**

Stag We ag we nneee:

* pls

a

®

ipesition on the Yazoo and the river itgelf.

The Civil War in the States.

FROM THE RAPPAHANNOCK,

‘our undertaking, we moved dows the stream towards the great riyer of the West. By nearly two thouegnd hag our number been

TRE REBEL : | diminished

FORCES UNDER JACKSON AND LONGSTREST

New Yors, Jan. 20. An Ormy letter of| TIED TO THE SHORB. the 17th, in Tprbane, savs the reporte from | Phe whole fleet of boats js now tied up to Nashville that Longstroet’s corps has removed | the Louisiang shore gt Milliken’s Bend. westward to reinforce Bragg, ate unfounded. | There hag been no news from Vickshurg to- Longstreet himself was here two days ago day. it is probable that there is much re- with his command. [t iy not believed that/Joicing in that city at the withdrawal of the an entire corpe hag been withdrawn from our Yankees. A heavy rain js falling and pre- front, but we have information from deserters | Vents our landing. The troops will be de- and contrabands shat some batteries, brigades barked as soop as the storm is over, after and divisions bave been detachod and sent to; W4ich most of the boats will proceed above. Tennessee ; | CLOSING COMMENTS.

Phe World says: ‘‘ A letter from one of} The second siege of Vicksburg is over our corresponden's with Gen. Buryside’s|The battle of Chickasaw Bayou has been a Army states that the army ie under march-| repetition on a smatier scale of the great ing orders and provided with three days ra-| battle of Predericksbarg, a month ago. Had tions. Five pontoon bridges are to be thrown | it been a success, the result could have been across the Rappahannock at some distance | hardly less important than the defeat of the apart. and wpen these the army will cross | rebels at the latter place. It woyld have the river | ned yp the Mississippi river, the highway

General Lee's army is composed of eight|/ of America, now closed for nearly twenty Jarge divisiong. Jacksop commandsthe right, months. The products of the great West, Wing, composed of three divisions ; and Long-| long pent up in the granaries of wheat and street the left, composed of five divisions. | corn growing States, would have found their These divisions are apparently stronger thar | natura) outlet to the commerce of the world. ours, Comprising as they do a gregtes namber | Cipcinnati, St. Louis and New Ovieans would of brigades and regiments, but whether their |» ain have becowe the centres of active trade total strength is equal to ours is urknown. | and shaken off their lethargy ef the period of A desperate struggle is eyidently close at|/ war. Qur failuge has dashed the hopes of hand, and stirring news may be expected | the nation, and delayed for weeks the pro- shortly."’ gress of our arms. When we ggain attack MUTINY IN HE REBEL GARRISON oF Yorr| the steep bluffs and frowning batteries of

SUMPTER — THE KUTINEERS OvERrowERED—/| Vicksbarg we will do so with a better pro-

THEIR LEADERS TO BE SHOT. mise of ee Insanity ew ae

. . . iia . | hgve brought their reeylt: let us have them goyaiver hae a letter from Port Royal, daced | ne more. With enother brain than that of the 18th, which says that the gun ~ Mar-| Gen. Sherman's we will dfop the ee blehead, from the blockade of Charleston, eee at et ure. and foe} sertain of vic- reports that six deserters from Fort Sumpter wp ditpoalagen : reached the Canandaiuge, cn a foggy night. |

They repost that a third of the garrison of Fort Sompter heve avowed their intention to no longer fight under the Confederate flag, wheregpon nearly allthe garrison threw | wars acing down theie arma. They were half famished, | THE Hagrier Lane—Tue seewes UP OF THE and their families were in want, owing to; Fiacssir W estrikip.—The New Orleans cor- nop-payment for several ponths. The arri- respondent of the New York Herald under val of other troops dverawed the matinecrs, | date of Jany. 4, writes :—Before this reaches and foreed them to return to their duties. | You i probable you will have received, A large number of the prominent ones were, | through rebel sources, some account of the howeryer, in confinement, and would probably | afisir at Galveston. This disaster is saflici- be chat. vently complete, as far as it goes, although it

Cheir friends say if this be done they will; " by no means as extensive as the reports in aveaze their deathg. [he dissatisfaction | circulation in seeessioa circles here would ip-u- among the rebel troops is widespread through | °#t- It involved the capture of the Harriet the department. The mer are worked day | Lane, the death of her commander, and the

apd night, and are half starved. They re-| killing and wounding of nearly all her men ;

eeiye no money and live ander the iron rule | the blowing up of the flagship Westfield, and of despots. Scarcely a day passes without | te desth of Commodore Renshaw and about desertions. {twenty of bis men; the capcure of two or The ganboat Wiasshickon recentiy drove! three schooners loaded wich coal, and the the rebels out of the battery at Branch | Surrender of the whole Union force in Galves- ot eam tea -|ton city, which nuiabered less than 300 me

Island. Presently they returned, a party of | city, W nuiabered less than 30@ men. cavalry forcing them back tothe guns. The “ When Generai Banks was sent here to re- again vpened fre, and the Wissahickon re- lieve Gen. Butler, Texas was added to the evived a shot ia her bull which nearly sunk | Department of the Gulf ; and it was generally her. She came into Port Royal for repairs, |“aderstood that as soon as he could do so | | without endangering his operations in tie |

THE GALYESTON DISASTER.

Intergsvyinc Deraits ov Tue SURRENDER OF tae Union Forces—Ine Bioovy Ficur on

7 With hearts full oi sadness at the fajlure oi! sippi river boat, with ber machiner

'damaged, either in her machinery or her

FEDERAL REPULSE aT VICKSBURG. The operations against Vicksburg by Gen. |

valley of the Mississi;pi, he would detach a sufficient body of troops to averthrow the

Sherman appear to have been a series of blun-| rebel power in that State. This force, it was ders. The Herald's correspondent complains | understood, was to co-operate with General that his letter bad beeg opened by Sherman's! A. J. Hamilton, Military Governor of Texas, avrders. And the former says if the Federal! | and was to be the seuclas around which the officers had acted ag persistently and earnest- | loys! men of that State should rally. Gen. | by against the rebels as they did against the Banks. however, did not deem it advisable representatives of the press, Vicksburg would, to weaken his power in the valley of the have falleg inte Union bands. As it is, the | Mississippi by an immediate movement upon | Federals have euffered a severe repulse, at- Texas with any considerable body of troupes. | tended with heavy joss of life and stores. | Undoubtedly he regarded the re-eatablish- | THE REBEL STORY. | ment of the Unian authority these of secandary |

The Vicksburg papers of the morning of | importance, and ‘ thy the 20th were exceedingly exultant over the | Purpose of opening the Mississippi river. result of the battle. They claimed to have the same time he determined to send 4 gmail repulsed and defeated fifteen thousand in an body of men to hold Ga'veston, which city,

after the manner of a Missis-| com- pletely proteeted with cottgn, compactly fixed | fon eyery side. From her deck cotton had| been built up to the height of 25 or 80) feet, | Eoree ang fastened with bolts, forming @|

righ parapet wall, from hehind which wnare |ghooters, with comparatiyg security, cou d| fire down upon the ah of any of our guR-| boats us soon ag they egme wiihin range. She appeared like a long floating house, with smokestacks for chimneys, and carried several guns. The other four vessels, although less lormidable, were 4Jl protected by cotton and all carried guns, and they were all crowded with infantry, the majority of them rifle- men.

THE FIGHT WITH THE HARRIET LANE.

As might have been expected, the Harriet Lane was the first object of attack. Her po- sition in the channe! rendered her compar- atively helpless, and it was important to the enemy that she should be disposed of first, in order that the bridge tl 0 = free for the passage of his troops. Two o! the enemy 8 vessels, including ee oes formidable, ge- cordingly bore down upon her, and seem to have approached very near before they were discovered. As soon as they were seen, the Harriet Lane opened upon them, while, at the same time, the enemy opened bis shore batteries upon the Harriet Lane. This ar- tillery fight lasted more than an hour, without inflicting any serious damage on either side. The two ships, however, suc- ceeded in getting close up to the Harriet Lane, one on each side of her ; for they were of such light draft that they could run all round her, and were thas enabled to come to close quarters, As soon as they came within |range, the enemy's riflemen opened a des- tructive fire, pouring a shower of bulletsupon the deck of the doomed vessel, and killing the gunners at their posts; and 4s syon as they got well alongside they boarded ber in overwhelming force. ‘bere were about 130 men, all told, on the Harriet Lane, who made a desperate but hopeless fight. The odds against them were so great that they were crushed by the mere weight of numbers, and the deck immediately became the scene of a sanguinary slaughter of ghastly propor tions. The poor fellows fought hand te band with their cutlasses; but it availed them nothing against the shower of bullets that fell like hail from the high cotton walls, and the crushing tide of hastile men which swept over them from either side. The deck became slippery with blood, and, in a mo- ment’s time, was literally covered with dead bodies. It was 9 hopeless conflict, and the tragedy of blood and horror was soon at an end.

Of the 130 men who fought upon the deck of the Harriet Lane, it is believed that less than 30 escaped death and wounds. The enemy's attack was thus wholly successful. The Harriet Lane, a favorite vessel in the navy, as it had been with the public for years, fell into his possession, and it is be- lieved that she had not been materially

dyought, bpilt

armament. It is feared, and generally be- lieved, that the signal book of the Harriet Lane was captured by the rebele. If so, this, for the first time, places them in poses- sion of our system of signals.

THE LAND ATTACK.

While this successful attack was made) upon the Harriet Lane, the enemy pashed a | heavy force gcrogs the railroad bridge with-| out opposition, and marched, nearly two! thousand strong, to attack the small body of |

Union troops which was stationed in the)

city. Colonel Barrill had his men drawn up | on the wharf, and, although he waa attacked |

subordinate to the great | by more than fgur times his own number, he At| made a stout resistance, and actually re-|

pulsed the first attack of the enemy. Of| course it was a hopeless struggle until he|

attack on 2 third of their number, captured 't waa aaid, would be abandoned by the navy could get relief trom the fleet, and he des-| five hundred prisoners and killed and wound- | unlesg a land force should be sent to occupy | patched his adjutant to the Commodore, to|

Humanity seemed to demand |

ed four thousand men. ‘hey alao asserted |'!t at ance. flocked |

that they had taken all the regimental stand-| protection fur the refugees wha had

notify him that he was attacked by a force | he could not long resist, and that he should

'dore had gane on board this ship. The

ards of the attacking forga. mortifying enough ;

mous éxtent. There were qhout eight hyun- dred mep lost in this brief agsault, which was

The truth is, thither from the bitter persecution of their be compelled to surrender. When the ad-

but the Vicksburg jour- 4 ; nalists have drawn the lang bow to an oor of the gunboats, which, they believed, would | few of oarmen killed, and, as heeurrendered |

enemies, seeking protection ander the cover |jutant left the wharf there hud been very

‘hold the city. This may have been the main | 9000 after, it is probable that but few lives |

ee only on board this vessel. It was supposed | on board the other vessels that the Commo-

therefore signalled ber, asking ‘* What shall we do?” Major Burt, a volunteer aid-de- | camp en the staff of Governor Hamilton, told the captain of the yessel that they had no signals with which tq reply, byt that there wus one signal which they could make which he thought would be heeded. He proposed to sail at once, and the captain, agreeimg to this, immediately started. This was tuken as a signal of retreat, and the Boardman was followed ky all tise other yesgels in our pos- session, The passage over the bar was ex- ceedingly dangerous, and the vessels were near grounding hopelessly several times ; but they all esoaped befure the enemy had train-

ed his guns sufficiently to do them any harm | g

in crossing. The transporte, which had gone

to carry supplies to the island, immediately ut to sea and returned te this city, the gan- vats remaining behind.

-_----<—po THE HORRORS OF WAR—THE WRECK

IT HAS PRODUCED IN THE OLD

DOMINION.

The people of the North haye no more rea) idea of the horrors of war, agide, of course, from the mourning for dead friends, than il they still lived in an age of profagad peace. Their homea are untouched ; their comforts are not to any great extent interfered with, and, as yet, the ‘ wrinkled front of grim- visaged war’’ bas to them assumed no more malevolent aspect than is worn by the tax- colleetor, who calls always at unwelcome, if not unexpected, periods, to demand certain moneys for the support of the Government and the prosecution of the war. E

In the North there there have been no in- vading armies—-no battle-grounds-—-no anxious general with needy hordes, to drive & man from his dwelling, wreck his home, and scat- ter his family, it not to do even more. The ‘* fat and greedy citizens’ of the Northern towns and cities have no more felt the heavy hand of the desolation of war, which has fallen so heavily upon those who have their homes in the rebellious States, than as if no war had ever been. The simple paying a few dollars more of taxes is no more a bard- ship, compared with the real sufferings of the supporters of the rebel armies, than the per- fumed breath-sent in gentle motion by a lady's fan is toa hurricane or a destroying | tempest.

A ride of about a few miles through any) part of the Old Dominion through which either of the opposing armies has chanced to march, will disclose a scene of utter destrac- tion of private property, a ruthless deso- lation of homes and all that makes homes dear to the owners, that no citizens of the North haye as yet had the slightest ¢ancep- tion of. What the North may uever have a practical knowledge of the desert that closes up the sear of an advancing army, is the earnest prayer of at least one of yaur corres- pondents.

I am specially moved to this train of thought by a visst which | made yesterday to one of the oldest, grandest, and formerly one of the proudest, patrician mansions of Virginia. ‘The estate of which 1 speak has been for montis the scene of warlike oper ations, being occupied now by ane army, then by another, the estate being, of course, always the sufferer, no matter which of the two contending armies chanced for the mo- | ment to oecupy the ground. In every res-| pect this particular homestead had been carefully made most pleasant for those who rightly claimed its shelter. Every luxury, gastronomic and bibulous that money could

urchase was therein freely dispensed. Every tree and plant that would grow in conser- yatories of hotbeds here found « home, in short, everything that the most ultra good livers could require, that the most refined of city beiles could hope ar ask for, was here to| be had, upon a thorough exploration of the) extensive resources of this Suuthern establish- | ment.

But now, how changed !

The fine old mansion has for weeks been | employed as an hospital for Union soldiers | —the grounds ure utterly defaced and des-| troyed—the sellers and storehouses of the

’ Is of the parions rooms of the Lacy hone those of most of the old houses in Virginia, are ceiled up to the top with wood, which is painted white. There is & heavy sornice im each roam ; old-fashioned fire-places, the marble mantel pieces oyer the squne, and in the main dining- room, where jt was the custom for the men to remain after dinuer, and after the ladies bad retired, was a curious feature to be ob- served, that I have never seen but once or twice. Over the marble mantel, but quite within reach, ran a mahogany framework intended for the reception of the toddy- lasses, after the various guests shall have finished the generous liquor therein contaided. There are still yestiges of the family furni- ture remaining—some rosewood and maho- any sideboarde, tahles, hedsteads, ete., which the family have not been able to re- move, and whigh the occupying soldiers have found no use for. The most notable of these articles is a musjcal instrument which may be described as a compound harp-organ. It is, in fact, an upright harp, played by keys which strike the wires by a piano forte ac- tion, which has an ordinary _ key-board. This is, in fact, the earliest form of the mo- dern piano-forte. Then, in the same instra- ent is an organ bellows and pipes, the ma- sic from which is evoked by means of a sepe- rate key-board, the bellows is worked by a foot-treadle, like that most detestable abomi- nation known to moderns as a melodeon. ‘hus, in the same instrument, the performer is eupposed to get the powers and effect both of an upright piano and a small organ. It is, perbaps,hardly necessary to 6ay that this instrument, ‘which dcubtless originally vost at least $3000,) is now utterly useless, the wires, many of them, being broken, and the whole machine being every way out of order. Tbe maker’s name is set down as ‘* Longman & Broderup, 26 Cheapside. No 13 Haymar ket, London.”” The poor old thing has doubtless been in the Lacy House for than a hundred years. It has been rudely dragged from its former place of honor, and now stands in the middle of the floor. The spotit formerly occupied has been lately filled Ly an hospital bed, on which a capital operation was performed. he spouting bload from the arteries of some poor patient has covered the wall with crimson marks. In fact, every- where all over the house,every wall and fluor is saturated with blood, and the whole house,

from an elegant gentleman's residence seems

to have been suddenly transfurmed inte a butcher's shamble. ‘The old clack has stop- ped ; the child’s rocking horse is rotting away in a disused balcony ; the costly exotics in the garden are destroyed, or perhaps the hardiest are now used for horse posts. All that was elegant is wretched; all that was noble is. shabby; fall that once told of civilized elegance now speaks of ruthless bar- barism.— Tribune's Cor.

From the New York Herald, Jan. 21 THE SITUATION.

There is nothing te report to-day from the army on the Rappahannock. No movements bave taken place in that vicinity, so far as known, which are of public importance. From Vicksburg and Murfreesboro—the two most prominent points in the Southwest—

nothing of consequence has arrived within

the past twenty-four hours.

We learn by despatches from Cairo that the expedition of McClernand and Porter up

the Arkansas River, has achieved a victory

‘over the rebels at Arkansas Post, about fifty

miles from the mouth on Sunday last. The

enemy surrendered, leaving all their guns, | ‘stores and ammunition in our bands.

They lost five hundred and fifty killed and wounded, and we captured between five and seven thou- sand prisoners.

Neither is there anything from Nashville, |

except that twenty of the transports arrived there on Sunday, convayed Ly two gunboats. At the shoals the boats Desmoines City, Science and Freestone were fired into by the enemy with rifles.

It is denied that the rebel chief Forest, with his guerillas, is in the vicinity of Nash-

there are the huge |

——

11 do pot know w

'was to bo the decisive one. However, was cast, and N. McKinnon was the selected man, ‘and was publicly presented to the poople as the candidate fur the South end, whiea did not appear to give satisfaction te the friends of the other two. In the midst of the panic, Mr. A. Rehertaan step- ped on the stand, and said that he was surprised that three men would take upon themselves to dictate to the District in such an unconstitutional manner—that fuljowing such principle in legisla- tion would leave the affairs of the Colony to chance —that the electors were there to select and decide for themselves—that he felt sorry there could be three men found so destitute of common sense, 80 sunk in ignorance, as to refer the representation of our District to the chance of q long straw or a shart one ; and if they would not settle the matter aa became the intelligence of our District, he would comply with the request of many of the electava (which he had already declined), of him- self becoming a candidate. Upon this, Mr. Hen- derson, becoming aware of the blunder he had made, informed the mecting that he declined abid- ing by the result of the lottery ; also that he had been requested by upwards of five hundred elec- tors ta come forward as their candidate, and be considered he would be doing wrong to retire from the contest without first consulting them ; and that he would atill consider hunself a candi- date. Some person moved that the electors be di- vided. The chairman atteqpted to get the deci- sion, but the meeting was so disorderly, it is almost impossible to say that there was an actual division made. Mr. Robertson again came on the phitsorm and said he was sorry to sce such a division in the Distriet—that he bad declined being proposed, hoping the electors would choose ove man on the South end, and those on the North end do the same, and thereby save us the trouble of a contest- ed election. But if Mr. Henderson and Mr. Me- Kinnon persisted in coming out for the South end, he would enter the lists, and probably beat them

both. AN ELECTOR.

™ ie rr rT, (FOR THE EXAMINER.) THE KIRK TEA PARTY.

This pleasant gathering at Temperance Hall, on ‘Tuesday evening last, was not so remnunerative

the die

wether the longest or shortest |

2 a ee fensive matter. It was his province and his duty to wnaintain the dignity of the Chair, and censure and suppress impertinence and insult, come from whow it might; but be did not; and therefure j conclude he wust have been partial, or that hy did not tully understand his position. Our Catholic lady and geutlemen friends tay hereafter be deterred from kindly mingling wity us in such meetings, fearing that a chairman inay again be fuund who would permit the same o any other person to offer them wanton insults, ONE OF THE PARTY, —_— ~~~} o— —_ JOLLIFICATION AT ST. PETER’S Bay. Ma. Eorror ; Sin, — Early on Saturday morning, the 24, instant, the visible signs of victory Were to be seey bere. A Union Jack, with its attachments of streamers of various hues and colours, was eree! at P. McCallum’s, on a perpeadiewar scale, enj. grauting about 40 feet through a chimney hole ints the atmospheric regions. Another of the same cmeent saiuple was erected at Db. Anderson's, But Mr. Anderson's pole was rather short, and did net laminate such a glorious smite tens as that of McCallum’s. Congratulation is due to Messrs. McUallum and Anderson for their ably exertions in notifyiag the inhabitants and elector of the second district of King's are Nietory is on either side. We hope that Mr. Andersoy will he classed Prime Minister of the ‘Tories of thy Head St. Peter's Bay. SMITH. Jan’y 24, 1863,

The Examiner, Charlottetown, Bebeunty Sod, ie

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS.

Tue elections for the Legisative Council will commence on Weduesday next, that being the day selected for the nomination ef candidates, and polls will be opened, the same as for membess of the House of Assembly, on the Wednesday follew- ing. We believe there will be a very considerable number of candidates proposed for the several districts; but the excitement or interest felt by the public is not at all comparable to that with which all parties awaited the result of the Assem- bly elections. It is, however, of very great im- portance that there should be a fair and indepen-

dent represeutation of public opinion in the Upper House ; for the Lower one—flushed with present vi¢tory —will no doubt resort to the most arbitrary and extravagant measures, with the yiew of strengthening their position against a future ge- neral election; and a good Liberal and indepen - dent Upper House could easily prevent such mea- sures from taking effeet, and might possibly suc- ceed in overthrowing the Goyerament altogether.

The party m power are, of course, quite confi- dent of getting a majority in the Council -—not a bare majority of two or three votes — but such a majority as to leave the Liberals only two or

of coin as was hoped for, noy were the deserts of its object sustained.

The promoters @ the Tea, I think, were un- skilful, impolitic, or unfortunate in the time chosen fur its come off,—the hour of insured success had passed—the general election was over—the ver- dict of the country bad bee given, and the poli- tical inducements of genuine philauthroplists and “ God-fearing” people to attend the Tea were buried in that result.

‘There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.”

That flood was missed, the political ebb had set

rapidly out — involving the grounding and partial wreck of the Tea Party. The fervour of political cant and pandering for favour had subsided—the day of casting sprats ta catch mackerel had set in vietory—the pious hypocrites who had ridden into power, draped in religion, abused and prostituted to serve mercevary ends, had no further present self-interest to subserve; and, therefare, in the | spirit of their eraft, they could uncancernedly withdraw their presence and patronage, and seal | ing their pockets, remain at home, and bid the | Kirk Tea people look elsewhere for support. The

excellent promoters and managers of the Tea

were in the view propounded, not cute; or it may | be, they supposed that the fact of the political axe having been ground to a four years edge, would not damp the ardour of the patriots, nor chill the | zeal of the Protestant warriors, whe pioualy de-

ville ; nor does it appear that there is a large | fend the towers of Zion against the dread power force of rebels there. It was rumored at) of the “Scarlet Lady ;" and they may also have Nashville, and created some uneasiness there, | embosomed the hope that those brave soldiers

three seats out of the whole thirteon. Well, we shall hazard no conjectures on the pot. Wedo, however, believe that a majority of the inteltigent and independent-minded farmers of this country, who are qualified to vote for Councillors, are op- posed to the Government. The class of voters who will go tothe husiings on the 11th instant are not # class, taken in the aggregate, that bear any analogy to the scores of unfortunately igno- rant men and boys wie were duped by Sutherland and Arbuckle, aud the emissaries of the Orange Lodges, to support the Goverament previous ts the late election. Indeed, we sincerely hope and believe that the Upper House will be 0 constituted as to reverse the verdict which, for the present, seems to have beev pronounced in favour of the Adwiuistration by the lower or second clase of electors.

We were rebuked by some of our cotempor aries fur predicting a favourable issue to the Liberals from the late elections. We certainly did not

motive for the expedition, and must have

were lost. The whole furce was, of course, |

mansion were lung since gutted and com-

that large reinforcements from General Lee's |

sande by considerably lesa than three thou-| been, since the force despatched was entirely | made prisoners of war.

sand men. But ovestand of colors was taken | insufficient to make any offensive movement by the rebels, and there wore but few mus-| even if Galveston were a suitable point frum

kets captured: Our retreat was so slow that which tz vperate. | Operations of the enemy, and all were igno-| trees and shrubs have long since contributed

most of the wounded and a considerable por- Whatever the considerations which induced

pletely empticd—the fences were long since THE FIGHT BY DAYLIGHT. | converted into fuel to feed the watelifires of | The darkness had effectually covered the! Unicn seatinels—the rare and costly exotic

/rant of what had occurred beyond their own | their scanty fibre to feed the same fires, to

tion of the arma were brought away.

CAUSE OF OUR FAILURE. The expedition planned against Haines | Blas baving failed, in consequence of the | dense fog, General Sherman concluded that | 34 would be the best to evacuate the position. | \t the tune we entered the Yazoo, it is cer- | tain that there was not more than tenor twelve | thousaod men inandaroand Vicksburg. Ilad | we sizuck promptly at the batteries it is pro- | bable that we could have taken possession of the high ground, and had an open road be- fore us to Vicksburg. It was «ll important) that we should strike early, as the vedele| had unbroken rail communication with Pem- | Lerten's army, and with their immense roll-| ing stock could Sring overwhelming reinforce | ments in @ short time. By delaying two} or three days General Sherman lost the golden | opportunity. THE EVACUATION — DESTROYING STORES. | }

Thursday, the Ist inst., was passed in| lying idle in frout of the enemy's position | and on the transports at the landing. About

3r.u Gen Sherman issued ordera for all the troops to embark on the original trans- ports and make ready fur moving. One of the commissaries had recently taken fifty

thousand rations to a depot in the rear of the | battle field, only a mile sad a quarter from the Iaoding. Gen. Sherman ordered these au pplies to be destroyed by rolling them into the bayou, as there was no time for their re-| moval. A part of the supplies were tumbled | 1ato the baycu in obedience to instructions. Captain Swith, Brigade Commissary for Ge neral Blair, went out with a wagon train as

the troops were being withdrawn, and brought | in what had wot already been destroye!].| Gen. Sherman also ordered commis-sary stores | to be destroyed by Gen. A. J. Smith's) division, and there was much waste in can-

wequence. All these stores might have been | saved, and would have been hac Gen. Sher- man's orders been less peremptory.

RE-EMBARKATION.

The embarkation continued during the night, and was not completed until long after sunrise on Friday. ‘The boats of the various divisions lag in the same position from which the troops were debarked, Gen. Morgan being the farthest up the Yazzo. ‘The embarkation was covered by the gunbuats, so that the ene- my would not be able to come to the bank | before we could getaway. Everything was! harry, and there was manifested as much de- sire ta get out of the Yazoo as there had pre- viously been to get Into it.

THE ENEMY ATTACKED US.

The enemy from their position onfthe bill observed at daylight that we had departed from our works on the bayou, and had taken to our boats, with the evident intention of evacuating the region. They at once came down to the bottom ground with a stron furce of infantry and a battery of artillery. By nine A. M. they appeared in the timber in Gen. Morgan's rear, and commenced firing upon his infantry. Two pieces of artillery opened with shell upon our transports, with the desiga of destroying them before we could leave the landing. The gunboats re- plied promptly, and after a vigorous shelling of s half an hour the rebels were driven off sufficiently long to enable our boate to leave the river. By this time they are doubtless in fall possession of the spot so recently covered by our flag.

LEAVING THE ¥azZ00.

At noon on Friday, the 2nd of January, we steamed out of the Yazoo, which we bad entered just one week before. In that week | we had attacked the enemy in his least vul-| nerable and Lest protected point; had fought with him through portions of three days ; had once wade a gallant and desperate, though badly aud unsupported assault upon. hie batteries and ritle pits on the defensible hill-side. From this assault we had been re-

ulsed through no fault of the troops making t, bat through the sad mismanagement of Gen Sherman in allowing them to go un- aided by ail the torce at his command.

| almost immediately after General Banks as-

the measure, Colonel Burrill, of the 42d | ship. When morning dawned signals were warm the same soldiers, any of whom would

Massachusets regiment, was sent to Galveston

sumed command of the department, with

three companies, numbering in all 271, offi- | first discovered that she had fallen into the! great an array of Union bayonets in the im- fhese companies reached | hands of the enemy. The light also revealed mediate vicinity to render such @ man- They | the position of the enemy's fleet, and his! slaughterous experiment a safe one.

cers and men. their destination on Christmas Day.

;ed to

| sent 4p from the flagship,which were respond. | y all the gunboats except the Harries) | Lane ; and now it was that the Commodore |

were welcomed by the few inhabitants who! preparations for an attack from the shore

remained, and hy the refugees—men, women | with artillery and riflemen.

aod children—who now thought themselves secure.

}

SITUATION OF GALVESTON.

A glance at the map 4nd an understanding ofthe situation of the island will satisfy one that Galveston haw no strategical advantages. It is situated on a low san y island, about thirty miles long, and on an average about a mile and a half wide. It is separated from the main land by shallow water, which is almost fordable. About fqur miles from the city and to the west of it, is a long railroad bridge, spanning thia water, wad connecting the island and the mainiand. was ip poaseasion of the rebels, who had three | batteries atationed at the end of it, on the mainland, and one battery on the island. But even had it not been in their possession, the extent of the island and the shallowness of the water, which is actually fordable in places, rendered it an easy matter for the enemy to throw troops across. The water, in fact, searcely added strength to the sitaa- tion, and our forees would, perhaps, have been as secure upon the mainland as upon the island.

Three com panies were certa’nly inadequate ta guard a coast thisty miles in extent, even if it had all been in their possession, It was naturaliy supposed that the railroad bridge was the point of danger, end the gunboats were expected to keep che army from crossing. Phe Harriet Lane, for this purpose, had been sent up the channel as near the bridge as she could get; and the channel where she was lying at the time of the attack was so narrow and shallow that she could neither turn nor manceavre with effect ; and the event showed with sufficient clearness that she was quite unable to perform the part to which she had been assigned.

Galveston possesses many advantages as a base of operations for the rebels. The com- munication by railroad with numerous points inland and on the coasts render it easy for them to concentrate all their available troops there in a short time,and General Magrudger, who is now in command of the secession army in Texas, did not fail to avail himself promptly of all these advantages. He collected upwards of thiee thousand men, and on the night of December 31 had his preparations complete tor a combined attack by land and water.

Hints had Leen thrown out by the Texan newspapers some time before that an attack was about to be made upon the Yankee gun- boats ; but these hints were generally regarded us empty boasts. On the evening in question two white women came to the flagship, in a small boat from the mein land, and warned Commodore Renshaw, who was in command of the fleet, that he would be attacked before morning. But he did not credit their state- ment, regarding it as one of the many idle tales he had so often heard repeated. The fleet consisted of the following vessels :—The Westiield, flag-ship, (iron-clad, 9 guns,) Commodore Renshaw; the Harriet Lane, Commodore Wainright; the Owaseo, Com- modore Law, and the Sachem. The trans- port Mary Boardman, with supplies on board, arrived and crossed the bar about 7 o'clock on the evening of the attack. Fortunately the did not arrive in time to land any sup- plies. She lay inside the harbor,und carried a twelve-pound howitzer on her bow.

THE ATTACK.

The night was as atill as the grave, and no one appeared to believe in anattack. Whe- ther this sense of security was such that proper vigilance was not exercised [ am un- able to say. In any event, tho darkness of the night freatly favored the enemy’s move- ments. @ commenced the attack about

Making @ half attempt to execate another plea, that our first arrival might have suc- cgeded, we finally abandoned the siege at | Vicksburg, and decided to evacuate both our!

three o'clock in the morning, the moon having sank several hours before. He came down from Galveston bay with five vessels, and one of them sufficiently formidable, as the event showed This was steamer of very light

This bridge |

It was now de- termined by the Commodore to retake the) Harriet Lane, and he ordered the Owaseo to} yound to and open fire. This ganboat has an) armament of one 11-inch and two 9-inch | guns, and she opened with her heaviest. No sooner had she sent one of her shells than the. rebels crawded our prisoners—some of them wounded and dying — upon the deck of the Harriet Lane. Then they raised a flag of truce, and paroled and sent the acting mas- ter of the Llarriet Lane, and her only sur- viving officer, on board the flagship with a message to Commander Renshaw,to the effect that if another shot was fired upon the Mar-| riet Lene every Union prisoner would be in- stantly thrown overboard. In consequence of this message Commodore Renshaw ordered the fire to cease, and made no further attempt to recapture the vessel.