, 1862-09-02
THE YAXOO EXPEDITION.
Interesting Narrative of the Capture
of the Fairp1ay and the Expedition
up the YRZoo River.

|
From officers of the ram Switzerland. which
returned to this place to-day, learn the fol
lowing particulars Of the great success Of the
expedition which left this place for an inded-
mite point down the riyer on the 10th.
Col EIlet. who is always restless unless he
days before, to Capt. Phelps, In command OF |
the Benton, that they should make an expedi-
ton down to point below the mouth OF
White, where the rebels were cutting q military
road from the Mississippi TO Little Rock; and
again had conference with Col. HoEey Of
tie 23d Illinois, in reference to another expe-
dition to the same neighborhood. Col. Euet /
ard Col Hovey had about concluded to ask |
for Gen. Curtis' permission to proceed On |
1his Last, Will Capt. Phelps, (having no INTEL
be DONE communicated with the other OIL
GERS mentioned and signitied his intention to
take part IN the expedition, the result WAS
TINT the expedition Was made up Of the gun
bats Blnton, Mound City and Gen. Bragg,
sade1 Of GaP Phspsi the
under command Of Col. Ellet, and transports
Rocket and Mcdowell, with the 57th OHIO,
the SD Indiana, forty or fifty cavalry men,
ard two pieces of artillery on board, under
command OF Col Wood, Of the 57th Oaio;
and to those thret :otIicers, seconded by their
subordinate officers, not one Of whom but was
eager to go, is due the success Of the expedl-
ton which has resulted in the capture OF the
immense amount Of arms, ammunition and
stores.
About 3 O'Clock on the morning Of the 18:h,
as tie whole 1est were nearing the mouth Of
the Yezoo, something like the lights OF a
steam boat lying to the Louisiana shore in 5fil-
liken'e bend. The Benton was then consid-
erably in the advance. Her lights were imme-
diately darkened, and 4 like order sent directly
back to the other boats Of the fleet, and they
moved cautiously on down the stream. AS
they drew nearer they became certain that it
Vas steamboat. They knew none but q boa4
in the rebel service would be in those waters,
besides the dim and glim mnering light Of
smopldering camp fires could be seen On the
bank of the rlytr.
Captain Phelps decided not to fire at long
range but to come to close quarters at once,
as fighting men always do. The boarders
were ordered to be ready. The Benton, light
less, noiseless and indistinct as a huge b1ack
shadow, rounded to, end the first in;imatlon
tnat the rebels had Of her presence Was the
shuut of her boarders as they leaped upon the
deck ct the captured boat,
The alarm was instantly given in the rebel
camp On shore, hut by this time Col. Wood S
| men had landed and poured avolIey into their
camp, and they every one took to their heels.
Forty OF them, however, were not fast enough,
| aid were taken prisoners. ALI of their camp
| equlpage, their baggage and ammunition wag-
| onE, 4 hundred head of horses, mules, &c,
| were captured. These were captures not to
l
| to examine the boat and her cargo, did they
rtalize the extent Of their spoils.
| She was discovered to be the Fairp1ay,
| and her cargo to consist Of $3.50 stand of
| arms, with the same number of accoutrementa
| complete, besides an immense quantity OF am.
u,unition in cartridges adapted to the guns,
which are mostly new Enfield rifles. In short
t it wss the entire equipment Of arms, accou
tEcments and amnu sition fJr an army Of near
II 5000 men.
The Fairplay, which is sta1,nch boat, IN
good rtpair, and a valuable capture in herself
lad brought the arms from some place in his
sissinpl which I could not learn, but which
believe, from connecting circumstances, tt
baye been on the Yuzco River. She had ar
riyt d at the place where she was captured a
8 O'clock in the evening, but, as wa
learned from prisoners, SO secure did Tue reb
els feel that it was determined not to unloat
her until morning, a labor they were not des
tined to be troubled with.
a rebel quarter1naster, who was captured
| insisted that 10 train If fortultous circum
stances, nothing but the treachery of some Q
their own men, could have brought the flee
alorg at inst the nick of time.
; The importance Of the result Of this one al
fair Of the expedition will be seen at once; q
important result as victory gained over q
army Of 6, con for it places that nu1nber OF th
: enemy out Of the field, but better than tha
there is not the loss OF single life to Weig
the evil balance down against so great q SUI
cess.
II the expedition had accomplished nothin
more than the one capture, 1t could not has
: been called anything but great success br
, | this WIS not all
On the morning Of the Goth the expeditio
moved down to ViclSsbnrg, and reeonnoi1ere'
found all quiet in thar lucality. No chang
4 was diEcoverable in the defense Of Vicksbur'
ard the ditch was dry From this icl
where last July little else than time "
killed, the expedition started up the Yazo
:. 1t was deemed unsafe to take transports, Il
= protected against artillery, up so narrow
3 Stream where they were liable to be fired in
- from either bank, or from both at once.
they were left at the mouth OF the river.
}f Col. Woods force was then placed on boa
n the rams Monarch. Sampson and Lloues
- and tbese attended by the gunboats started
Y the river.
Rnmors had been heard Of batteries that
rebels we're building at various points alo
the Yszoo. and particularly at Haine's BIT
which is seventeen miles from its mouth.
as that point the fleet moved slowly up, betwe
+. shores that never was 60 silent, SO teuautlt
- before; it seemed that some notice had be
Il giveH to the few inhabitants, warning th'
But on approaching Haine's Bluff, a 70;
was discovered at work throwing up VOL
er for battery: They did not wait, he
y than one or two shells before IL
TOO took to their heels. The rams imm5
ately 1arded and took possession Of four |
ces Of artillery, which we're found lying
the ground, ready for mounting. Tso
was found impo:sio1 to ct on board
rans, their weight being greater than
rams could stand. it was therefore decided
explode them. This was accordingly do
q They we're 1oaded-flled to the muzzle u
shot, and their huge muzzJes hauled aro1
on aE tn 1>n irpn IN 1,n han L f.
matches lighted and, as the fleet mo
away, they burst, with stunning reports, |
liecvs.
The other two pieces were Of smaller {
brc, and more easily moved. These n
ii. taken on board one Of the rams, and are
,ht On board the Switzerland. Of these two
49, 49, is > neW twenty~ioaF pound boat howl!
ou' and is q splendid piece Of ordnance.
ub- o:ber Is q singularly antique Mexican G
ION having around the breech an Inscription
Spanish, OF which have lost the COPY; at
end Of the inscription is representation
II the Spanish crown, and at the other the tig1
by 171G. This piece il Of fine brass, aud is !
en- long alter the pattern Of the Long Toni
= l nearly century ago. Il was in all prob1
the ny one that was captured st some Of the
ap- ties in Mexico, aud placed by the goyernn
the in some Of the Southern arsenals as . trop
sed Besides these four pieces of artillery, Il
was large amount Of ammunition; Il
auy was more powder alone than could have t
lug put with any safety on the rams and guabc
OF it vas, 1oweyer, Of very poor qualify, {
Fes, as Capt. Philips said he would not use y
tue he could get better 1tWas, therefore, thr
Tue lutc the river, IS weEe also q large pile of
9N, and shelI that could not be brought away.
md From Haine's Bluff the rams Samson,
arch LIortse, with Col. Wood and his {
w, hand or beard, procefded up the river t:
se.r 1aouth of the Suntlo *cr, which .emi
LII into the Tazco fifty miles above its mo
out aid at a point ten miles below the raft Of
ber and fallen trees with which the rebels
L. obetructed The river
information lad been received by the
GERS in command Of the various diyisi IN
bel the expedition that large number Of
steam, rs were Eccreted up this stream.
fur rams accordingly ascended it some tel
tn. twelve miles until they were Obliged to
m=r on Account Of the shallow water, but
sca- ont discovering any bouts or any signs 0!
Tor enemy.
They tten come GU. OF the Suuflo 1er
teen asctndcd the Yszoo to the raft, which i,
T all miles from the mouth Of the river, but
rove the same result. The officers of the ex
able tion were, however, convinced by variol
cast ports that they heard from the few ps
= as alorG the shore. and from two prisoners y
have wrre taken at Haine's Btu1f, that there :
had 8 l3ge number cf river STEAMERS In the T
and part of the Yszoo, and also in the Suna<
the The steamship Star of the Vest wbict
but reported 8 few weeks ago to have come o
It Of the Yazoo, It Was ascertained, is lying
one above The rafe. This only coTEoborates
pro- was told me In Memphis a few days ago,
1ick- gentleman who had lately returned fro1
At Yazoo. He said that the Stsr of the
'ities WAS lying at the upper end Of the raft
|, for ! also reported the Edward j. Gay, the