The New York herald., 1863-08-13

me watsr he aBd susk on ths Dsisna shore
q. ~. s s. s =: u. e: q s
Queen, Captain D. Conway, and the Silver Wsve Captain
scAilan, eespssd " velsssssrs from the army.
Upon the call for veuntsoDs fDr This dan enter
se officers and presented themselves BY hundreds,
anxious undertake the sp rhs names e those whose
services Will bs given 10 separate report.
IL . striking feature. fas my observation goes.
OF the present volunteer army Of the Unea states that
There Io.nng wn.sn %s1 . are es ,ed upon 70 & d.:
cannot be found for the duty required h almost every
regiment.
repaired by order Of Admiral Porter, who supplied
with the material fer such repairs they requiea and
who and ready afford all the assistance in
hH power the furtherace Of the arms
In very short time nve OF the transports
ming order and the remainder were IN ocndi.on 70 be
used IN the moving Of troops. Twelve barges
loaded with oraae and rations sent in tow OF the
last six boats that the boekadc q them got
through In . condition 10 be used
Owing TO the limited number OF transports below Vcks-
burg found necessary to extend hne OF land
route was necessary take increased the distance 70
about seventy miles from Miikens Bend our starting
The Thirteenth army corps being all through 70 the
Mississippi, and the Seventeenth corps w the
way much Of the Thirteenth could be got board
the front Grand GUN ON The 2oth or April tho plan
here WIS that the navy should silence tho guns Of tho
enemy and the TROOPS land under cover Of the gunboas
A. eight O'Clock A. NJ. the navy made the at
tack, and kept It up for more than five hours
N the most gallant manner. From Tug out IN
tbe stream witnessed the whole engagement. Many
times IL seemed 10 me the gunboais wore within pistol
shot o. tine enemys batteries. IL 5000 became evident
that tho guns Of the enemy elevated and thsir
fortlcations strong taken the side
Incl with ride pits besides the Geld artillery could be
m wed 70 any position where v could be made useful
IN case OF an ATTEMPT at landing. This determined me
to again the enemys batteries, turn his by
affecting binding at Rodney, or ut Bruinsburg, between
Grand Gulf and Rodney. Accordingly orders mme
dtely given for the troops 70 debark at Hard Times
immediately
below Grand Gulf. At dark the gunboats again
engaged lthe batteries, and all the transports run
by receiving but two or three shots in the PAS
sage, ard these without injury. bad some time Dre-
voasiy ordered reconnaissance 10 point opposite
Brunsburg, 70 ascertain possible from persons the
neghhorhood the character OF the road leading the
highlands back Of Bruinsburg During the night learned
Brunsburg 10 Port Gibson which determined TO land
there.
commenced At daylight in the morning the gunboats
well as transports being used for the purpose.
landed, and could draw three days ra.ions to put
IN haversacks (no wagons were allowed to
Sn 9s g all they started
OF vast importance that the highlands should be reached
The Seventeenth corps followed as rapidly as il could be
put across the river.
About two O'Clock the lst OF May the advance
enemy eight miles from Bruinsburg, the
Port Gibson He forced back as il was
dark, he not pursued far until daylight Early
morning OF the 1st went out accompanied by members
my and found McClernand with his corps engaging
the enemy about four miles from Port Gibson Al this
point the roads oranched in exactly opposite drec
enemy had taken position both branches thus
dividing he fell back the pursuing forces. The
nature Of the ground In that part OF the country
is such that very email force could retard
the progress Of much larger for many hours The
roads usually elevated ridges, with deep
and mpenerable ravines either side on the right
the divisions Of Hovey, Carr and Smith, and the
The three former SUGGESTED in driving the enemy from
position TO position back towards Port Gibson steadily all
0aterhaus did NOT however, move the enemy from the
position occupied BY him on our left until LOgan's div
sion. u McPherson's corps arrived.
McClernand who was with the right In person, sent
repeated messages before the Logan TO
send lOsan's and Qumby's divisions. OF McPhersons
had been on that as well as all other parts Of the
ned and could not how they could be used there
sons corps ogans dvison) arrived sent one brigade
to McCernand on the right and sent BRIGADE Briga
der General J. Il smith commanding, to the left TO the
BY the udcious disposition made Of this brigade under
tho Immediate supervision OF Mcpherson and Logan,
position obtained giving advantage which
drove the enemy from that part field 10 make
further stand south Of Bayou Pierre.
wounded and prisoners he repuse OF the enemy on our
left took place late In the afternoon. He pursed to-
wards Port Gibson, but plight closing and the euemy
making the appearance OF another stand troops slept
upon their arms until daylight.
In the morning IL was found that the enemy had re-
treated across Bayou PIERRE the Grand Gulf
brigade OF L0gan's division divert at
tention whilst floating bridge being built across
Bayou Pierre Immediately Port Gibson This bridge
was completed, eight miles marched by Mcr hersons
corps TO the north fork OF Bayou Perre that stream
brdsed and the advance Of this corps commenced
On the Sd the enemy pursued Hawkpson's
Ferry. with slight skirmshng all day, during which We
TOOK quite number OF prisoners mostly straggers, from
Finding tnat Grand Gulr had been evacuated. and that
the advance 81 my forces was already nteen miles
there, and the road too they have take
either Vcksburg, Jackson any inter
point on the railroad between the two places deermn
cd them back but ing small escort Of
cavalry, some fifteen twenty men, went TO the gull
myself and made the necessary arrangements for chang
ing my base Of supplies from Brunsburg Grand Cuff
In moving from Miiken's Bend the Fifteenth army
army corps Major General W I. sherman commanding
left to be the last 70 start To prevent heavy
forcemens going from vicksburg 70 the assistance the
Grand Gulf forces directed Sherman make demon
sraton Hanes' Bluff, and make all the show DOS.
sble From information since received from prisoners
captured this ruse succeeded admirably
u had been my intention, up 10 the time OF crossing
the Mississippi river, to collect all my forces at Grand
Guf and get on hand good supply sf provisions aud
ordnance stores before moving. and in the meantime TO
Port Hudson and effect junction OF forces
About this time received a letter from Gen. Banks
giving his position west Of tho Mississippi river and
ing that be could return Baton Rouge by the 10th OF
May that by the reduction Of Port Hudson he could JOIN
me with II 900 men,
learned about the same time that troops were ex
pccted jackson from the southern cities with Gen
Beauregard in command. To delay until the 0h Of My,
and for the elton OF Port Hudson after that
ccsslon OF ~ 600 would not leave me relatively 50
strong rs TO Move promptly with what had lnlorma.
iion received nom day TO day OF the of tho
enemy also mpcled me 70 the course pursued. Whilst
lying NJ ilaNknsons Ferry waiting for wagons supplies
aud SheriDan's corps which bad come forward IN the
meantime, demonstrations made, successfully, be-
heye 70 induce the enemy 10 think that and the
one by bans Ferry above were objects OF much solci
tQde To Recon- tbs west side
ot the Eig Black g. within mles uf Warreniuu ON
the IN Of May an advance was ordered Ecphersnn's
corps kgo. INK the sd Black river Rocky
slrnEs Nc crrands corps keeping the ridge road ON
willow Springs aud sherman following with his corps Ill.
vded en the two roads, All the eres closely guard.
cd until our toaps well advanced. IL my ntcn.
iion here 10 liz the Black river closely possible
with McCcrnaDd's and Sherman's corfs. and ret them
- The railroad, az some place between Edwards stat
and Bolton. Mcphegsln 70 by way Of Utica 10
Raymond. and from there into Jackson, destroying the
rairoa telegraph, public stores SC, and push wcs 20
the main Urce. orders gwen 10 Mcpherson
acc0r -ingiy sherman was moved forward on the I'd
wards station road, crossiag Fourteen Mile creek at m
sstaniation Mc1ernaud was moved the
creek further west, sending division OF bis corps by
the Btdwns Ferry roid FAR the river. At tho
crsEing of toureen Mile creek both McClcrnand and
A.. -.