, 1863-04-23


CA1i.o, april -, 1853.
Your special correspondent ut the mouth
IF the Yazoo River, under date Of the 18th
sends dispatch corEoborating facts and par
ticuars previously sent regarding the run
ming Of the blockade by eight gunboats the
evening previous; he adds the Henry Clay was
aurncd. She might hare tccn saved but that
the crew deserted her aud escaped in yaw1s.
Six barges Of coal aud supplies got down In
safety. The only casualties we're one man
killed and three wounded on the Benton.
The gunboats have destroyed the rebel case
mated work at Warrcnton, and now Lie at
anchor at Carthage, La.
Gen. Grant goes tnft1er today. Troops
are moving in that direction md lot work is
expected.
WASHINGTON, April a2-Thc Navy Depart
ment hs received the following official dis
patch, dated United States Steamship Pensa.
cola, eff New Orleans, April 18th:
On the morning Of the eth ult, at about
dnybrcak, Admiral Farr:gut, in the Hartford,
engaged the batteries at Warrcnton, ten miles
bcltw Vicksburg, and passed below 1t on the
morning Of the Goth ult., before daylight,
the Albatross having taken in 4 full supply Of
provisions, from barge which had been
dcatcd down the previous morning.
Admiral Porter also passed the Narreutoa
batteries and anchored near tho fag.sllip.
About q. LII. the wha-fboat Vicksburg.
having broken ailrift from her noorinc. at
the city, hoatcd dowd aud ran ashore opposite
to where the Hnrtford and Albatross we're
anchored. During tho day an officer WAS sent
on board Of the Vicksburg, who found that
all her machinery had been removed, and she
had nothing on board save four muskcts and
accout7cments.
While the Admiral was heaitating as to the
propriety Of retaining her rs wharf, or r:,-
thcr depot, tie rebels came down on the night
Of the 30th md burned her.
The Switzerland, Hartford md Albatross.
after being all filled with coal aud provisions,
passed Warrcnton on the morning Of the 31st
ult., and ut daylight the little squadron p.o.
cceded down the river to Turner's plantation,
where, on passing mp, VIC had seen the wreck
Of the 1ndiano1a. We found no traces Of the
wreck, but learned that 1t had slipped off into
deep water during tho late gnle. We an.
chorcd here and remained until about G,3Op
m, when We proceeded down and engaged the
battery at Grand Gulf
This battery consisted Of come two or three
heary guns sent down from Vicksburg. One
OF these guns WAS mounted upon Z steamer
Which had been concealed up the big Black
River. The enemy had also 4 light field bat.
tcry. They struck The Switzerland twice. d.
ing no damage. Tie AlbatroEs was not struck
at all. The Hartford WAS struck only once,
but this shot killed one man. This was the
only casualty.
We passed this battery In about fifteen mlu-
utes and anchored below Grand Gnlf, destroy
ing on our passage down large number Of
kkifts. On the morning Of the 10Th when we
got under weigh about A. II. and proceeded
doEn to Bayou Lara, where VIC stopped, seized
upon, and threw into the river about 10000
sacks Of corn aud beef, and proceeded on ou1
way to Port Hudson, where NC anchored
about five miles above the batteries on the
9th.
On the evening Of the It'll inst at o'clock,
the writer Of this communication and the
Secretary Of the Rear Admiral left the Hart.
ford and boarded the Richmond, off Baton
Rouge.
TIE NEW SITUATION
Our dispatches rs above sccn to release the
zeal Of secrecy under which ire have held re.
cent adsices and sketches from our CORES.
pondcnts with Gen Grants army, certainly
so far rs the newly established fnlc-um below
Vicksburg Is concerned. The references to
| the new canal and cnt-ofr hare been purposelv
obscure for the past week ortwo, and rs Jet VIC
hare nothing definite relative to its completion
Or success, further than the announcement
that Gen. Grant has gone down to Carthage,
La, to take command Of the new operations
thence to be Illuminated against Vlcksburg.
Our map will show the route Of the new cut
off, canal opening from the Mississippi Into
Walnut Bayou, nbout thirty miles aboyt
Vicksbnrg, By means Of which OH transports
and convoYing gunboats were to find thcl,
way through the to7tuous route Of interlac
ing water courses and bayous, as laid down In
our small map, until the natural Gebouchure
ofthc list is reached at Carthage, Ia.
4 brief table Of distances will aid our read