New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-05-02

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of the trauspors having been delayed on account OF
Tho ;ncomnleteness of such preparations as were
deemed necessary.
tn. .amers selected (six in number, mentioned
below. and commanded by Colonel c. d. Lagow)
were duly appraised, it ia fair to suppose az
fully their value, at the close of last week, ana
were defended in their most vulnerable parts with
bales Of hay cotto sacks of corn and boxes oil tents
The space about the boilers was particularly well
protected but the main deck and cabin were 1911 eA-
poeed in great measure to the euemy's lire.
The flagship Tgress was provided with second
wheel, forward of the pot-bouse, in case the hrst
should be shot away and was on the whole strongly
barricaded in the manner have stated; though had
the heavy teu.inch shot of the Rebe batteries fairy
struck the hay and cotton bullworks, they must
have caused no little damage to the vessel.
Yesterday afternoon, the fleet was all ready, and
the officers and crew chosen, mostly, if no. entirely
from the regiments encamped in this vicinity.
ssy chosen. meaning from the numbers who volun-
teered to Join the hazardous expedition, and who
crowded the Won Plud for two or three days, urg'
ing Commodore Graham, of the river fotllls, to ac-
cept their services as if they regarded such accept
ance as particular boon.
General Grant had resolved to ask no one to go,
intending 10 make it matter of option with all, and
consequently the soldiers and their officers came
forward with most commendabie and patriotic
promptness. Hardly any of the regular officers OF
The transports accompanied the expedition. Indeed,
the proportion WAS 70 unquestonaby small that one
might be led to form an unfsvorable opinion OF the
s,eadiness of their nerves or their patriotic ardori
albeit it is charitable to suppose they did not wish
to monopolize the glory belonging to the army,
The steamboat men are not IN the service regularly,
and perhaps preferred that duty to the country
should be performed by those who had sworn to
render it in the most practical way.
BE all this as II may they did not volunteer, and
no one asked them; and they intrusted their boats
TO military management, knowing thev would De
amply compensated, if any disaster should happen.
The night seemed very inauspicious at first, for
there was not only coploas starlight but bright
moonlight, which would have revealed the vessels
plainly TO the foe. AS the night waned, however,
the moon set and the Iver began, on the previous
OCCASION to be bOrdered with light mist, aud the
horizon clouded with arayisb nebulosity.
The blockade runners, shrouded ID darkness, and
mysterious in their quieIude. showed out into the
river sbou. o'clock and waited for the disappear
ance of the moon and the rsng of the fog that was
expected.
Each transport had alongside barge end about
ia o'clock, the first Of the feet was moving
opposite the uppermost battery her engines motion
less and her wheels silent unit, she was discovered,
which was not long.
Then the GYMS beloved out upon the humid
atmosphere, and shivered the silence to discodant
atoms.
At the earliest roar of the heavy artillery. two
large lights seen on the point or peninsula OPP
pos!te Vicksburg and on the Louisiana side OF the
river.
1t was known at once the oonAagration arose
from several old frame buildings on the point which
: the a" COnfederates" had fired for the purpose OF
! lighting mp the Mississippi
This action OF the enemy bad ben anticipated by
us and Gen. Sherman had sent handtnl Of men in
the morning 10 the upper part Of the sirp Of Land TO
burn the houses in question: but 1t was discovered
the Rebels had number OF pickets there and these
fired upon the Union SOLDIER, killing one, under
stand, and compelled them, unsrmed as they were
TO retire. Our priyates took no guns because they
were obliged to wade through soos' up TO their
arIn-pits nearly, and because they lad no expecta
ton Of meeting with resistance. Therefore the OPP
portuuity 10 destroy the buildings was lost
The transports were 10 start fifteen minutes from
each other, and did 80 promptly each one running
the same gauntlet Of shot and rhel and leaving IN
doubt, who saw the flashes and heard the Of
guns, as 10 their fate.
New fires were kindled about Il, o'clock this
morning by the Rebels, and then We could plainly
distinguish vOlieys Of musketry from Vicksburg, as
though they were firing al objects near at hand.
This caused no little unea.iness, as we feared some
Of the vessels might have been sunk exploded,
ana thai he officers and crew. 10 eDdeayoring TO
escape were receiving the savage attention OF the
hostile Infantry.
Just before the small-arms were heard, noise OF
escaping s:eam was audible from below, and many
thought ii indicated the explosion OF the boilers of
some one OF the transpOrts-an opinion which was
oorroborated with the east hopeful by the rapid
discharge OF musketry.
None Of the boats had been fire by the explosion
Of shells we knew, for we could have see0 the
n,~ an ed ham tle oil
buildings.
Al this WHILE the batteries were playing heavily
upon the blockade-runners, sending iron messengers
after them when they had gotten fully two miles
below the gum, 30 anxious were they 10 annihilate
them.
Every two or three miDues there would be a lul
Then the roar would be deepened. and the batteries
would crush through the night until the atmos phere
and the land and tie waters shook.
Sometimes silence would fall upon the scene, and
we weud think the caunonading ended, when sud
denly II would be renewed with the most determined
energy.
So the time passed until II o'clock when the reti-
cence OF Nature was rebauguraed.
Webbing was quiet once more; the enemy seemed
TO have fallen asleep aud only the fires Oh tie point
sent up now and then urid flash into the gro Ving
murkinegs of the night; while the black smoke from
tho couhsgra0nb hung like vast cloud against tho
MINDLESS sky.
The transport on which Gen. Grant, Gen. Logan,
number Of officers, soldiers, correspondents ana
loOkerson had gone down toward the point u wit
nees the llockade-runnlng, returned after all the
vessels had either gotten by met al unhappy fate
and we we're compelled to possese ourselves III pa
thence until We could hear OF the result.
That result we have moi yet learned, but are anx-
ousiy waiting ~ obtain IT, Opinions az to the
block ade-runnng are various. Some think a, least
one transport has been lost Others declare TWO or
three have been desroyed but this 10 all conjecture
DO not believe We have sustained any casualties Of
l. ....I
OF our boats may have been disabled, us it wonld be
unreasonable 10 hope fbey had oil escaped without