The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-03-09

Our news from the South to-day is verYkpll, In
teresting and important. The Richmond Journals
Of the 9Th inst. contain the extraordinary rumors
that the Indianola has been blown up by the re-
bels but that her armament fell into the hands Of
the federsls. Admiral Porter despatched to
Washington yesterday that both the Indianols
and Webb were destroyed in the late engage
ment, while Q host Of reports were aHoat
throughout the capital that the Admiral had
telegraphed to the effect that his gunboats have
passed through the canal into Lake Providence,
and succeeded in destroying the Queen Of the
West and Indianola, and other armed vessels Of
the rebels. The only foundation, however, for
these is found in the statement Of the Rich
mond papers above alluded to. Dispatches to
Fortress Monroe say that the federal gunboats are
making great destruction ON Lake Providence.
They further state the rebel Van Dorm repulsed q
Union force near Franklin on the lst inst, and
captured 1900 officers and men, An attack on
Port Hudson by General Banks forces was looked
upon in Richmond as immediate.
The Richmond papers talk boldly OF the i'm
pregnable condition of vicksburg, Charleston
and Chattanooga, As for Richmond itself, that
is not even menaced but under any crcum-
stances it can be defended by effective force of
sixty thousand men. They boast that the best
organizer Of troops in the army, General Bragg,
and the best msneuverer in the open field, John
ston, are in command at Chattanooga, and with
Lee in Virginia, Gustavus Smith in North Carolina
and Besuregard in South Carolina and Georgia,
there Is no possible fear Of military blunder.
They criticise our conscript law severely but the
Examiner does not anticipate that II will lead to
Northern revolution, for II considers "that the
government Of the United States has CONCEALED
into despotism, and that its inhabitants have
actually sunk down into the characteristics Of
abject, trembling and underlying slaves"
By the arrival of the Fah-Kec from Port Royal
yesterday evening we have some very interesting
intelligence to the Sd, at which time very heavy
which was supposed to be an attack by our troops
on Fort NcAllister. The destruction Of the rebel
steamer Nashville by the Montauk, on the Ogee.
chez, has already been announced, but the infor.
nation heretofore came only from rebel sources.
To-day We give most graphic account of that
brilliant affair by our special correspondence at
Hilton Head and Port Royal. The public have
now both sides OF the story. We gave In our co.
Iumns yesterday an excellent map Of the scene Of
action.
1t is said that General Curtis is about TO be
removed from his command in the West on the
grounds Of inefiicicncy and dilatorness, and that
General Sumner will probably be his successor.
Gen. Asboth, commanding the Department Of
Tennessee, has issued an order to the effect that
II any Northern copperhesd shall be found guilty
before court martial OF harboring, feeding or
clothing deserters from the army, or ferrying
them across streams or furnishing them other fa.
cilitics to escape, he shall suffer death.
MIsCELLAHEous NEWS.
Old winter Is determined not TO leave M without
shard struggle. The past week has sufficiently
demonstrated this fact. without giving scientific
explanation Of the why and the wherefore. On
Saturday morning the snow fell in quite promis.
Ing fashion; but deluge Of rain soon swept every