, 1863-08-15

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Cd It to give way and let through the lowlan
haek Ut our camps torrent Of water that Sc
arated the north and south shores of the I
n1nsula as edcctual1y as If the Mississippi 10
cd between them. This occurred when t
enterprise promised success within she
time. There was some de1ay-in trying to l
p9lr damages. It was found, however, th
would have to be adopted for getting beio
Vicksburg with transports.
Capta1n !: =. Prime, Chief Engineer, at
Colonel q. G. Fride, who was acting on. Il
staff, prospected route through the baYo,
which run from near Milliken's Bend on Il
north, and New Carthage on the soul
through RoundawnJ Bayou into the Tans;
River. Their report oft practicability ,
this ronte determined me to commence woi
upon i. Having three dfcdge boats ut Il
time, the work Of opening this route was e.
ecuted with great sapidity. One s1na
steamer and number of ba1ges we're take
through the channel thus opened, but II
TO fall rapidly, and the roads becoming mass
bic between Milliken's Bend and New ca
thage, made 1t impracticab1e and uunecess II
/ TO open wafer communication between the;
points.
TIE LAKE. rRoy1DESoE IND coLDwATER c.
| NALs.'
soon after commencing the frat can.
spoken Of caused channel to be cut ffo1
the Aisstsstppl River into Lake Providence
also one from the Mississippi Riyer fnto CoIf
water By way Of Yazoo Pass.
had no great expectations of fmportau
results from The former Of these, but hayin
more troops than could DO employed to Id
vantage at Young'e Point, and knowing tia
Lake Providence was connected By B1Yo
baxter with Bayou Macon, q nayigabfe streau
through which transports might pass INTO Ii,
Mieeissirpi below, through TaDsas. Yachts Is
and Red rivers, thought 1t possible that
ronte might be opened in Tint llrectio1
which Wou1d enable me to co.operafe yrfti
Gen. Banks at Port Hudson.
~ the 4azoo Pass route only expected d
nist to get Into the Yazoo BY way Of Cold va
gunboats and few troops aud dcesroy til,
I enetny's transports In that stream aud som,
gnnboata Which IL knew he was buildino
me navigation. however, proved so mucli
| better than had been expected, TINT though
for time Of The possibility Of making III:
re route Tor obtaining foothold on tht
nigh land above Haines' Bluff, Mississippi
and small class steamers were accordInel,
ordered for TRANSPORTING an army that war
Major Generals. B. MCPHERSON, commandinl
litA army corps, was directed to hold hi;
/ corps IN readiness to move by this route; upi
one division from each, the 18Th and 1911
corps were collected near the entrance Of til:
pass, to be added to his command. Il soor
oecaHe evident that q sufficient number oj
boats Of the right class could not bo obtainctj
1of 1he movement Of more than one division,
TIE M'C1ERSAND AND ROSS EXPEDITIONS
GREENWOOD.
While my forces were opening one emf, 81
. the fass the enemy wero diligently closing
the other end, and in this WnY succeeded h
ga31lDg time to strongly foEtify Greenwood,
fnllobusha. The advance Of the expedition.
consisting Of one division Of :McCicroaud's
corps from Helena, commanded by Brig. Gen
L: +. Ross, and the 18th and 17th reg}ments
Missouri try, from Sherman's CORPS as
snalRshoote;s On The gnnboats. succeeoed in
after much difficulty, aud the partial dfs..
aoling Of most Of the beats. From The en-.
tra1ee into ColdWater to Fort Pemberton. nj
Greenwood, Mississippi, no difIIcnltv Of nar,. i.
gat1on Was experienced nor any fnterruption
ct magnitude from, the enemy. Fnrt
Pemberton extends from the Tallahatchic
two rivers come within a few hundred
yards OF each other. The land around the
fort ID low, and at tho time Of the attack VIA
entirely orcrfowed. Owing to this fact no
movement could be nade BY the army to re-
duce 1t, but all depended upon the ability Of
the gunboats TO silence the guns Of the enc.
ny. and enable the transports to run down
after On engagement Of several hours tile gun,
ooats drew OF, being unable to silence the
batteries. Bfigadier General j. r. Oufmbv
commanding division Of cPherson'a q corns'
met The expedition under Ross with his diris.
ION on It's return, near Fort Pembertoh1. on
ne s!st Of March, and, being the senior, as
sumed command Of the entire exuedifion.
and returned to tho position Ross had occn.
pied. 1-''>N 0s.u'
1AE EXPEDITIONS THROUGH sTEELE's AND,
BLAcK DAIous.
j.. IN the I'D day OF March sent orders for
thet the WntndFnw Of AL the forces operating in
Ing my army at Milliken'a Bend. On tha s4tt
day ef March, Admiral D. D. Porter, com
mandlDg the Mississippi squadron. fr,farmad
ne that be had made Reconnaissance m
S1eelo's Bayou, and partially through BIacE
Bayou toward Deer Creek, and so far as e.
paoIea 1heee Fater courses we're reported
tion, given mostly, believe, By The % nerroes @
of he country, was to tho effect that Deer
creek was navfgable to Rolling Fork -and
!9at from there through the Sunfower to thu
fazoo River there was no question about thc
On the following morning &C.
eompanied Admiral Porter In the ram Pfice, /
seTeral Iron. clads preceding us, 10 throuph
steele,s Bayou to near Black Bayou.
At this time our forces were 1T dead.1ac1-
y II GleenWood, and looked upon the success
II this enterprise as of yast fmportance T.
would, # successful, leave Greenwood he.
'Meen tWo forces Of ours. and would necessa- /
" cause the Immediate abandonment Of that
About thirty steamers Of the enemv: wou1d |
saye been destroyed Or fallen into our hands. |
'ee1Dg that the great obstacle to NAVIGATION.
o 1ar 4s had gone. was from oYerbRnglnr /
rees, l lett Admiral Porter near Black BsToH
nd pushed back to Young's Point for the
tSeRe 1oiWasd pioneer corps
etatn to foungs Point, Admiral Porter sent
7 ack 70 me for cooperating military force
herman Was promptly sent with ono dlvi.
ion OF his corps. The number Of steamers
aitab1e ai.st tor the navigation Of these bayous
he Mississippi River to Eagles Bend: noInt
mere LIE river runs within one mife Of
teele's Bayou, thus saving m important mart
+ this difficult navigation. The expedition
1led, probably more from want oil knowi-
age as 70 what would be required to open
II Us = roaIe taan from any impractfcability in
10 navigation OF the streams and bayous
,rough. which it was proposed to nas...
FAINT Of this know1ed &C led the expedition |
d until difficulties were encounferei and
len 1t would DO necessary to send back to
oung'sm - Point for the means Of removing
lem. Ihs gave the enemy time to move
rces @ TO eaeStuauy a c6ts,cknate ~: further pro.
hen within few hundred Yards Of free and
3cn navigation to the Yazoo. All this nav
i've been providential in driving MS n1timase.
to line Of operations which has proven
ninentlJ successful For further particulars
the Stce1es Bayou expedition see rcport
Major General y. F. Sherman. forwarded
the 18th Of april. As soon as decide to ,
ven water communication from polnt on
= Mississippi near Milliken's Bend tn Nav )
lrthage, ! determined to occupy tina latter !
ace, 1t being the first point below Vickshurer
at could be reached By land at the STAGE 81 =
ater then existing, and the occupancy Of :
htch, while It secured to us point on tha | a
|stlsslppi River, would also protect the | !
hin line Of communication bv wnter. Ac. :
riding, the 18th army CORDS, Major Ceneral
A. McCiernand commanding. was directad
take up its line Of march, on the a0th div
March, for New Carthage, this 18th md +
h corps to follow, moving no faster than !
pplies and ammunition co1ld be transuort- =
to them.
rhe roads, though level, we're tuto.erab1v / q
4, and the movement was therefore neces. n
.ily GLOW: Arriving at Smiths Plantation, e
0 miles from New Carthage, it was found | {
it the leyee Of Bayou Vidal was broken in | t
7era1 places, thus leaving New Carthage an
md. +
RUNNING THE BrrEnIEs. =
Ill the boats that could be were collected | I
N the different bayous In the vicinity, and | II
lers we're 6nilt, but the transportation of 3
army IN this: way. was found exceedingly i,
aFous. Another route had to be found. q
und Vidal to Perkins Plantation, ais. II
ce of twelve miles OF more, making the .,
n1p 7fstsnrH tn ha marrhad {ro,,, Hf7J1{7-onl- r,