May 24th. We left Grand Gulf on the 23d, at which time the Flag Officer joined us, and arrived four miles below Vicksburg at four o’clock, P. M., where we found several gunboats awaiting our arrival. We swelled the number here to eleven vessels of war. The city is situated on a bluff perhaps sixty feet high, and they have a battery on the hill, and another one below, but we do not know the number of guns mounted; they also have a ram to protect them, besides large numbers of troops behind the city. The Kennebec, with the several captains of the fleet, went up to reconnoitre, and on returning was saluted by the ram with a shot which fell far short.
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