A correspondent of the
Atlanta Appeal, writing from
Meridian, on the 19th, says:
‘
From
Jackson we have interesting news.
Two lads, just from there, bring the intelligence that the whole of
Grant's army, excepting one brigade, had left
Jackson, going toward
Vicksburg.
There were no Yankee pickets this side of
Pearl river, and our pickets had reached them stream.
Six prisoners, taken not for from
Pearl river, having been taken in the usual Yankee occupation of thieving, were brought in this morning.
Nothing intelligible could be got out of them.
In
Jackson nearly all of Main street, the
Governor's mansion, and many other houses, were burned to the ground.
The railroad from
Brandon to
Jackson was effectually destroyed, not a rail reported to have been left in its place, and that portion of the road from the river to the site of the
Confederate house, which we had rebuilt, was torn up. The rails, in many places, were carried to the river and thrown in.
When the citizens of
Jackson sent
Grant a flag of truce, formally surrendering the city, after the evacuation by our forces, he promised that private property would be respected.
It was a Yankee promise, for his soldiers pillaged every house, and stole whatever they could lay their hands on.
On the line of their march from
Jackson to
Brandon, on the 18th, 19th, and 20th instant, they, in addition to the destruction of the railroad, laid waste the whole country.
In
Brandon they burned the whole of the south side of the public square, two large blocks of buildings, the railroad depot, and pillaged every house in town, stealing from, and robbing in open day, even the poor negroes of the town.
A well known negro barber shop of that town was robbed of every article it contained by these representatives of "the best Government the world ever saw," and no article of domestic use was too insignificant for the petulant proclivities of low, mean, vulgar Yankees.
If the harvest of their plunder were diamonds of the first water, solid gold and pearls, instead of what they are, it would be but a poor compensation for the weight of infamy which they are laying up, for their character on the impartial page of history.
The railroad from
Jackson to
Canton is destroyed.
They also burned a train of forty cars and two engines between
Canton and
Jackson.
We will loss heavily in rolling stock by their depredations north of
Jackson.
There are from ninety to one hundred locomotives belonging to the New Orleans and Jackson Railroad and the Mississippi Central Railroad, which the destruction of
Pearl river bridge prevented us from bringing off, which will fall into their bands, and of course nearly all the rolling stock will share the same late.--From everything we can learn the enemy don't intend occupying
Jackson, nor does he intend leaving it in a position to be of any use to us. He never would have destroyed the railroads if he contemplated permanent occupation.
Jackson, he knows as well as
Gen. Johnston knew, is no point of strategic importance, and he will simply make it impossible for its being of any service to us.
Mobile is now doubtless the next prize claiming his attention, and his movements would indicate an early approach to that city by way of
Madisonville, La., on the lake landing at
Biloxi,
Ocean Springs, or
Pascagoula, thence marching overland and combining with a gunboat attack on the city with the iron clads, relieved by the fall of
Port Hudson and
Vicksburg.
He is too cunning an old fox to follow this army up among the sterile hills of
Scott, when he would be at the mercy of the climate, the drought, and the cavalry; his communication constantly in danger of being out off, and his supplies destroyed.
But we must wait and see.
Gen. Banks is said to have gone after
Gen. Taylor, who is reported at
Donalsonville, La., with six siege guns and a gallant little army, preparing to fight it out.
Magruder is reported marching to
Taylor's assistance.
’
