Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-06-09
THE EVENING STAR.


CREATIONS BEFORE viCksEuRG.
Th~R~bel Work. Being Undermined on an
Extensive Scale-The Rebels Hard al
Work on their Side-Eisht Mortar EsatS
Constantly Throwing Shell into the
Doomed City-Heavy keinfercemeats En-
KSute to SraEf.
NEAR yIcKsRuRe, May 2e.-at present we
are silent, except In artillery. passed along
the lines yesterday, where our onter forts con-
tend with theirs; believe told you we oc.
oupy the forts from which they fed. There is
. net work Of rif'e-pits, hastions, forts, and
bitches from cistanc CO Of tea miles above to
the came distance below the city. As we get
possession OF one OF these, and are able to hold
Il. they must retreat from the one connected
with ii or risk the chances OF being thanked.
In this way we advance slowly; charges are
ont OF the question: no force can take them by
storm for this reason: distance Of about two
miles intervenes between our forces and the
city In that space there ara In AL probaoih.y
have been washed out by rains. These are
often fifty feet deep, perpendicular, ana per-
haps as many wide. The rifie.pits and forts
are upon these. AS we'll might yon think OF
scaling a shot tower. Our men get into these
guliies in the night, with days rauons, and
woe be the one who shows himself upon the
sarthworks OF the foe. In this Way they rem
der the artillery of the enemy useless at close
range. In the meantime our batteries play
almost increasingly upon them; not needing 4
rebel battery that plays on us from nile dis
tant. That will be attended to sitter this is
silenced.
It is impossible to imagine q more Difficult:
country to fightin. In going n distance of one
mile one will cross perhaps twenty hills, short
and steep as the roof of house. To draG~ q
twenty. four pounder it will require at some OF
them twenty horses; and to descend them all
wheels must be locked; then they slide down
like a sled.
Our men are confident of success The skir-
mishers converse from the bushes; they ask for
papers and coffee. Sometimes each lays down
his gun where he was in ambush, and they
meet it'll as much sang froid as If no war was
raging. In Steele's division they can talk with
ease the sdistance Is not over two hundred
ysrds. You need not be surprised to hear Of
the capture OF the place any day; nor must
you be impatient if it is not done for a month.
There is a world o. digging and mining TO be
done before it is taken, unless they get short of
ammunition or supplies They boast of a
= gallant defense. In a noble cause they would
merit the admiration Of the world The health
Of our army is still excellent They are buoy
ant beyond everything. 1t is folly TO question
the bravery of either friend or foe-both will
fight; we have the advantage and will keepit.
There is re bel force OF some four or five thou
sand in our rear. They are harmless-nor
have they come nearer than thirty miles
From " alnut Hills, vicksburg, the cores
pondent Of the Cincinnati Gazette writes as
follows:
=
encampment, and the condition OF the soldiers
could not be better. Supplies are abundant
and water plenty. as the springs around us
abound with rot unhe althy water. The pickax
and spade are piled with yigor, and already
the face of the hills presents u different aspect
10 the eve OF the behoider.
The mortar boats are pounding away and
dropping shell into the city, which now wears
= very battered appearance, but still bids us
defiance.
The rebel programme seems to be an attack
on Memphis, the possession of which wouid
give them an advantage too great to be disre-
gardeG. Joe JohnstoD's movements are Enys-
terious, but if he should succeed in passing OR
rear with the nucleus Of his force At Canton,
form junction with Bragg, and either take and
hold Memphis. or attack our rear. the possess
SION OF Vicksburg by us would become matter
of some doubt, or at least of some delay. They
hope to do this, but with the immense advan-
tages we have already gained, can see success
only on our side.
Patience must be exercised tor season, for,
il rumor be true, Gen. Grant gave himself until
the 1st OF July to make his headquarters in
Vicksburg.
The rebels are hard at work also, and al
though they have made feint of extending
their lines. they are in reality drawing them
closer and making their defen ces more impreg-
nable. Several Of their heavy guns have been
removed from the batteries in front of the city
TO be mounted aS siege guns III the rear, and
the lower part of the city toward Warrenton is
being placed in a state OF defence which will
defy assault.
TIE NINTH ARMY CORPS REINFORCING GEN.
GRANT.
A Lexington lky.) letter to the Times, dated
June S. says:
Fer the last forty EIGHT hours there has been
one iHcessant line of cavalry aud artillery
passing through town on the way to Vicksburg
by the way of Louisville. 1t is said that the
whole army has beer ordered in that direction.
Gen. Burnside is here, and had intended to
make Hickman Bridge his headquarters, but
think on account OF the recent movements he
VIII remain for the present. Gen. Hartsuf is
in command of the post, ha wing Just superse-
ded Gen. Wilcox. As one regiment goes ont
another comes N. splendid new regiment
Of MichiganGers has just arrived, and are well
come.
THE SMELLING.
The correspondent OF the New York Times
says:
Vicksburg must he an Hnpleasantiy Tarm
place st present. Eight mortar boats, protect
ed effectually by the high banks of the river,
are hurting tons of their massive proiectiles
into the very heart of the city, while all around
the rear, from the Mississippi above TO the
Mississippi below, our batteries are searching
every inch OF the devoted place with shell,
shrapnel and canister. A dense smoke lies
like pail over the city, in which can be seen
every instant the fierce fash of bursting shells,
and heard the Whistling rush OF deadly projec-
tiles. With such sights, sounds and surround
ings, Ficksburg is at present as undesirable 4
residence us can be selected. Deserters assure
Us that the stencil arising from animals killed
by our shells is horrible in the extreme; that
the whole army is ON miserable half rations,
and only induced to continue the defense with
the hope of relief from beyond. It is impos-
sible 10 say how long this hope will sustain
them; but it is fair 10 presume tina: within the
next fortnight they will be forced TO succumb
10 star walton, unless relieved.
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