, 1863-03-12

THE CANALS---YAZO0 EXPE-
DITI0N,
Especial Dispatch to tbe Chfcaro Tr,hnne I

The dredging machine has been at work for
several days. Large fatigue parties are at:
present employed On 1t.
The river is very high and still rising,
There Is prospect Of more rain. The weather
iscool, and the health Of the army has i'm.
proved within the past two weeks. The
small pox is still prevalent, and there are
good many cases Of pneumonia in camp. r
We hare no reliable news from the i1-fated
Indianola, There arc some reports which say
that the rebels are raising her, while others
affirm that she is total loss, and cannot be
rendered serviceab1e.
Col Ellct wants permission to 60 down the
river again with two rams, but Admiral Por-
ter will not grant It,
News from the Yazoo Pass is favorable, aud
IN impression prevails among our camps that
active and decisive operations will commence
in very few days.
Paymasters are here in sufficient numbers
to pay of the troops within n week. Pay
meuts will be made only to the first of No
yember.
The new iron.clad gunboat, Lafayette, has
gone up the Yazoo.
Lspecial Dispatch to tho chIcago Tribune.1 ,
cA1Ro, March II, 1se8
Tho Omitted States steamer Gen. Lyon a1.
rived here tbs evening direct from Youns'ss
Point. She brings no very startling news.
One Of her officers reports !. story Of the cap
ture Of fazoo city By our forccn, which, In
the shape of Enmor, has been curreot in
Memphis and Cairo for day or two past. Il
is perhaps correct. There are no particulars.
The Gen. Lyon brought up large quantity
Of cotton belonging to Government. Ger,
German, who has been on visit TO Bloom
ington, Ind, is en- route for Grants army,
CAIRO, March 1.-THE dispatch boat
General Lyon has arrived from Vlcks.
burg with dates to Saturday night.
On Friday night, about midnight, the gun:
bouts at the mouth Of the Yazoo river heard
what was thought to be signal guns from our
gunhoats coming down the Yazoo. The Ben
ton answered By firing two guns. Nothing
further Ind been heard from the boats up the
Yazoo when the Lyon left. If the signal was
really from the Chillicothe, as was confec-
turcd, Yazoo city has already fallen into Fed.
cral hands.
The water vas to be let into the Vicksburc
canal, on Sunday morning. There is no
doubt entertained, BY those just from there,
but that gunboats will pass through within |
a week.
The Queen Of the West had come up again |!
and anchored under the batteries. She tlies
rebel flags large enough to nearly cover her,
When she passed the mouth Of the canal she
Whistlcd defiance.
The fate Of the Indianola is still involved in
doubt.
We now have very heavy battery near the
lower mouth Of the canal.
From al1 persons coming up we are t{s-
surcd that the health Of the troops Is Improf-
ing very materially.
CoLpwATER RIVER, Mss., Masch6, i
via CAIRO, March 10, 1860.
The expedition has advanced twenty miles
since my last report.
The country Is entirely destitute of popula-
tion.
Nothing Of the slightest importance has oc-
CURED with US yet. We receive nothing in
the way Of news either from the front or rear,
we hope to reach the Tallahatchic to-mor-
row, when we shall begin to mike better pro-
gress.
The INNS Lioness and Fulton have Joined
us.
Indications are that the enemy hos filled the
river with timber, mostly sycamore, which,
sinking, only obstructs the bottom of the
cutting the Mississippi lcvce, enables boats 10
pass over these distinctions without the
slightest trouble.
THE TAZOo EXPEDITION.
CoLDwATEn R1vzE. Mlse., March H.
Via Cairo March 10.
The expedition left Moon Lake on Wednes-
day morning, reaching the end Of the Pass
and half The bouts are much broken In the |
light upper works, but not damaged in the
hull OF machinery.
The most difficult portion of the trip is
overcome, and 1t will be memorable as the
grandcst achievement Of the war. Auy one
who had seen the Pass before the expedition
entered would never have supposed that q
fleet Of steamers could possibly pass through
1t. Soldiers and seamen were occupied at
every turn, cutting down trees, clearing away
the channel water very deep. With swift
current and q course terribly crooked, there
vas liability Of boats being dashed to pieces
against trees at every turn, but all is NOW safe
We move forward again Tomorrow morn
ing. 4 battery Is reported at the mouth Of
the Co1dwater, twelve miles from here
Everybody is anxious to see it.
The health of the expedition is excellent
All are in fine spirits and confident.
We get all manner Of reports OF rebel pre-
parations to receive us, but ihey are only the /
cause Of laughter.
Lieut.. Brown, Of the Forest Rose, arrested /
while lying at Helena, has been reinstated by
order Of the Admiral. The charges AGAINST |
him were frivolous. He produced written |
orders for all the transactions upon which his |
arrest was based.
The weather is very fine in this latitude |
The sun shines rather too warm during the |
day. The water thus fur Is good, and we an
ticipate but little trouble on this account. As /
the country Is oyerfoWed with recent rains, 1t |
will not become stagnant for some weeks Jet. |
Lieut.. Commander Smith aud Gen. Ross are |
making Arrangements to keep communication |
open with the rear, Smith promises to patrol |
the streams with gunboats as high up as the |
pass and as low down as We 60, If the army |
Will furnish transports to run between us and. |
Helena. The arrangement will probably be |
made.
FROM MEMPHIS.
Especial Dispatch to the Chicago Tribuue.1
MExruIs March g. |