The New York herald., 1863-01-25


doned Preparations Immediately made 10 retire n
Aikens Bend on the Mississippi about twelve mes ~
Prom ths mouth Of the YaEso, where the troops could
Do yeorgaDized for other operations for though
original desisn could not bs immediately accomplished
would not do for the army and navy 70 be idle.
GxzHRAI A'uxSAxD ASSUMING coxxASp.
When Aejsr General McClernand with orders from the
President 70 Of the Army OF the Nssis
spp arrived at the mouth Of tho Yazoo tho Eight of
he I'd nsaD the land forces Of tho Mississippi! river az
petition wore embarkng board their Transports bound
for Milikens Bcrc. We arrived there Saturday, the
Sd instant then and there that General hcCss-
nand assumed command He Immediately made some
changes in the organizatOn ofns army. The four d,vi-
sAoDs divided into t~o CORPS Aaee. The nrst was
pscsA uner ihe Scsnd * Major General Sherman, and
No soonud a,der command Of Bssadier Genera Morgan
General Usssshaas WAS assigned 70 the comnana of the
division formerly under General Morgan, ana General
Stuart 70 tho of General Morgan L. Smiths d.
hayas beea wounded 10 tho sstack scks.
burg N this csgnnization Sberman's corps rerued
the right wing add korgans corps the lefs
wing Of what IS now known N the Army
Of The Mississippi. on the following day Sunday,
the 4h nssanust week ago to-dayafssr consu1ta-
ton bstween General McCernand and some Of his ocers
and the Admiral, Tho whole feet sailed from Mikens
Bend on another important expedition Possessing nSor-
nation concerDng tho disposition Of the enemys forces
in Arkansas, II determined operate against them
BY proceeding Immediately TO attack tho fort on the
Arkansas river, At ancient settlement called Post o.
ArkaDsas.
UP THE nIslsaipn.
me sail up tho Mississippi was unattended by any
striking incident Il splendid sight to sec the gun.
boats and the transporsone would almost imagine an
'nnumerasle numbar-slowy sailing in stately grandeur
against the rapid current Of the mighty river They made
a moving line Of many miles in length. The gunboats
are source Of power ir themselves Among the
transports the names OF some Of them were
suggestive Of interesting "reminiscences and -
strength. The Tigress, flagship OF the nOtilIa,
was followed by tho Forest Queen Then there we're the
Continental, tho Metropolitan. the Crescent City, Indian
names Hiawatha and Tscumseh; royal names--the Duke
Of Argle and the Empress: hostile prmes-he North.
erner and the Sunny South; .smanly" names-the GIa
distor and the Champioua kinds Of steamboats,, with
all kinds Of names, froD, the Sunny South, already
mentioned 70 the Polar Star. ought not, perhaps 70
neglect 70 state that the Yankee like the Spread Eagle
was ahead Of the Universe. Tho boats stopped several
times during the trip 10 get wood Of the forests. Al
almost every stopping place refugees from the rule
OF the rebel leaders came TO steamboats, and sought
and found protection board II was asssrained that
within . few days previous the guerillas knowinG
thss the Hcet was the hissisxipDi, had gone
up and down both banks Of the river, end In
several plsces had burned card wood and cot
ton In order 10 prevent as getting them Al one
plantation where We bad sem large supply Of cord
wood on sAs downward trip, where ~ stopped the
upward trip to repsnsh supply instead Of the wood
pile wc sawa pile Of ashes. II bad just been burnec the
owner told by order Of the provost marshal that
district. And that is fair illustration sf tho hostile
wicked spirit manifested by The rebel leaders In The
South On Thursday January g. the steamsoaae
arrived At Montgomery Point, nearly opposite the mouth
Of tho whe river, absut haifpast O'Clock In the
morning. We remained there that day, waiting for al
the boats Of the feet 70 got up Montgomery Point
the meantime most Of the soldiers who were wounded o.
vicksburg-over seven hundred Of them-were sent IN
10 steamboats, 70 st. Louis Before sunset that evening
all the neet poored 1t Montgomery Point. Il
was . brilliant spectacle ~ night to see that i'm.
mense crowd Of steamboats, fastened 10 the shore,
along the extensive sweep svsn by the bend
10 the river, and stretching along for many miles
An innunnerable nuinbAf Of white and blue lamps was
displayed high above the upper decks Torches on some
Of the boats that taking in wood and glared
amid The surrounding darkness and reflected in she
river The whole place had the appearance Of large,
magnncsnay illuminated city.
erxsoAr RxroSSosAScs
During the day the light draugh eunbos, Cooestoga
Reconnaissance up the White river 70 the cutoff and
thencs into the Arkansas She about Ten miles up
that river, until some cavalry Shore at
which sbe dred some shots O the cavalry do.
camped. n has since been said BY parties from that
neigasorhood that the steamboat Blue Wing was lying
Just above where the Conesoga stopped and tho
dreaded sound from gunboat had quickly cut her lines
and ned. Had the fact been known al the time she
might have been recapturcd by the guuboal The
rebels say she In now up the white river. Dur.
ing this reconnaissance tho Conesiora TOOK on
board . refugee, Who gave some reliable infor.
nation coscerping the forces n Posi- q Arkansas and
the guns and garrison n the fort he thers were
there about eleven rsgimests, each Of which would
average ave hundred effective batisops and
two companies Of cavalry. He enumerated the guns in
the fort but In that particular he 20 accurate.
Tbs wort itse he said, deeply ditched all round
and had barracks inside; that the river In front was
barrcaded with Of spies driven down into the river
bed and secured with log chains That was 20 prevent
the passage Of tho gunboss Other refugees
told that the rrng VI the river had probably washed
away part Of the barcade that tho gunboats could
pass through. That proved % be correct.
nv1R.
EAry or Friday morning, the 9th inst the feet started
from Montgomery Point. The scene OF the departure
was splendid one. AZ eight O'Clock the signal gun
was fired, and the expedition moved from tho
hissnsppi towards the month Of tho White
river. Tho gunboais, accompanied by the AdmiraIs
nagshp took the lead Then the Tgress General Mccer
nands headquarters and then tbs remainder OF the Feet
The soldiers on board the boss had their ncs ready
rcply 70 any shot from shore. we had 10 ascend the
whs river fifteen miles, then pass through cu.-o 10
lhe left e3h, mics in iensh ana thar Ied us into ,hs
Arkansas passing glance at the character OF the eoun
Try in this region viii be interesting and Important
NsIa
Perhaps other State upso the continent 10 cenetrn,e
by 30 many savgabe rivers as Arkansas but owing 70
tho long continued droughs "a the season most
Of them can BE- ascepd~i only by small steamboats, dur
ing nine mouths the year That 10 say large steam
boats cannot ascend them The eastern portion OF the
Slate for about hundred miles back from the yps,xs
sppi may be ssd to be an extensive tract o level nd
ntcrspcrsed with little lakes and sgoons, swsmps and
M srshcs There occasional elevation witch 10 not
subject 70 overflow The White river and the st Francis
drain the Northwestern section Of the sie Tney have
their sources Mssouf and their outet in the Hsss