The Portland daily press., 1863-04-03

ed the safe arrival of formidable Union feet
at point near the confluence Of the Coldwa-
ter and Tallahatchie rivers. Our telegraphic
dispatches have given notice of its progress
and check on the Tallahatchie; it is now time
to resume a chronological account of the
moeement.
On the 9Th March the feet was within five
miles of the mouth of the Coldwater. The
navigation of the lower part Of this river and
Of the first thirty miles Of the Tallahatchie
was very good. On the 9th March, Friday,
the steamers foated rapidly down the stream
between high banks lined with peaceful plan
tatons in full agricultural activity. No guer-
rillas appeared. The wilderness was behind :
and the wilderness was also before, for sud-
denly the Tallahatchie changes its character,
and for more than forty miles winds, tortuous
and narrow, through an unbroken forest.
Such was the difficulty Of forcing passage
through the overhanging trees and past the
sharp bends, that more than two days were
consumed in advancing twenty miles. The
whole distance from the mouth of the Cold
water to the confluence of the Tallahatche
and Yallobusha, which unite to form the Va
zoo, is $50 miles.
On Tuesday, 10th March, the fleet emerged
from the wilderness about half way down the
Tallahatchie, and pushed on down the once
more easily navigable river. Signs of cultiva-
ton again became visible on either hand, and
this time signs of the enemy. On almost eve
ry plantation appeared smoldering heap Of
smoking cotton. A heavy rain fell all day
long, swelling the little stream. which began
to overflow its banks at every low spot. Three
steamers, protected by hostile gunboat, were
discovered, and in the afternoon one of them
was chased ashore. She was fired by her
crew, and completely destroyed.
Wednesday morning the expedition reached
the point at which it has since remained, six
miles from the head of the Yazoo. The
course of the river may be represented by the
letter P. The Tallahatchie makes long bend
to the eastward and joining the Yallobusha
flows westward again as the Yazoo, and re-
sumes its southerly course. Greenwood is on
the bend, about four miles down the Yazoo.
Fort Greenwood occupies the neck of the Pc
ninsula, which is rather less than mile across.
The upper part of the vertical line in the let
ter p represents the position of the works.
They consist of single line of breastworks,
facing westerly, and fanked on the right by
battery fronting the river. A raft of timber
serves to blockade the river, and deep slough
extending across the neck in front of the
breastworks answers for ditch. The works
are composed of seven tiers of cotton bales,
covered with eight feet of earth, ard mount
five guns, including one rifed sixty-four
FOUNDER. 1t is supposed that General Lor-
ing, in command, who by the way formerly dis
tinguished himself at Chapultepec, has also
full field battery.
Reconnaissance were Immediately ordered
by land and water. The land approach was
found to be through an almost impenetrable
cane brake and dense forest stretching far
back into the country. The river was found
to be so narrow, as TO render it impossible to
bring many gunboats into action together.
The Chilicothe was ordered TO engage the fort
In the afternoon, and lost shutter from one
of her ports by singular chance, returning
otherwise uninjured. A shell from the fort
struck her half open port, unsbipping one OF
her shutters, just as shell had been placed in
the muzzle of the gun inside, and exploded on
and together with the Chilicothe's SHE'LL kill
ing three and wounding eleven OF her men.
Wednesday night battery was erected in
the edge of the timber west Of the slough,
within quarter of mile of the Notifications.
Thursday passed in waiting for the mortar
boats and covering the Chilcothe and De
Kalb with cotton bales. Thursday night the
land battery was enlarged so as to mount two
PARROT rifles, landed from the gunboats which
were not TO go into action. The battery had
been concealed during the day with cover
ing Of brush.
The combined attack commenced on Fri
day, 18th March, just three weeks ago, at
half past ten on as beautiful morning as we
shall see here in June. For an hour and a
half the two guns on shore, the mortar, and
the two gunboats rained storm Of fire upon
the hostile works. The enemy's fire slack
ened and ceased. An infantry charge would
have carried the work; but it was impossible
TO get at them with infantry. The Chilicothe
had spent her ammunition and withdrew. She
had lost only two men. For three hours long
er the De Kalb kept up her fire a. intervals of
twenty minutes, with no reply. But they did
not surrender. There stood the fort, to all
appearance strong as ever; and so ended
Friday. 1t was the day ON which the move
ment from Baton Rouge towards Port Hud-
son commenced.
A few shots were exchanged on Saturday.
Both parties had suffered considerable dam
age; neither cared to press an indecisive con-
test Saturday night the land battery was
strengthened with a nine-inch Dahgren, land
ed from the DeKalb, with the purpose of re-
newing the cannonade Monday. About the
same time, 1t is reported, the enemy received
ten-inch columbiad from below. When
Monday came however, the Union command
ers had resolved to act on the defensive and
await reinforcements. Gen. Ross, command
ing the land forces, made a reconnaissance of
the country on both sides of the Tallahatchie,
seeking ground suitable for infantry maneu-
vers. After proceeding forty miles up the
river, he was obliged to abandon the idea. The
whole region is a marshy jungle. His steam
er was fired into by guerrillss, who began to
be quite troublesome on the river above Fort
Greenwood. Rumors were prevailing that