The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1863-07-22

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but can take care Of them, or distribute
them to the negroes.
The city gives abundant evidence upon
every side Of the terrible ordeal through
which it has passed. There IL scarcely 4
house that has escaped injury, and many Of
them are entirely prostrated. A block Of
brick stores Letwcen the Prentiss House
and the river, ind also a row Of brick
stores the length ola block opposite tie
post Office, entirely destroyed by our shell.
presenting tho most unsightlv mass IF
brick and NOR Or conceivable. There were,
besi'les, many instances Of the total des-
truction Of first class buildings occupying
an Isolated position. Among them was
a prnccly mansion three or four blocks
south of the Court. House Ia all proba-
bity there are n, houses in Chicago finer.
and it was furnished in the most elegant
and costly manner. Its owner abandoned
it before the commencement Of the siege.
On the 4th or 9Th day Of the bOmbsrG.
ment, ten Of the large thirteen inch shells
from the mortar boat entered this housc
within the space Of half an hour. 1t was,
Of course, literally leveled with the ground,
its elegant furniture being crushed beneath
the ruins.
From the river the city was indeed i'm
r>gnab!o. The batteries commenced up
on the hills to the north Of the city, and
extended all tn, way down the front be.
yond the city, in the direction Of Warning
ton. There was one very formidable battery,
in the upper portion Il the city, just above
| high water mark. The other batteries were
higher up, and some Of them upon the very
crest Of the hill. Every street in the city
near the river was closed by formidable
| rifle pits the bitches in front of which wels
from eight to ten feet wide and presented
a perpendicular face towards the point Of
danger of from eight to ten feet. protected
by thick oak planking. The rife-pitf on
those streets running parallel with the river
which could he swept by an entiading fire
from the gunboats after rounding the blt d
were protected by embankncnts Of earth
twenty feet in thickness and from ten 70
fifteen feet high. The rife pits upon one
street we're constructed either block be-
low or a block above those upon the neat
parallel street, thus commanding and d.
tending every street, and still leaving
passage way, by pursuing ziz gag course,
for teams to reach the levee. Many Of ne
heavy cannon have been removed iron tho
batteries along the river to those in the rear
Of the city since the se,ge commenced, and
with but few exceptions, the whole Of the
field artillery.
The Confederates had a foundry and
machine shop in operation in the southern
portion Of the city, which was disabled by
shot through the boiler on Thursday
previous to the surrender. 1t was the GEN.
tire Of attraction to curiosity-huntcrs In
one of the lathcs was a small six inch NOR
tar, and very light one, too, it seemed t"
be. 1t had been cast in proper shape, and
was in progress Of having the bore turned
smooth and even. 1t was about half COM
eted.
At one end Of the shop lay the muzzle
Of the celebrated "Whis,lng Dick" This
was ritl"d gun, manufactured at Rich
lnond, and stationed in the upper battery.
1t was the best gun in the Notifications,
and was so we'll handled that the Federal
soldiers were able to recognize the sound Of
its shot, and gave it name. At the time
the gunboats anG transports ran the bate
ries the "W histling Dick" was served by
inexperienced gamers, who inserted shell
wrong end foremost. When it was fired,
the shell exploded before leaving the gun.
tearing away some two ieet Of the muZZle.
The gun was taken to the shops and cut off
square again. And, when Gen. Grants
purpose was discovered, it was placed upon
the Notifications in the rear Of ViCksburg.
But the accident had destroyed its useful
ness altogether, the best gunners in the
Confederate service failing to do any exc
cution with it.
Around the foundry there are tons on
tons Of the shot and shell fired into the city
by the Fcderals The Confederates gather
ed them and recast for their own guns
E., Geo. 4 IS
shot and shell manu factured at this foun-
dry, besides the ordinary round ones
Among them were some sho: for teninch
guns, which were about fifteen inches in
length, the front end being perfectly square,
and the back end te, ,minating in a copper
ring, made to expand with the force Of tho
powder and fill the bore of the gun. These
are new kind of shot, and have been
shown to be very effective. The rebels did
not have them in use when the batteries
were run by the feet of gunboats and
transports but four weeks afterwards,
when tho Cincinnati ventured around the
bend, she was greeted with couple Of
these "plungers," which penetrated her
iron armor with the greatest case. She
haaled off under cover Of the point, and
sank.
appearing body Of men, in remarkable con-
trast with the Fort Donelson and Arkansas
Post prisoners They are larger, and fie,
from that squalid and wretched appearance
so characteristic Of the prisoners captured
in the other places ! have named. A more
discouraged and disorganized body Of sol.
diers, however, never existed. Two. thirds
of them seem sa listed, now that Vicksburg
has fallen, that the cause Of the South ia
hopeless, aud they arc willing to take tie
oath Of allegiance and give up the contest.
That they aie honest in the expression Of
such desires is manifest from the fact that
they are receiving their paroles, and cars
have no mercenary motive in view In offer.
ing to take the oath in preference to the
parole. Gen. Pemberton's army can safely
be considered as annihlatcd. The men COM
prsing it can never be brought together
again under any circumstances. 1t is far
better they are paroled than sent North,
since the influence they will exercise will
tend to discourage all with whom they
come in contact.
Vicksburg, previous to the war. was one
Of the best business points upon the river.
She had a white population of 5000 and
1900 slaves. One.balf her white and two
thirds her slave population have abandoned
her. But few Of the best families fthe
place are now residing here. They Rave
no money, and nothing to sell from which
to realize money.
Gen. Logan, who is in command Of the
city, will issue s,me regulations for its gov
er!ment in The course Of day or two; and,
what other ills may afflct the citizens, they
will have the blessings Of good order.
Immediately upon the capitulation Of tho
place, the Confederate soldiers deposited in
the streets three or four DAYS. ratiOns of