New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-05-19

storm Grand Gulf with the Runboats Its dun sides
ara seen at distance of five mes beetlng among
the low allnvia FORESTS, in mound-ike and ominou'
outline. The just climbing the Eastern sky
brings the ugly edge Of the long line Of earthworkt
into strong relief against the dark chasmike back
ton betlmes, the long piratcal hulk and sword Ike
bow of the lafayette leading the van. Then follow
the Tuseumbia, Benton and Louisville.
THE COMMANDMENT OF GRAND GULF.
The Lafayette tskes position close to the Louo-
lana shore, and some distance above the works, and
ia coutsnied 10 fire at long range. Meanwhile, the
other boats eDdeavor to force the fighting by push
ing directly in the teeth Of the enemvs batteries
1 he effects OF the cononaeiDg are only perceived
by an occasional disturbance in the sand There
are evidently three guns of heavy caliber, and
under csseates, thiside Of the point of the Louie
hua shore. Further down the river nothing can be
eeen, but puiis Of sulphury smoke. Aftera sharp
encounter, the Rmbostr, excepting the Lafayette,
drop down Glow the point 10 engage q lower bat
teries. AT length, after severe and protraced
bombardment, 1t becomes evident that the works
cannot he reduced by The Navy and az our troops
cannot be lBnted above the fertilization, il s
cuded to march orr troeps nile and n half across
The Peninsula 10 the Mississippi, below the enemy,
AID run the blockade with the Transports, repeating
tha Nicksburg transaction on a somewhat smaller
scale.
RUNNING THE BLOcEADE-sOME Personal RE-
Being solicitou, 10 cultivate nearer acquaintance
With the Rebel batteries than strictly pleasure
cursion would sAord, embarked for that purpose
on tie steamer Forest Queen. Capt. Ryon Of Gen.
Ross staff Lieut.. Cosiolocki Of Gen McClernands
,uite Col. johnson OF the the 9Th Illinois Regiment,
Ca - Of tue steamer, the bosts crew, snd
tqu.d Of artlerymen in charge Of their guns, were
to share tie fortunes OF the adventure.
The gunbOais were 10 preCefe Us and engage the
the enemy hotly. The wooden gunboat Price, 10
charge If tie Ang' o-Saxon and Cheeseman, which
were lcriIped, tie Moderator, Forest Queen, HOri-
ron, sud silver Wave were 10 follow. Il was fome
tine he ore we were fairly unfer weigh, as the boats
were obliged to proceed SOME distance ny the river
in order 70 get IN position.
When onceg We had bid farewell to tie friendly
hcots Of our own eneompments. and slowly ap-
prose ed lbe scene Of &C ion matters began 20 look
earIeuely serous. The Captain had run the Vicks-
burg Jateres, aid never wanted 10 see such sight
FgrIl. The hour Of that Iasrage was the longest lie
had ever ~ ent lawls, lie-prseryers, even planks
tegHn 10 be- thought Of Us among prac,icabiile
TIE question Of the best petition 10 avoid flying
sIhitpI, pieces OF bellnetal, and smoke stacks were
disccssei. And s,me Of ue began TO ask also
whether cur part In the adventure were nc, piece
O. ruitsa 81 folly. The Moderator IL now far
ahead; we are nearing the point, and the dismal
His,Iere' ia already couln enclng 30 ibe Gar iain
orders tie Pilot Z" let her 10, and the brave bark
bounds forward under the new impulse OF steam,
hike a Eouud from the leash. The shadowy shore
sIls swiftly by, md We are soon away iron Tie
=, ni out 10 lhe stream, and IN full sweep OF the
Rebel hatterie-.
rrouicn = mt followed. Hill-slde, shore, aud gun
deck ste belo = ing aud vomiting flame. The sound
of e els no longer dulled By the distance, but
,h,rp aud Iiercing CO. e. crasbme iear' z, shrek
re. above. sNurh "vSr{U cre 1r" cnrap tfat
- ~ nies ilIs fo from the lie 20 come Feemed rent
Asund,r Ike a thin vail, bringing us face to face
with eicsulty IN all ts uIkedue.s in those riffs OF
death At lnst the fiery ordeal ia passed, aud the
steamer apparently uuhurt, glides o7t Of TIE chaos
Of smoke and clamor once more into the serene
Moonlight The sigual-ights, burning red, white
and blue. beckon us from below, and poin, u 10
our Ia, dng-plac'; and, with warm cGep of the
hand for our fellow-voyagers, and glow u graft
trde for our dslverance, we find ourselves escaped
urhutt. " Are YOU oil sGle--any one hurt y aud
ffty anxious inquiries are hurled at you from the
sEore; and when the re-ronse, Nobody hurt,
was heard, cheer after cheer went up from ten
tionfand voc,s aorg the rivers edge. Tue passage
WAS an alulos, complete success. Not man among
he uuisIOns was injured, under Tue iull IRE 81
eiRht euue and within few bundled yards. six
hofeer - Gen. Hoyey's battery were killed on the
Silver Wave. Tie Forrest Queen was bit under
tie wafer line; but the damage was soon stopper,
AID none Of the boats were serlousiy INJURED. lhe
rext DIV, all, exoep, the " Powers that be-
we're cXI Getting ard esger for an assault on the en-
eu.y's works the next morning; but e war thought
unavoidable TO n, Ct bnding higher mp thsn Eru-
ineburga Point ten miles below Hard Tines Landing
Here, by laf.pas II clock on the 5uib, our 'Tooi
" ere diseubarked. and Oh iheir winding way. lie
point Immediately aimed at was Port Gibson, not
lar from fourteen miles inland and eleven from
Grand Gulf. Tie march through Port Gibson Was
The nearest avenue 10 the former locality, rs the
Byou Pierre intervenes, and muet be passed at that
point. ,..,p
The grand column. with Cars division sId Ben;
toms brigade ia the van, moved swiftly forward
through lie botton-laud accorded the line Ci oufs
ranging slopp the Iiyrr two miles inland, aud
AT length halted, parting with tue excessive neat
and weariod with want oi nights rect, on me mag
uifceut grounds Of Mrs. Daniels estate. lie resi-
deuce with It's cupola, It's airy galleries ana wen
nj III TWO score Of immense pillars, surrounding II on
three sides looks like "A temple, from It's command
iug hght. IL is tho grandesi residence nave
seeu in tie South, and one OF the grandest IN the
country. The structure itself cost SoO,VJo' i,s
Interior adorumenls are corresnOndlngly palAllal'
But when reflected that all this splendor had been
erected by tie sweat of four hundred negroes, my
admiration was swallowed np in feeling 81 dstes-
taiiou for that prncey wealth ard grandeur when
" sighs down on human degradation ana misery
The ladies of tho house relying on the gentlemanly
forbeaance OF our officers, were rludlonsly III
mauuered and usoept but, ON hndiug mat we
intended quarteiug on them for the nlght, ana 'hae
we had something Of the bearing of gentlemen,
gradually became somewhat Modified, aud conde-
scended 10 plead 10 the most pathetic ierms' against
our course of usurpat0n and oppression.
Our luxurious repOse IN this palace OF the beautl-
ful was interrupted At . o'clock in the morning by
orders to wake up and push forward Tor Port Glib
son. The whole column was already on tho marcia
Gen. Carr. with the br.gades OF Gene. Benton and
Harris. having arrived az Shaien's Plantation four
miles from tina, town, at u. IN OF the let OF May.
After dazzling along. in john Gilpin style, over
ridges. causeways, bitches. and through All endless
tnpgle of soldicrs, bayonets and artillery, thereby
staenediog number Of contrsbands into an adjoin-
ing creek, we arrived by tho first blush OF dawn a.
an axe hanging over the bltops showed that can
nonade had been going on during the night AND,