New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-04-15

passed through the side Of the boat through sheet
iron stove and into the bar-room.
The occurrence took place about two miles below
the junction OF the C0ldwater and the YaZoo Pass.
Other boats have received similar compliments from
the same quarter and IL Is TO be hoped that Uncle
Sam will give them suffcit of war on our return.
OF the situation of Fort Pemberton, shall cay but
little, as had but little opportunity for reconnoer-
ing, and other correspondents have already done the
subject ample justice. There are two disadvantages
which render the capture of the fort undertaking
of rare difficulty: First, the gunboats are compelled
to fight down stream, as at Island No. 10, 80 that
the disabling Of the wheel or rudder involves the
loss of the vessel second the force is inadequate TO
invest the works; until the arrival of Gen. Qunby
force within few days, it has been woefoy made
quate.
The enemy's line Of communication with bis man
army, and his consequent means OF reinforcement
are far shorter and easier than our own. From the
immense army at Vicksburg troops may be threwn
by rail TO point % miles from YazOo City, and be-
tween that place and Fort Pemberton, steamers are
constantly going and returning through free and
unobstructed channel. Our communication with the
Mississippi, on the contrary, Is exceedingly slow and
hazardous, and liable at any one time to be impeded
if not totally cut of. Here, as everywhere, the
Rebels are lighting from a center with short base
lines aud massed forces, against our army lighting
from circumference with extended lines, and an
army scattered and broken into fragments. Under
the circumstances, notwithstanding the constant
news of our " complete success" the attempt TO
reduce Fort Pemberton would be desperate if no
hopeless.
Ii was my fortune while in this locality to get
sight OF that monerous specimen OF natural history,
a live Rebel-not Gagged and harmless In prison, or
on OF steamers bat at large and at bay in his
native forest and formidable in all the terr0ra OF
musket and cartrdge-box. eoutrived IN the course
Of two hours conversation TO learn much OF his hab-
its and ways.
II happened on this wise: One OF the settlers in
the peighborhood had been arrested on suspicion
and sent-wthout trial, through singular over
,ight-to Helena. II appeared, upon examination,
that be had done nothing TO warrant this treatment
In the mean time his family Of six children was left
behind unproyIded for, A letter was 10 be sent to
Gen. Tighman by flag Of truce, TO make necessary
explanations, aud provisions for tran uniting the
children through the nes and Gen. Ross kindly Of
fered me the opportunity TO accompany Capt. Ryan,
who bore the dispatch.
. One's sensations after leaving our own pickets.
and advancing through timber and clumps OF cane
brake upon those Of the enemy, are very peculiar.
The growi OF cannon is heard and now and then the
shel Of the Rebels come Kissing and hurting
through the trees. You become painfully conscious
that men In ambush, with cooked muskets, are
watching you. What if one Of them, barely catch
ing glimpse Of Federal soldier through the brush
and bearing rustliDg among the leaves, should
Gre, upon the frs. impulse7 Such feelings are nstu-
raj and such accidents liable to happen.
After proceeding for bslf mile or 30, our escort
was brought TO q halt by a sentinel in butternut
livery. The color Of the cloth 20 closely resembled
that OF the surrounding wood, that we bad hardly
distinguished him. A sudden aPparition OF this
kind Ia the depths Of the forest would make man
stare as much aghast as that Of Dick Turpiu, or q
South American jsguar. The pieket-guard Of the
enemy was separated from by one OF those newt
table bayous which ire always turning up IN this
country and extended on either hand, at close In
tery.ls, much closer thought than our own. The
officer Of the guard, who proved TO be Capt. Holman
Of the Goth Mississippi, when informed that we came
under "A hag Of truce, invited US 10 come across,
VIII CHI we succeeded in doing by the aid Of one or two
logs and nice calculation Of the center OF gravity
Alter delivering the dispatch and exchanging few
commonplaces, Capt. Ryan paved the way 10 fur.
Their acquaintance by producing a cantoen Of old
Bourbon which has been wittily styled the " com
mon platform on which all unite" Capt Holman
readily partook assuring us that be had not tasted
a drop before for six months. Some OF the priyaie
soldiers, however, who had gathered around In q
knot, hestaied for a moment, probably thnking Of
lurking strychnine or some other Yankee invention
but coon got the better OF that notion We then en-
tered into desul,ory and rambling conversation
embracing pretty much all topics from =" keail-
worth" lyanhoe, " and +" Les Miserables to hor-
ace Greeley aud JEFF. Davis. Capt. III. told US that
Davis considered A. =. Johnston their ablest Gen
eral. and that Pillow and Floyd were completely
disyraced. Upon the meriis OF Mcclellan he was
non .committai; thought highly Of Rosecrans aud
Sioel IA to newspapers, he liked The Cheago
T1mes-saw It frequently; inquired after Sam Me-
dary, and was much surprised al learning that ihe
soldiers had burned the office OF The CrtS"
A. TO poliiics, he was emphatic in his expression
Of qualification al the resolutions Of Conway Of Kan
sas; Understood that The TRIBUNE had come out In
favor of peace. and hoped it might influence "Abra-
ham," Aud 80 tue afternoon slipped away, as pleas
antly in that quiet solitude as though no ruder sounds
ever disturbed il than the bark oil tina squirrel or the
cooling of tho dove must confess that the sight OF
Uncle Sans muskets in such hands suggested some
rather dlsagreeable reflections. More than likely
they were not the trophies OF honorable war; but the
larceny Of Thief Floyd. AS 10 uniform, the Rebel
homespnn jeans Of various dingy hues, aud souched
bats OF all colors IN strong contrast with the
inyariabIo Line OF our own soldiers. l could not
help thinking that, after all, this coarse and rude
attire which exciLes deriBion, and the strait
eued circumstances ever which we exit, while IN
some respects disadvantage, are in others an inn
mense benefit 10 our enemies
The Southern soldier gl0ries in his poor home
spun clothing as tho insignia OF selfdenyng patriot
isln His hard life and scanty subsistence school
inc him i'm virtues while the vast QuarteTmaster
and Commissary resources OF our army are likely 70
Jake away much Of the higher inspiration Of war,
and to muse corruption which no one can estimate.
Capt. Holman and Lieut.. Scruggs parted from us
" it'll cordial shake Of the hand and the warmly ex
pressed hope that in the "good time coming" 70
which we all look forward, they might welcome us
to their homes in Mississippi. ] carried away from
the interview feeling OF unutterabe melancholy at
the thought that 30 many warm ouled aud high
minded men arc committed to that cause, and must
10 down with it.
LATER.
HELENA, April S.-Your readers have been ap.
prised before tni of the facts concerning the expe-
dtlon IL has been my fortune to chronicle nothing
81 =. Al. :
Of comment. The public can do that for themselves
Gen. preniiss ia beginning to establish tho regime
OF thorough discipline al Helena. The lines were
closed some days ago, that those inhabiting tho