The Daily Dispatch: January 17, 1863., [Electronic resource]

The second siege of Vicksburg.

‘ 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, 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.

Failing to reach any considerable force in their operations, last Thursday week they landed a large body of troops, estimated at 50,000, on the Yazoo, at the plantations of Mrs Lase, Capt. Johnson, and Col. Blake.--These forces proceeded through the to the border of the swamp from the point at Snyder's to a distance of two or three miles below Vicksburg, varying in distance from the Yazoo river from two to five miles, as the meandering of the stream may direct its course. The bluffs are generally quite regular, running from northeast to southwest, affording a beautiful view of the bottom, which is interspersed with lakes, and the smoke ascending through the tree-tops from the Yankee camp fires.

Four days in succession the enemy, having advanced to the outskirts of the woods, kept up a continual fire on our lines under the bluffs, embracing most of the distance from Snyder's to the Indian mound, only four and a half miles above Vicksburg; and on Monday last it was evident they had thrown a large force near the centre, with a view of breaking it and coming in the rear of Vicksburg.

When Gen. Lee discovered their supposed intention, be ordered the light artillery to be in readiness, and withdrew the infantry from the advance line of rifle pits to others at the foot of the bluffs. This had the desired effect of drawing out the enemy from the cover of the woods. Most admirably did the Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, and Kentucky troops (8,000 strong) advance upon our small force. Our brave troops were admonished to hold their fire until the enemy was in short musket range, but their ardor was such, remembering the insults and sufferings endured in their prisons, that patience seemed no longer a virtue, and when within 175 yards the 3d and 30th Tennessee directed a deadly fire on the foe. The artillery then shared in the engagement on both sides. The enemy advanced gallantly to within fifty yards of our rifle pits, when the well directed fire of our artillery became so rapid, in connection with our infantry, that the lines were broken and the enemy began a precipitate retreat for the woods. The pits could contain our infantry no longer, and they rushed upon the enemy, killing and capturing as they advanced, until they were lost in the woods, where the fight ended, our men bringing out prisoners even there. Thus closed the fight at Chickasaw Bayou, at Smith's Bluff, on Monday last, the enemy bring completely routed, many prisoners captured, and some 1,200 killed, wounded and missing.

An informal flag of truce was sent by the enemy on Monday evening, and our sharpshooters fired upon the troops, who were ostensibly upon the field to take off the dead and wounded, but who undertook first to obey an order to secure their artillery and small arms previous to caring for their own sufferers. It was while they were thus engaged in pillaging the field of our rightful inheritance, the spoils of war, that we fired on the vanquished . Our humans force then advanced to care of their wounded, and they were in turn fired upon by their sharpshooters, when they withdrew with the few wounded they had collected. The wounded Yankees brought off by us express the belief that we were justified in firing on them, as they had no right to interfere with anything on the field.

The prisoners captured are good specimens of Western troops, and will compare favorably with our own in soldierly qualities. The greater portion are youthful in appearance, and it is to be regretted that those misguided Western men should be sacrificed on the altar of Abolitiondom, at the base of the hills on the Yazoo, in a vain endeavor to take Vicksburg.

The enemy moved from the Indian Mound on Monday night to the vicinity of the old race-track, thus extending their lines to the Mississippi, a mile and a half further south.--Early Tuesday morning a force appeared in the fallen timber in front of the old race-track, in the bend above the city. Our artillery on the hills above opened on them as the infantry stationed on the flat along the edge on the timber that has been cut down to obstruct their passage. The enemy were, after a couple of hours skirmishing, forced to retire into the woods. Our ordnance on the hills above favored them with occasional shells all day.

Since Tuesday morning it is evident that from the nightly clamor of axmen, the enemy are bridging lakes and making roads to transport heavy pieces from the Yazoo to this point on the Mississippi, in order, doubtless, to cooperate in a general land and river attack, their right being about a mile and a half above the city on the Mississippi, and their left extending to Snyder's on the Yazoo.

Should the present rains continue the attack on our lines will be indefinitely postponed, as it will be impossible for a land force to operate in the Yazoo bottom with artillery when it shall have been saturated with water.

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