, 1863-03-03

I'll VI HVOA 1EASOAAAul3 0E ppu5EN ~
% insure comparative safety.
Silently re hoatcd by, every moment ex-
pectIng to hear thescream aud hiss ofshot and
shell, every moment looking for the erlosion
of the ugly missiles over our heads. We were
abreast Of the batteries, and began to wonder
1t their reticcncc. We were at poiut blank
range, the night was fine, why did they not
fire? The suspense was terrible. Presently
some one sang out, awe are out Of danger,
We are below the batteries" 1t Is wonderful |
how this announcement affected US. Some |
who were cronching in abjcct terror be-
came valiant in an instant. They mounted
the hurricane deck and snapped their fingers
for joy. What cared they for rebel ba.teriess
sPcCLAI1oss.
We had passed the dreaded batteries With
out shot, and began to bother onr bruins for
"Queen'' y hal demonstrated her ability to
paEs them unharmed, the enemy had thought |
proper to remove the guns to the city, where |
tho could do harm Others, and among them
Col. Eliet, thought they were removed to for
the VicksbuIg and jackson Eailroad spans It.
Since the previous expedition down the Mis-
6iseippi, and the consequent closing Of the
Red River country as source Of supply for |
the Confederate forces ut Vicksburg, the in
lGGIlf VI LUIS IuEtlus u H0ulu
naturally be religiously guarded. We finally |
settled down on this explanation, aud tic pro-
jccted movement up the Big Black WAS aban. |
doIlcd, and we rapidly and carefully steamed |
down the Mississippi.
GEOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL. |
The month of the Big Black is fifty miles |
south Of vieksburg. On tue bluffs to the
south Of this stream Is the town Of Grand
Gulf once nourishing village Of 600 In
habltante, and connected by fai1 with tho vii |
lage Of Port Gibson, Mississippi. When Far
rngut's feet passed up the river last summer,
the citizens had ugly habits, among them that
man became angry ana burned the town. It
is now desolatc and nearly uninllabited, q sad
commentary upon this fearful rebellion, aud
standing monument of the vengeance which
Esdsa oSsos as s;r to meet e out to
rrction to outrnn their discretion.
Ex-rREs1DESr TATLoR's PLANTATION
Wednesday morning, (Feb. 11th, found Us
just below thc mouth Of Big Black, and fur
tEcr on down the river, thirty nllea north Of
Natchcz, at what Is called Taylor's Point, we
landed to visit the plantation Of eS-Prcsidcnt
Taylor. The famisy mansion is a quiet, home
like structure, enhowered in splendid grove
Of cycrgreens, und surrounded by cotton gins,
negro quarters, and other appliances Of South
err plantation life. The farm Is an excellent
one, embracing an area Of = 600 acres of The
finest cotton lands i'll the State, It is now
owned and cultivated By DR.. New, formerly
of Kentucky, who purchased it Of JEFF. Davis
ard the other heirs Of Gen. Taylor. It is
beautiful home, just such an one as Il gentle
man of taste and refinement would aclect.
Col. Ellet ut first supposed the title to vest in
and hence intended to seize the cotton for
brcastworks and the negroes for deck hands.
He did not care to trouble d.. New.
SATcuEz on TIE HILL.
Thirty miles below Tay1or's Point, NC
rounded q sharp bend III the river. and
"Satchcz on Tie lilr' burst upon us in full
lo7elineas like disrobing goddess. The ar
rival Of our little feet naturally created con-
sideruhle consternation, and as we steamed
up md down the river before the city, men
in huttcrnut, women in silks, old men and
children, white and black CAME ont Of their
houses to gaze at US. Not sound arose from
that crowd of curious lockers -on-nota shout.
lent as the grave.
"Natchez on the lliIl'' and aSatclez under
the hill' present an inviting field to an enter
prisiug commander, but l am told sort Of
zens-according 10 the implied rather tl,nn
the expressed terms of which, the former is
expected not to shell the town so long IS our
boats arc unno!c=ted there. This tacft agree
mcnt las been regarded up to this time
We delayed but an hour or two at Natchez,
It is doubtful If it were safe to do go. 4
little after noon We were on our way for Old
River, sixty miles below.
TOroGRAPn1cAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL.
Old River is the channel followed by the
Mississippi before the present Gu off was
formed. 1t describes an arc Of circle whose
h; @ eAanos anoah " ICES !nan ten En- m.!ss INTO
above and below the cutoff, the Red River
| cmptics, and from it through The Atchafalnrya.
| !a'gc f0iume ol wafer passes, swift and
oeep, Hulcn unas an e5it INTO bcrWlck Bay,
aha ah!a tia .heneG & lnto Inc Gni Of Mexico. From
st1s I,ssr luT1c & Is ~ snt1anee INTO me Mlssis'
nf opr ncsp fc nant y 9au a.
oayoM, Vhien & eonneets me Two, approaches
| nc lsef. New Cs!eans can also oe reached
'nroagh ne ne, Atenataiasa s!as wlth no other OBJ
stf"ct1on tnan q oattefy AZ butte IL hose.
TIE "orEEs' N the A7cuAFAIArA.
tied up Wednesday njcht. .scndinc The Desoto
| to do nfrkcf duty n milo in airance Tho
| night PASSED Quietly. and at DAYLIGHT Thurs.
| day We started up Otd River. moyinr cautions.
II and calling nt tho plantations On The way.
Atchafalya- -Four miles down the riyey. a
long train Of heavy army waroncs. driven by
negro tcan,sters and guarded by a squad Of
soldiers, was discovered moving along the
river bank. We halted them, landed, and
forests skiEting the plantations A dctach.
lncnt Of Federal soldiers commenced the
| work Of destruction. Mules were uubarucsscd
and turned adrif1 harnesses 81 were 't thrown sSn
tIlto ehc 14tc3, ah1 lcM OF the wagons cut
len mntil evening Tha ts9nec,', ~ II, as. "eas
down the liver f6 Simmcsnort f;,nr ,,;1as ,,a
low whcre Col. ENet had hcard ~ Ia rebe1 o
lers Int net Too late TO seIzc Ecyentv harrc1s
| ~ becf .,a1arC;rtr +o tho s.V,l.o-dn h,ttn. ~ -