Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-04-04

AlItA-H. NN-A eA" HAAAA- t ali AANEA8 AHAOAHu Z
which We have bad occasion to move an army.
Fort Greenwood can yet, and viii be, taken.
That is not he tTonble. It is the loss Of time
that constitutes the failure. YazOo City Is be-
ing strengthened all Tho while, and, If we finally
succeed in passing that place, we shall End
formidable batteries at Dnmgood's bluff, bear.
ing upon the river. Yazoo City would have
been no impeachment to us q few weeks ego, and
the guns on Drumgo0d's bluff had no range up
Yszoo river.
WHO r NOT RESPONSIBLE.
But I a weary commenting on these inglori
eus results. / suppose somebody is to blame.
I can Assert most honestly and firmly that
drawer men and Huer patriots never existed
than those who were placed al the head Of this
movement. Their rscord is such that their repu-
tations need not suffer because Of this failure, in
responsibilities Of which, at most, they were
but participants,
ANOTHER FIGHT AND ANOTHER FAILURE.
Since my last communication we have made
but q single effort at the enemy, and that, like
its predecessors, resulted in nothing. On Mon
day last, a. noon, the bombsrdment was resumed.
The punboats ChiIic0the aud DtKalh. with one
mortar boat. were brought into action. assisted
by battery Wilson, which, at that time, had
been enlarged and extended so as to carry three
puns-two thirty FOUNDER Parrot guns, and an
eight inch Dshlgren. The frst casualty At this
battery, and, indeed, the first that has occurred
on land, was met with in this action. A.smal
proieetile, nom some of the ensmy's guns,
passed through one cotton balo and between two
others, aud finally tore of the right arm Of pri-
waite Wright Neil, Of company d, 40th Indiana
infantry, who was at work on one Of the guns
in the battery.
THE CHILLIcsTHE.
As on former occasions the Chillieothe was
the main target Of the enemy. They never
have paid much attention 10 any other boat
She took her old position, about eight hundred
yards from the rebel works, at the point where
the fort first comes into view. Her commander
begged hard to be permitted to 60 down the
river, but was refused. His action lasted about
twenty minutes, during which time only four
teen shots were fred at the Chillicothe, eight Of
which, however, hit her full in the face. The
effect Of this severe pounding was the cause Of
the speedy termination of the engagement.
Both her bow portfolios were closed up. These
portfolios are covered With ponderous iron shut
tiers that are drawn together when the gun is
drawn in for loading. The enemy's heavy mis-
sis, falling upon these when closed, had so in
dented and jammed the shutters that they could
NOT be slid open. The vessel was. therefore,
temporarily disabled, and had to be Withdrawn.
Two men were wounded on the ChinicOthe in
this action.
Il REBELS HAVE AN ADVANTAGE
At this stage in the operations we began to
receive tangible evidence that the enemy could
reinforce more rapidly than we. His battery
he'd been increased by the sddition 0fagHns Of
greater cslibre, reaching to I0=inch cOlnmbisds;
his magazines had bsen beautifully replsnished
and MS garrison was receiving aceessions daily.
We, on the coatrary, were very distAntlY re-
moved from cur base Of operations, which vas
accessible only with difficulty; cur ammunition
ruop ro,idlv ruuninp out. no cinfaraomanta- an
peared in sight our rear WAS strongly threat
ened, and Our general position a very desperate
and almost hopeless enc To engage those bat
teres again promised not even 50 good success
as we hsd previously met with, while, if We
should be again repulsed, our situation would
be such that We could not even fall bsek and
act on the defensive. 1t was, therefore, deter
mined to make no further direct effort at present
to disl0dge the enemy.
GRAvE QUESTION.
Ga the adoption Of this decision grave cues.
lions arose as to the course we should pursue.
/ Should we sit down where we were and wait
events, or ought We to withdraw entirely from
/ the river9 The latter alternative seemed the
more wise aud prudent, and was adopted after
D mature deliberati0n. Immediately preparations
2 for the withdrawal were set on foot. Battery
Wilson was dismantleds and its guns returned
2 to the boats to which they belonged. Orders
e were issued for the direction Of the feet on its
e return voyage. Everything was in readiness
5 for the withdrawal, which was to have been
r consummated on Thursday morning, when, late
2 on Wednesday night, the programme was sud.
D denly chsngeda Why withdraw We mus
take Fort Greenwood sooner or later. The force
is at hand now that is able to take it. The only
= trouble is, this land force cannot move, owing
II the overflow Of the land between them and
the rebel works Now, it IS very plain that, j
4 we cant get at the enemy, neither can the en-.
envy get at as. They msy make the attempt by
. boars-the only practical way; but we have
/, every advantage Of them there, having full con
fdence that our fine feet Of guEboats is more
than a match for any temporary war vessel.
they may fit up. We are safe from attack a
Shell mound plsce-the locality of our camp
and it is better to remain there.
ANOTHER SCHEME TO DIsLODGE ENEMY
An additional objection to withdrawal wa.
I urged in the feasibility Of another attempt t
dislodge the enemy, that had been suggested BIZ
+ Lieut.. Col. Wilson, enginssr-in-chief and which
had been adopted. It was apparent that The
> enemy was posted on very low ground. Some
0 portions Of his works were already submerged
by the overflow. # The river could be raised
! three feet. be would be completely drowned cut
g When the YaEoo pass was first opened, the
2 great Mississippi levee was cut only sufficient &
admit Of the passage Of a steamboat. The fall @
water through the pass is from eight 10 ten feet
7 The rush Of water through the little gap in the
I levea is immense. 4 hundred fold greater vol
! ume Of water could be turned through tha'
ehaua5i If it could b5g5mistsd lieut.. gl vii
Z sons proposition was 20 tear this leyes away
> for q great distance mile II uecessary-anC
{ give the water free passage through into
the valley of the Tallahstehie and Yazoo, ex
= peeting thereby 70 cause such a food in those
= valleys that the bottom lands would be entirely
oveTh0wed Gen. Ross transmitted the sng-
gestion, with his approval, immediately to Gen,
Pfeutiss, at this place. Gsn. Prentiss e. onea
! ordered the work to be done, and a large force
{ of soldiers are now at work destroying the
. leVee. The project abOunds with promise q
: favorable results. But, of necessity, the re
suits, if atsainsble, viii be Of slow development
I It is somewhat more than two hundred anC
Z City miles from the head Of the pass to For
? Greenwood The water that viii be les int,
the pass must spread out and cover the wild
. bottoms Of all the valley down to Greenwood
before its effect viii be noticeable at that place
And even then it is questionable if g raise o
IS eight, or even ten feet in the pass will cause
n raise of three feet as far down as Greenwood
re But the objects to be gained will justify tn
it trial.
A POINT THAT CAN BE GAINED.
Even should the fort not be inundated through
this attempt, other advantages will b. gainei
that viii more than compensate Us for the sigh
y labor the cutting Of the levse will cost as. Til,
e valley above the rebel fort. which is now ouly
PARTLY overaowed, viii be so completely inun
er dated that g%uerillas viii 6ud no dry land nea
the channel bank from which 10 FIRE upon on
passing vessels, as they have been doing with
y out mercy ever since we passed down tue river
II They viii, at least, be suppressed.
N ANOTHER ON THAI BE GAINED.
Is Other plans of the enemy, designed to accom-
Z plish our capture, OF at least to give us very ser
! Gus annoyance, viii be thWarted.by this meanl
ID TabsIs eontsnnIssa nisnti5g a baagg sass -
the confluence Of the Little Tallahaiehie rive
with the C~oldWater, one hundred and sixt
t. miles above Greenwood. General Tilghman
n reported to be already in motion, With a force {
Is three thousand men, to seize, occupy aud FORTH
of this point. When the water is ffeelv admitfe