Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-06-04
Matters i'm IRebeldom.

attempting 70 run Dy the batteries OF
Vicksburg, has furnished ON his arrival at
the north sketch of his adventures in
rebellion. The correspondents We're Ia
ken, after two days. stay in the "Gibral-
ter of the West" on their long journey to
Richmond. They went by rail TO Meridi-
an, thence to the Tombigbee River, thence
to Montgomery by steamboat, and across
the country, and thence by rail to Rich
mond. They had a pretty extensive view
Of the Confederacy.
Their experience, as related by the
Worlds correspondent, is very interesting.
Some Of the results of their observations,
this correspondent communicated on his
arrival at Washington, He confirms the
previous statements in regard to the cond-
ton Of the Southern railroads, a matter of
great importance in the present condition
Of affairs. He says they are nearly worn
out, and the rebels have no facilities for
furnishing new rails when the old ones are
gone. Several branch roads have been
discontinued for want Of railroad iron, but
the main lines are kept up at any sacrifice.
At the best that can be done, they make
very slow time. The trains which carried
the prisoners made but eight miles an hour.
All along the road were strewn the wrecks
Of engines and cars, which had become
disabled, either from collisions or from
wear and tear. The engines are out of
repair, and all the rolling stock is in
very shabby condition. Cars are patched
up in every imaginable manner; there are
but few passenger cars, and those are in
the most dilapidated condition. Mr.. Col
burn thinks that there will be more diff
Guilty among the rebels in replacing their
machinery, than in any other respect. The
locomotives they lose can never be replac-
ed by the rebels.
There were some incidents which seemed
to indicate Union feeling even in the
heart of the Confederacy. The Union
prisoners were always well treated. They
were visited by citizens at every station at
which they stopped, and often furnished
with provisions, and even delicacies.--
When they arrived at Montgomery, how
ever, they found that some prisoners who
had Just preceded them, composed in part
of the officers and crew of the lndanola,
had been 50 well treated that the rebel
newspapers had come out IN denunclatlon
of such course These individuals were
presented with. boquets of flowers, and
with rebel newspapers, and in many OF
these harmless little packages were found
rolled up bank bills, which were found
useful in the course of their journey
These and other {" acts Of treason to the
Confederacy leaked out, and the newspa-
pers and hre-eaters made such noise
about the matter that when the train which
carried the correspondents arrived at Mont
gomery, no visitors were allowed to see
them, nor were they allowed to receive
any newspapers or boquets. At every
station where the visitors were allowed to
see the prisoners, citizens of every station
in life crowded around them. They ex-
pressed universally an anxiety TO know
how long the North was prepared to con-
tinue the war, what they were going to do
with the negroes, whether they really
thought that they could subjugate the
South, and other questions of the same
sort, which showed plainly that the quer-
lists anticipated the ultimate success of the
North. The answer generally given was,
that the northern people had made up their
minds to war, and had gone into it as
settled business that they would fight
twenty, thirty or forty years--lt made lit
tie difference how long, for they were sure
to win in the end.
From the statement of this correspond
ent published in the World, we extract the
following in relation to Vicksburg, at pres
ent the all engrossing object of attention
The very length of the line, from War
renton up the shores of the Big Black, and
across to the Yazoo, or, what is the same,
the meagerness of their forces TO guard it,
is the great weakness of the position. 1t
would require, to keep such line (twenty-
six miles, intact, an army Of fifty thous-
and men and hundred pieces of light ar
tillery. | have grounded conviction,
based on concurrent testimony, that at the
time of our sojourn there acere not more than
fifteen thousand troops West Of the smaller
stream. end sic thousand East. Could
these all be concentrated upon one decisive
boint they might with their works repel
1--WE times their numbers but REPETITION
Of such plan Of attack on our part they
may never hope for again.
The confederate hopes Of Vicksburg are
mainly hung upon General Joe Johnston.
who arrived at jackson on the 18th. and
was pursued thence after destructive
fight next day. His plan appears to be to
mass considerable army outside and drive
off the besiegers. We do not believe his
intention is to get inside of Vicksburg, but
to leave that post to Pemberton. If he
can do this, Grant is, by the double line,
front and rear, placed in critical posi-
ti0n