A letter to the Mobile
Tribune from
Tennessee gives some statements relative to the position of affairs at
Vicksburg, which we give for what they are worth.
The correspondent says:
‘
I have been put in possession of some most cheering and authentic information, which clears up the horizon all around, and will be most consoling to the faint hearted croakers of the
Confederacy, as well as quieting the solicitude for
Gen. Johnston.
From an irrefutable authority I learn that not a single man of
Rosecrans's army of the Cumberland has left to reinforce
Grant.
Since the
battle of Murfreesboro' Rosecrans has been reinforced by not exceeding 15,000 men, consequently, estimating his losses at that low figure, his present force does not exceed his original number of 55,000 men.
Grant's force, before the attack upon
Vicksburg commenced, was about 60,000 men. He left some 10,000 at
Milliken's Bend to guard his stores which were in warehouses, but chiefly were contained in 140 store-boats or transports.
Cutting a road through the swamp to
Carthage, and bridging the slews, he marched his army to that point and crossed the
Mississippi at
Grand Gulf, where he landed with 50,000 effective men. We will suppose his losses before
Vicksburg to be 25,000 men.--Now let us see what his reinforcements amount to. We know that they have stripped the Western Department, taking away the troops that garrisoned
Columbus,
Island No.10,
Jackson, Tenn.,
Bolivar and
Corinth, (leaving but a small guard at those places,) amounting to about 5,000.
Memphis contains at this time about 2,000 troops, consisting of fragments of regiments negroes and whites.--A portion of the 9th and 23d Abolition army corps has been taken from
Kentucky, amounting to about 10,000, and about 10,000 more have been taken from
Missouri, making the whole of
Grant's reinforcements some 25,000, which would make up his losses.
Our force inside the fortifications at
Vicksburg, putting our losses at 1,000 we will say is 17,000.
Then we will give
Gen. Johnston, outside, 35,000, which will make 52,000, against
Grant's 50,000, so that the fears of being crushed by such overwhelming reinforcements is all gammon, and which, in all probability, before this reaches you will be fully known.
The Yankee dispatches confirm the battle at
Milliken's Bend, and admit that their loss is very severe, though they claim to have driven back
Kirby Smith, which we know is not so. This also makes in our favor, and the probability is that the enemy's supplies are cut off, if not destroyed.
’
