Women in workhouses.
--In March of last year there were 39,073 adult females in workhouses in
England and
Wales.
a highly lutestring account of the visit of its after to
Vicksburg.
Miss. It says:
‘
We arrived at thetwo-mile bridge on Sunday evening last, at about 3 o'clock, amid the booming of heavy mortars and the bursting of shell from the 15 inch ordnance of the
Yankee fleet, which is anchored close in under the more below the point on the
Mississippi State, and almost completely protected from our batteries below the city and to for from the upper batteries for them to reach their adversaries.
The fire of the enemy on sunday, at midday, was by a salute of thirteen guns which was ordered by the
Confederate commander in honor of the great victory over
McClellan in
Virginia.
It was thought that the enemy mistook this salute for an attack, as we learn some of our guns were dotted, and opened furiously on the city, continuing, with an intermission of about one hour, until about 12 o'clock at night.
After night, the heavy mortars were ranged to throw the shell in the vicinity of the Catholic Church, where we were told they had been directed during the afternoon.
The effect of these shell as they exploded, which usually took place just as they reached the ground, was terrific.
We entered the city, fortune would have it, on
Crawford and as we passed the residence of
Dr. Balfour, Methodist, Baptist, and Catholic Churches, shells exploded in our immediate vicinity, rendering our position so uncomfortable that we suggested to a friend a precipitate retreat, in order to get out of the range of the mortars.
The suggestion was promptly acceded to by our friend; not, however, until we had soiled our garments thoroughly by falling to the earth of the explosion of each successive, she."
The next morning we entered the city — everything being quiet except the bustle of the citizens, who were endeavoring to get what little furniture remained to a place of safety.
During the morning we rode through nearly every street, witnessing the effect of the shell on the brick and wood structures, and were impressed with the comparatively slight damage done to either class of buildings, when the number of shots (probably 15,000) were taken into account.
In some instances, as in the case of the late
Mrs. Gamble's house, a shell would pass through a column of houses, leaving a hole scarcely larger than itself and pass on till it reached a hill, where it would enter and explode.
The 15-inch shell, when it strikes the hills of
Vicksburg, enters the earth at a depth of from five to ten feet, but when it strikes in the streets it explodes much nearer the surface.
No braes have yet originated from the explosion of shell, and it is evident that the enemy do not desire to burn the city immediately, or they would have thrown meanderer shell instead of the missiles already sent in.
On Monday, at 6 o'clock P. M. the enemy reopened their mortars and kept up a constant fire with the exception of an hour or two (apparently to take their meats) during the whole night, and did not cease till Tuesday evening at 4 o'clock.
All was quiet this (Wednesday) morning at 10 o'clock. We have not heard of any injury being sustained by our batteries up to this morning.
The fleet which passed by the city on the memorable morning of Saturday, was severely cut to pieces by our batteries, and a gentleman who was in the vicinity of the upper batteries reports to
Gen. Van Dorn that one of the boats sunk after it went round the bend.
Nothing is now to be seen of this fleet above the city except the constant cloud of black smoke, which ascends above the forest around the bend.
’
