New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-08-14
THE VICKSBURG CAMPAIGN.
Oa1cini Report OF major-Sen. Grant.
UR,pouAHrsEs, DEPARTMENT. " Tas rENSEssys.


di,ion AZ sinsi Vicks5ugg Mississippi, to tie ieda'
ton OF tba: Place.
THE PTNINSULAR CANAL
From the moment of taking command III per-
son, became satisfied dat VckfbuTg couid oh'y DC
be turned from the south side, aud, In accordance
with tbs conviction, prosecuted me WORK on me
canal, which had been located by Brg -Gen VIII
Hams across The peniusuIs on the louisiana side Of
the river, with all vigor hoping to make channel
which would pass transports for moving the army
and carrying suppl to the base of operations
thus provided The task was much more herculean
THAI it at FIST appeared, sud was made much more
D. by the almost continuous rains that fell during the
whole of tbs time ttis work Was prosecuted. The
river, too, continued 10 rice aud make q large OK
penditure Of labor necessary to keep tne water ont
OF our camps an the canal.
Finally, on the Sth OF March, the rapid rise Of tho
river aud the consequent great pressure upon the
Gam across the canal, near the upper end, at The
main Mississippi ievee, caused II TO give wsy ana
let through the low lands back OF our canis tor
rent Of water that separated the north and soaih
shores Of the peninsula ctecually rs IT tho Ais
sissippi flowed between them. Ihis occurred wheh
the enterprise promised success within short tme
There WIS some delay in trying 10 repair damages.
1t was founi, however, that with the then stage OF
water, some other llsu would have to be adopted
for getting below VlCksourg with transports.
CAPT. +. T.. Prime, Chief EugiDetr, a1d Col. u.
G. Pride, who gcting on my siaii, proc pectt "a
route taroul the tsyOus which ruu from near Mil.
lkeu's Benz on the nOri b, aud NowCarthage on the
south throu.h Roundawsy Bayou iuIo We Teusss
River. IDeir reports ol the prsctlcAbly OF THIS
route determined me TO commence cork upon H.
Having three dretge boats at tie lime the work OF
opening tlis route executed VIA great rapidly.
One small steamer aad ia Hber OF barges were
taken through the c. snDel thus opened, but tue
river cOrrmenved about the mddle of April 10 fall
yspidly, aud tee roads becoming passabv between
1liihken's Bend and NCw-Carihage, made II I'M
practicable aud unnecessary TO oleu water oommu'
n.caioD between these points.
The LAKE PROVIDENCE AND CoLDwATER
CANALS.
Soon after commenein. The first canal spoken ~
caused channel 10 he cat from the Mississippi
River into Lake Providence; also one trOn the Misslf-
uppi River into Cold water by way OF azOo Pass.
had DO great expectations Of important results
froui the icTIner OF lhsse, but having more troops
than could tie employed TO advantage at foungs
Pon. and tnowin. In.I Lake Providence was cou-
ueclec by Bayou Baxter with Byca Macon, a ma
yieatle stream through winch transports might
pass iutO The Mississippi below, through Ien-as
Wach,ta, and .ted Rivers, though possible tbat
roue u.i II lie OF oued In iha 0i ecioa Winch would
enable ne to Cooperate Will Gen. Bake 1T Pom
Hudson.
By tie Yazoo Pass route only expected ct frs,
TO set Into tLs Yazoo by way OF Cgldwster snd
IalahaieLie with SOME lighter sunboats and few
troops aud Destroy tie eLcuys tfausPOrts IN that
stream, aud some guutoats which | knew lie Was
building. Tie Law atiOn, however, proved go
much better iban Lad teen expected toaI thcugnt
fur time OF Tue possibility VI skig this tie Ioute
for obttiuibg foOthJt0 III high land above HHinc's
Bluff, Mississippi, and snai clsts steamers were
accordingly ordered ior transporting AL army that
way. Major-Gen. j. Is. McPn. Isou, COMMANDING
Seyentes1tb Army Corps, vac oirectsd ~ boic tbs
eorpr in dissss 10 move by THIS rOutei aud one
division from each the Thirteenth ana tLteeDlh
Corps were collected near tue entrance II The pass
to be aCded 10 Ills coDmGsd. IL eVOI became eV4-
dent tina. sufficient lumber VI boats Of The nebI
class could not be obtained tor the movement Oh
more than Que division.
THE M'CLERNASD AND ROSS EIPEDlTIoSs-
GREENWOOD.
While my forces weie opening Que end OF The pass
the enemy were Ohgeutiy ciUslng The other end,
AMI in tAis wsy succeeded IN CALLING time ~
s,rcngiv fortiiy Greenwood, below the junction Of
the Tallahatciie ana iailCbasna. TIE advance Of
tne expedition, consisting Of one division OF Nc
ClernsBq's Corps from Helena, COMMANDED by Brig
soieT-Genefal L.: i. Ross, aud the l%t5 aud liza
Regiments Missouri Infantry frOui Shertuaus Corps
rs sbarpshcOters On tie guLtoAis. succeeded In
reaching Coldwster oG the % G-y Of March, after
much dI.hculty AID The pdItIai sabiing 81 mOst OF
the bOats. From the entrance into COidwaier 10
Fort Pembert0n, tt Greenw OOd bllssisslppl, 10
great difficulty OF navigation was e. pefeuced, nor
any interruption OF ma. pitGde from tho enemy.
Fort PemOerton exttnis IRON the Iallahatche 10
the YazOO al Greenwood Here tho Two r1yers
come within d few hundred yards OF each Othei.
The land around the tort Is low an0 al The time "
the attack Was entirely oVerdOwed Owing to this
fact no movement could be made by the army 10 re-
cuco 1t, but all deD,nded upon the abillty OF the
guDboais 10 silence the guns OF tie enemy and
bic the transports 10 ruu down and land t. oops i'm
nedlately tie fort iiseii. After Gn engage r0eut
OF several hours ,be Runbosts drew of Uelng uu.-
bic 20 silence tie batteries, Bnsatier-General l.
=. Quinty, commanding diviri0l Of MePheIsOn's
Corps, met tic expedition under Ross with lis d.
~islOn Oh he return lear Fort Pemberton. on the
2lsl OF March, and being the senior, assumed COM
mand Of tue entire eXteGtIOl, eud returned TO the
position Ross had occupied.
TIE EXPEDITIONS THROUGH sTEELE'S AND
BLACK BAYOU.
On the 23d day OF March l sent orders for the
Withdrawal OF ali the iOrcee operating ia that dlrec
ton, To- the purpose OF concentrating my army at
hiliikens Bend. On the 24Ib day OF March, Ad
mirai ID. ID. Porter, commanding Mississippi squad
ron, informed me that he had made d reconnOis-
sauce mp St.sles Bayou, aud partially through
Black bayou toward Deer Creek, AMI 30 far as ex-
p!Ored these water courses were reported nsvgaOls
for the smaller ifon-clsds. Information given
mostly, l beieve, By tho negroes OF The country,
was to the effect that Deer Creek could he gated
10 Rolling Fork, and that from there through The
kunhower 10 the isZOo rIver there was 10 question
about the nsgigalIOn. On the following mOinIrg
ACCOMPANIED admiral Porter IN he ram Price,
several IrOu-cads preceding Us, up through Steeee
10 near Black Bayou.
Az ills tine our forces were as deadlock at
Greenwood and 1 loJ.ed upon the soccess of this
euterpr,se az OF vast iop oftsnce IL would II sue
ees.iIl. leave Greenwood between two forces Of
ours and would NECESSARILY case the Immediate
sLaudou ment Of that STRONGHOLD
Aoou. thirty CLEANERS OF tue enemy would have
beep destroyed OF fallen INTO our hands. Seeing
thai the great obstacle % navigation 60 far as mad
gone was frou OVERLAPPING trees, l lett Admiral
Porter near Black Bayou ana puthed back TO
Yopng,s uoint Cor The purpCse OF teu0iIg forward