The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-01-30
DIR, Army Cor 81 dohdenee'iS'
THE ABORTIVE MOVEMENT 9AGlAlNSl
O., ,r, VICkSBURG. sras.I lsuan
Letter troll Saint Paul soldier.


To the Editor of the Pioneer: SEQ so h.
Having leisure hour this morning, /
thought it wise to improve it, SO concluded
to drop you few lines in order that you
might form some idea of what is transpir-
ing in this section, in the way of military
movements, ETC. But to go back little ::
Shermans Army Corps having marched to
the Tallahatchie river, Mississippi, formed
junction with the remainder of Grants
army and encamped for few days. In
the meantime, a consultation having been
held by the Commanding Generals, it was
deemed advisable that! the division COM
manded by General Morgan L. Smith
should return to Memphis. Arriving at
Memphis on the 18th ult, we found Gen.
Morgan, of Cumberland Gap" notOriety,
with his command, encamped there.
After few days consumed in active
preparations. we received orders to elm
bark, and accordingly event OH board" OF
the numerous boats waiting to convey us
down the river. On the evening of the
Goth Of last month, our splendid feet ''set
sail, bound down." for the express pur-
pose OF capturing the last hold OF the reb-
els on the Father of Waters, "-Vicks-
burg. Nothing Of more than ordinary in
terest transpired on our voyage. On the
2Gth ult. we landed Il little above the
mouth OF the Yazoo river, and pitched
tents. -titer passing Helena, Arkansas,
Gen. Steele's division fell in or rear, and
accompanied Us down the river.
On the morning of the 9th, (our troops
having marched ont 4 few miles, the re-
bels commenced throwing shell at our ad-
vance. This opened the ball. | cannot
atsei4?v anything like :. detailed account
Of the movement of the troops under Nor
gan Or Steele, but shall confne myself
more particularly to the part assigned the
1st Brigade of the end Division. OF the
disposition Of this portion of our forces my
knowledge is more explicit. This Brigade
is commanded by Acting Brigadier Gene
IA! Giles Smith, and the division by Acting
Major General Morgan L. Smith
General \. J. Smiths Division held the
extreme right, Morgan /. Smiths next, on
the left, S.eelc's the centre, and Morgan's
the extreme left, OF our line. The total
l., nd h,,t I r.
believe that it exceeded thirty thousand
men. On the right, in front of ON, men,
was Il bayou Of about one hundred and fif-
~ yards in width. In the rear of this
bayou, short distance, appeared a prom
lnent ridge, intersected by ravines. This
ridge was strongly fortified by the rebels
with numerous masked batteries, riie-pits,
DC, and from our position we could disco
yer the rebels moving to and fro. The
nil, or portion OF the dge, directly oppO-
site the position held by our right, seems to
have been considered by the rebels (and
very wisely As q most important point OF
defence.
1t was determined to storm the hill, and
ii order to accomplish this, it was deemed
advisable to build 4 bridge, Or two, across
the bayou. Accordingly the oath Ohio
and both Illinois Regiments were detailed
10 make the attempt, but after several en-
deavors, in the face of an almost incessant
fire from the rebel rifle pits, the project
was abandoned as impracticable. The enc
ny's fire was too hot. They had every
advantage of us; from the opposite bank
OF the bayou, clear back were rifle pits, in
which the rebel sharpshooter's were in
tenched While experimenting the at
tempted building Of the bridge, our brave,
intrepid General, Morgan L. Smith, was
wounded severely, by a rife ball, penetrat-
ing Just above the right hip. This was
most unfortunate for us. The woundng
Of Gen. Smith at this time contributed
chiefly to the sad results that followed Gn
my humble opinion)
With his accustomed GOODNESS, he rode up
to battery nearb by, and remarked, SHOWS,
throw a few shell in there, I've got one of
their balls and must go back, Ito the
rear) am informed the ball has not vet
been extracted. The General, / am hap
py to state, is in fair way to recover
may he live to see many rebels fall before
The steady fire and determined tread of his
gallant boys, who would follow him, even
to the lannon's mouth! After General
NJ /. Smith was wounded, General A. J.
Smith assumed command of the I'd Divis-
ion, Shermans army corps also. This was
Oh the morning of the 2Sth nit. General
S;uart's Brigade, of the I'd Division, hav-
ing been in the advance, was relieved on
the morning of the Goth by that of Gener-
al Giles Smith, consisting of the 9th and
Sth Missouri, 18th Regulars, 10th and
18th Illinois Regiments, the latter regi-
ment not having been on the field, because
Of the inefiiciency of the arms furnished to
IT'D Government! The Brigade had pre-
viously been in the reserve. The 9Th Mis-
souri, was assigned to the advance in the
Brigade.
After the abandonment of the bridge
building, a narrow neck of land was found
crossing the bayou, and by this route only
could our troops cross. This passage was
well known to the enemy, and thitherward
they directed their too accurate fire. But
the bayou must be crossed the hill
stormed! The Generals in immediate