The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1863-04-24
Letter from, near Wick sburg.
Ducks poINT, La, 10 MILES ABOVE !
VIcKsBURG, April 7th 1868. {

NlCKSBuRG, April 1th 1868.
EDIToRs TRIBUNE:-I am neither a
military critic nor am | at all disposed to
be critical in nv discussion of the situa-
ton of our urIny around or rather in front
Of Vicksburg and along the banks Of the
River for many miles.
My object is rather that Of setting
right the opinion of many people in the
North who have made up their opinions
from. what they have read in the public
prcss-from letters written by cores
pondenta of different papers, who had not
the means Of knowing, nor neither does it
seem as though they had the least regurd
for truth, bu; gave publicity to state
mcnts most flagrontIy false. refer to
the statements made about the amount of
sickness and the great number of deaths
occurring in Gen. Grants army IN front
of Vicksburg. This statement created
such upprchcnsions in the minds of the
people at home that those who had any
friends in this army had the idea that If
their friends were obliged to come down
there death was the inevitable result; in
decd until had learned better by expert
cncc and actual observation in going u
bout among the different divisions com.
posing this army could say nothing to
disprCve these statements. But | have
been here now two weelSs, right in the
midst of this region where IL was sa id that
as many as ten aud even as high ns
thirty died out Of one Regiment in one
week; as was told myself, by gentle
man who made pretensions of being a
correspondent Of one of the New York
papers; now instead of this being the
case and representing the truth, | can
say from Knowledge obtained not from
henrsay, hut from going about among the
different Regiments, Brigades, Divis ions
and Corps; and convcrsing with the Sur
geon in charge of the Sanitary depart
mcnt that the number of men sick in
Regmental hospitals is very small, whcr
We take into consideration oUr situation
and the changes of climate to which ouT
troops are exposed, as well as many 9TH
cr causes Meteorological, Thcrmometri
cal aud various Physical causes whicl
CT cate disease.
got permission yesterday from thu
General commanding this Division, to g
down the River and look over into tn,
rebel stronghold, "Vicksburg" | went b,
steam as far as the beginning of the Gu
nal or cutoff opposite the City; there
lett the steamer and proceeded on foo
down the leveo and approached within
such distance oil the city as considere'
safe, and this was within about miles
all we can do is to gaze upon the city ant
wish it might be in our possession. On'
can sec very distinctly, on a clear day thu
batteries along the bluffs and the streets
leading from the river landing up th'
slopes into the city. With good sizc'
glasses they even can get the city tint
from the "town clock" on the cCur
house steeple. The bluffs up and dowl
the river us far us | could see, were oc
cupicd by batteries, apparently guns o
large caliber and judging from
the distance TO where they have sen
some shells and solid shot they mus
have some ri1ed guns aud mOrtars of yer,
large calibcr; they threw some shot to
distance of some three miles. Our grea
" ship canal,' across the neck of land op
posito the city is now admitted by all az
a failurc--and only rcmains as an eye
sore by those who first projected the sam
River men, who know all the freaks o
this most treachorous of all rivers, die
: tntcd from the first that it wonld result il
) defeating the expectations of those VIII
depended upon its sue cess. The wcs
banks of it broke through yesterday morn
ing and flooded out cur encampments 70
mites in extent. No lives were lost, on
. lv some were little sur rised on wa
king up in the morning to find from
foot to two feet of water in and aroun'
their tents. The troops moved up abou
' mile on dry ground, and all are no
\ comfortably located on dry "tsra Erma.
. There is another canal eng dug at thi
: point, which is some 10 mile above th
city. The river runs very near north an
: sonth at this point, the canal is dug ,
}. right angles to the river, and its course
: very near directly west. it runs about
!, miles in this westerly direction when
" enters bayou running parallel with II
i Miss. river, and this bayou enters til
Q river 10 miles south of Vicksburg. Th
Q bayou is navigable for light draft boa
and thus can troops be taken below II
city out of reach of their guns from ii
D batteries, hsso been along the ronte I
this canal aad am inclined To think thi
a this will be success. The works 0
the canal progres fast and a large iort
is at work digging daily. ! am hopeii
d aud believe that Vieksburg will be L
= ken without having any battle within te
a miles OF that city. The weather here
:. pleasant, just warm enough to make
agreeable. There has been no rain her
Tor weeks, and the roads are drying o
T finely. X.