The bombardment of Vicksburg again commenced — Casualties.
A letter from Vicksburg, dated the 21st, says:‘ It may now be said that hostilities have fairly commenced at Vicksburg, and the old science of last summer's bombardment are again being enacted, but with a very different effect upon the denizens of the hills. Instead of creating fear and consternation a general indifference is being manifested that is truly surprising to behold, and no running away from shells, no petitions to the authorities to surrender the city, like then — no fear of the inadequacy of our defences. New everything is hopeful, confident, relevant and eager for the contest, --Those who doubt the ability of the Confederate army here to repulse the enemy, are nevertheless as determined to do their best in the effort as the most sanguine.
’ Since Friday, the bombardment of the city has been continuous, interrupted only by short intervals of rest, to allow the guns to cool. For the first three days their efforts were harmless, and all the shells fell short of the city. On Sunday, they kept up a vigorous fire on the city, as our Church betis were calling the people to the houses of worship. Later in the day, they kept quiet, but were not idle, as they could be plainly seen at work on their battery. rewards night they gave us a few parting salutes, and then everything remained silent until Monday morning. Our pickets and signal men however, discovered, during the night, that the enemy was busy, and that a steamer was plying between the fleet and that a batteries, and in the morning it was expected that new developments would be made.
Accordingly, yesterday morning, at half after 8 o'clock they opened on us, apparently from different guns than those which had been used previously, and to a different point in the city. The Washington Hotel was struck by the first or second shell, and another exploded immediately in front of the building, and scattered things promiscuously in a Jew's clothing store opposite. Their firing seemed to grow better and better at every shot, and the range was increased from one to four squares during the day. The Court House is the object of their aim — their firing is remarkably accurate, as the shots are in a direct line with that building, only falling short a hundred yards or thereabouts.
Yesterday was quite an exciting time and the shells were being watched with more than usual interest. It has heretofore been pretended that our guns could silence the enemy's battery, but they are not allowed to open fire, and in the meantime our beautiful city is being shelled from one end to the other. The pretence at first for not opening on the enemy was, that as long as their shot all fell in the river there was no necessity to interior with them. But now the town is being shelled all over; buildings are people are getting hurt, property is being destroyed, the city has become untenable, and several buildings act on fire by the shell, and still General Pemberton wont open fire on the enemy. A large pile of corn in the depot was fired by a shell, but was extinguished in time to prevent loss, and several houses here have also been fired — besides several men killed.
Yesterday evening a party of Yankees came down the railroad on the penitence to the bank of the river opposite. Major Ogden's gun paid her compliments to them, and they immediately started up the road homewards, and the road is a perfect boss line, commanded by Ogden's gun; and a second shot set the skedaddling Yankees into a dog trot, and another shot started them into a regular Bull Run pace, and the way they bandied their legs up the road was almost equal to the regular time of the cars on that road. With this exception our guns have not yet fired a single shot at the enemy.
