New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-08-12
FROM vICKsBURG.
Movements in Grants Army-Vicksburg
Past and Prcsent-Confederatc Money
Arrival Of Gen. Banks md STAFF
Visit 10 the Fortincntions.

Arrival Of Gen. Banks md stat
Visit to the Forfincntions.
From Our special Correspondent
vicKssuRa, Aug I, 1869.
Ihave learned here that ignorance is not bliss. IN
less, indeed IL be that total, wrspt ignorance which
prsclades copjeeturing. In the latitude Of Vicks.
burg we cannot keep pace with tho march Of
events elsewhere in this warstirred land;
and while We lately performed the functions
OF exposure Of the public, just now We
have o somewhat unpleasant premonition Of
fading into the background. The possible inter.
est Of other POINTS and other scenes in the grand
drama Of lhe great Southern rebellion, Of which
conjecture does not exactly encourage our egotism
The popular heart throbbed in unison with the res
p,rations Of our cannon, while we were battering
away tt the stubborn mud defenses Of this obdurae
city. Will the same eager attention 10 bestowed
upon us new that tour brows are bound With vic
torious wieatbes," and for time grim-visaged
War bath smoothed bis wrinkled front ! fear not.
There Is one word which Will indicate what is
col nc on present in this army. That word is re-
Organization. And yet IL describes the employment
of those around INC very imperfectly, and am not
cure il 10 the right But there are changes re-
forms and repairs going on IN every corps, every
division, brigade and regiment, which can ohty
despna,e b. lis term. To particnlarizc as TO these
changes ia impossible, and it would not interest the
general read If it were po'sbe. Camp life on the
| Big Black, where many OF our troops are, has no
distinctive feature by which Il may be known from
camp life IT, Mary land or Virginia, the heat perhaps
excepted. Iere is no peculiar interest In the irregu
lar rows Of tents on the Mississippi bank below
town. The arrival and departure Of steamers be-
longing TO our transport fleet, has become very
com monplao. There was something which looked
like an expedition sent from this post 10 Natchez
abou, a week ago, but there Is no enemy and no
La "A. ly M I'M.
IL is in the absence Of stirring events. that must
fnd subject matter for a letter without conhning
myself 10 purely military topice.
/ have had time to subject this notable city 10
somewhat leisurey examination within the past
few dsys II has hardly repaid the trouble Of rid
| ing and walking over it while the sun was angry
and threatening. There is little here but wreck aud
ruin. Where WA before the war hourishing
young city, with wealthy and thriving population,
there are now simply half battered-down houses,
trampled grounds and gardens, and a beggsred REM
nant Of tie old population, Mingled oddly enough
with the men who have been denounced here as
hir.lng.. thieves cut,hroais and mud-sls, but who
are now emiueuty and literally masters OF the siIu-
hlion. ~,
In 1901. yieksburg had two railroads She has
none now running west and her eastern railroad
connection IL mere military affair, with track worn
out aud no rolling s,ock TO speak VI. Al thai hwe
there were services every Sunday IN nyc elegant
churches with large aud attentive congregations.
All rxcep. the Catholic Church are now greatly
injured by sbells. and by being occupied for military
purposes. There is 10 longer any snch thins here
AS regular or stated religious services, and two
thirds Of the inhabitants do not know when Sunday
comes. Then, 1901, there was large public school
building, In which some five or ak hundred pupils
were in,,rocty, beside numerous smaller private
schools, wbitbA-,-re well sustained.
Darsfs. rfet<ftssn months the ellliren OF TIE
town have st.ifsi Vni, sio ssioneo OF war and oil
lAzinesr. There il not now, believe, single man
or woman in The place who IS making, or Is thinking
of making an effort to teach q child TO read There
were then many paatal residences, with spendidly
oruamontod gardens and walk. Now there Is Juat
enough Of them leii 10 indicate how pretty they
once were Then there were two large fonnderes
ana machine shops, employing hundreds OF hands,
and turning out wat amour. OF machinery for
s,ea boats mills. gins, AID factories. Now, out OF
this army there 10 not % blacksmith shop in the
place. Then there were two hospitals IN the place
the l.. \. Marine Hospital situate below the
southern boundary OF the city, commanding q me
view Of the riyer and the City Hospital, TN insii-
tn on under tho charge OF the Mayor and Council.
Now nearly tbs entire city Is u hospital, aid you
cannot 70 suiss for graveyard.
Then there were IN Nicksburg three daily news.
papers-a well sustained-an Invaluable test Of en-
torprise AMI prosperity. The IIaig has been burn,
up. The Sun has seI TO rise 10 more, aud The
Ctar,a has become alien-its proprietor q silent
foreigner, who suspended because Wallpaper could
no longer bs procured. Brokers, banks, Masonic
and Odd Fellow Lodges, hotels, public reading
rooms billiard and whisky saloons, stores OF every
kind and all the machinery for supplying civilized
wants disappeared with the newspapers The only
merchants now here ARE suffers. The only mechan-
les are extra duty men belonging to the army. a
LADY cannot 70 shopping. There are two REASONS
she has no money and there are no shops. Negro
women vending very dark looking ginger bread aud
eonsumpive pies, represent the commercial portion
Of tho community.
Bat improvement is In prospect. Yesterday there
were large details Of working parties Sc: TO cleaning
the streets. have seen plentiful store VI lime
which Gen Snlith has ordered TO be used on SAM
tary account. The people who were left here by
Pemberton take kindly to Governments which
feeds them IN their day Of humiliation aud dis
tr,ur and while the army is recognizing for rail-
campaign tho civilians here will reorganize society.
there ID q great abundance OF cash hcre--thaL 10,
something which cash month or so past. L
! have 4een little boys with rolls or "wAds to use
TN elegant Mississippi phrasc-which would have
suggested great wealth If they had been the original,
| SlmOn-pure gree nbscks. i was offered go OF the
stur, day or two since, for pair Of pants. sur
rem Tered the pants, but did not take the money.
When you talk 10 native, mud he tells you. ns
every OF them viii, OF the enormous prices be
has paid for such aud such articles, remind him that
tho number OF dollars is 10 criterion as To the rea-
condolences Of prces-that tue nature OF tho money
was taken into coueideration-aud ho VIII retort by
saying that his money was Us good as any body
slses, was currency, and that Tor : OF paper no
could get one OF gold.
How do your soldiers manage 10 Keep on hand
so much money!"
Tho lsiys to whom l addressed this question
ans wsr.di
ooh The Government pays them"
/" Bat devon dollars month will not so very fur
when whsky IN forty dollars gallon"
"Ihst's %; but when the pay runs out, their
friends .ithers and mothers give tho boys money!
"Yer put how did the boys from Missouri, Ken
lucky, and Tennessee, whose friends reside outside
the Confederate ines get such great rolls OF IL !
saw come OF them with thousands OF dollars.
"Well don't know. They played poker FOR II,
expect. There was plenty of money In tho army,
and any sharp fellow could manage 70 have all he