The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-04-18

traitors and towards alone excepted. *
-o gGE b. +. WADE, 0iw
z. G. CHANDLER,
On the part of the Senate.
d. w. GOOCH, "
E.g JOHN COVODE,
sra Hsrs 80 4 G.. w. JULIAN, ~
gg ode. So r NJ. F. ODELL, %,
On the part of the House.
The YazoO Pass Expedition.
WAsHINeToN, Wednesday, April s,1s63.
Rear Admiral Porter's report of his re-
cent expedition through Steels Bayou.
Dear Creek, and other bayous and creeks.
with intent to reach the Big Sunfiower riv-
er, and to follow that stream into the Yazoo.
which was received at the Navy Depart
ment, to-day, reads like romance With
ms lron-clAds, Porter was eight days in the
heart OF the country, navigating q series Of
bitches in which not even a fiat boat ever
noated before. In those eight days, al
though making herculean efforts, he work
ed nus way only seventy miles and back
again one twenty-four hours was CONSUME
ed in accomplishing four miles. The chan
nelsin both creeks and bayous were exceed
lngly narrow, so narrow in places that the
boats nearly touched both banks. They
were choked with fallen trees, which had to
be removed, or with clumps or rows of will
lows which had to be pulled up by the roots.
For while the fleet crept along unobserv-
ed, the levee which often was three feet
above the guns, assisting to screen it. fia,3
When the inhabitants, who had hoped to
escape the horrors of war, perceived the
dreaded gunboats in the midst of their plan
tatlons, they ran down to get nearer view
and the blacks crowded the..banks of the
stream, and showed qualification at the ar
rival OF the Yankees, to whom they gave
every assistance in their power. ~ ! sSla1
Ixo
gan putting the torch to all the cotton he
could lay hands upon, and melted the PLAN
ters TO assist him in the work of destruction.
Twenty thousand bales, according to the
computation of Admiral Porter, were burn
ed by this agents orders, beside that mark
ed q. y. A., which Porter himself burned,
and considerable quanity-enoughhe saws
to buy gunboat, which he carried Off with
him. NJ y -
Some of the planters, however, declined
to burn their cotton, and abused the Con-
federate government roundly, for its pur-
pose to make them do SO, contrasting it
with the action of Porter, who DESTROYED no
private cotton. A considerable proportion
OF the planters manifested their affection
for the old flag, and the negroes were unar-
imous in their devotion to it. g>,.ss 7of
The fleet had accomplished good part of
its voyage before any efforts were made to
stop it. News finally came that a rebel
force of infantry, with artillery, was pre-
pairing to dispute the passage; that larger
force was on its way from Haines' Bluff, on
the Yazoo, and that the negroes were being
forced at the point of the bayonet, to fell
trees to obstruct the channel. This infor-
nation, like all that which Admiral Porter
received, was brought him by the African
residents of that part of the State. He sent
one of his smaller boats, armed with how
itzer, in advance to checkmate the rebels.
and thus fought bis way successfully, for q
time, putting the rebel guns to flight, scat
tering the sharpshoOters and infantry who
begun to line the banks, and removing the
the trees almost as fast as they were felled
across the stream. r r.. -Lh
The rebels, however, finally added so Sc
riously to the obstruction of the channel.
that it was with great difficulty the Admit
raj could proceed. At the same time news
was brought him that the rebels were also
at work telling trees across the streams in
his rear, and planting guns with view to
his capture. Even after this news was
brought him, he pushed on awhile, but
finally, when within 800 yards Of Rolling
Fork, from which it would have been plain
sailing down the Big Sunfower River into
the YazoO, miles above the fortified places
in the rear Of Vicksburg, he was obliged to
turn back. sl...Its Is. ..I.r-
Had Gen. Sherman, with his soldiers,
who had shorter road than the gunboats
to travel, reached this point as early as thew
should, q passage could have been forced
and the YazOo entered; but, receiving no
intelligence of Sherman's movements.
which were necessarily impeded by want
Of transportation as well as by other causes
Admiral Porter deemed it prudent to re-
turn. .Eas seaes r. 1910,
The distractions thrown by the rebels in
the way of bis retrograde movement would
have been more serious than they were had
not the natural obstacles been removed
curing our the forward voyage, and bad not
and then the main body appeared at crit
lcla1 innocent. The assistance of the latter
was particularly valuable in driving away
the infantry and sharpshooters who annoy
ed the voyagers. g \
Admiral Porter reports that the country
through which he passed is rich and fertile,
Astounding in live stock, and with barns
filed with corn, of which the rebel govern
ment owns q considerable portion. Da
The white residents were, he thinks, bet
ter inclined to the Union cause when he
left than when he came among them. AS
for the negroes, all the able-bodied ones
Sherman's soldiers. The restiare in q state
of such generalization that Admiral Por-
ter thinks that little more planting will be
done this season, and predicts serions
trouble for the masters to come
The only officer killed during the expe-
ulLlOH was ouliiNau, LQ1rO ASSISTANT
engineer of the tug Dahlia. Two others.
names are not given, were seriously
The only injury to the iron
clads, was suffered by their boats, damag-
ed by the fallen trees.
Admiral Porter speaks in the highest
terms of the good conduct of the officers.
sailors, soldiers and boats.-N. Z. Tribune.
A BIG CHILD.-We yesterday saw one
Of the greatest curiosities that was ever be-
held in this neighborhoOd, in the shape of q
tremendous big child, only nine years of
child is stopping at Lutz's tav-
ern, and is the daughter ofMrs. Molisena
Koltner, and was born on Captina creek
near the Ohio river, about 20 miles below
this city. The mother Of the child is wild
ow. and since coming to the city. has
been induced to exhibitthe child next week
at Lafayette Hall. Esquire Powell, who
resided on Captina and who is an old and
- .ks