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Private residences were protected by provostguards, but all public buildings were burned. The inhabitants seemed to expect nothing but that we would burn the town; they, however, soon became acquainted with us, and invited the officers to their houses to remain during our stay; gave them the best feather-beds in their houses, and treated them with genuine Southern hospitality; we judge, however, it was for self-protection rather than for any love they felt for “Lincoln's vandals.” However, it was all the same to those who enjoyed the luxury of sleeping with their pants off, between clean sheets. As for ourselves, we got cheated out of our “soft snap,” by one of our boys — a new recruit — shooting himself through the hand, so As to require the amputation of a finger, late in the evening, and it was too late, after we had him cured, for to “come in” on any of the applications for “officers to spend the night with them.” We, however, took breakfast with a very nice family, had a very pleasant hour's chat, so much so, that we really forgot we were among enemies. The breakfast was not any thing extra, except extra bad butter and corn-bread, and a fair article of extra wheat coffee; but they treated us so kindly, and talked so sensibly about the war, and wished so heartily for peace, that we were almost persuaded they were not “secesh;” but if we were to believe all the citizens tell us, we would conclude no person ever desired a separation of the Union, and that they really thought Yankee soldiers were much greater gentlemen, more intelligent, and better men than their own “brave boys,” and that there was no use in their trying to cope with so formidable a foe; all of which is, of course, true, but they don't believe a word of it.

A great many negroes joined us here, and many more were desirous of coming, but had no means of taking their families. We were much amused as we entered town, by a lady rushing out of agate, and accosting an officer riding by, with: “Captain, is there no means by which I can get my boy back? He is going off with your army?” The officer replied: “Well, madam, I know of no. law nowadays, civil or military, by which you can get him.” At this she curled up her lip and contracted her nose, as if there were some very unpleasant odor in the atmosphere, and in a tone of the most utter contempt, she remarked, “Yes, Yes, Abe Lincoln, Abe Lincoln!” turned upon her heels, and swung her hoopless skirt back through the gate in the highest dudgeon imaginable.

The boys having “reenforced” their stock of tobacco, the quartermasters having filled their wagons with corn-meal, bacon, etc., and added very materially to their stock of horses and mules, the medical department having got a small assortment of drugs, all at the expense of the Southern Confederacy, arid the military authorities having destroyed all public property, and last, but not least, having driven the rebels from here, on the morning of the eighth, we again moved forward. As we were passing out of town, our guards being removed and others not yet stationed, the negroes and soldiers broke into the stores, and it was interesting to see the manner in which they appropriated the various articles of merchandise. True, there was but little to appropriate, but what there was was soon appropriated. In one store there was a lot of cotton cloth, and it was interesting to see the darkeys haul it into their arms, as a sailor takes in a line, until they had an armful, tear it off, and another take hold and haul it in, until he too had an armful, and so on, until the stock was exhausted.

We proceeded, without interruption, through a tolerably fair country; large plantations, with the dead trees yet standing, houses comfortably framed, without much pretensions to beauty or grandeur, burned several fine lots of cotton, and tore up more railroad than the Confederacy will repair this season.

At ten o'clock P. M., we bivouacked in a beautiful pine grove; the pines were perfectly straight, and perhaps one hundred feet to the first limbs. Here we learned that the rebels had formed a line of battle near our place of encampment some time during the day, and attempted to engage our front, but were quickly repulsed. During the engagement, a woman living near by — while gratifying her innate curiosity by watching the fight — was accidentally shot in her own dooryard; her husband was in the rebel army, and she left four children, the eldest only fourteen years of age.

On the morning of the ninth, we started at eight o'clock, proceeded until one o'clock, when we arrived at Morton station, where we encamped to allow General Hurlbut's corps to pass.

Morton is a very small place, and consists of a few indifferent dwellings, railroad buildings, and one or two stores; while lying here, we burned the railroad building and a drug store, and destroyed the track for quite a distance.

But here come orders to march to-morrow morning; so I will stop for the present, and mail this at Vicksburgh, where we expect to arrive in four days, and finish my story when we get settled once more in camp.



New-York Tribune accounts.

Vicksburgh, Miss., Feb. 28, 1864.
Considerable commotion exists in this obnoxious town to-day, occasioned by the sudden and unexpected appearance of the veteran hero, Major-General W. T. Sherman. The daring Yankee expedition into the interior of this rebel domain, Mississippi, has returned in triumph, accomplishing its important objects with but little loss of life. The entree of General Sherman at an early hour this forenoon, covered with dust, and accompanied by three or four staff-officers and two mounted orderlies, created a great sensation among the secesh, with whom it had been currently reported that a rebel bullet had laid him low.

On the morning of February third, General Sherman, with a force of twenty-five thousand men, marched from Big Black River. General


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