New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-03-19
From Our Special Correspondent.
ARYY oy THE TgsSEssEy, Oprosi'" Nicss burs, }
Below Iounes Point M'dison Parish, Ls.,
Arm Msreb a

From Our Special Correspondent.
ArYr oy THE Tss sos., orr. Xicsisar'}
MONDAY AFTERNOON. March 3, 1853
Since tie breaking Of the dam Of the Canal ss
mentioned in my last letter, the water Las been
rushing through the cut with great force threaten
ing to nundate the entire lower part Of tie peninsula.
On this account McCernands Thirteenth Amy
CORPS las been ordered to MIllikens Bend, Is miles
above, where the ground is higher; but his com.
mand has as yet made ouy beginning of moving
Those familiar with the country bereatout say the
land above the canal will not be flooded though the
portion below the city, in the direction of Vcksburg,
is already four feet under water. The dam at or
near the mouth Of Fsrrsguts Ditch stands firm, but
a crevassc bae been made in the embankment ON the
west sire and through this the river is pouring at q
rapid rate.
The water, it is supposed, will along inside Of
tho levees constructed opposite Narrenton. and
thence into the swamps, which are lower than the
location where o.. troops are, without interfering
for some DAYS with the encampnent.
The canal Itself 10 not likely 70 lie Injured by the
destruction of It's head but will rather lie benefited
thereby--boing deepsned and wdeue by the rusn Of
the current. TIE Gu, is go feet broad. and y feet
below thssurace % the soil inside of the evee, but
about seven feet below the level Of the river.
The break in the canal cannot be repaired at least
for the present, and no can determ ne in what
the digging down mere, at Providence, and the
Yazoo PAS uay result. They are all experiments;
anu wo creating changes IN the mighty Missis-
sppi, perhaps, OF Which we have now no adequate
idea.
Our guoboats which were above Hainess Bluff
in the Yszoo "a day or two ago, lave, IL is said
cended the river again, pre- arai IONS Tor simnlta-
neous attack from below not vet being complete.
An assault from above and below at the same time
wcnd doubtless resalt in the possession of the Bluff
Ia, h.. a.. Il hay apfi
must have captured or destroyed all the Rebel boats
taken up the Yazoo shout the beginning Of the war;
and therefore, even thus far, their expedition has
not been without its compensation.
IL is To be feared that the gunboats in descending
the Iiyer and returning have warned the enemy to
strengthen himself ST. iurlner and when the assault
il made, they will probably find new batteries
erected AZ The Blut.
III. Rebels it 10 said, have been fully informed of
our intention TO o. communication with Red River,
through Lake Providence. Bayou Macon, Bayou
Tensas, Tsnsss River, Black and Ouacbita Rivers
aud have already constructed batteries the Black
and Red Rivers at various Important points TO die.
puc progress and prevent, II possible, the exc
cutlon OF our design.
The river here is nearly, If not quite stationary
at present, and IA IL is reported falling above, we
look for ltle further swell here during the month.
Our troops continue TO suffer good deal from The
dlarrhea principally caused by their drinking tho
water the shore, where there is no current and
the refuse Of the transports trctures the quietness
OF the river with decayef vegetable matter.
The weather, which has been unplossaptly warm
and sultry for TWO or three days has become cloudy
and COOL Last night we had heavy storm of
wind, accompanied by thunder aud lightning, bus
very little rain.
No doubt many of your readers are wondering |
when the attack on Vicksourg will be made, and
are impatient that tie slaughter has not already |
begun.
AZ have often remarked. the intention OF our
commanders IL to cut of tue communication OF the |
X bells, and compel them If possible, 10 evacuate
VcKsburg for lack OF supplies, believing If the Mis-
sssippi and its tributaries are occupied bv our war
vessels, that they cannot receive forage aud pro-
visions from the interior Of the State, which IL now
too nearly exhausted to feed army OF the Size OF
that in tho beleaguered city for any length OF time
Making an escalade upon tho town will be q DER.
nier resort. Gen. Grant aud Admiral Porter will
not attempt that until all other means have JAILED;
nor would it BIO wise OF them 10 do 50. An open at-
tack must of nee-ssy DO attended Wi great loss Of
life; while strategic combination, II properly man.
aged will give us tie Secession stronghold without
the horrors of "A battle.
Three deserters arrived in camp this morning from
bringing papers from that city OF the I'm
inst. The journals contain nothing OF interest be.
yond the corrobora Of the fact that the Iudanoa
was sunk in the engagement between her and the
Rebel rams some OF which, according 10 the news
paper authorities, were sunk. Tie Webb, in run.
n0g into the Union gunboat, tore off lsrge part of
ler bow, but Was not injured otherwise.
The deserers, whoare conscIipts, say they have 10
accurate ueans OF know lug low many troops there
i'll and about Vicksburg but think there must be
10000 or 100 900. They report good deal Of di.ai-
lection III the Confederate army, aud say there are
hundreds who would desert il they Thought they
,ould escape without capture. The Southern lead.
'rs have shot many desererr recently, and this ex-
rene course has greatly diminished the custom.
Tho dsser,ers are no doubt greatly missSken ~ 10
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