• /* - 11a , ,•4 1 - t 1 Our Flag 'Forever rl . Olll thu ILvrivhurg Tvlegrapli SIEGE OF VIOKSEURG, interesting cml Exciting Account of the Brilliant Siege—Heroic Exploits of General Grant's-Army—Terrific Ex plosion Of the Federal Mines—The Rebel Works Lifted Eighty Feet into the Air—Desperate Charge of Our Army Through the Breach—Heroism of the Forlorn Hope—The Rebels Turn and Fly—lncessant Labors of Our Sappers and Miners. (Correspondence of the Now York Hel aid.] HEADQUARTERS, 7TH ARMY CORPS, Department of the Tennessee, Before Vicksburg, June 26—r. M. The Mouth of the Nine. As one approaches the mine, in look ing.around;jhe finds himself in plain view and Within - five yards of the ene my's strongest work, the parapet of which is about twenty feet from the bottom of the ditch, and is much in dented by our shot and shell. The work, however, bears some few marks of its original exterior. It was evi dently a sod work, almost perpendicu lar on its outer face, and intended to mount four guns. However, since our batteries pave been so vigorously fir ing upon it, the embrazures have all been filled, and we think the artillery withdrawn to an interior and second line of defence nearer the city. In the assault of the 22d inst., the strength of the two positions became evident, for our loss here was the most sangui nary of the day. It is supposed, once in possession of this point, we hold the key to the position. A Few Steps in Advance and you stand before the mine, which here has the appearance Of k square shaft dug into the earth, with a - grad ual declivity as you penetrate. The entrance is made in the scarp of the enemy's fort, an opening four feet square, well framed with timbers to keep up the loose earth which our pro jectiles have' broken .from the face of the work. In order to protect the en trance a number of gabions and boxes have been piled up before the mouth, which affords ample security from hand grenades and shells thrown over. by the rebel troops inside. Size of the Mine. The main gallery, from the mouth to the point of divergence of the other galleries, measures thirty-five feet.— Here three smaller galleries - set out, one ten feet deep, obliquely to the left; another2eight feet, diverging to the right, and a third, eight feet in length, being a continuation of the main gal lery. The chambers for the reception of the powder are let into the bottom of the shaft, 'and are about two feet in depth. The Charging of the Mine. Having completed one gallery, the powder was brought up and backed into the chambers in almost equal quantities, .the entire quantity used being twenty-two hundred pounds, one thousand of which were placed at the end of the main gallery, the re mainder being distributed in the ex tremities of the smaller galleries.— From each of the chambers a fuse was run out to the month of the shaft,wherc the match was to bo applied at the designated time. Twenty-nine barrels, of powder were placed in the mind to effect the blow ing up of the fort. The gap reveals a complete view of the city and of the river beyond. Two of our heaviest pieces of artillery now command the city at point blank . range. Ammuni tion is going forward, so that we may look for a renewal of the attack at any moment. The Readiness of the Mine. At three o'clock this afternoon a messenger arrived from the mine bringing information that everything wasin readiness to apply the match. The troops in the outer works' were all withdrawn, with the exception of a'small body of sharpshooters, which were retained to keep up a demonstra tion until the fuse was ignited, when tliey also were to retire hastily to a respectful distance under cover of one of the parallels. The Assaulting Party. As part of the grand programme, Leggett's brigade, was ordered under arms, and marched into the trenches as near the front as safety would permit. Here they rested, awaiting the- pro= concerted signal, when they were to rush.tipon. the work_immediately on the heeli•Of-the . forlorn hope.' The Forlorn Hope. This dangerous duty was set apart or a detachment of ..one hundred men from the-forty-fifth Illinois infanty and another hundred from the twenty-third Indiana. These bodies were thrown out in the extreme advance, with in structions for the forty-fifth Illinois to assauft on the right on Fort Hill the moment the explosion had taken place, and the twenty-third Indiana was to rush out the sap running to the left and attack the curtain of the fort ex tending towards the town. Here they were to keep down, by means of mus ketry, the enemy's riflemen; for with out this accomplished we would have suffered an enfilading fire on the at tackers upon the main fort. - , The Support. • As a support to the brigade of Leg get Gen. Stevenson's command was ordered to hold itself - in readiness to move at a — moment's notice. As an additional force and kind of reserve to the support, the Seventeenth lowa and Fifty-sixth Illinois, of Gen. John E. Smith's division, and the Seven teenth Wisconsin, of Ransom's brig gade, ll'Arthur's division, were bro't to the centre and held in the rear to await the development of the strug gle. Those troops carried nothing with them but their muskets and ear trige boxes; many of them were in their shirt sleeves, evidently anticipa ting warm work if engaged. The Preconcerted As might be supposed, the explosion was designated as the _signal fur a getleral balltlitalleoll.6 co-operation all along the lines from right to lett. fn making an attack of this character it was expected that the attention of the enemy would be distracted and the force within be distributed along the entire line, instead of being concentra ted upon the ono fort in front of this corps, which would result in inevita ble, perhaps irreparable defeat. All ' these contingencies were wisely con sidered, and the subsequent results ex emplified how necessary was the co operation of the other commands. A Suspense. Everything was finished. The vi talizing spark bad quickened the hith erto passive agent and the now harm less flashes went hurrying to the cen tre. The troops had been withdrawn. The forlorn hope stood out in plain view, boldly awaiting the uncertain ties of the precarious office. A chill ing sensation ran through the frame as an observer looked down upon this devoted band about to burl itself into the breach—perchance into the jaws of death. Thousands of men in arms flashed on every hill. Every one was speechless. Even men of tried valor— veterans insensible to the shouts of contending battallions, or nerved to the shrieks of comrades suffering un der the tortures of painful agonies— stood motionless as they directed their eyes upon the spot where soon the terrors of a buried agency would dis cover itself in wild concussions and contortions carrying annihilation to all within the scope of its tremendous power. It was the seeming• torpor which precedes the antagonism of powerful bodies. Five minutes had elapsed.— It seemed like an existenc - _,. Five min utes more, and yet no signs of the ex pected exhibition ; an indescribable sensation of impatience, blended with a still active anticipation, ran through the assembled spectators. A small pall of smoke now discovered itself; every one thought the crisis had come, and almost saw the terrific scene which the mind had depicted. But not yet. Every eye now centered upon the smoke momentarily growing greater and greater. Thus another five minutes wore away and curiosity was not satisfied. Another few min utes, then The Ezploeion, and upon the hoi;zon could I.e seen an enormous column of earth, dust, tim bers and projectiles lifted into the air at an altitude of at least eighty feet. One entire face of the fort was disem bodied and scattered in particles all over the surrounding surface. The right and left faces were also much damaged, but fortunately enough of them remained to afford an excellent protection on our flanks. Thc Assault and Bombardment No sooner had the explosion taken place than the two - detachments act ing as the forlorn hope ran into the fort and sap, as already mentioned.— A brisk musketry fire at once com menced between the two parties, with about equal effect upon either side. No sooner had these detachments become well engaged than the rest of Leggett's brigade joined them and en tered into the struggle. The regi ments relieving each other at intervals, the contest now grew severe; both sides, determined upon holding their own, were doing their best. Volley after volley was fired, though with less carnage than would be supposed. The Forty-fifth Illinois charged im mediately up to the crest of_ the para pet, and here suffered its heaviest.— Lieutenant Colonel Melanchon Smith was hit in the Lead by three buck shot, and, though still alive, it is said by the surgeons his skull has been penetrated, and there can be Re) hopes of his recovery. Col. Smith is a young man, and has figured prominently in all actions with his regiment, from Fort Doueison to the assault of to-day. Ile has been repeatedly complimented by his superiors in rank for coolness under fire.and great tact in the dispo sition of troops. The officers of the army here exhib it great interest in the condition of Col. Smith, and hope ho may yet be preserved to the corps. He is receiv ing every attention within the power of the surgeons to save his life. At the time the Lieutenant Colonel was shot ho stood upon tho parapet of the fort, was calling to Lis men to follow, and when struck fell among his men who were scrambling up the sides of the work to answer his call. A few moments after the wounding of Col. Smith, Major Fisk, of the same regi ment, fell dead, having been shot through the heart. The Adjutant also received a dangerous wound in the wrist. Notwithstanding the loss of these distinguished offlecrs, the men of the regiment stuck to the work• and held the ground against a strong force of the enemy thrown against theM. Our Flag Goes Up. After a severe contest of half an hour, with varying results, the flag of the Forty-fifth appeared upOn the summit of the work. The position was. gained. Cheer after cheer broke through the confusion and uproar of the contest, assuring the troops every where along the lino that the Forty fifth was still itself. The Col., (Malt by,) was now left alone in command of the regiment, and he was himklf badly bruised by a flying splinter.— The regiment had also suffered severe ly in the line, and the troops were worn out by excessive heat and hard fighting. 77w Pioneers After the Possession of the fort was no longer in doubt, the pioneer corps, under Captain Ifickenlooper, mounted the work with their shovels and sot to throwing op earth vigorously in order to secure space for the artillery. A most fortunate pcculiarty in the ex plosion was the manner in which the earth was thrown out. The appear ance of the place was that of a funnel, with heavy sides running up to the very crest of the parapet, affording admirable protection not only for our troops and pioneers, but turned out a ready made fortification in the rough, which, with a slight application of the shovel and pick, will be ready to re ceive the guns to be used here. Up to this time the pioneers have made great progress, and are still at work. A battery may be expected here in a little time, two howitzers of Capt. Sparstrom's command being al ready in the trenches awaiting the completion of the fort. _Millers as They Now Stand. There is littlo firing now going on. There is doubt concerning our ability to hold the position. The enemy will undoubtedly make every effort to re gain the place this evening, but there is no possibility of the success of his endeavors. We are now so strength cued that iL would be impossible un der ordinary circumstances to drive us out. Fresh troops are now moving up to occupy and hold tho posilion against every contingency. Our Loss Miraculous as it may seem amid all the firy ordeal of this afternoon's en gagement, one hundred killed and two hundred wounded, is a large estimate of casualities on our side. Col. Reece, of the Thirty-first Illinois, was mor tally wounded by a grenade; also, Captain llotaling was injured by a fragment of the same. Behavior of the It is not necessary to speak partic ularly concerning this. Every man was at his post and did his best. I have not seen or heard of an instance of cowardice on the part of officers or men. The Enemy From a lookout on the summit or an eminence near the rebel works, the movements of the enemy could be plainly watched. An individual in the tower, just prior to the explosion of the mine, saw the rebel regiments marching out to the fort. Of a sud den—perhaps upon seeing the smoke of the fuse—the troops turned about and ran towards the town in a perfect panic. They were not seen again da ring the fight; but other regiments were brought up to supply their pla ces. The enemy's loss to-clay is not known, but must have been heavy. Eater. YAzoo PayED, Sun° 20, 8 A. lI The news from the front this morn ing is that the charge of our troops yesterday afternoon was entirely suc cessful. They hold the brunch, though the victory was not won without ter rible loss, including many officers.— Seven picked regiments of General McPherson's corps, constituted the as saulting party. Among the killed is Colonel Meland-lion Smith, of the For ty-fifth Illinois, which is familiarly known as the "Lead Mine" regiment. The Major of the same regiment is also among the killed. The Capture of Vicksburg, leeount of the Preliminary Negotia tions—Capture of between 25,000 and 00,000 Prisoners—Great iNrumber of Cannon and Small Arms Taken. CAIRO, July S By the arrival of the steamer Niag ara, with Lieut. Dunri ' of Gen. Sulli van's staff, from Vicksburg, who is a bearer of dispatches from Gen. Grant to the War Department, we have a confirmation of the capitulation of Vicksburg. From reliable sources the following particulars of the closing scenes of the siege of Vicksburg have been ob.ain ed. The first flag of truce reqvcd for some' time, was on the first of July, asking an escort fin tWo Englishmen, who had been shat up for sonic time in the Confederacy. This request was granted. On the previous day the rebels made an unsuccessful sortie on our works on the left, intending to take our soldiers out of the rifle pits. General Johnston was reported to be only twenty miles off. Our men were in line of battle ready to receive an attack. On the 3d a flag of truce came into our lines, brought by two Confederate officers, ono of whom was Major Gen eral Bowen. The messengers were blindfolded, and remained awaiting the return of General Smith who took the dispatches from Pemberton to General Grant. After an hour had elapsed their oyes were unbandaged. They conversed freely with the Union officers. One of them said that iron enough had been thrown into the city to stock immense founderies and build monuments for all who had fallen. The messengers were again blind folded and escorted to a safe point from which they could cuter their own lines. Great curiosity was manifested by the officers and soldiers to learn the contents of General Pemberton's dis patches, which was finally gratified. The rebel Gencial had seen fit to in timate that an unnecessary effusion of blood and loss of life might be proven cd by the cessation of hostilities, du ring which commissioners might be appointed to agree on terms of surren : der. lie also intimated that he could hold the city for an indefinite period. General Giant's reply was very brief, saying that Pemberton had it in his own hands to stop bloodshed at any moment; that commissioners were unnecessary, and the only stipulations ho could accept were an unconditional surrender. lie concluded by paying a deserved tribute to the bravery and endurance of the rebel garrison, and said that if they surrendered they should be treated to all the courtesy due to prisoners of war The rebel messenger had not gone long when Pemberton sent again, ask ing a personal interview, which Gen eral Grant promptly acceded to. At 3 o'clock P. M., the same day, a conference took place about midway between the fronts of both armies.— The two Generals went aside, and what was said during the conference can only be judged froni the results.— After little more than an hour terms were agreed upon, and the rebels sur rendered. It was arranged that the Pederld forces should enter at 10 o'clock on the next morning, and the rebels all be parolled (the officers allowed to retain their horses) and given four days rations, to be taken from the reb el stores.. They were to be considered us prisoners, liable to exchange. The enemy, numbering from twenty-five thousand to thirty thousand, by this arrangement, fell into our hands, along with small arms, forts, defences, &c. Plenty of cannon were captured, and theft quality is equal to the best ir, the Confederacy. At 10 o'clock on the morning of the 4th of July, General Steele's division marched into and garrisoned the city, the bands playing the national airs of the contending forces. The scone was Nritnessed by thousands of Federal and rebel soldiers, many of' whom, fbr time first time is weeks bad shown them.clves with impunity above the rills pits, although. during all the time they had been NNithin five yards of each other. General Grant en me to. the place of rendezvous smoking a cigar, and ap parently the only unexcited person in the vast assemblage. General Pemberton first remarked that lie had been present when dilfe•- ent fortresses had been surrendered to the Federal arms in the .Alexiertn war, and in those cases the enemy were granted terms and conditions. He thought his army was as well entitled to such favors as a foreign foe. General Grant listened to his argu ments, and then proposed a private conversation, to which Pemberton agreed. The "Stars and Stripes" were soon after seen floating above the buildings where lately the rebel ensigns had met the breeze, and - Vicksburg was again in loyal possession. Not long after formal possession of tho city had been taken, Col. Mark land made his entrance to take charge of the Post Office, and agreed to es tablish federal mail• routes with the rest of the world. L A.TETZ 27,000 PriBoncrs Parollod-4,000 Ton cmnbattants-102 Field Pieces and 30 Siege Guns-50,000 Stand of Arms -57 Stand of Colors-5,600 NM in the Hospitals—Only 150 Fit for duty. VICKSBURG, July 4 Viek:.,burg surrendered this morn ing, after a siege of forty-seven days, terminating in negotiations lasting twenty-four Lours. Generals Grant and Pemberton had an interview yesterday afternoon, and the last note of Pemberton, accepting the proffered terms of General Grant, did not reach here till o'clock to-clay. General McPherson received the for n al surrender. The terms allow the officers and men to be paroled hero, the former to retain their side arms and horses and personal property. They are to be o.:corted beyond our lines and ftlimiTh -1 with three days provisions. Gen eral Logan's division marched into the city at 11 o'clock, and at noon Lt. Colonel Strong hoisted the Stars and Stripes over the Court House. Col. Wilson is Provost Marshal, and General Logan commander of the Pont. We have taken about 27,000 prisoners, besides about 4,000 non combatants, 102 field pieces, 30 siege guns, 50,000 stand of arms, ammuni tion, locomotives, cars, a few stores and 57 stand of colors. A mong the prisoners are Lieutenant General Pemberton, Major Generals S. Steveson, Smith, Forney and Bow en; fourteen Brigadier Generals, and one hundred and thirty Colonels.— There are 5,600 men in the hospitals, half of whom are wounded. Only one hundred and fifty of the garrison are reported fit for duty. The stock of provisions was almost exhausted, and for four days numbers had been eating mule flesh. Of am munition for the heavy guns they had a fhir supply, but for the field guns and musketry they were short. Eight caps to a man were allowed. They had an excess of sugar, molasses and rice, and these were all the supplies they had, except a little unground COlll. The capitulation was caused by des titution and prostration, hastened per haps by the expectation that our fbrees would storm the place to day. It is admitted‘by all that the rebels made a :rallant defence, and the terms were understood to be concessions of General Grant to their bravery, as well as a measure of great public economy. Vicksburg is much damaged by shells, and hardly a house has escaped. Our soldiers treated their late enemy with great friendship, both sides feel ing great relief from the hardships and sufferings of the siege. Fifty steamers are at the landing.— The Fourth of July has never been celebrated so strictly or so earnestly. General Pemberton denies the au. thorship of the speech attributed to him about holding out till till; last dog was eaten. --- The Battle at Gettysburg. General Geary's and Williams Divis ions Engaged with Ewell—The Bat tle Lasts Seven Hours—Ewell Driven from the Field—His Loss Twelve Hundred lCttle,l, Pour Thousand Wounded, and Five Htnuh•ed Prison ers. [SIICC 1.11 COI retituntlettet , of the Pte..] ETTYSDIIII G. PA., July 5, '6 The smoke of the great battle has cleared away, the dead aro beilig in terred, the wounded cared for, and citizens who had fled precipitately from their homes, are turning back again. The last and most desperate effort of the enemy to turn the right flank o: our army was one of the most obstinate contests the world c