Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-08-08
MOrtrster 4ailp SPY
THE DAILY SPY.
AFFAIRS IN THE SOUTHWEST.


Hatch reports that Forrest, Bitlces, and Will
cox are retreatng with their forces entirely
broken up, and their men deserving in every
direction. Col. Hatch has divided his force
and is securing the country, picking up all the
small squads he can find.
A scout that left Meridian on Saturday re-
ports that Gen. Joe JohnstOn's army is at En-
terprise and Brandon, under the direct COM
mand of Gen. Hardee. Most of the rebel
force at the former place were ready to move
at a moments notice, Cars are standing on
side track for the accommodation of the troops
Gen. Johnston went to Mobile on the 9th
The scouts think the rebels will remain where
they are unless Mobile is attacked, and says
Johnston has lost ten thousand men by deser-
ton since the fall of Vicksburg, and the re-
mainder of his force is terribly demoraliz lied
They are poorly fed, and the officers and men
are greatly disheartened.
A great many secret societies have been or
gained with the intention of bringing the
state back into the Union. Officers are
arresting citizens and soldiers for being con-
necteh with them. The Mobile News of the
30th has a leader on respondents and croak-
ers. 1t says, "rell the citizens to avoid them
as they would a pestence. 1t says that
Grants army has mostly gone to Virginia,
where the great final struggle is to take place,
and calls upon the citiZeTfs of Alabama, Mis-
sissippi and Georgia, to join Bragg and John
ston, and all will be well. awe are at the
point when this confederacy shouldthro eve
rything into the scales and turn the tides of
this campaign. Lincoln can put no more men
into the field, and if they only check the Yam
KEGS now, he is used up and the revolution in
the north is at an end" The article closes
very bitterly as follows 1--WE have to choose
the whip OF the slave, or the whip of the mas
ter. Choose yp"
Richmond telegram Of the 2Sth says =
''In the fight at Manassas Gap we lost 2S00
killed and wounded, when we retired, over
powered by superior numbers"
The Mobile News OF the 3Ist SAYS =
''Grants conduct in paroling the Vicksburg
prisoners is being investigated. We hope his
head will be cut off, for he could not have
struck heavier blow at the confederacy
Pemberton's army is dispersed, a ID the Tex
as and Alabama troops which have crossed the
Mississippi are lost beyond control The
whole mass of the remainder is precipitated
udon Johnston's camp, to eat up his stores,
discourage and decinlate his ranks, and now
they are ordered to report to the same officer
as fast as exchanged, which they will not do,
as they hate him. We put it upon record,
that II Pemberton is assigned to the command
OF that army again, it will be equivalent to Its
annihilatiOn Not a 1.-THE of it will be gathered
together again. 1t is reported that Johnston
has returned to Mississippi again, after Il tho
rough examination Of the defenceS and re-
sources of Mobile. We would like to speak
out aloud something discovered by him, but
cannot. he examined the strong works there
and made map of them. 1t will take time
to strengthen SO long Il line of works. They
must commence Immediately"
A II southern Dauprs dpnnunpp thp snirit of
the people in crying out for peace anda return
to the Union, and they appeal to them to stand
by the contederacy. Occasionallya bitter ar
tlcle on the management of the war appears.
sUBJUGATED."
The former citizens of Vcksburg who have
concluded to remain in the place have not
followed the example of the citizens of other
southern towns-Memphis for example-in
fastening to make equivocal declarations of
union sentiments. They say, unreservedly,
thBt they are subjugated-that their hopes of
establishing an independent government have
been blasted, and all they now want is to make
the best terms they can with their conquerors.
L may be deceived by appearances, but l
think the fiery ordeal through which these
people have gone has purified them to a GER
tain extent. They do not exhibit 1.-THE of
the rancorOus hate toward our officers and
soldiers which has been manifested elsewhere.
Having experienced the miseries Of siege,
they find measure of relief in the subjuga-
ton which has follow ed, all their former de-
claratOns as to the impossblity of such a
thing to the contrary notwithstanding. Nor
are the citizens of Vicksbu-g alone in their
Acknowledgements on this score. | have it on
the highest authority that many of the lead
ing planters of MissisSippi--men who have
heretofore been very lords of the lash-have
their slaves from the government, rent their
own farms, aud resume planting. They pro-
fess Willingness to submit without reserva-
ton.
OPERATIONS AGAINST CHARLESTON.
From letter to the Baltimore American,
dated July 80, we select the following in rela-
ton to the operations against Charleston =
''In conversation with some officers from
the Wabash find very general confidence
prevailing that within the next ten days the
fall of Sumter would be consummated, and
that Charleston must soon succumb. They re-
port everything as progressing satisfactorily,
and the fall of Fort Wagner as one of the
events of the next few days. The constant
bombardment now progressing, is, l learn,
mainly to conceal the erection Of a masked
battery by Gen. Gilmore, within five hundred
yards of Fort Wagner, and also to protect his
expected to be ready to open upon the enemy
tomorrow, and its advent will be a grand fu-
silade from the monitors and the lronsides
Fort Wagner is already sightless mass of
sand, aud with the boring shell of Gen Gill
more, strong effort will be made to penetrate
its magazine and put a summary end 70 the
concern.
at is the general impression on all hands
here that the rebels have evacuated all the
classmates OF Sumter, and intend to depend
on her parapet guns entirely in the approach.
ing assault. 1t is even said that her entire
classmates are filed with sand bags, and that
all her best guns have been crowded to the
parapets If this is so it indicates that even
the unsuccessful assault of April last must
have been so terrible that there is an unwil-
lingness to risk the fate of the fort TO another
square assault from the monitors. The naval
battery which is under the command of Capt.
Foxhil A. Parker. of the Wabash, to be
manned by about three hundred blue jackets,
will not be ready to open on the enemy proba-
ably for week to come, and until it is finish
ed nothing decisive may be looked for. As to
the fall of Sumter soon after the fall of Wag-
ner, no one seems to have the least doubt.
Fort Wagner is undoubtedly the key of
Charleston, as evinced by the ndomtable de-
tense made by the enemy, with such terrible
loss. There probably never was fortifica-
ton besieged with such frightful sacrifice OF
life to the besiegers as has been the case at