May 29, 1863, The Charleston Mercury
IMPORTANT FROM VICKSBURG.
RICHMOND, May 28. – An official telegram from General JOHHSTON, dated yesterday, states that General STEVENSON reports that hard fighting has been going on at Vicksburg since Tuesday last with continued success, and that our men are confident of their ability to hold the place, and in fine spirits.
JACKSON, May 27. – Reports from below state that BANKS, with his army, has crossed at Bayou Sara. A Federal deserter confirms the report of the carnage of the enemy in their repeated attacks on Vicksburg. GRANT sent a flag of truce today to enquire after his sick and wounded. General PEMBERTON is burning tar and using the disinfectants to save his troops from the effects of the Federal dead rotting in front of our works. The slaughter of the enemy has been far greater that in any battle of the war. The Mississippian states that two gunboats were sunk in front of Vicksburg. The same paper also states that Saturday’s battle at Vicksburg was the most stubborn of all.
News came from Memphis to Grenada, and believed at Memphis to be true, that Helena had been captured by the rebels. Afterwards a dispatch from Oxford to Grenada stated that Helena was today captured. On Monday a man from the river reached Canton, who said he had read a dispatch to Col. FERGUSON, who stated that MARMADUKE had taken Helena and hanged a regiment of negros, three hundred and forty strong, with their Yankee officers. The Quartermaster at Canton says positively that the above statement may be relied on. Several Yankee gunboats are reported at Yazoo City.