The Fleet At Vicksburg

Washington, May 25. _ The following was rèosivcd in Washington this. moruing : n , _ Flao-Ship Bi.ai-kh,iwk. ) HAiNES Bldff, ï'azoo Kivkk, May m Hon. Gideon Wells, Secretary of the Navv Washington. " Ou Che raon.nig of tbo 15tli, I carne over to tho Yazoo, to be rcady to eo-operato with Gen Grant. Leaving two of Uio iron clads at Ked Rivcr, ono at Grand Gulf, onc ai Cartílago, threo at Warrenton, and Uvo n the Yazoo, it left me a small furce, still I disposed of thern to the best advantage. On the 18th at iioon fiíing was heard in the rear of Vicksburg which assurcd rno tliat Gon. Graut wa apprortchirig the city. The cannonading was kept lip furiously for Bome time who:i by the aid of glaases I discovcred a coinpany of our artülery advancing taking position and driving the rebels beforc theni. I itnuiedïately i snw that bou. bberman's división bad come on to the left of Snvder's Blufe and that tlie robels at thatpïuce h cut off from juining t.he forcee in tho city. I dispatched the DeKslb, Lieutcnsnt Commander Walkev, O'aocfnw, Liouteu:mt Commander Ranjsay, llover. Petrel and Forest Rose, all utider the comniand' qï Lieutenant Comrnandcr Bréese, up the Y:izoo to open commuTïication in that way with Generáis Grant ar,d Shermnu. This I suooeoded in doing, and in three liours received letters from Geuerals Grant, Sliermai) and Stee!, niforuiing ma of his vast sueeess and askin to send up provisions, which was at oneo done. In the meantime, Lieutenant Ojüiinander Walker, in the BoKalb, puahed on to Haincs' Bluff, which the enemy had cotnmenced evacuating tho day before, and a party romained behind iu the hope of destroying or taking away a large amount of ammuuition on hand. Wheu they saw the gunboats, they came out and left everything in good order guns, fort, tents and eq-uipage of all kinds whieh feil iuto our hands. As soon as the capture of Haines' Bluff and fourteen guns, was reported to me I shovcd up tho gunboats from below Vicksbure to firo at the hill bafforiM whioh firo was kept up for two or threé liours. At midniglit they moved up to the town aud opcuod oh it for abnut an hour and conticued at intervals during the night to annoy tho garrison. Oq the J.Oth I placed six rnortars in position tvith orders to fire night atd dáy as rnpidly as they could. The works at Haines1 Bluff are very formidable. There are fourteon of the heaviest kind of icountcd eight and ten inch and seven and a half inch rifled cannon, with anm,unilion enough to last a long sicge. As the gun earriages might again fall into the enemy's hands I had them burned, blew up the magazine aud destroyed the works generally. I also burned up the eueampmeuts, which were permanently and remarkably woll constructed, lookicg aa if the rsbels intended to stay for -some time. The works and encampments j ered many acres of ground and the works and rifled pits of Haines' Bluff proper, extended a milo and a half. ' Such a net-work of deteneos I nevor saw. The rebels werc a year in eonstructirg them, and they were rendered uselcss ín an hour. As soon as I got through with the destruotion of the magazine and the , -T y-t tl I r i t . 1 M . . s'1 wurss, í siartea Liieutouant (Joniniaiider Walker up tho Yazoo River, with sufficiont force to destroy a!l the eoeiny's propertyin that direotion, with orders to return with all despatch, and only pr0ceed as far as Yazoo City, where tho robels have a navy.yard and storo-housus. In the meantime, Gen. Orant has olosoly invested Yicksburg, and has poaeesion of the best eomruandinir points. In a very short time a genera! assault will take place, when I hope to annouuce that Vicksburg has fallen after a series of the most brilliant successes that ever attended auy army. There bas never boen a case during the war when the rebels have been so successfully beatón t all pointa, and the patience and eudurance shown by our army and Davy for so many months, is about being rewarded It is a mere question of time, a few hours and then with the exception of Port Hudson, whieh wil! folio w Vieksbumthe Mississippi will be opeo its enti?e lengt-fa. -v