiner of the 23i instant
has The following remarks the operations vcks
burg Lite information from Gen. Jobnston it will be seen,
was oay to the 18th instant It says:
"A de patch dated Jackson from the reporter of the
M 10 AhVe'tser and heRiser received here yestor
day morning It was at first received without criticism
ana bel eyed Ind occssioued little gloom especially
amongst the kne-d individuals of the community but
when read found that the despatch would stand in
specon and the Of the day the whole account
became pretty gen -ralv dscredited
Vicksburs has not aen, and is not going aA 1t il
10 not much danger it has often been before
The Federal army, struggling to complete long SIEGE ID
in very dangerous situation The Con ederate forces
had u,dpued possession of jackson and the railroads
The Federal army is working between that point and
Vck burg an Gen. Johnston at the head of rapdlyin-
creasing columns, which will make terrible sppa-
rtm upon the scene OF acton In the town Of Vcksbug
provisions have been accumulated which will last for
mon hs defences the land side AMPLE and the
formation OF the ground gives overwhelming advantages to
the garrison ia case of assault
There IL whatever for despair alb out Vcks-
burg It'll Lucky point for the Confederate army. II
has already ost the invader many thousand men, many
millions u dollars and will cost twice many The
crisis IN the military situation around Vcksburg has long
been impending aud will now be decided for the sea-
son. The division Of forces and bad management
OF the batteries commanding the river before the town
0uRdR6u6uC0
were far from being decisive either Of the fate Of the town
or OF the campaign in the State 1t s far more probable
than otherwise h.t Gen. Johnston will be able recover
gound lost by stakes made in the military command.
TIL s really occasion for panic about Vicksburg
Whatever may be the result of military operations around
their will soon be ecpsed BY far greater events
nil b pretty aoel decided The most important move
ments Of the will probably be made in that time If
the Confederate standard is again victorious may be
hoped with much and solid reason although mere victory
If the
mys army for the rest this gear If gain all that 10
now fairly pcssibe entirely character will be given
to future operations which will relieve the country of half
the it has hitherto endured Now is the noble
day. the fortunate -Four fur the Confederate army At this
time if ever, let every man be at his post"
The Petersburg (vrginia) Express much less hope
full than the Examiner and regards the situation at Vck
burg as extremely critical" In its number of the 23d
instant it says:
Alter silence of some four days again have intel
gence rom the vicinity Of Big Black, in Mississippi It
very TAR from encouraging 1t places in possession
Of Inf Tmati"n which not prepared TO hear In
Saturdays fight we lost thirty pieces of artillery spiked
and abandoned The advantages gained Saturday were
fully appreciated by the enemy and on Sunday be again
advanced to take the bridge the Big Black but was
repu Nothing daunted Grant crossed above the bridge
aud attacked Pemberton in the The result told
few words: We burnt the bridge abandoned our works.
and fell back toward Vicksburg with heavy loss At last
accounts Vicksburg closely besieged and the enemy
was closing IN on every side
+" That our readers may form some idea of the con-
tracted limits in which Gen. Pembertons army Is
confined we would state that the Big Black bridge
that stream only twelve miles from Vicksburg and fifteen
miles from where it empties into the Mississippi This
stream 10 about hundred yards wde and formerly
navgabe Tor email vessels high up where the railroad
crosses but the stream has become obstuced by
ana the cavng in Of embankmens that its navigation
would be difficult if not impossible. The topography of
the country through which the river runs below the rail-
road generally swampy, above it gradually rises into
undulatIng and heavily wooded land. The stream 10
nrdabe but owing to the nature of its banks the passage
OF artillery and wagons is diff suit and confined to few
fords The bridge which the river here now de-
sn0yed) is about half mile long and eighty feet high.
The part OF which is Immediately the river il sup
ported by strong columns of stone and brck-the II
OF strong wooden timbers.
The destruction Of this BRIDGE unfortunately not only
'soates Vicksburg from communication with all other
parts OF the Confederacy but to the enemy the
rich and much desired Yaxoo country With scarcely any
held artillery and his army greatly reduced, Gen. Penn
berton cannot ng hold outw fear unless Gen. Johnston
speedily concentrates his forces and relieves the bslea
guered At present shut eyes to the
TACT that the situate at Vicksburg extremely critical