The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1863-04-01
FIGHT ON THE YAzoo.
Engagement of the Chillic othe aud De
KaIb with the Fort Near Greenwood,
Correspondence of the Chicago Tribune. !


passed large quantities of cotton and many
fragments Of steamboat. About 200
miles from here, and ubont ten miles above
the mouth Of the Tallahatchie, we found
our boys, Gen Ross division, attended by
gunboats and transports, at a place called
Greenwood Bay. We found we had no W
! reached dehatable ground. We here learned
the cause OF there being SO pueh cotton
atlsat.
A large cotton boat had been sent up
the river by the rebels, and had gathered
a large load of the Southern sovereign, but
while she was stopping to wood up one
of onr gunboats hove in sight, and as the
cotton boat could not escape, she was set
on fire, and her rich cargo, estimated to be
upward of three thousand bales, was abau-
doned to the flames.
About three miles below our troops. the
rebels had built fort, and placed raft in
the river. The fort is in very strong pU-
sition in the neck of bend made by the
Tallahatchie and Iazoo rivers. The fort
is unapproachable by the troops, on account
of the overflow of the rivers, and the colt
test thus far has been duel of cannon.
On the lth the ChilliCo,hc was ordered
to engage the rebels, and her appearance
was the signal for brisk fire from them,
but without eilciting any reply from the
gunboat which steamed steadily to her po-
siton, within eight hundred yards, when,
throwing open the bow ports OF her turrets
she lanched forth two tremendous shots,
which for a time staggered the Butternuts.
One of the l-inch shells passed completely
over the neck, and stuck rebel transport
lying in the Iazoo below the fort. This
seemed to he a signal for the whole rebel
fleet to depart, for Immediately they were
under way.
The firing now became continuous on beth
sides, several of our shells lodging in the
enemy's works and exploding. The Chilli
cothe was struck in an aperture i'll the port
door, through which the gunners worked
their rammers, by a conical percussion shot
The shell not only exploded, but caused
the explosion of a shell our men had Just
placed in tie muZzle OF u gun. This com
pound explosion carried overheard one OF
the iron port DOORS weighing over 600
pounds and killed four and wounded eleven
of the crew, and few minutes aftcrward
orders were received for the gunboat to
withdraw from the fire, Notwithstanding
the working force of the gun crew was
much reduced, the men composing it were
promptly at work. ..
The following night was busy one. A
30-pounder Parrot gun was taken from a
gunboat and placed in battery on land in
front of our line, and to the west of Clay
tons Slough, and temporary tortitication
was built of cotton and earth, and pierced
for one gun, The work was done in quiet
ness and silence, and before daylight the
battery was in readiness for work 1t was
scarcely quarter of a mile from the rebel
fort and bore directly on their most valua.
bic gun. But other matters were behind,
so the day wore away without action. But
on the 18th, there was day Of hard fight
ing with artillery. Though the previous
day had been one Of inaction. the night was
u busy time. The land battery, under the
superintendence Of Lieutenant-Colone Will
son was enlarged and strengthened, and a
second Parrot gun was taken from the gun
boat Forest Rose and placed in position.
On the 18th, fair and beautiful day, at
half-past ten @ 'Glnck, the gunboat Chlllcotle
and the land battery opened HpoN the rebel
fortiicaton the land battery giving SPECIAL
attention to the rebel 81 FOUNDER. This al
tracted special attention i'll return, and for
a while all their guns were trained upon tie
Wilson battery, and they poured fearful
fire of shell and ruGNd shpt upon the little
fort, but it withstoOd it Hobly and its
guns did woman service, making the cotton
fly from Fort Greenwood, as the rebels call
their fortiication, but it fell only 10 be as
quickly replaced, The De Kalb was de-
tanned for a few minute8 hy mortar
boat that blocked tho river and kept the
gunboat from her position. but finally the
way was tree for the gunboat TO move down
into position, about six hundred yards from
Fort Greenwood. Up to this time the land
battery had received the whole ipe oI the
fort aud most nobly withstood it. The ap.
pearnnce of thc ruuboats changed the scene