Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1863-07-27

Yazoo CRY, Miss, July II. 1863.

knocks the whole expedition on th0
head by bringing the news that Fort
Hudson had surrendered iou may be
sure that was disappointed man and
= vcxed, until Learned that, the ex-
curslon TO Port Hudson being iodef-
ni,cly postponed, our tickets were good
for trip up the lazoo.
Now Yazoo City being one OF the
places which wanted to see, | felt wen
enough reconcil, to the idea OF Oener.
al Banks taking Port Hudson without
the Army Of the Frontier, and viewed
with no small satisfaction the arrange
ments for taking our batteries on board
and the other preparations which seem
10 Indicate that the Army aforesaid Is
of On sort of An independent little
trip OF it's owe, whose terminus Will be
many miles further into the interior OF
Sece,si,, or ! am much IN error. II
We only had orr old cavalry boys along,
wouldn't We make things hump herca-
boats? guess So
About 10 o'clock on Sunday morning
We ct under way, and slowly steamed
past the city Of Nlcksbnrg. The water
batteries which used TO scowl savagely
a, vessels bearing our flag, had temper
ed their irowns to friendly smiles and
pleasant "God speed You" on that
peaceful Sabbath morning. The evee
was crowded with steamers, many OF
them bearing CHASTITY wounds received
in running the blockade at \icksburg !;
,os no longer blockaded, and each Of
b IA TRYING their best to Guido the 9th
crs in their display Of "hohday bunting.
The war battered city, whose sufierings,
lie, US hope, by far exceed those ap
pointed 10 Any other city OF our ma
ton, seemed to have sunk YEARLY
into the arms of her conqneror, and to
lie literal reclining bei cath the starr,
flag which floats from her court house
Farewell, Vickrburg Thy day. OF ,rl-
al are over cd grant that the era oil
Of ahuudsn; prosperity has dawned
upon thee
About noon We turned into the lazoe'
and at considerab, accelerated speed
We plowed its almost staguant waters.
The Iazoo is worthy the name bestow-
ed upon it by It's 50 age sponsors. In
APPEARANCE it Is simpy long, crooked
and narrow mud puddle. Its water Is
about as thick rs Cruel ;--lts bed is 80
level that there is no current worth men
tlonng its banks are so low, excer,
=, rare intervals. that lis muddy watt rs
act far back INTO the ~ood., which
densely cover It's shores Its channel IL
80 narrow that Il steamer turns about III
1t with difficulty, and Yet ii Is 70 deep
that men who are acquainted with IL
tell me that 1t is nav,gable for nearly
three hundred miles above this point al
the present stage OF water Its morass-
es teen with ague aud mosquitoes. Those
who i've in It's valley are old at forty,
venerable at fifty, and at six,y-ha,c
been at least eignt years buried. 1t is
called the "Rivar OF Death ~ Stll
miserable affair as 1t Is, It's defence wa,
worth world of trouble to the rebels
--lts possession is of untold value TO
IL. Hence the manifold aud Ingenious
eSpedIcuts TO which they resottei 10 bar
its entrance to us; and hencc, also, the
/ persistent aud iiually successful efforts
| which we have made to break through
lts deiehces. The first OF there was To-
Gated at CLicassw Bayou, some five oil
SIX miles above It's mouth 1t consisted
OF u single boom or raft Of logs tirmiy
pinned together. 1t Was about 30 tc'
aide aud long enough to reach 4cros
the rivcr. W hen We came down, abuu
five weeks ago, We found i, lying higl
and dry upon The south bank OF III,
stream hrt now, OWING 10 the Use il
the Mississippi, the iazoo is much high
or, an the raft floats. The soldiers Us,
1t tor fre-wood.
a, The Bayou the banks are compar
atv,ly high, but not SO much SO ~ I,
be good place to iotlify, aod saw n,
indie ,ions Of any preparations 10
planting heavy batteries there. 1t wa
the base of supplies Tor the right an,
centre Of orr army dutng the seige. :
} Proceeding up to ilalu,s' Bluff, 70,
are constantly passing our camps, IN,
when 1t Ia,t yo1 see the hills which
Sherman AMI McC,crnand made so dl..
: astIous,y famous lat winter, now liter.
c.aly whllc ~ b our tents, and whe,
Won reflect that without the entrench
meuts OF Nlcksburg, in circle Of nesrl
I Ii miles IN extent, that within he c /
/ and alorg the hacks Of Black rive
: for miles on miles the hills aud valley
: are similarly wh te, and for a simila
f, reason, you then begin to con,prehec
a the vas,ness o, the army which Genc,,
Grant has here accumulated, and We
= will be able 10 SEC that with Wick bur
and the Iazoo under his control, III
great and sovereign STATE" OF NJ ss,,
sppl hangs on to the Southern CcuieL
j. eracy only by her eyellds. and is q