Worcester daily spy., 1861-12-18
THE GULF EXPEDITION.

THE GULF EXPEDITION.
The advance of Gen. Buffers expedition
landed safely on Ship Island in Mississippi
Sound, on the 4th inst 1t is under command
of Brig Gen. John w. Phelps of Vermont,
and consists OF the twenty.siXth Massachu-
sets aud the ninth Connecticut regiments, and
the fourth battery of Massachusetts artillery.
| The first instalment OF letters from the expe-
dtion were received yesterday but they give
| simply running sketch OF the voyage ana
| the landing, which passed without accident or
exciting event of any kind. The following Is
n brief deseription of the island and harbor -
"Ship Island is one of series OF small
islands formed by the acton OF the ocean, anu
| constituting the southern boundary OF Mlssls
| sipni Sound The whole island contains
fraction less than two square miles of territory,
! and like most OF the islands IN tins latitude
| contains pretty well assorted stock OF reptiles
| and vermin, but with two thousand men on SO
small an area, it will not be long before the
! allipators snakes, and other moist unpleas-
| ant bodies" will bid adieu to these scenes ana
take an early train for that place where there
| are no armed men TO moIest or make them
afraid. AT the western end Of the island are
houses which escaped the incendiary efforts OF
the rebels The houses consist OF one good
sized well built brick house, which, alter con-
siderable repairs would make very comtorta-
Bile headquarters for the commander, or an eX-
cellent hospital for the sick, and three or four
huts for cooking houses, &c. The lighthouse
has been fine one, but the rebels burnt it so
thoroughly breaking the glass and carrying
off the lamp, that it is unsafe and likely to tall
at any moment 1t is round, and built OF
stone. The sand at West Point is OF beaut-
full quality, and in the dim light OF early morn
ing or evening resembles, in the pnrity OF its
whiteness, the spotless drifts of snow which
now cover the hills and valleys OF New Eng
land. Coming suddenly upon deck before sun
rise the illusion is perfect, and one almost tor
gets that he is in country where frost Is
seven years wonder. But pleasant as 1t is to
look upon, it is wretched stuff to walk IN 1t IS
so sof, and deep that FIVE or six mile march
is dreadfully exhausting. The island posses
ses a very superior harbor, into which nlne'
teen feet can be carried at ordinarily low water.
1t is situated north OF the west end OF the
island. The anchorage, with water equal TO
the depth on the bar, is five miles long, and
averages three and quarter miles in width.
The harbor is safe for the most danger GUS
storms in the guf,-those from the eastward
and southward--and might be easily entered
during these storms without pilot, II good
lighthouses were placed in proper positions
The rise and tall of the tide Is only from
twelve to fourteen inches. Ii one of the re-
suits of this war should be to make this island
an important place of trade, the value OF this
harbor cannot be over estimated. 1t Ia the In
tention Of the government to occupy Ship
Island with large force"
On their arrival at the island, Gen. Phelps
issued proclamation "lo the loyal citizens of
the southwest" declaring the purpose OF the
expedition, and the sentiments which actuated
himself and his command. 1t was strongly
anti-slavery in its character, as will be seen
by the following closing eXtract:-
at is the conviction Of my command, as a
part of the national forces OF the United States,
that labor-.nanual labor-is inherently noble;
that it can not be Systematically degraded by
any nation without running It's peace, happi-
ness, and power; that free labor Is the granite
basis on which free institutions must rest; that
it is the right the capital, the Inheritance, the
hope of the poor man everywhere that it is
especially the right OF five millions Of our tel-
low countrynien in the slave states as well as
OF the four millions OF Africans there, and all
our efforts, therefore, however small or great,
whether directed against the interference OF
governments from abroad OF against rebel
lious combinations at home shall be for free
labor; our motto and our standard shall be,
here and everywhere, and on all occasions,
free Labor and aCOrkingmen'S rights. 1t is on tins
basis, and this basis alone, that our muniiicent
government-the asylum of the natlOus--Can
be perpetuated and preserved"
The proclamation appears to have excited
conflicting emotions among tue officers of his
command, some of them going so far as TO
throw obstacles in the way of its dissemina-
ton, but no more serious differences were APP
pretended. The tort ON the island has been
named Fort Massachusetts, is built of brick,
and is made bonsb p-o0f by sand bags five or
six feet deep in front Of the walls. The rebels
befure they evacuated the island built eleven
bomb proof casemaes, to which our men have
added two more. IL is supposed that this
place will be made the point dppui or base of
operations from which the combined strokes
OF the army and navy will be made, and it will
be grand military and naval depot, where
large stores of subsistence and munitions OF
war will be collected, so that in case of neces-
sity our troops can TALL back to this point and
recuperate for another effort. The present in
tention is simply to put the island in a state Of
defence and prepare the men tor the grand at
tacks indie tied above but the boys have got
their eyes on powder mill back of Mlssissis-
sippi City, which Is manufacturing 1900
pounds day OF that desirable material and it
is not unlikely that some fine night the people
OF that rebelliOus city may find the tide OF I'M
migration flowing in upon them without much
warning. The following is table OF distances
from Ship Island to the important places in
the neighborhood of the gull -
NJ .Tt..