Year: 1863

and at the risk Of life. There are dot
enough Of our men to relieve each other.
while the host in front Of them sends fresh
men forward every twenty -four hours, who
fire with artillery and small arms day and
night, and consequently our men get little
sleep or rest. The lines of the enemy are
in some places within-ten feet Of our ditch
es, close enough to make scribbling on ship
crackers and tossing them into our bitches.
fayorite amusement. Consequently one
third Of the men have TO be always watch
ing for charge, knowing that the ccupa-
tion Of twenty yards of our entrenchments
would be fatal to Vicksburg.


When they yield at last, as yield they
must to some terrible assault or to starya-
tlon, let no exempt who reads of the fall of
Vicksburg as he sits at table piled with
enough food for company Of soldiers,
presume to question their patriotism or
their courage. Defeated and prisoners as
they will be, the historian Of other days
will record no prouder names than those
Of The Defenders of Vicksburg.


: = Inside of this slaughter pen
we have the same solid facts as before.
Shells the size of half bushel, filled with
powder, and containing tubes filled with a
liquid which burns all in reach of its mol
ten flame huge black monsters, borne in
an instant from that red hell beyond the
trees, and sweeping down in the roar of
their own whirlwind, looking with that enc
red demon eye for something to destroy;
they come, thicker than did the lost angels
from the battlements of Heaven.


A few are singing their peculiar
song" just now, but not SO numerous. The
loss Of life here is not great, considering
that shells have fallen sometimes at the
rate Of five thousand an hour, and Minnie
balls are buried in these hills by milliens.
find few now whe do aos acknowledge to
some special providence. The terms with
which men disguise from their fellow men
their own deep feelings are still upon their
lips. but many heart has learned again
the prayers of childhood, and lofty faith
looks out amid the invisible perils Of the
day and the flaming terrors Of the night,
feeling that the soul can defy darken-
ing universe, to quench its immortality or
shake its trust in God"


July S.-This is now our 48th day with
in this Gibraltar of the South, and our ra-
tions are out. told you we would stay
until starved out. Well, rats are luxury.
Small fishes sell at twenty dollars, chick
ems al ten dollars each. Corn meal has
sold at one hundred and sixty dollars per
bushel. Mule meat has sold readily at
tive dollars per pould in market, and ate
il week. The soldiers have had only
one meal day for ten days, and then one
man does not get what a child should have.
Ny regiment got their last quarter rations
TODAY, aud while there are few peas left.
presume General Pemberton does not
wish to surrender his command in high
state oil cullc.


have lately spent considerable time at
the lines, and.ca speak from experience,
both Of the horrible heat and terrible fire.
All the heavy guns captured from US at
Snyder's Bluff, Grand Gulf, Port Gibson
and Bakers Greek, are now in position,
besides the siege guns Of the enemy. stay
in the tent OF Col. Barkaloo, at the lines,
and the shells which pass through the crest
OF the earthworks, pass. .oyer the top Of the
tent just eight inches. As the rush Of the
huge Parrot shells, which are twenty-five
inches long, and seven inches thick. can be
distinctly heard at mile distance, you can
imagine the perfect shrek with which the
$50 pounds Of iron rushes by ones head.
have heard them whistle fully as loud as
an ordinary locomotive would at few feet
distant.


AS 10 The huge iron CRIBS Of 200 pounds
weight, which yet come BY hundreds from
The gunboats, they Would make hurricane
ashamed OF itself.


Several mines have been exploded under
our trenches. and while the earth does not
produce such terrible results as falling ma.
sonry would, still the list Of killed and
wounded in this way is frightful. Three
Regiments were blown In the air at once.