May 17, 1863, The New York Herald
According to information from rebel sources General Grant is actively employed in Mississippi. The Richmond Enquirer of the 14th publishes despatches from Jackson, Miss., stating that one thousand of Grant’s cavalry entered and burned […..] railroad on the 11th inst., at twelve o’clock; that he was fortifying at Rocky Spring and Western Spring; that General Osterhaus is at Cayuga with one hundred and fifty cavalry and six or seven regiments of infantry, and that our forces were being reinforced at Willow Spring and Rocky Spring from the river.
The same journal of a day later, Friday the 15th, says that fighting was then going on in Mississippi. Grant with one thousand men had advanced to Raymond, where General Gregg had a force of 4,000 infantry and a few cavalry. Skirmishing commenced at nine o’clock in the morning, and at one P.M. the battle opened heavily. Reinforcements were then arriving so rapidly to support the Union troops that the rebels fell back through Raymond, making a stand at Mississippi Spring, where they had reinforcements. The firing in the neighborhood of Jackson was continuous throughout the day. Raymond is a small post village, capital of Hinds county, sixteen miles Southwest of Jackson, and connected with the Vicksburg and Jackson Railroad by a branch line eight miles long, running due south. The excellent map of the entire locality of Gen. Grant’s  present and prospective operations, which we give today, shows all the prominent places mentioned in the above despatches. The rebel accounts also state that our fleet above Vicksburg is rapidly increasing. They report everything quiet in front of Chattanooga, and announce the arrival of the heavy baggage and tents of the Union army to the rear of Nashville.
With reference to movements at Charleston, the Richmond papers have dates to the 12th instant, and they stated that our forces are building formidable batteries on Folly Island bearing upon Morris Island, and that we were busily engaged fortifying ourselves on Seabrook’s Island. The blockade runner Britain, from Nassau, with merchandise, has entered Charleston harbor in safety. The steamers Bashaw and Pet, from the same port, also arrived at Wilmington, N.C., on Thursday.
No new movements are transpiring in General Hooker’s army. Everything is perfectly still there. Rumor was busy in Washington yesterday with stories of changes in the command of the army and revolutions in the Cabinet; but there does not appear, up to this time at least, to be any foundation for them.
The cavalry arm of the service appears to be in the ascendant just now. A despatch received from the commandant of the Tennessee division of the Mississippi squadron – S.L. Phelps – yesterday, states that Colonel Breckinridge, of the First West Tennessee cavalry, with fifty-five men, dashed across the country from the Tennessee river to Linden, on the 12th inst., and surprised a rebel force more than twice his number, capturing Lieu. Colonel Frierson, a captain, one surgeon, four lieutenants, thirty rebel soldiers, ten conscripts, fifty horses, two army wagons, arms, &c. The Court House, which was the rebel depot, was burned, with a quantity of army supplies. The troops, with their prisoners, returned on board the gunboats. The latter will be sent to Cairo.
A despatch from Fortress Monroe, dated yesterday, says that the steamers S.R. Spaulding, Georgia and Belvidere arrived from City Point with about 3,000 exchanged prisoners, including General Hays and several other officers. About 4,000 other prisoners were expected to arrive within twenty- four hours. This would clean out all of our men and officers in Richmond.
The United States steam transport Albany, Captain Lewis, from Newbern, N.C., on the 13th inst., arrived here yesterday, and reports that nothing of importance is transpiring there.
An indignation meeting to protest against the condemnation and sentence of Mr. Vallandigham was held at Albany yesterday. Some very strong speeches were made, and resolutions were adopted denouncing the arrest of Mr. Vallandigham as an unwarrantable assumption of military power. Governor Seymour sent a letter to the meeting characterizing the arrest as […..] act which has brought dishonor upon our country, which is full of danger to our persons and our homes, and which bears upon its front conscious violation of law and justice.” An attempt was made by some disorderly returned soldiers to interrupt the proceedings, and some turbulent scenes ensued for a time, but the police put down the disturbance and the meeting ended peaceably.
A correspondent at Matamoros, under date of April 28, says: – Several vessels, too loyal to fly the British flag for the purpose of trade, have left this anchorage without clearances from the Mexican authorities, as it was understood the schooners General E.C. Pinckney and West Florida were fitting out in Brazos as privateers, and were only waiting for crews to make their appearance. Do not send us any more blockaders; they only protect the trade with the rebels, through mismanagement and inefficiency. General Magruder has been in Brownsville some weeks. The citizens gave him a splendid ball, costing three thousand dollars. The General and staff were daily expected at the mouth of the river to visit one of her Britannic Majesty’s vessels. The sloop Lapwing, seized by the rebel authorities, was from New York, with a valuable cargo. She was taken on the bar, and discharged in the river, on the Texas side.