March 9, 1863, The New York Herald
Our news from the South today is very full, interesting and important. The Richmond journals of the 6th inst. contain the extraordinary rumors that the Indianola has been blown up by the rebels, but that her armament fell into the hands of the federals. Admiral Porter despatched to Washington yesterday that both the Indianola and Webb were destroyed in the late engagement, while a host of reports were afloat throughout the capital that the Admiral had telegraphed to the effect that his gunboats have passed through the canal into Lake Providence, and succeeded in destroying the Queen of the West and Indianola, and other armed vessels of the rebels. The only foundation, however, for these rumors is found in the statement of the Richmond papers above alluded to. Despatches to Fortress Monroe say that the federal gunboats are making great destruction on Lake Providence. They further state the rebel Van Dorn repulsed a Union force near Franklin on the 1st inst., and captured 2,200 officers and men. An attack on Port Hudson by General Banks’ forces was looked upon in Richmond as immediate.
The Richmond papers talk boldly of the impregnable condition of Vicksburg, Charleston and Chattanooga. As for Richmond itself, that is not even menaced; but under any circumstances it can be defended by an effective force of sixty thousand men. They boast that the best organizer of troops in the army, General Bragg, and the best maneuverer in the open field, Johnston, are in command at Chattanooga, and with Lee in Virginia, Gustavus Smith in North Carolina, and Beauregard in South Carolina and Georgia, there is no possible fear of a military blunder. They criticise our conscript law severely; but the Examiner does not anticipate that it will lead to a Northern revolution, for it considers the government of the United States has congealed into a despotism, and that its inhabitants have actually sunk down into the characteristics of […..] abject, trembling and undenying slaves.’
By the arrival of the Fah-Kee from Port Royal yesterday evening we have some very interesting intelligence to the 3d, at which time very heavy firing was heard in the direction of Savannah, which was supposed to be an attack by our troops on Fort McAllister. The destruction of the rebel steamer Nashville by the Montauk, on the Ogeechee, has already been announced, but the information heretofore came only from rebel sources. Today we give a most graphic account of that brilliant affair by our special correspondents at Hilton Head and Port Royal. The public have now both sides of the story. We gave in our columns yesterday an excellent map of the scene of action.
It is said that General Curtis is about to be removed from his command in the West on the grounds of inefficiency and dilatoriness, and that General Sumner will probably be his successor.
Gen. Asboth, commanding the Department of Tennessee, has issued an order to the effect that if any Northern copperhead shall be found guilty before a court martial of harboring feeding or clothing deserters from the army, or ferrying them across streams, or furnishing them other facilities to escape, he shall suffer death.