June 13, 1863, The New York Herald
It has been ascertained that the reinforcements reaching General Lee from the Carolinas and elsewhere have swelled his army to double the number he had in the battle of Chancellorsville. His force is divided into three corps, of 30,000 men each. The rebels continue to fire at our pickets. Some artillery practice is tried occasionally by the enemy, but without much effect.
General Mosby’s raid into Maryland, near Poolesville, was not of long duration, nor did it effect much. A telegram from Leesburg says his force was at Carter’s Mills, on Goose creek, Loudon county, at daybreak yesterday, hurrying back to the mountains, and that the Union troops were in pursuit.
Information having been obtained by the War Department that a large rebel force, composed of cavalry, artillery and mounted infantry, has been prepared for the purpose of making a raid into Pennsylvania, the President has created two new departments – one in Eastern Pennsylvania, to be commanded by Major General Couch, and the other in Western Pennsylvania, to be commanded by Major General Brooks. Governor Curtin issued a proclamation yesterday earnestly inviting the attention of the people of Pennsylvania to the general orders issued by these officers on assuming the command of their respective departments, and urging the importance of immediately raising a sufficient force for the defence of the State.
A number of rebel officers, numbering ninety, while being sent to Fort Delaware from Fortress Monroe on Wednesday, on board the steamer Maple Leaf, took possession of the boat, put the captain and crew down below while off Cape Henry, and sixty-four of their number landed on the Virginia side. The remainder refused to land, and were taken back to Fortress Monroe.
Telegrams from Cairo yesterday state that heavy cannonading was heard up the Yazoo on Monday. An attack upon General Grant’s rear by General Johnston was anticipated. Admiral Porter, in a letter received at Washington yesterday, says that Vicksburg cannot hold out much longer; that although it is stronger than Sebastopool (at the capture of which he was present), it must eventually yield. The gunboats keep up a constant bombardment, night and day, upon the city.
The Richmond papers are full of despatches relative to the condition of affairs at Vicksburg and Port Hudson. Among other things, reports to the 8th from Jackson say that General Kirby Smith, instead of being at Port Hudson, has taken Milliken Bend with ten thousand men and cut off General Grant supplies; that a scout just arrived at Jackson from Vicksburg says that all is working well. The men are in good spirits, but are somewhat wearied from lying in the trenches and exposure to the sun; that General Grant is slowing advancing by building parallels, which are four hundred yards from the outer works; that there has been no general assault for ten days past, and that there is plenty of ammunition and provisions at Vicksburg, and the soldiers and citizens are confident of the result. The entire rebel loss during the series of assaults on Port Hudson is said not to exceed six hundred. The capital of Mississippi has been removed from Jackson to the town of Enterprise.
A despatch from Cincinnati furnishes the details of the recent engagement with the rebels at Monticello, Kentucky, on the 10th inst.