The New York herald., 1861-12-17
GENERAL BUFFERS EXPEDITION.
CONTINUED FROM THIRD pAaE.

within fonr miles with twenty feet water and within
aliio with about thftasn feet fom which Srauhaiy
shadows 10 the beach IL TACT IRON the man shotn "
the doep water the harbof the descent Il gradual "V
smooth bottom This harbor, though arpareutp ~ %,
knoWn even AZ this day 10 our awh eo,e ,erat.h W"
10 tho officers Of English navy ~ the late war WIN
Great Britain, IN which they anchored th"n % sn,p 49,,
the invasion and seg. os New oresns, ana s.pp % ~ -
selves through their gnaboais, Wh pfvN's' ~ !, =
say M upon ihe eat. Of citxrns, wh,h wh' '.i a.
Uo,1 saa. no, anra more peaninl site Tor city ,nsl
tho elevated opposite 'his hsrhor Aba lano" ,
constructed from this point 70 the interior ~oa uu "
within onr ncfdcrf great s'apor' ana eomnfFc'" I'M
goriun. .,,,. !. : o,,,,a4 ,.,.,, 80
t;uu ,nas, iLe interior occupied the attention :" the
oeope Of sn,e nearly twenty years ago and wis
aoe which al Thai aanc ex1hed deep interest WIN
the crisis which took place in TINS sfle ~ 1910 ~
passed away and hns but recently been revived lu 1880
oct pasted to incorporate the n'i aud ship Island
R.,oaa company bat organization Of the couiplDy
ever took place nier a. Ia 1854 Act amendaGry OF
the former arl was passed. which is Dow D. iorce M
The OF ihc conpay This authorizes the COMPANY
10 determine for themselves the amount Of capital iey
,oay require 10 bud the road-t to Tx the number ami
or shares of stock TO be subscribed forth, trne
sud terms OF payment and IT, open books Ot sub
scrptop tor stock nj such lines and places within or
without the state, they may jeem advisable, and re-
hundred fifty Thousand dollars of the capital atock
sha be subscribed for No reorganization Of the cnmpaos
has yet taken place under II.
pnder the act of March, 1854 to aid in the CONSTRUCTION
u the Now Orleans Jackson ard Great NQhe, Railroad
and for other purposes, s. 900 was appropriated " e"
vey ad ccats the lire othe Gulf and sbplslan road v
connect with the Southern the New Orleans Jnsksof
and Great Northern road at Brandon, Jae.
So" sas,sy ~ ',SS rcs,. as We w.s Northern Tss
10 jackson rs the Northern terminus, anu the
1aicy of sarriver the route The report Of the en-
gineer submitted TO the Legislature, with my annual
message 1856, estimating the cost Of the road nsi
class one furnished and equipped for running al three
nlion dollars the entire distance from jackson 70
Misssslppi City being hundred nrt, eigh, miles
and by the ue OF the road only eleven and onetenth
males greater than the All line.
by this act, which Disposed Of The whole OF he inter
nal improvement fund for stock in the New Orleans,
jackson and ,irea, Northern the aissssppi Central
Rhd Mobile and ONO roads II was provided that Ms soon
as this stockcan be sold al par, i shall DC invested IN
,be Gplf aDds Ship Eland road. provided the company
sh be regularly organized and five hundred Thousand
dollars shall have been subscribed IN reliable stock ~"
vided further that stock shall bc subscribed b. hr
state il this road nnt.i the State stock the o,hsr
roads shall be sold and then only amount ri stock
equal to the whole proceeds u such sale shall be sp
scrbed and the mrs, pay neut thereon shat, efna t.
tho amount then paid on each share hy o,ler s'o.kod
ers" And that no Dousy AZ part Of the ntefaa, ua
proyement fund shall BE- rad 10 thc COMPANY unti ~
least twenty Ave eent oi the stock Subscribed y
d.vmuas shall hsv. been paid IN cash equal amounts
shalt DC paid from time TO urne thereafter by the ind
Sidna stockholders und by the state ~ part OF the
internal Improvement fund before authorized ,o oe IN
vested =
by of Congress asss-i lIth Of August 1858 "a
grant OF land war made to TIT State 10 nd N ht cc'
struction Of railroad from H.andon to the Gnr of N
co Of every alternate section, designated BY
borp for six sectons in Width each side "f said road
with tho privilege any Of The iands granted had beeu
disposed OF to select IN equal quantity III lieu ~ ibess
within fifteen miles on earh side OF said road,
With this Legislation on the part Of the state, and .e
Rrant Of aud by Congress 10 construct railroad TO The
snh coast The individual atGro.t to N il has mol
been Butcent 10 induce the WgsaiIatoh nt eciupan.
for that purpose.
What Il demanded by the want, o the State IL reie.nr,
10 this road s tina, MS terminus npon the Gulf shall he
opposite The hsrbor ot Ship is.ant Al that pom
Which affords the best harbor npon our coast and that
IT. hoo shall pursue q fontc 90 the northern bgull
diry ci he Siar mihwa. near tay he, between he
and OHIO on the one side, and he New Orleans, Mobile
Jackson and Great Northern road The other With eah
Of which 1t will ultimately connect by appropriate
branches and form its Junction with both Of these
IN the great iineN North. therefore, recommend that the
consent Of congress be obtained 70. change OF the pre-
sent gran, Of land, and that be made applicable
line OF road such ass have designated by which mach
larger amount OF land will be obtained, and much
greater necessities OF the State provided for by the
structon of the road over the route 10 ascertain Tho
mset eligible line for this road and 10 provide for the
pcDsc Of the survey and location Of the route the
estimate Of cos,s, Nc, recommend should The iessa
ture concur with me in eyy,ng The lax proposed ie
foreign bank notes circulating this state that the
nue. derived from that source he appropriated to this
jsct If not that they provide the such otie.
way as 10 their own Judgment they shall deem best.
In the year 1865 the Union government begar to con
ssr the necessity for fortmying Snip Island from hs
fact OF its being such fine rapacious harbor Al
the assembling OF the Mississippi Legislature that veal
Governor Neville transmitted them nm application on
part Of federal government for The purpose obtain
ing cessop Of the jurisdiction Of Ship Island for The
purpose Of having fortified on the receipt Of the
HaaBeatfon the Governor wrote 10 the officer making il
that Governor, he had authority convey twent,
that Island unrevcked and he recommended 10
tne leg stature to consider tn. suggestion n
dose not however appear that the island ever for.
t,ned
HISTORY or SHIP ISLAND FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS
Shortly after the breaking ont 81 the rebelon The m.
Chanics who had been employed b., the United so
vernmont the construction Of the abandoned the
island leaving their work in quite advanced STAGE OF
progress There also a OF houses belonging
~ tho laborers and some barracks. During latter
part Of May early June the rebels came over from
the Rain land and burned the houses the fort and
Completely gutted the light house and then retired
On the .Sii Of June the gnnboat arrvc cd
III hhsss'ppi Sound, and ~ one day captured i've
schcooers, and drove back the New orleau. and Mobile
steamers thereby stopping the intercourse between ,ha.e
two cites On inspecting the island the
found unoccnped On tho Sd Of Jai, the
run up 10 lorl r,ckens aud returning or the 4n tna
everything as they left IT, excepting the light Which ,yas
out The light keeper excused the abseice OF the ,gt
sy STATING that he had been ordered by the Fooyp Do,
70 chow It any more.
Dnf'ng the absence Of the Massachusetts however ,be
.ho ieD'h haH returned 20 the island with engineers
laid their plans TO occupy ii, and again retired
On the 9th the Massachusetts LETT Tor as. pttqtre
and returned to Mississippi Sound the evening Of the
*th They saw steamers in the harbor aud gh,s Oh
shore They ran up 10 The island and fred shot " hch
was no. replied to During that night the
rebels throwing 40 fatrenchments On ths p.,l
morning they opened fire Massachusetts with two
nne ach sea coast cannon aud heavy rifed gant The
Massachusetts, returned iheiy two hours neio.
breakfast
After breakfast tie tive r..oinincncc .aad con.
tinued tor hour halt tho rifrd shot from The
shore passing ihs deck ~ the Massachusetts Jhe
hastaGhn1tts cn finding hat her shot were efet,e
On the ,.and, aHd that ner powder and long
running short eUchu,e ed ont range.
During til" engagement o the rehVls severely
wounded N The knee pas.
NJ the xpps 81 tbe Massachusetts OF suihc"i
range 10 10 damage to tn. BATTERIES the rehets
allowed 10 remain tuet The island until
te 10th !" september On tba, night
tt"r belief thai larg. navai sui military expedition
way advancing upon them, teri'n, confidence N
thsir power 10 bold the Mace, The Island
uDder cover of several slDet steamers carried OF
tbe ordnance.
The shpr Aassachus.tts, preule Marion stood over
for Che isiAd bot owing 10 the prevalence light winds
and the strong head current, auiy Msssachuee,s .
could appfcach t1.e batteries, Sss shot but re-
ceved reply, ino rebels having left The nex dny
tho Massachusetts landed force the shere and took
possession of tbs island, wbirh they have hs6 ever
since. Much va!abe property 10 III. shape Of nlmbe,
and thirty six bfs~c Of cattle was some
Dnribg Their aceupam the rebels had built
up the fort, constructing eie,e hne bomb proof
castnatts aHe . magazine rbeF had evidently had
haonDted about tMerty guns whl,h N.ye |, the
classmates, two pivcs gum sand ,tiees ol,sd. the
fort, commanding the sound po,ead scaward also
IN sand batteries outside the eor rest jn other