New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-04-03

surprise, and most emphauc u con' VIZ ,,,
siop. "Wby, look a here. stranger, = c o"..I
plugged ont either of your eyes twice that 'u'
had a shot q. you. / only wanted you 70 A"'"
that you conld MT land anywhere above nero
To The captau,s inquiries replied that L WEB
1 fro,, North Of the Union lnes-that bad oeen
,rod;no IN Cattle out back Of Osceola in Arkansas
cher. il no. now probably dozen horned oru'es
w;.b;n f;fty miles Of The pace|-that the Govern
men. was owing me something yet, and was there
70 ses about getting Il. Suffice it to gay that my
story was sui sntly tinctured with truth and forth
fed with knowledge of localities and persons OF
whom spoke, 10 enable me- to achieve standing Id
the estimation of my new made sequsintsnoes a.
once. How much of truth, and how much OF,
trust innocent deception were IN my statemehVS'
does not concern the reader. Their inquiries were
answered in way sufficiently guarded for my own
purposes, and sufficiently exPl;ci. 20 crafty their
curiosity. accompanied the captain back 10 where
there was squad Of ~ or Is men, who presently
took up their guns and started 10 camp. On the road
up had lengthy talk with him, aid made him my
fast friend by mentioning the names Of certain per.
sons who live near Osceola, and who Glanced to be
acquaintances Of his had never to my knowledge,
seen either Of the parties named. He also told me
that We were seven or egh, miles below Vicksburg.
THE REBEL WORKS BELOW vIcKsBuRo.
or the works and Notifications which we passed
In going to CAMP can only say that they seem 70
be strong and we'll adapted to defeat direct attack
upon them but TO ne, who was wholly unao-
qusinted with the topography Of the country, every
thing was confusion. 1t was impossible for me to
detect the relative bearing Of the different works,
FOR Immediately after passing one fortifca.ion we
would come TO another which fronted perhsps in the
opposite direction. There 10, undoubtedly, much
scientific method in ali Of this apparent confusion,
but 81 could M see it," There 10 o heavy work
about mile above where / landed, which 10 uu-
doubtedy intended to command tho lower end OF tho
vick.burg ditch. could Zee three heavy guns in It,
but from the extent OF the work should judge there
were more. A short distance above, where the bills
are higher and approach the river. tho works are
more frequent, but there does not seem 10 be tho
same systematic elaboration which was apparent In
most of our works near Connth.
observed also, what to me was . notable fact,
that some Of these works, although provided with
recessss through which to fire, were empty Of guns
This may be no unusual thing, but i have never
seen it before, and to my unsophisticated eye, it
seemed 10 indicate q lack Of the wbsrewith to arm
them. The road led US up the river, and to the camp
in the rear Of and below town. The part Of tho
camp at which we stopped s about two miles from
the rver and the same distance from the city. Com
msnoing at the river bank, the country, a. we pro-
ceeded up presents succession Of ridges at irregu
lar distances from each other and Increasing in hight
a. they recede from the river These ridges are OF
1 II
several neatly porticoed and quite handsome. but
apparently deserted, residences. Az l was not Ia
town, can cay more Of it than has already been
published. Gu Walnut Hills, just in the rear Of the
city, was told, is situated the fret important bat
terry as you go from the river, excepting one below
aud near the river bank. ,.....-.
| From Walnut Hills, the works extend In Q north
easterly direction much further than the eye, inter
oepted by the irregular ground, can roach. The ap-
proaches from above either oves extensi7 rolling
fields up precipisous descents, both. The reader
must understand that speak principally Of what
saw, and as my stay was short and my opportunities
crcumsTibed, l. Of course, but comparatively lit
tie of the reel merits of the poston. Moreover dis
position to make inquiries would have been danger.
ous, and such thing as taking notes could not be
thought OF. We passed in sight OF two new works
which were being tarowu up, thought, in anticpa-
ton of an attack from below. was told also that
the works being continually extended, altered.
and strengthened. heard the number of men TO de-
fend them varously estimated at from $4,000 TO
100, 900. An acquaintance THAT made wbi 9 there
and will have occasion to speak Of presently esti
mated the number at 10000, and have reason for
thinking bis estimate approximately correct.
THE REBEL CAMP.
walk of about two hours, during which we
passed quite number Of tents scattered about over
tho hills brought us 10 the main camp. There 10 o
world Of difference between the orderly manner in
which our camps are established and the jumbled
appearance Of the one in which now found myself.
In some places the dingy, ragged tents were crowd.
ed together 80 az to leave only narrow, muddy alley
for the passage of their multicolored tenants who
sw armed in and out of them like bees about hive
and sgaln they would DO scattered over a scope Of
ground of twice the necessary area. Each tent, as
far as noticed, had rude fireplace and chimney
the " California stove," 90 much In vogue with our
boys, seeming 10 be entirely unknown 10 them.
The Captain, stopping to throw blanket into his
own tent, tod me to come with him and be would
take me to the Colonel. who would thep sena me up
TO headquarters that being the disposition generally
made OF citizens that come within the lines. o
THE COLONIES TENT.
The regimenal hesdq quarters consisted Of two tonts
in no way different from those in their neighbor-
hood except in the inside furnishings. The ono
which we entered contained stove, writing desk,
two cots, and half.dozen camp stools. II was &C.
cup pied when we went in by two persons, one Of
whom in semi-military dress. was uumistakably
m - fhn