Glorious Confederate victory on the Mississippi river.
the enemy's fleet Dispersed.
The iron clad gunboat Arkansas has performed a splendid achievement on the Mississippi, near Vicksburg having attacked the enemy's fleet with impetuous gallantry, disabling and damaging several vessels, and sustaining comparatively slight injury herself.
The Arkansas is a steamer of 1,200 tons.
She was built at Memphis, but was removed from that point, in an unfinished condition, previous to the evacuation by our troops.
She has since been completed in the Yazoo river.
The following is a copy of an official dispatch received at the Navy Department yesterday morning.
We engaged to-day from six to eight A. M. with the enemy's fleet above Vicksburg, consisting of four or more iron clad vessels, two heavy sloops of war, four gunboats, and seven or eight rams. We drove, one iron clad vessel ashore, with colors down and disabled, blew up a ram, burned one vessel, and damaged several others. Our smoke stack was so shot to pieces that we lost steam, and could not use our vessel as a ram. We were otherwise cut up, as we engaged at close quarters. Loss ten killed, fifteen wounded, and others with slight wounds.
The Government also received the subjoined dispatch from General Van-Dorn, giving some additional particulars of the victory, and bestowing a proper tribute of praise upon the gallant commander of the Arkansas, her officers and men:
Vicksburg, July 15.--The sloop-of- war Arkansas, under cover of our batteries, ran gloriously through twelve or thirteen of the enemy's rams, gunboats, and sloops-of-war.
Our loss is ten men killed and fifteen wounded. Captain Brown, her commander and hero, was slightly wounded in the head.
Smoke stack of the Arkansas is riddled, otherwise she is not materially damaged, and can soon be repaired.
Two of the enemy's boats struck their colors, and ran ashore to keep from sinking.
Many killed and wounded — glorious achievement for the Navy, her heroic commander, officers, and men.
One mortar boat disabled and aground, is now burning up. All the enemy's transports and all the vessels of war of lower fleet, except a sloop-of-war, have gotten up steam and are off to escape from the Arkansas. [Signed] Earl Van-Dorn,
Major General Commanding.
This reminds us of the first glorious achievement of the Confederate steamer Virginia, which spread consternation throughout Yankeedom, and astonished the most scientific naval officers on the continent of Europe. The victory will inspire the people of Vicksburg with renewed confidence and zeal, and we hope it will be followed up by still more powerful blows. Lessons like this will teach the enemy that his gunboats may be driven from Southern waters, while the history of the past four weeks has proved that his boasted land armies cannot stand before Confederate bullets and bayonets.
