, 1863-08-15

I'LL a4lu1t4 IoILera q gnnboat neet. On tn
night Of the 10th Of April Admiral Porter;
deet and the transports Silver Wave. Fore,
Qneen, and Henry Clay, ran the Yiekshurt
batteries: The boilers Of the transports wcrj
9 plotecteg as well as possible with hay ant
q eot1on.' t More or less commissary stores wers
! struck more Or less frequently while passiue
t me enemy,s batteries, and the Henry CLAW
! " the explosion of shell or by other means
vas set on fire and entirely consumed. The
geaer IHo ooass Fere somewhat injured, but
: either WIS Killed. -
As these boats succeeded In getting by SO
: ,r VEL, ordered si1 more to be prepared in
IKE manner fos running the batteries. These
man; Empire CITY, Horizonia and Moderate stor.
: ieit Mllikens Bend on the night Of the ed
o1 april, and five of them got By, but in a
somewhat Damaged condition. Tie Ticress
1Tscelsed 1,;a @ shot IN her bull below the water
nter passing the last Of the batteries. The
crews Of these steamers, With tho exception
Of ne Forrest Queen, Capt. D. Conway, and
posed s of yoi9ntecap Taxd eapt Me4dtan were
me cau for volunteers for this dangerous en-.
terp1,se officers and men presented them
fei1es ei1 M b hundreds, anxious 70 undertake the
separate. report. It u Is g1seh stff|<t,a II =
,eatuEc, go far as my obseryatlon
Erea - LIZ present. volunteer army Of the
United States that there is nothing which
men are called upon to do, mechanical or
professional, that accomplished adopts cannot
ery regiment.
BoAnARDs1EST OF GRAND GULF.
The transports injured in funn.oe tho
blockade we're repaired BY order Of Admiral
1or snca repairs as they required, and who
"as and Is ever ready to afford all the assIs-
lance In bis power for the futherance Of the
s9ceets OF our arms. In q very short time lye
~ o. the Transports we're in running order, aud
the remainder were in q condition to be used
as hafges IN the moving Of troops. Twelve
oafecs loaded With forage and rations were
sent In tow Of the last six boats that run the
blockade; one half Of them got through In
e5as eondltion ~ 70 be used. Owing to the limited
Has ioond necessary to extend our line Of
1ahd Travel to Hard Times, Louisiana, which,
by the circuitous route it WIS necessary to
taKe, 12crcased the distance to about seventy
nue.! ml!es rem T ~ M1lltken's Bend. our starting
point The 18th army corps being all througR
to ne Mississippi, and the 7th army corps
well on the way, 40 much Of tho 18Th a. cou5i
be got on board the transports and barecs
Tere PIT % aboard and moved to the front Of
Hla1o Sasa Gulf. & on TIE 2oth Of April The plan
guns Of the enemy, ana the troops land under |
cover Or the, gunboats and carry the place |
ny rs storm. Pm Al o'clock q: m. the navy
made the attack, and kept it up for more |
Manner n'' F9om 4o1s n as the most asf galfP, r.
| stream Witnessed the whole engagement.
Many times It seemed to me- the glnboats |
| Te1e within pistol shot Of the batteries. It |
soon become EVIDENT that the guns Of the cn.
too strong to be taken from the Hater aido.
The whole range Of hills on that side warr |
kno#n to be lined With rifle pits, besides the |
dsld artillery con!d be moved to any position
Where It co1ld be made useful IN case Of IN
sEa1n run the encmg'g battcEiea- turn 1ispo<
e1tton 81 e1tctiog Atdfng at Rodney, or at |
9ruinshurg, between Grand Gulf and Rodney.
accordingly orders were Immediately given
iaiana, and march Ecross to the point immc-
diately below GRIND: Gulf. At dark the Eun.
boats again engaged tho batteries, and eli the
EfanEporis ran by, receiving but two or three
9hots IN the passage, and these without injury.
I bad some time previously ordered q recon.
noissance to point opposite Bruinsburg to
asceftMn, Il possible, from persons In the
ne1shborhooa, the character Of the road lead
1ng to the highlands back Of Bruinsbnrg,
Duling the night learned from negro that
mere was good road from Bculnsburr to |
there. '
LABAAhAT1oS OF TIE ARMY Foh nEUINsSURG. |
The work Of ferrying The troops to Bruins
pnTE Tas commenced at daylight in the NOR
ning, lne gurboats rs NEIL as transports being
usea lor me purpose As soon rs the 18th
9fEy eprps was landed, and could draw three
days rat1ons to put in layersacks, {no wagons
Tfre allowed to cross until the troops were
2H oVer,) they we9e started on tha road to
Fort Gibson. I deemed 1t a mattsr OF vast
reached without resistaneo. The I7ta coros
tea 1eaoKed rs rapidly ss 1t could bc put across
FORT GIBSON. -:
At = O'Clock, on the LIST OF May, the advance
OF tie enemy was met eight miles from Bruins-
burg, on the road to Port Gibson. He was
1oTcea Gof rsa to m back hut as i w dark he Was
nor pnrsusd M u ias nat daylight EARLY On the
~ members of my staff, and found McCIef-
nand With his corps engaging the enemy abont
if iouf mules from Port Gibson. AT this point |
ihe roads branched in exactly opposite direc-
enn eions' o9sh, a, however, leaaing to Port Glib
on, on 10th branches, thus dividing as he
!en !e oack tho pursuing forces. The nature of ]
!ne ground in that part of the country
= = soch thes q very small force could retard
u lae progress @ OF much larger one for many !
Grated ridges, with deep and impenetrable "a.
ylnes on either side. On tile right were the !
1ls1slens t4 o1 HoVey, Carr, and Smith, md Oh {
.ne !slt tne division Of Osterhaus, Of McCler. 7
dririnr W * ps ~ lesee former succeeded In
hacl. 7o~ora pnrt 1vht pos!tlon 20 posltaon
Osferbnns i1id nnt howaSer 1uson stsaolly ~ day.
IRON tho no.ition oncnnisS ~ WHta %1 aae enemy
until tognn's division Of McPherson's coros
alr1Yed: y McClernsnd, who was with the right !
fnre thc n,r;vai nS @ u nessase9 TO nc be.
Nnirnh-,a % t;nss; VI Losa1 70 SEND Logan aud
Nm ''404"ns VI ''AsIaesson'6 corps to =
T had hee,, M +,,at =. nn, =,
Of tie ed md ,; con1d n"t ~ aee ~ hn m o5nes parts
.n ,eo,, asea dne'e 70 ad7antagc. However, a5 g
= 'yon As tae aa!ance Of Mc Phcrson's corps b
.Losan.s dlFfs1on} arrived, sent one brigade q
@ MeClerEand on tho right. aud sent one n
brigade, br'gadler% General ]. E. Smith COM II
handing, to the left, to tue assistance OF o. II
erhaas. Y
GRAND eU1F. ii
Bv the fudfc,one d,enoa,+1o, ,,,5o .e x,,. q
,riga1e Hndar tha ;1n,,od;atn maae q tnis d.
IfcPhersnn en1 + ot-an as,.a eaupe1sis4ou o1 b
Ibtainad o;Tinr ns ~ oapsa posss.oa VIZ soon Ia
|roye fho snnn3 e. rom ~ IT, Ky soon te
ake no fuTtheT stenJ tus ann+ q Inc 4ela TO Il
oss n E;iaG Ta [nH3 nerS Ispulsea Witn heavy to
ennlsa IT tIc anan,r ~, n,,+ ts Ing OF
r. in tha % at+esHnoy " 9ar ls.S Iook pace th
7ar,i pa c;hsan ~ i.a. d "19 1'ulsuea 20. St
hn enemx naI ~, ~ ~ nns elosing ~ and Of
tond IL +-nane efant ".. Maui u AaosnGr nd
ayliphf n t3,a rnopnin tmsd % ars 9aIi VI
hs e5on.v ~ sotraet.d IL Was loun9 tnat 10
= * eanS .aa Istea GaIs across Bayou Perrie, III
oran;a dirision nau -. toa4. aaa brigade OF en-
m 1vh,fs+ faa+;a seas ~ ulslae nus alten. TO
crn.s 49,, oaSns BILE ofiose Was DelnS built Of
thson TTa Th;a h,idn H. IN lnmeaalely At foFt to-
,jles n,,rchc5 10 Hephs rs c1npletea, elght di1
orth fnrI- ~ Ra1,e. 1G1aona G4rPs 70 tae 10,
rtdged, and the ADVANCE of tl'Is corns com. TO:
.,a; Passlns oFer y NJ o O'Clock the fol- to