May 28, 1863, The New York Herald
The latest news which the government has received from Vicksburg is by way of Memphis, up to four o’clock on the morning of the 24th ult. Vicksburg was then holding out, and Grant was hopeful of success. It is said that a storm interrupted telegraphic communication between Memphis and Cairo yesterday. Rumors by way of Cincinnati from Murfreesboro state – but without any confirmation – that Vicksburg had fallen on Sunday, and that General Pemberton had got his army away safely, losing all his artillery. Another despatch from Chicago says that on Friday morning last General Pemberton sent a flag of truce to General Grant offering to surrender Vicksburg if General Grant would allow the rebels to lay down their arms and march out, and that the offer was refused. We give all these stories for what they are worth.
We have considerable news upon the subject from the Southern journals. Their tone with regard to the state of affairs at Vicksburg is not very cheerful, though a little more confident than it was a few days ago. General Forrest is said to have arrived at Shelbyville, Tenn., from Murfreesboro, and will take command of Van Dorn’s division. A Savannah journal says that as General Bragg and General Rosecrans are both afraid of provoking a battle at Murfreesboro it is quite probable that they are both sending off portions of their armies westward, Rosecrans to reinforce Grant, and Bragg to reinforce Pemberton. This would imply the admission on the part of the rebel journal that Bragg, at all events, was sending his troops towards Vicksburg.
Richmond papers of the 25th state that an official despatch from General Johnson, dated the 23d. says an officer who left Vicksburg on Tuesday reports that an assault near the Yazoo road on Pemberton’s intrenchments had been repelled. It is said that another assault was made near the Jackson road, and was also repulsed. Confidence in Pemberton’s ability to maintain his position is expressed, and hopes are given of final success.
Despatches from Atlanta, Ga., say that Vicksburg has five months’ supplies of every kind, and can be taken only when the force defending it have exhausted their supplies.
The cavalry of the rebel Breckinridge were pounced upon in their camp, within twelve miles of McMinnville, near Murfreesboro, a few days ago, by General Wilder, with a force of Union infantry, mounted. The camp was destroyed, and nine prisoners and twenty-five horses captured. Some of the prisoners stated that all the cavalry under Wheeler and Morgan are ordered to report at Columbia within five days; that the forces at Liberty, under Harrison, comprising five regiments, were preparing to move, and that Morgan is falling back to Sparta to join General Wharton’s forces, which are also preparing to move.
A despatch from Cincinnati yesterday says that the report through rebel sources of the capture of Helena, Arkansas, by General Price, is false.
Our news from North Carolina is interesting. The schooner Sea Bird, of Philadelphia, was captured and burnt by the rebels on the 20th inst., while aground at the mouth of the Neuse river. Her captain and crew were taken prisoners. The rebels boarded her in small boats from the shore. It is reported that all the rebel troops in North Carolina, including even the new conscripts are moving to Virginia. Our correspondence from Newbern today by the United States transport Emelie, which has arrived at Norfolk, contains a fine account of the attack of Col. J.R. Jones, of the Eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers, upon the enemy in their intrenchments at Gum Swamp, in which he captured their artillery, ammunition and over two hundred prisoners, completely destroying their works, and, for a time, dispersing them. They rallied, however, and following in the rear of our troops harassed them considerably until they reached their own lines. Here the fire of the enemy became very severe, and unfortunately Colonel Jones was shot dead behind his own breastworks.