Daily national Republican., 1863-07-25
U. 3. MIssIssIPPI SQUADRON, )
FLAGSHIP BI.AcK HIwu

by the Navy Department from Rear Admiral
Porter: '.'. s'nH D'~'''H' n" -
U. s. MIssIssIPPI SQUADRON, )
FLAGSHIP BLACK HAWK, -
On Vieksbnrg, July IS, 1858. 1'
cir; have the honor to inform you that the
ettpsAt'iSa etbyst ! sent int the Red River region,
ana taa Tepsas rivers, (runnlng parallel with
,h .hs IAiasssiPpl) Lieut.. Com. 6eilridge made
tne mead OF navigation, Tensas Lake and Royou
nacon, thirty miles above Vicksburg, and with
In nv nye or six milcs'of the Mississippi river.
Inc enemy were taken completely by sur.
prise, not expecting shch o force In such
quarter. The rebels that have assembled 10 that
rtgton will be Obliged to move further bsck
rom the river, IL not 60 away altogether.
iheut. Com. Selfridge divided his forces on
hnulng that the transports, which had been car
lying stores to Waik0r's army, had escaped nm
some OF the narrow streams. He sent tbe
hhinioa and Rsttler up the Little Red river. IA
small tributary Of the Black and the Forrcst
Rose and Pctrel up the Tensss. The night was
asLk ana raining very hard, and the Maintm
snd hatsisr lsuccsedsd lia' cap&urink the rebel
steamer Louisville, one of the largest and per-
maps tue best steamer noSr in Inc Western
waters. Up the Tcnsas, or Que of its tribnta.
~, the Forest Rose snd Petrol esptufed the
pun, ar hinira, loaded with stores, sugar and
rum lot the rebel army. ,sto!iIU LHs
FINDING that the steamers which had couysyo
zen! walkers army had returned upths W.
shlta, the expedition started up that river. and
came suddenly upon tWo ,fsbsl steamers, Init
the reoels set them on fire, and they were con.
suned edsonpdlySsat ths(s names could moi he
ascertaihcd: One steamer, loaded with ammu-
~ hon,i tapped the fort at Harris burg
when is very strong work, and unassai . ble
win wooden gunboats. II Is on an elevation
over l0O feet high, which elevation covers .hat
wafer batteries ofheavy guns there arc, -
Lieutenant Commander Selfridge was fortr-
nate enough, however, to hear of a larVe ouar.
IVY OF ammunition that had lately been bauled
rom NatcheE, aud deposited near T,rinitv
Sheariy due west of Natchez,) and from whence
s,tores, PROVISIONS, cattle, guns and ammunI.
uoh are transported. He captured is OO0
rounds Of Si Fnnn, smSola,bore ammunition, 1000
for guns, a rifle 30.pounder Psrl
rott gun carriage, So hGds. Of Ssn sugar. rsr 10
punsheons Of rum, bbls. -four. 80 bbIs' ss,tN
an belonging to the Confederate Govern msnt
AZ the same time ho heard of large amonn,
o. ammunition that had startdd from NateSss
Ior Trinity, and was lying, In wagons ON tbe
road half way across. He dispatched a boat
around to inform me 1t, but Geu, RANSOM
VINO had landed a few days BEFORE al Natches
Nearing Oh ~ also sent detachment of cavalry
ana captured the whole; thus walkers ARM
Is left almost without ammunition.
Inc officers and men have shown p,eat a,.
ergy on this expedition, and have. met with no
hlshaps; they procured a good deal Of infor.
'eguated. w -,,r-''s "A!lYDo
The people in the whole OF, that section ara
'ery hostile to the Government-rank rebels. III
\ pave The honor to be, ,Sc.,t,. 1900
DAVID d. PoRrER,
,o X. A. Com'd'g Miss. Squadron.
m. urQ