, 1863-07-22
FROM VlCKSBURG.
CONDITION OF THE REBELS,
The Investment Of jackson,

From Our Special Correspondent,
V1cKsnuRa, July 16, 1868.
send you an accurate statement Of facts,
giving more importance to the cap.uro of
saekson1g than was at first supposed. The
number Of prisoners, and amount Of the mu-
nanons Of war far exceed the expectations Of
those who hare watched and waited ut the
rear Of Vtcksburg SO long. Before going into
details, desire to state whnt may be gene
rally known, and can do no harm to repeat
MINOR General Sherman has command Of the
forces now investing Jaclson-what ie now
called the front, Vicksburg being the base.
Major General Mcpherson commands the for
tifcations Of Vicksburg, and Major General
Logan commands the" post OF Vicksbure.
Very few departments for the transaction Of
local business are 50 well filed with efficient,
gent1eman1y subordinate officers as are those
at the headquarters Of Generals Grant, Nc
Pherson and Logan General Grant has his
headquarters in town, and is the same quiet
thoughtful gentleman he was before his star
Was In the ascendent. Col Rawlins, his Ad-
1utant General, has an ear for every one, and
hand to help. General Mcpherson was very
fortunate in The selection Of Lieut., Col, James
Wilson for Provost Marshal.
an under particular obligations to Lieut..
Col Kent, Provost Marshal General, Capt,
Catlin, Asst Provost Marshal, and Capt. Da-
vis. paroling officer, for their courtesy in fur
nithfng me the material from which many of
the facts given below we're gathered.
NUMBER OF PRISONERS.
After the surrender, Confederate officer
estimated the force to be parolcd at 31,s00.
Then VIC could hardly belleyeit would amount
10 more than q, 900, Late Information proves
That We fought at Port Gibson, Champion
Hills and Black River Bridge much inrger
force than we estimated at the time. AsI
have btfore written you, Gen. Grant has
wiped out an army Of over sixty thousand
men, who, when We landed In MisaisslppI,
were scattered from Greenwood on the north
to Port Gibson ON the south. All that es-
capped were few thousand under Lorlng, and
they are now with Johnston.
We killed aud wounded a very large num-
Der. and several thousand deserted for their
homes during the interim between the battle
Of Port Gibson aud the siege Of Vicksburg.
1he works at Vicksburg after the battle Of the
'Bfg Black, as the rebels call 1t. Nearly
three thousand Of this number were killed
during the siege, or died Of disease.
The whole number captured at the surren-
der will vary but little from 5000. Of this
number We hare parnled ~ GOO effective men.
About Goo sick and wounded are to be pa
ruled. and it is said they are to be taken up
the Wabash to Monroe, La where the rebel
conya1eseeDt camp is located. 1850 refuse to
be pa1oled, many Of whom take the oath of
allegiance, while others prefer going North
as prisoners Of var rather than 60 into q
Southern parole camp. In ono brigade Of
Louisiana troops numbering about ! 200. 1876
refused to be paroled-most Of them, officers
aud men, boldly ayerfiuE they Nou1d not fight
my more. They arc mostly Of thut class
called Ftenchmen In Louisiana.
POLICY OF FARoLNG.
The general opinion prevails TINT, aside
from every other consideration but the one Of
converting the 1cbel army, the paro!.sg aud
has been fine stroke of policy. The rebel
officers view it In the same light, and are
vtxed in no small degree. There is great dis
content among the men formerly comprising
fembertoD's army. The friction incident to
the social intercourse Of The two armies has
GERS are infected by the general dissatisfaction
ct the men, and since tie parole many oc
1ht m have deserted. First Of all, they are
diEhea1tened With the general appearance of
tAfrgs ln the Southern Confederacy, caused
BY the food Of light and truth that So sud
III Th.y lad heen ehrt a,,t fsn,,, +ha xs.n.,9
far nearly two months an,i aid mt knor how
disaster after disaster was being visited upon
them along the whole line. Another cause Is
tl,t complaint Of bad management Of the
whole thing By Old Pemberton,n and this is
almost universal, In this they arc unjust in
great part Our officers concede to him both
t1ilt,y ao4 energy. The long tight at the rear
Ct fleksbu|E Was made with energy aud
spirit femeeHon has not shown the white
1ea1ner. ne oniy Jleloea When clfcum-
stances compelied him. We honor that army
taa's Willy III n aoe Any y %t ~ eqaaa auvan,
.aecs VINO eau staha sglipst tne Army o. the
rrhe1s f3cTt for .nd n c.1, 1,erd11 ha E,nnd ~
.ebe]dom.
discomfort. is the correction of the many er-
rors pur1osely in5tilled into the rnind3 nf
The men bv tleir leaders relative tf Tim
nnestfons AZ f.sne. onr nurnns,4s .Ec which
course Of The two arnice foz ovar week.
These several causes hare effectunlly des.
troycd Tie raorale Of Pemhcrton's army Cnn.
fcaernte officers mourn over 1t and relate their
F1aesances ;;l 10 Inelf synpathlzlng friends.
!auy 1N!ug sssetal ni:ts IN tne country said
70 feuela1 oAcef: unotrotand onr army
has become very much dtmoralized since 1t
,'a i's s1Me ~. ~ coatacs WIN yours, anu also
Aeal tnat soar men are Stirling our soldiers
actofs 'ee 11Eef sincc 1hey have been paroled-
an oio 1r1epo, Col.-t tells me he has atot one
man t3t 10 maFef* oat q P'c@sta1g."
REBELS GOING HOME.
The object Of General Pembertou. was fo
Keep his army IN tact as much Is possible, and
take them to a :,arole camp in Alaba,na- The
.tl;cers promised ,be men furiougls from that
place, but they have beepfdeceiyed TOO many
times to catch at that After The cffrctfy..
men had BEEN parpled. it ID fa{ti TINT several
thousand belonging In Missouri, Arkansas,
Lon1slaDa ano texas; escaped across the river
seIy ~ 43ateIlousa5. nut 1e" OF tnese men ~
,eno - report d tne expiration OF their
4ea'e' --......-
THE oCTMARcn.
On the 18Th inst. the army began to march
out on tie Baldwin's Ferry road. acco1dinr to
t11e ferms of can{tnl.fion- woron tn each
regiment, field officers mounted with side
a.1ns, men with their knapsoeks. / took d |
position two miles in the rear Of V1cksburg,
the War.enton road branches, and saw the re.
mains of the once grand army straggle along
by for two days.
THEY wA,r TO ca HOMIE
hundreds asked Tue question, "Wu your
tolss stop us We go to Warrenton and Try
20 cross {Ee river we could only give
.-o.,. -as,an :, sI,d hn+,drajs "oe, s e1oM
lock the War1cnten road. a1ways Keeping
rood lookout for their officers. i nm t6,5
That The woods arc full Of men all a1one the
road to Black river. who arc ecatteriH5r in |
every direction to make the oue poiTt-
.sHome." Those men WHO live In Mississippi.
Alabama ard Tennessee. declare tbey mr. r.
Ing home, and only wait untiI the colpmn
nears the desired layen. wllea they viii be
numbered among the desertcrs, doubt |
whether General Pemberton reaches parole
camp with ten thousaud men.
AZ rn,rop Gown m opur
,1,. So ~ 49, ona IT,,