The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-06-19

years to reduce, Iowa has "a iniAatry, j |
cavalry regiment and artillery compa
mics. namely; the Sd. 4th, 5tb, 9Th, 9.L
10th, llth, lath. iath, 18th, 18th, l7th.
alst, 2sd, cad, fl,h, e5sh, 2ssh, eth, |
2sth, s0th, slst. 3sth, 4oth, the 4ti
cavalry. the Is. and "a Iosa ba,tsrie,
under com ms"d Of Captain Spoon and
Griffith. Besides these. the investing
srDy is composed Of one husdred and
twenty-five or thirty other regiments.
with batteries mouniing perhaps 25o
gulns. This force OF 90 or 10 thousand
effective men, lie close along she lines OF
eiream.allstioa drawn arousd the city Of
Vicksburg, commencing on the rive,
about mile and . half above The city
ssd running around equi-disant thereto
till II strikes the river below. Interior
Of them. some tvo or three hundred yards.
are the defensive wo,ks and lines of tn,
besisged. Between the two lines, and
exterior to our lines, the Typography OF
the country 10 broken up into success
SION Of ridges. hills and deep ravines,
much Of il covered with heavy timber,
which in places had been cut down TO 10
tercept the progress of our srmy. The
character OF these nstural Instructions.
sufficiently accounts for the faiiurs Of our
forces 70 storm the enemy's works 90 the
22nd ult. Bat the ooan,ry must not sup.
pee that our men and officers have been
idle since that repalse. They have been
gradually approaching the rebel works
BY rifle pits dag in oil dieeiious, % tha,
we are nov in some places within 20, 90
and 100 yards Of their iiues. and gradu-
ally getting nearer. Thoss rife pits are
mainly dug in ths night SESSION, under the
protection Of oar guns and sharp shooters
Six days havs spent surveying our
lines and offensive operations, ealing upon
osr men and priocipi Oh ,ers, and mus
say that | have no words sufficiently to
express my admiration of the msrtia /
spirit and bearing Of the whole army
They feel that vicksbarg is secure in
/ their power beyond almost any cousin.
gency,-r Already has tao Steamboat lads
Of powder, ball and shell been shot away
upon this doomed Gibraltar Of the South,
and they ars now upon the third. rs I
vas informed by one Of oar Gensrals.-
"A few days later. when al things are in
! readiness, yon may expect to hear Of such
4 stosm of iron fsiiiag upon this strong :
hold Of the rebellion as the world never
before witnessed. The death grip with
which the rebels hold ON to this plan, and
the determined per,inacity With which
s the gallant army Of the free North prose
cuted the siege tell but too sign6 :antly
B the estimate which each places upon tn 6
n V,cas IN quo, and the grief that must come
to the one, and the 'aH haI to the other
: of tive eooteading parties. Let the coun
try Be pauent. the army has and i. Iii ne
: It's whole duty. v,cksburg is ours be- yond
the s',sde Of doubt. Already the rebe
IS d~siI.rs therein are our prisoners, living
/. at their own expense.
IT Although Johnston is collecting Al
army beyond Black River Of no incsn
4 siderable force, yet no serious apprehen
!, sion 10 felt here that he will be able to
+ interfere with the siege Of visksburg.-
y New troops have been coming down every
It day since hsve been here, and they have
! gone up-some 10 or $4,000 Of them Ia
Il Haines' Bluff. and thence ia the direction
y Of Black River to look sftsr this ssus Ar
u Johnston. Unl-ss he and bis men make
j. themselves scarce, il is the intention ol
u GsaeraI ,Grsnts to eleap him out ~ coon
as v,se!tsburg Is s,ken,. sr
II Ny visit here has been one of intense
Interest TO mo, ~ it las been, l learn
to Gov. Kirkwood, Gen. Baker, W,lsor
!. and Hughes. They expect to return ia
day or so. but l shall remain ansfhs
q week, hoping still within ,hss time 4
!, witness one Of the greatest events Of .hi
! war. have visited four efths hospital.
! and talked With many Of oar wounds,
soldiers. 1t is wonderful With what forti
y tude they bear up under their safcrings
In this connection allow me to correc, tn
!. statements have observed Published 0
our losses in the battles around Vicks
burg Maj. Huff, the master Of the msdi
cal fee. Of hospitals and transportation
q who possesses ths best means OF corrcc
i inform ,tion on this su 'ject. says 1t viii
4. not excsed forty Eve hundred.
r. Col. Bus . Of ,he ) Iowa savalry, i
To ordered ~ tLis point with his con- maud
er lie is already here hinsslf, snd, hi. srgi
- ment will foiinw IN few days. THIS,
10 know, viii b. highly gratifying to h,
IN men aud officers. Tomorrow return |,