The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-04-02


alton in the beginning of March. Sher-
man had returned to Nicksburg from
his grand but Disappointing raid into
Mississippi, and instead of directing his
forces toward Mobile, the point of great
est and almost the only position of vital
concern to the rebels, he detached a
portion of them to General Banks as
sistance, who, it appears, had predeter-
mined on scattering or demOlishing the
forces in West Louisiana. 1t is alto
gether probable that something in the
seasons had indicated this choice to
Gen. Banks For example, the Red
river is only high enough to be naviga-
BILE by the largest vessels during this
month and the next, while the task of
taking Mobile is one which might be
undertaken at any time, though it is
unaccountably strange that it was not
begun in December instead of May.
As is well known, the column under
Gen. Franklin crossed from New Or
leans to Brashear City about the lst
inst, and thence took up the line of
march along the Bayou Teche, sub
stantially the same route pursued near
ly a year ago, via 0pelousas to Alexan-
dria. The forces under General A J.
Smith, from the Department of the
Tennessee, comprising the brigades un-
der Gems. F. K. Smith, Thomas and
Ellet, embarked at Vicksburg on the
10th, and proceeded down to the mouth
of Red river, where they found an inn
mense feet of gunboats ready for the
ascent
Touching the naval force, it may be
well to remark that a more formidable
fleet was never under single command
than that now on the Western rivers,
under Rear Admiral Porter, and, it
might be said, also, never to less pur-
pose. At the time of departure the
strength of the rebellion in the inland
waters had been crushed. It's forts had
been demolished at Henry, Donelson,
Columbus, Island 10, Vicksburg, Hud-
son and New Orleans, by the gallant
Foote and Farragut, united with the
army It's fleet had been sunk by Ellet,
Farragut and Davis All that remained
to be extinguished was one insignificant
fort at Gordon's landing, and one ram
and one gunboat on Red river To
meet this force we had collected twenty
powerful war vessels Of all classes, from
the light draught to the heaviest moni-
tor. Among them were the monitors
zark, Usage, NeoshO; the iron-clads
Benton, Carondelet, Pittsburg, Mound
City, Louisville, Essex and Chillcothe ;
the rams Price, Choctaw, Lafayette, be-
sides the lighter boats, Blackhaw, Qua
chita, Champion and Taylor Contem-
plating this vast array of armed vessels
to meet so weak foe, those who are
familiar with the history, cannot but
contrast with it the different equip
ments with which the lamented Col.
Elletwas dispatched on the same errand
more than year ago. with the Queen
of the West only.
The twenty transports preceded by
the twenty gunboats started from the
Mississippi on the 10th, and assembled
the Red river as far as what is called
the Old river when we turned into the
Atchafalaya instead of continuing up
Red river Many were the speculatiOns
upon our course as they saw us descend
ing the stream instead of ascending.
To a person unacquainted with the pc
culiarities of this region it seems indeed
strange that the water should run up
and down cOnsecutively. The whole of
West Louisiana is Overspread with a
network of bayous which are inter
laced with each other in very unusual
manner. Indeed, though Red river is
usually accounted one of the tIibuta-
ries Of the Mississippi river, there Is
abundant evidence to believe that at
no great period back the Red river con
tinued its course to the Gulf through
the Atchafalaya. The latter stream is
now mainly fed by the former, and
should properly bear its name We
found it for twelve miles a deep and
navigable stream.
At Simmsport the feet came to a
landing The town itself does not
exist, a few chimneys alone marking
the former site, having been burned up
by Col Chas Rivers Ellet, in retaliation
for their heaviug fired on his boat, the
Queen of the West Col John ElIet
afterward visited the place with the
Switzerland, during the siege of Port
Hudson, when he had a severe engage
ment with the batteries, and finished
the work of his cousin.
Two new earthworks were found in
course of construction, and abundant
evidences of the traffic across the stream
at this point A short distance up the
bayou, which enters at this point, were
found twenty-four pontoons used for
bridge; also, portions Of raft Of tim
Der long enough to stretch across. News
reached us that a camp near the river
had been hastily evacuated at the sight
of the feet; afterward we heard that
about two thousand had fortified camp
three miles from the river at the inter
section of Bayou Glaize yellow Bayou
Next morning the land force were dis
embarked, and marched out by sunrise
to find the camp broken up and the
enemy gone; the bridge leading across
the stream burning, and evidence Of a
fright There were two extensive earth
works, still incomplete, and prodigious
raft being constructed across the Bayou
Glaize so as to prevent the gunbOats as
cending the little channel during high
water. This location Of their principal
Notifications Is significant in two things,
their intention to make the Atchafalaya
as their line of defense, and their dis
trust of their ability to hold forts i'm
mediately on the banks Of navigable
streams. Henceforth we imagined their
policy would be to hold the roads 10 the
interior by works erected beyond the
range of the gunboats Their abandon
ment of Simmsport was indicative that
they had lost hope Of defending sue
cessfally these latter.
Five miles further out, our force over
took FIVE teams loaded with tents, which
they burnt, and loaded up the teams
with sugar and molasses, which the
rebels had unsuccessfully attempted to
destroy. The whole column then re-
turned 10 the boats. ] should not be a
faithful historian If ] omitted to men
ton that the conduct of the troops
since the late raid of General Sherman,
is becoming very prejudicial to our good
name and TO their efficiency. 4 spirit
Of destruction and wantOn ferOcity
seems to have seized upon many Of
them, which is quite Incredible At
Red river landing they robbed house
Of several thousand dollars in specie,
and then fired the house 70 conceal
their crime At SimmspOrt, party OF
them stole out and robbed and insulted
a family two miles distant nfact, un-
less checked by summary example
there Is danger four whole noble army
degenerating into a band of cut-throats
~. 70