May 30, 1863, The New York Herald
Despatches from General Grant were received at the War Department yesterday, which are more satisfactory because of an official and reliable character relative to the condition of affairs at Vicksburg. General Grant’s despatches are dated Monday, the 25th instant, three days later than the previous despatches received by the government, and they represent the siege as progressing up to that time, and that General Grant was quite able to maintain the investment of the city and repel any attack in his rear. This is the latest news we have from that quarter. The intelligence to Friday last, the 22d instant, telegraphed from the field on Saturday, was that Grant’s army had been repulsed in all parts of its lines, that the repulse was complete; but the troops were then intrenching themselves and building rifle pits. The final success of the Union army was, however, fully assured. General Grant is reported, by despatches from Memphis, as having captured all the redoubts, taking some of them by means of scaling ladders. Frightful havoc was done by the enemy shells during the storming. A telegraph from Murfreesboro yesterday says that General Grant had made something like a general attack upon the rebel works at Vicksburg since Sunday and failed to carry them; that he had thereupon concluded that the place was too strong to be taken by assault, and had opened a terrible and sustained fire upon it with his artillery. General Johnston had not then attacked General Grant, but was still collecting forces in his rear. He has managed to send word to the garrison that if they should hold out for fifteen days he would raise the siege with an army of one hundred thousand men. He also said he would do this if he abandoned every other point in his department.
The most interesting news from Gen. Hooker’s army is that a balloon reconnoissance yesterday failed to discover any indication of a move on the part of the enemy, although their camps and the whole country were clearly visible. It was believed, however, that a portion of the rebel forces had passed up the Rappahannock.
Our marine brigade in the West has been distinguishing itself. An official despatch to the War Department yesterday from General Ellet, commanding the ram fleet, dated Helena, Arkansas, May 25, says that as his command was descending the river from Memphis, May 23, the Commissary and Quartermaster boat was fired into from the Mississippi side by a band of the enemy, with two pieces of artillery, about six miles above Austria. He returned next day and landed his troops, when the cavalry under Major Hubbard, two hundred strong, came up with the enemy, one thousand strong, all mounted, and eight miles out. The fight lasted nearly two hours. The Major was compelled to take shelter in a favorable position, where he succeeded in repulsing the enemy, and finally drove them off before the infantry could come to his relief.
General Ellet burned the town of Austria, having first searched every building. As the fire progressed the discharge of loaded firearms was like volleys of musketry as the fire reached their hiding places, and two heavy explosions of powder also occurred. The loss of our troops was only two killed and nineteen wounded. The enemy lost five killed and three prisoners.
Our army correspondence from different sources, which we give today, presents an excellent history, in detail, of all the minor incidents and movements, which combine to make up the picture of camp life in all its curious vicissitudes, from Virginia to the Far West – the courtesies between corps and corps; the interesting ceremonies of flag presentations; the distribution of medals and crosses to the brave, and the dangerous irregular conflicts with guerillas and hostile pickets.
Mr. Vallandigham appears by the latest reports to be in a very uncomfortable position. He is at present reported to be at General Bragg’s headquarters, at Shelbyville, Tenn., awaiting the fiat of Mr. Davis. It is said that the latter gentleman, in reply to a question of General Bragg as to the disposition of Mr. V., stated that if he took the oath of allegiance to the Southern confederacy he might remain within its jurisdiction, but if he refused he must be sent back within the federal lines. As Mr. Vallandigham has always professed to be an uncompromising Union man, and as he is not regarded with a friendly feeling at the South, it is not likely that he will conform to Mr. Jefferson Davis’ demand, so that we may see him back again before long, to be once more adjudicated upon and disposed of by the United States government.
The recent raids of the privateer Alabama off the coast of Brazil have provoked the authorities of that country to remove the commander at Fernando de Noronha, for permitting her to commit depredations in Brazilian waters, and her presence in that region was forbidden by his successor. The Navy Department sent the Vanderbilt down there to look after the Alabama, with a view especially to Fernando de Noronha; but as soon as she got to the West Indies Admiral Wilkes took possession of her as his flagship, and she was cruising under his direction at last accounts.