March 28, 1863, The New York Herald
The latest news from Vicksburg and Yazoo expeditions reaches us from Cairo last night. It appears that on last Saturday night another barge, containing one thousand bushels of coal, floated past the batteries at Vicksburg safely, for the use of Admiral Farragut’s fleet.
We have it on the authority of the Memphis Bulletin of Wednesday, that three of Admiral Porter’s gunboats have reached the Yazoo river by the Sunflower route and reached Greenwood.
The same journal says that our forces above Greenwood had abandoned the undertaking to force a passage, and were returning, when they met General Quimby’s division en route to reinforce them. A conference was had, the result of which is unknown, but it is thought that in consequence of the success of the new route the whole force would return.
The rebel accounts of affairs in the Southwest conflict somewhat with ours. Richmond papers of the 26th say that the Hartford and Monongahela were allowed to approach within four hundred yards of the rebel batteries at Grand Gulf, when they opened fire upon them, the vessels replying with broadsides several times. A dozen shots struck the vessels. Parties were seen carrying the wounded below. The Natchez Courier says the Hartford, with Admiral Farragut on board, anchored in front of that city on Tuesday afternoon, the 16th, and sent a small boat with a flag of truce ashore, with a note addressed to the Mayor, stating that if the United States gunboats were fired upon by the people of Natchez or by guerillas he would bombard the city. The Hartford remained all night and left with the Monongahela in the morning.
The Richmond Sentinel of the 24th, in giving their account of the situation in the Southwest, says: – “The last papers from the United states are jubilant over false reports of the success of the Yazoo expedition. Our own reports are several days later than theirs, and represent the expedition as thoroughly whipped, and in full retreat by the way they came. Thus far the enemy has utterly failed in every one of his late moves. Farragut was whipped at Port Hudson; Banks broke down before he got there, and fell back without a fight; the Yazoo Pass expedition ends in chastisement and flight; at Vicksburg they are drowned out.”
The Examiner of the same date has an impressive article on the interests and duties of the Northwest in this struggle. Of course it conceives them to be entirely with the Southern confederacy, and suggests that all inducements to gain the cooperation of that section alluring as […..] possible should be held out.
The rebel papers state that General Longstreet in rapidly advancing into Kentucky. The rebel force now in the State under General Pegram is believed to be about 6,000. Cluke guerillas still hover around Mount Sterling. Over 200 of his men have been captured since Sunday. The Union wagon trains, stores and camp equipage from Danville and Richmond have reached Lexington in safety. Among the prisoners taken are two majors – one a paymaster – with $15,000 in Confederate money. The rebels were reported to have retreated from Danville, as the news received in Louisville yesterday would indicate; but in the absence of telegraphic news some doubt was thrown upon the rumor, and the arrival of later intelligence proves the report untrue.
A deserter from the Seventy-first Indiana Volunteers who returned from the enemy’s lines as a spy, was shot at Indianapolis yesterday by sentence of court martial. Two gentlemen – one a legistor of Indiana and the other the deputy Auditor – were arrested there for cheering for Jeff. Davis.
Another prize has fallen into our hands. The British steamship Nicholas I. arrived at Beaufort on the 24th, in charge of Prize Master Everson, captured off Wilmington, N.C., by the United States gunboat Victoria, while trying to run the blockade. She had previously attempted to enter Charleston, but was unsuccessful. She has a very valuable cargo, consisting in part of sixteen tons of gunpowder and one hundred and seventy cases of rifles.
In another place we publish an interesting narrative of affairs in Texas, more particularly with regard to the important region of that State bordered by the Rio Grande. An account is given of the forts along its banks, the loyal character of a large portion of the people, the collisions that have taken between them and the rebel troops and rangers, and the efforts that are being made to raise a sufficient force of loyal Texans to drive the rebels from their present position on the Rio Grande. Full particulars are given of the immense trade carried on by the rebel government, through Mexico, with European States, the manner in which this trade is carried on, and the importance of it to the rebel government. In the same connection is pointed out the necessity which exists for the reoccupation of the region bordered by the Rio Grande by our government, the cost of effecting which by any of the points of attack recommended would be defrayed by the cotton that is stored for shipment, and which, by a well concerted and rapid movement, must fall into the hands of the Union troops. Much valuable information with regard to Texas will be derived from the perusal of the article referred to.
The ship Prince of Wales, from Melbourne, Australia, in England reports that she was brought to by the Alabama on the 23d of February, in latitude 30, longitude 44 west. The Alabama reported that she had destroyed thirty- four North American vessels during her cruise.
The United States steamer Tuscarora was to sail from Madeira on the 7th inst.