The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-08-21

Point, Admiral Porter sent Dack W A0 ~
cooperating military force: sherman wss
Inc number of steamers suitable for the navi.
cation of these bayous being limited, most OF
the force was sent up the Mississippi klver 70
Eaple's Bend. q point where the river runs
within one mile Of Steele's Bayou, thus saving
an important part of this dimcGit navigsuon.
The expedition failed, probably more from
want Of knowIedge as to what would be requir-
Cd To omen this route than from any impractic-
ability In the navigation Of the streams and
: bavons through which it was proposed to pass.
Want of this knowledge led the expedition on
until difficulties were encountered, and then it
would be necessary to send back to Youngs
Point for the means of removing them. This
gave the enemy time to move forces to effectu-
ally checkmate further progress, and the expe-
ton was withdrawn when within few hum
dred yards of free and open navigation to the
Yazoo. ALI this may have been providential in
driving us ultimately to line of operations
which has proven eminently successful. For
further particulars of the Steeles Bayou expe-
dition see report of Major General w. F. Sher-
man, forwarded on the 18th of April. As soon
as decided to open water communication from
Q point on the Mississippi near Millikens Bend
to New Carthage, determined to occupy the
latter place, it being the first point below
Vicksburg that could be reached by land at the
stage of the water then existing, and the occu
ptllCy VI WHICH, Wul6 II bCCuICu W uS POlub
on the Mississippi River, would also protect
the main line of communication by water. sAc-
cordingly, the 18th army corps, Major General
j. A. McClernand commanding, was directed
to take up its line of march, on the 29th day
of March, for New Carthage, the 10Th and 18th
= corps to follow, moving no faster than supplies
and ammunition could be transported to them.
. Theroads though level, were intOlerably
bad, and the movement was therefore neceSsa-
rily slow. Arriving at Smiths Plantation, two
miles from New Carthage, it was found that
the levee of Bayou Vidal was broken in sew
eral places, thus leaving New Carthage an
island. az s..ta ....-.Fsst ,.. l-ei,
..a RUNNING THE BATTERIES.
All the boats that could be were collected
from the different bayous in the vicinity, and
others were built, but the transportation of an
army in this way was found exceedingly tedi-
GUS. Another route had to be found. This
was done by making farther march around
Vidal to Perkins Plantation, a distance of
twelve miles or more making the whole dis
lance to be marched from Milliken's Bend to
reach water communication on the opposite
side of the point, thirty-fve miles. Over this
distance, with bad roads to contend against,
supplies of ordinance stores and provisions had
to be hauled by wagons, with which to COM
mence the campaign on the other side of the
river. At the same time that ordered the oc-
cupation of New Carthage, preparations were
being made for running transports by the
Vicksburg batteries with Admiral Porter gun
boat feet. On the night of the 18th of April,
Admiral POrter's fleet and the transports Sill
yer Wave, Forest Queen, and Henry Clay, ran
the Vicksburg batteries. The boilers of the
transports were protected as well as possible
with hay and cotton. More or less commissa-
ny stores were put on each. All three of these
boats were struck more Of less frequently while
passing the enemy's7 batteries, and the Henry
Clay, by the explosion Ola shell or by other
means, was set on fire and entirely consumed.
The other two boats were somewhat injured
but not seriously disabled. No one ON board
of either was killed. 80 s,.4 -i-l ..sff
As these boats succeeded in getting by SO
well, ordered six more to be prepared in like
manner for running the batteries. These lat
ter, viz: Tigress Anglo Saxon, Cheeseman,
Empire City, HOrizOnia and Moderator, left
Milliken's Bend on the night of the 22d of
April, and five of them got by, but in a some-
what damaged condition. The Tgress receiy-
ed shot in her hull below the water line. and
sunk on the Louisiana shore soon after passing
the last OF the batteries. The crews of these
steamers, with the exception of the Forest
Queen, Capt. ID. Conway, and the Silver Wave
Capt Mcmillan, were composed of volunteers
from the army. Upon the call for volunteer
for this dangerous enterprise officers and men
presented themselves by hundreds, anxious to
undertake the trip. The names of those whose
services were accepted viii be given in sepa-
rate report. 1t is a striking feature, so far as
my observation goes, of the present volunteer
army of the United States, that there is moth
ing which men are called upon to d. mechan-
ical or professional, that accomplished adopts
cannot be found for the duty required in al
most every regiment. .1as9.lsat sba
COMMANDMENT OF GRAND GULF.
The transports injured in running the block
ade were repaired by order of Admiral Porter,
who was supplied with the material for such
repairs as they required, and who was and is
ever ready to afford all the assistance in his
power for the furtherance of the success of our
arms. In very short time five of the trans
ports were in running order, and the remainder
were in a condition TO be used as barges in the
moving of troops. Twelve barges loaded with
forage and ratiOns were sent in to Of the last
six boats that run the blockade; one half of
them got through in a condition r be used.
Owing to the limited number of transports be-
low Vicksburg, it4Gas found necessary to ex-
tend Our line of land travel to Hard Times,
Louisiana, which, by the circuitous route it was
found necessary to take, increased the distance
to about seventy miles from Millikens Bend,
our starting point. The 18th army corps being
all through to the Mississippi, and the 9TH
army corps well on the way, SO much of the
18th as could be got on board the transports
and barges were put aboard and moved to the
front OF Grand Gulf, on the 29th of April.
The plan here was that the navy should silence
the guns of the enemy, and the trooos land
under cover of the gunboats and carry the
place by storm. Ats O'clock, A. NJ. the navy
made the attack, and kept it up for more than
five hours in the most gallant manner. From
a tug out in the stream l witnessed the whole
engagement. Many times it seemed to me the
gunbOats were within pistol shot of the bat.
teries. 1t soon became evident that the guns
of the enemy were too elevated and their forti
fications too strong to be taken from the water
side. The whole range of hills on that side
were known to be lined with rifle pits, besides
the field artillery could be moved to any posi-
ton where it could be made useful in case o.
an attempt at landing. This determined me tc
run again by the enemy's batteries, turn his
position by effecting landing at Rodney, or al
Bruipsburg. between Grand Gulf and Rodney
Accordingly orders were Immediately giver
for the troops to debark at Hard Times, Louis
lana. and march across to the point immediate
" below Grand Gulf. At dark the gunboats
again engaged the batteries, and all the trans
ports ran by, receiving but two or three shot!
In the passage, and these without injury. !
had some time previously ordered reconnois
sance to a point opposite Bruinsburg to ascer
tain. if possible, from persons in the neighbor
hood. the character of the road leading to tn,
highlands back of Bruinsburg. During thu
MONT learned from a negro that there was ,
rood road from Bruinsburg to Port Gibson
Which determined me to land there.
RMRARKATroN OF THE ARMY FOR BRUINsBVRG
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