Year: 1863

From the Vieksburg Citizen


In these times Of war, and siege and expeeta.
ton Of a bloody conflict conflict which, when
it does take place, will be a most terrible as
well as a bloody one, if it ever does oceur-little
occupies the minds of the people, civic and mil
iiary, except the great question, what win the
Ysnkees do next That is emDbsticsllY the
great question Of the day, and we sincerely wish
that we could answer it. In the attempts to
gain glory, ard cotton and niggeTs, and provi-
sions, and other portable articles-glory is port
a bic, and so are negroes-they seem to have ex-
hsusted their fund Of ingenuity, aud to be cud-
Ceiling their brains for the contTivenee- Of some
means to capture this city Of a hundred hills {;
which most difficult, nay, extremely srduous
undertaking they commenced nearly twelve
months ago


Last year, duriug the highest stage Of water
10 the Mississippi that the venerable individual
called the Oldest inhabitant ever knew, they
summoned Vicksbure to surrender, bat it did
not surrender according to orders, and SO they
went to work ahd dug canal across the long
peninsula in front of the city, whereby 70 turn
the current of the great river, as the Indians
call it, into another channel and leave the city
inland, as it were but before they had got
half through with the Job, the river shrunk
away in disgust and left their ditch without 8
drop of water in It. EIsspersted no doubt
with the refusal to surrender and the refusal Of
the Mississippi to assist them in running she
town, they made grand exposition of their
chsgyin by bOmbarding it "to the utmost Of
their ability" and then weighed anchor and left
the "gay and festive scsne.'r All this time
YeksbuTg was at their mercy almost, for we had
very few troops here and our fortifcsiiOns were
scarcely commenced; but the Yankees did not
know this, most likely, or they would have
taken advantage Of it.


The next demonstration they made was on
the Yszo1 at Chiekssaw bayou on the 27th Of
December last; and after trying three days to
astonish the natives, Thomas & Co, found
them missing on new years day, when it was
expected they would favor the Louisianans with
a call. About the 23d Of January they reap
pared at the head Of the canal and commenced
digging again, bat still without success. for the
canal is worthless to them even up to this time
Then another bright idea seized on their hairy
brains. aud SO they went 20 work at the YazoO
psss, thinking thereby to worm their way ike
eels through two or three small rivers at once,
and come into town by the back route.


Ia this, however, they seem to meet with
great difficulty, as near Greenwood they have
encountered suRdry artificial snags, made Of
iron and other hard material, and are at a staUd
sill and TO add 70 the peck Of trouble they are
in, the water which bore them to the spot is
running away from them, and like certain long
tailed rodents they are IN q trap, where they are
very likely 10 be surrounded and taken; adding
thereby not q little to the naval and military
veal th of the Confederate States


They remind rs of juggler, who was aston
ishing country village with tricks of ledgerde
main, and who, when he had got through with
one act, would say now my friends will tell
you what viii do next" and so he would 20
on and do it. His last trick was one in which
guupowder was used butinstesd of burning the
proper quantity, he SET FIRE to his whole stock
and blew the building TO pieces and himself into
eternity. 0Qe sailor who happened to light on 8
grass-p0g near by, got up, looked around,
rubbed his eyes, aud thikiEng that act was apart
of the programme, said 90 wonder what the
damned erifter is goiu' to do next ~


So be it with the Yankees and their friends.