| From the Richmond Daily Dispatch |
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| January 17, 1863 |
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| The second siege of Vicksburg |
| The Jackson Mississippian gives, from an
officer of high position, an interesting account of the second siege
of Vicksburg. It is well worth reading: |
| Our commander acted vigorously on the
information he brought, and, expecting the landing of the combined
forces of the enemy on the Yazoo, every effort possible to be made with our resources was resorted to.
As was foretold, in a few days the Yankee fleet of some thirty-four
gunboats and rams and about eighty transports appeared near the mouth
of the Yazoo, in sight of the "City of the Hills." The following day, at
1 o'clock, the gunboats of the enemy had cautiously felt their way to
the raft at Snyder's Bluff, about ten miles from the month of the Yazoo. There they found a battery, which opened fire, admonishing them that
their further progress would be contested with vigor. The enemy threw
a few shells and retired. In the meantime the transports had landed
about 8,000 troops on the Louisiana shore, who proceeded down to the railroad
{the Memphis & Little Rock RR},
opposite the city, and destroyed the bridges and otherwise rendered
the road unavailable, cutting off our communication in that channel
with the salt mines of Lake Bistoneau, which were at that time
supplying about 5,000 bushels of salt daily to the Confederacy. |
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