The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-10-08
Washington, Oct. z.

- Ae-iefttMfHb fopurt Hds pcen loE-
warded to the headquarters of the army:
HEADQUARTERS, DEPT or THE GuLF,
New Orleans, Sept. "a
To Mag. Gen. Butler. Commanding
Department Of the Gulf-Pursuant to
your orders of the 18th inst, ! embarked
on the afternoon Of that day, on board the
steamer Ceres, at Lakeport, with three
companies Of the 18th Missouri volun-
teers, commanded respectively by Capts.
Thornton, Harrington and Winter, and
one company, Capt. Pickering, of the
10th Massachusetts regiment. Had pre-
viously sent 100 men Of the 18th Conn.
on board the gun boat New London,
whose commander, Capt. Read, had kind
ly consented to cooperate with me. The
object was to surprise the village of Pom
chatoula, the headquarters of the rebel
General. JEFF Thompson, 40 miles north
of the city, on the line of the jackson
railroad. To that end the New London
was to land her men at Manchao bridge,
whence, at daybreak, next morning, they
we're to drive the enemy that might be
found there, northwards to Pontcheloula,
while the remainder of the force, having
found the way fifteen miIvs up the Tan
jipaboa, in the night, were to land and
march six miles westward and capture
Pontchetoula in season to secure those of
the enemy that had been driven up from
Pass Manchac. The attempt to surprise
them, failed. Not only was the New
London unable to get over the bar at Man
chac Pass in the darkness but the
Ceres, too large for the easy navigation of
the narrow. winding Tangipaboa, failed in
each of the succeeding two nights to breach
her destination Oh that river, in season
to admit of our reaching Pontchatoua
before daylight. | resolved, therefore,
to 60 with that steamer to .Manchac
bridge, and did SO on the morning of the
18th. From that point. Capt Winter
was sent, with his company, southwark,
ty make the destruction of the railroad
on the Manehac, complete, which du-
I'd ne thoroughly performed. Capt. Pick
ering's company was left to guard the
steamer and the companies of Capts.
Thornton and Harrington began forced
march of ten miles upon Pontchatoula.-
A locomotive. one mile below the village.
gave notice of our approach. which could
not be concealed, and ran northward Civ
ing the alarm to the village and thence to
camp Moore for reinforcements.
We met on entering Pontchetula a
charge of canister At 79 yards from light
battery. in charging which Capt. Thorn
ton fell severely wounded his company
then under Lieut.. Hight reinforced Capt.
Harrington'a platoon on the enemy's
right. while Lieut.. Coon, with the ed
platoon Of that company, took position
under partial cover of the left of the enc.
my's lines. From these positions our men
poured in 80 deliberate and destructive a
fire that the enemy was driven away from
the field. The artillery galloped away,
followed BY the infantry on road through
the forest on north westerly direction.
We then set Ere to trim of upwards of
twenty cars. laden with cotton, molasses,
sugar, &C.. and took the papers from the
post and telegraph Offices, destroying the
apparatus in the latter. and JEFF. Thomp-
sons sword, spurs, bride, &c, from his
quarters in the hotel. The sword was
presented to him by the so-called Mem
v,hsc pafr,ofu