The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-04-17
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The Yazoo Pass Expedition.

-G Nv Roam STEAMBOAT PRINGLE, (.
R1yrR Coi,pwATER, Miss, March ~, 1861
To the Editor Of tbs Pioneer:
Saturday last the 18th inst, was most
charming day, and auspiciously the genial
warmth of Spring came borne upon the
breeze, lessening the ominous appear
ance of matters as they appeared to us,
upon the eve of our perilous Journey Our
inclinations for the trip needed strength
ening indeed. For the fourteen previous
days we had been on board the steamer
almost, mninterruptedly, engaged in the
obviously useful employment of sailing up
and down the Mississippi. Leaving Mem
phis the third day after embarkation, we
started down stream, never hating until
we were within 100 miles of Vicksburg,
disembarked, put up tents, remained two
days, re-embarked and started up stream.
Three days more tedious travel and we
were put ashore just below Helena, for the
second time we disembarked, and for the
second time we pitched tents. Two days
on shore, small steamers came down to us
and we went on board again. This time,
thank Heaven, We knew our destination.
Safely quartered upon the stern wheel
steamer Pringle, the invincible Fourth +"
we're bound down "Yazoo Pass" What
we went so far down stream for the Lord
only knows. The peculiar strategic OBJ
ject in view might have been intended
to bring about the due confusion Of the
enemy, but / am afraid the attempt re-
bounded upon the heads of the workers,
and tended seriously to the tightening of
the United States Treasury pocket. The
use of every steamer employed in trans
porting troops alone, costs $3.50 90 per
day, Government supplying coal, firewood,
&c, &c.
At ten O'Clock Saturday morning we
started fer the entrance of Yazoo Pass.
This trip promised us plenty of excite
ment, and new danger, for life and for
limb, awaited u.s. In half an hour we
entered the Pass. Never, perhaps, in the
annals Of warfare, was so gigantic and
perilous an enterprise proposed and de-
monstrated. This apparent impracticabli-
ity rendered practicable deserves that its
accomplishment should in every way be
covered with success.
Before the destruction of the high en-
bankment which shuts off the Mississippi
from encroaching upon the low land, there
existed the bed of a river, totally dry,
which wound round through the woods
and bottoms of the Mississippi shore, and
in an easterly direction until it reached the
Coldwater, eighteen miles from its COM
mencement, nearly opposite St. Helena.
By the destruction Of the embsnkment
before mentioned, the river rushed in, and
its waters net only filled the river bed, but
overf1owed the whole bottom land for
miles on either side. The prospect to look
upon in point of navigation was not IA
vorable, still others had gone through be-
could be accomplished.
Our little steamer, slowly and steadily,
guided by skillful pilot, entered the laby-
rinth of trees and water. A narrow, SER
pentine course, indistinctly marked by its
rapid current and partial freedom from
drift wood, must be followed through all
its windings and contortions, slowly, trem-
nlouSly, and with no greater speed than that
of its own current, seven miles of the most
intol cradle travel, three hours of putting
and blowing, smashing and cracking,
three mortal hours of excitement and we
were ushered upon the broad surface of
Moon Lake. We passed up the Lake some
three miles and then from it's western shore
attempted to enter the pass. After an
hours trial, without success, the boat was
tied up for the night
The following morning, under guidance
of Lieut.. St. Cyr the well known pilot of
the Minnesota and upper Mississippi, we
entered this most Internal watercourse
again. Now we realized the fact that the
first days travel was but slight foretaste
of the perilous future. Torn and denuded
of all architectural adornments, sad
looking craft verify, our little steamer came
to anchor at the distance of four miles
from the starting point.
Here we came up with the other steamers
composing our fleet. Such badly-used
looking navy could not have been produced
under any other than the most extraordi-
nary vicissitudes which had befallen US.
The secresy, that clear starlight night in
the midst of the woods and yet upon the
water, the strangely-contradictory impress
sion of being upon terra firma and know
ing we were in the midst of "forest sea-
only, looking upon every side and finding
ourselves surrounded by woods, real, nat
ural woods, with great gnarled oaks rising
like giants toward the skies, late, feshless,
bony sycamores extending their gaunt
limbs over our heads, the elm tree covered
with its dead parasitical growth of vines,
and the thick-matted underground of will
lows; and when we glance below, how
strange they all spring from the bosom
of the deep. To render the scene yet
more impressive-more wildly-incompre-
hensible-to hear the strains of beautiful
music echoing in the Silly air. Our band
are playing one of the Hubbards' best ;
the gentle strains of their harmonious COM