, 1863-02-12
TEE MISSISSIPPI FLOTILLA.
Present Position Of Affairs at Vtoks-
burg.



From Our Own Csrrospondent,I
OK FLAG SNIP. AT MOUTH or TAzoo, l.. i
Jan. 80. 1865. - :
But little Of interest Is trauspiring here.
Notwithstanding the numerous transports
that are moving up and down the Mississippi,
there are but few opportunities to send let
ters. For several days boats have been lcav-
Ing md arriving here, few at time, trans
porting and dise1nbarkins troops. Among
them nc have observed several from the Ohio
river. The 4" Magnolia, with Grant and staff
on board, arrived down yesterday, and to-day
she came alongside the flag ship, and the Cen
etal and Admiral had an interview Of several
hours, after which, he returned to the front
where he had stayed the night before, in the
immediate vicinity Of the canal =.
" TIE CANAL. -
The canal has now seven teet Of water, hut
has not Us yet amounted to much, nor does it
now giye promise Of great results, but the
great rise, which We have every reason to e1-'
poet in the Mississippi, {already high during
the next few weeks, may change its complex
ion very materially. It Wns so constructed
tAAL I'LL GUY ""2 to4UeA at 1la entA0aeo, 0A0
the current Of the river had not the sway 1t
should have had. But the troops are again at
work cndeavoring to give more force to tho
current By curve; and change Of the locality
of the entrance, which We fear will be unsuc.
cessfn1. At present, there is but little faith
manifested In the efficacy Of this cutoff BY the
o"celo " tne nee1 eenetauy' p"t tney ale 1o'
spcctipg this, as every other means Of injury
to the enemy. or of opepinr the river. eagerly
.~,s y. .,,~aass ' S''o@'
an2lons LOT 'ts SUCCESS
RECoESo1ssASCEs BY ENGINEERS.
The engineers Of the army and navy arc
do,,v ,n.ti,r i.,,a avn, xn,,h;n r,,,ra ~ tho
uutly us'Aus .ttpe oten nitnln lAnke VI tae
enemSs guns, 10 "atcn tue operations ofthe
enemy, which command all the peninsula
above the canal. Their Investigations have
recently added not little to the necessary
comprehension Of the position and strength /
Of the enemy's defenses, and when the attack
shall be made, We hare no doubt In this re-
ruH POSITION or orr TROOPS. :.
Tho rraaon+ noe,,,o,, ~ ,r.+-oo,s has ho.,,
ad psat;.,a,sr ~ nas Fa
tSoee ,,on tha io4rionds -, frn1, ~ az
nhicl, ,tI Mou1d he ~ oraTanwad hv rlsa ~ ~ hn}
fsw faet This rise ia i1"hie n occmr nt INV
tts 1n;nt A nv tha @ enemn 5rfrom - tho ni,yanccS
STARE nf the river above Rajr,s hroade nc-
cnIf,.s thn ripht hant NJ the river for seT.
eraI miicg below the canal. and there are sew
eral batteries Of 32-pounders Stationed there
which Command the river completely. By
means Of these batteries one Of the rebel trans
nortg has been captured and another injured
and forced to return to VicksburE, when
upon Tip down the river. The remainder
Of the army is encamped for nearly ten miles
aboye the canal, part Of it behind aud part In
front of the 1eyee. The enemy nre frequent In
t1elr eHorts 10 oostfuct tne opelatio1s o1 Inc
aLoops ~, ~ ~ tb,t 1in ou' lucy
u" Thn r"' thrao4 nnsiian ~ ~ n tro ha
w oi ~ ;h1;t ~ ILL., 'avpps ~ "
,s,,ta o1o;1ab7;,tv afthap "oai ha;nr ~ ~ our.a
tl.lite 31 usallAo1} u.!ne IL satla. pelns eousso
"eti uuui.saooeu ~ ~ enieny, "au In9 ny.
essaty uIa} -. W. 1ssasnt nto ss.u. Y
snem an4 t ndso fts,ng enen .uf oppottua;aiS W
increase s tnelr aGanses . upon tns soutn slue u
-, .hele'ole, 4ulte Pos5lole lAat MAen w a5e
pfepa1ca l9T tnc ass!ui., W. maae tnem 81,
~ onr cnst1 fhev ore nnon +bc ~ ber eiic r.
is said that Grant is to have here, altogeter,
Sc, eco men. There are several new gunboats
on the way down tue river now, or viii be In
few days. There are nine iron.clads. three
light draft gun boats, three rams; the ordlp-
ance md Hospital boats, md q halfdozeu
mortars In the Yazoo, one or two gupboats at
the canal. and seyera{ of the 1ipht 91raffs nov
inc m and down the riyer above. almost CON
stantiy. The reader can readily pcrcciyc that
even with such aforce well managed. and
the naval and land forces working vel,
together. aeainst such odds NJ the enemy can
produce. flarfullY sanguinary strnrela must
Tesn1t whenever n hattle tnkcs n1aee. h11t r.
orr iand fo1ccs were dnnh1c fhosf n he ene.
nv IN fhey sl,o1,ji he1 md crerv noss;h1c
.5r,1ntora 1S uere ossnred{v secnrnd' tbe io;nt
aseanit 3son,d thsn rcniar ~ S;,tcre !uIis. !.rai.
"4~ @A A~~A -'A~ 'A~IoAJ WA
AAs - 80. .a.n'
THE EafohTAScE oF SUCCESS.
Admiral Porter fully realizes the transcen-
dent importance Of success, and addresses
with untiring energy and remarkable vigilance,
tact and skill, every faculty which be pos
sesseB. The same fearless promptness, ius-
rarcs fnr his men. 70 far as is nossih1r cnf.