The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1863-06-18
Arrival Of the r. D. Packet
90 Nh ETs
GREAT BATTLE
At
SIEGE OF VICKsRURG
Union Prospects Improving
Rebel Stock Falling!

The clipper packet Comet, Capt. Jas. Smith, arriv-
ed on Monday forenoon, having been telegra phed at
9:45. She brings three tri- monthly nails from the
East and San Francisco papers from May 9Th to
June 2i-the date she left that port.
The news is Of a more stirring character than any
received since that Of the battle of Bull Run in July,
1862.
An account Of the battle Of fredericksburg, which
took place May lst, 81 and 81, will be found on our
4th page.
Of some OF the principal events, we give brief
accounts below
The. Siege of Vicksburg.
RFAR OF VICK~BURG, May 2O-TO +. II Stanton.
Secretary Of Har-Gen. Grant won a .sreat md de-
cisive victory over the rebels under Pemberton, On
the Jackson and Nick-burg road, at Bakers Greek,
Saturday the 10th. Pemherton had a most formida-
bic position on "A wooded hill, over which the road
passes lOngitudinally. tie had shout %, 900 men.
The battle began AZ IL \. NJ. AMI was gained AT 4 p. NJ.
The brunt Of the fighting was by Harvey's division,
McC-ernInd's Corps, and also 10y LUgIn's and Crock
er's divisions, McPherson's Corps. Harvey attacked
the hill. They held the greater part of it till , o'clock
z. 81, when, having lost 600 men, they were sue
cesiel by Boomer and Holmes brigade Of Crocker's
division, by which the conflict was ended in that
part OF the field. Boomer lost 800 men. Logan
operated on the right, and cut Oft the enemy's direct
retreat. so that he was compelled TO escape by his
right flank through the woods. Logan lost 400 kill
Ell and wounded. We took about 1000 prisoners.
On the 18th, advancing TO Big Black, we fought
BemEertOn again a. the bridge there. where we cap
turei 1000 more prisoners. lie fought in rifle pits,
protected 10y 4 difficult bayou. full OF aGatis. Law
ler's brigade, IF McCIcrnaHd's Corps charged the
ride pits mGgnihcentiy, and took more prisoners
than their own numbers. PembertOn burned his
bridge and rrtrearel to EIcksburg with only 3 can
non out of 90 that he had taken out.
Gen Grant arrived before the town lVicksburg1
on the evening OF the 18th, and holds ii closely in
vested. lie had opened a line of supplies ria Chicka-
saw Bayou, having cut the town of from Haines'
Bluff. which i abindoned by the enemy, and which
Gen. Grant occupies.
There was sharp lighting throughout yesterday.
Steele now holds the upper bluff and the enemy's
upper water batteries, and gets water from the
Mississippi. S~herman's corps lost Yesterday 500
killed and wounded. Mcpherson, who holds the
center. lost little, a did McCleruan /, who holds the
left. The guub0ats kept the enemy on the alert dur
Ing the night, and probably the town vii! be carried
10 day. There are from l0,UOO 10 10000 of the
enemy's troops in 1t.
WAsHIxGTON, May ~2G-Dispatches received from
Admiral Porter, detailing the operations of the fleet
since Gen. Grant commenced mis- movement to the
rear OF NIcksburg, say 81 soon rs the capture OF
Haiues' Blul was known to me, | directed 7he gun
boats from below to open fire on the hill batteries,
which fire was kept up for two or three hours. At
midnight they moved up 10 the town and opened on
it for an hour, and continued At intervals during the
night TO annoy the garrison. On the 10th, l placed
3 mor,ars in position ON the works, with orders to
fire night and day
{ Hliues' Bluff the most formidable kind Of works
covered many acres of grouud-the iortifclrions
and rife pits proper extending about n mile and a
quarter. The rebels were n year constructing them;
and all. says Porter's dispatch, were rendered use
less in an hour. The gun carriages were burnt, the
magazines blown up, and the works generally de
stroyed. The rebels had ammunition enough there
10 last a long siege. The Admiral speaks in warm
terms Of Grants successes thus far. He says that
the fall Of Viek~burg Is a mere question Of time.
--latest from yick>burg.
NV York. May PA Washington letter to the
Commercial says that Gen. Grant has telegraphed TO
the President that it Is impossible for Johnston to
gather together 100. 900 men within Is days, Col.
Grierson having destroyed the railroads to such an
extent as 10 prevent it He also says that Gen. Penn
berrOu cannot hold out five days.
Gen. Grant i sanguine of success.
NEW YORK. May IA special Washington dis
patch to the Post says: Military men here DO not
credit the report that the rebel bodies are concentra-
ting in unusually large force in Virginia, but believe
rather that every soldier who can be spared from any
point has been sent to the Mississippi TO reinforce
johnson and PembertOn; and If too late TO save
Ecksburg, to seize some other point on the river, or
strengthen Port Hudson. SO rs TO make its capture a
matter Of great difficulty Gov. Curtin, however,
differs from this opinion, and i comforting with Gen
ScHeuck for the defense Of the Pennsylvania border.
NV YORK, Nav 3O-The Tribune says At
O'Clock this morning our Washington correspondent
telrgraphei the facts Of the situation ut Nick-burg, !
which may be thus summed up, by high authority
Grant has, step hy step. driven the rebels into their
inner entertainments, turning the guns OF the others
against them. They, however, have troops TO relieve
each other n often rs may be desired. in defending
the line of their works He Is 90 tinuing without
serious lTSakl OF any iitLt-tilluu 4Auil Dthl-loil-
CHICAGO. June l-NIemphis papers Of the 2Sth
state that the forts remaining in rebel possession, n
Nick>hurg, are very formidable. and command the
entire town. Several charges have been made on
them. bur with little success. The rebels seem TO
think their position impregna5le. The report that
Pemberton offered to surrender on his terms, is con-
frmei.
Aiyices from Memphis TO the 3Oth say that a gem
tleman who LETT Pamela. Mississippi. on the 18th,
represents that Joe Johnston has twenty thousand
men and Is moving 10 attack on the rear. He has
cOnscripted every person capable of bearing arms.
\ large amount Of guns and ammunition were ex-
pecied To arrive n Jackson on the 10Th. Federal
Ulcers. who ought to know, say that Grant has force
TO hold his own if attacked in the rear, and
If attacked. no harm can be done, rs be has been
fighting since the 24th. Il Is stated that Banks is
fast approaching to reinforce him. \ letter from the
rear Of Vick-burg, the both, says Gen. Grant has
more troops here than he can use in reducing FIcks
burg, and he can detach a sufficient number to defeat
rebel force III his rear. Sherman's loss IN the
attacks yesterday was six hundred killed aud wound
Ell. The siege guns opened on the city, and the
.gunboats begin to cooperate in the attack today.
\ letter from heIlqulr,ers, in the field near WICK
burg, dated the 23i, says but little has been effected
during the last thirty six hours; over one hundred
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