New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-11-04

position was found 10 DO too strong to be carried
direct attack reo)OnO'seriDg party under {,
Bailey 18th Wisconsin Volunteers. sent to ascertain q
practcGbiiy of crossing 20 river below the Ferry
ward Red River on the morning # the 3d. report'
that The river rot fordable below the feTry al
that owing TO the impossible swamps "a one side al
the high bluffs on The other. il would not be possible
| cross Cane River at any point below the Ferry .
1--we failed ~ disodge tie enemy at the Ferry u
Only alternative open To ns was to attempt crosin
TO the north side Of Red River, exceedingly d..
aeut and dangerous moyement, a. TIE same time
force under command of Gen. II. W. Birge, CONSISTING
of his own command, the Third Brigade Of the Firs
Division Nineteenth Army Corps, Col Fessenden com
manding. and Gen. Canerons Division, Thirteenth
Corps ordered to the river three miles aDoV
the ferry and turning the lett Hank OF the enemy carr
the nights in reverse, If possible. Upon the success
of this movement depended the passage OF me river D.
the army. The route trayersed by Gen. Bifges com
mand was intersected by bayous sTamps, ana eiDos
impenetrable woods This force reached It's poSuo'
late in the afternoon TO accomplish the fGrpose II
view il became necessary to carry two strong positoh
held By pckets and skirmshers before the enemy wa
encountered in force on the crest OF hill command
ing an open field over which cur troops were conpelet
TO cross in making the attack. Tie Third Brigade
Nineteenth COrps Col Fessenden commanding carrel
this position, which was defended with Vigor by rs
sault Its occupation compelled the retreat OF INC enc
nv from the bluffs commanding the Terry ana lOru
Our loss in this most brilliant and successful nlair was
30 killed and wounded. Col. Fessenden who led DIS
command with great gallantry was severely wounded
N.
gagged, deserved and received the highest eommenda
ton. Lieutenant william Beebe Of the Ordnance De-
pariment and Mr. Young Of the Engineer Department,
both volunteers. were conspicuous in the hght MI.
Young was twice wounded and died In New.Orleans
in July Of the injuries received IN this battle. Inc at
tack the enemys position covering the hne OF the
cnemys retreat, failed IN consequence oil the dclles
encountered in the march and the late hour at when our
troops gained their position The enemy was thus en-
abed to escape with his artillery by the Fort Jessup
road TO Texas. 80
rrt-. ~. h,I cd frOvp loraf
Neville at 4:30 a. N. the 3d. to the river. They
drove in the enemys pcketS three miles In advance OF
the river aud formed lire Of battle In front OF the enc
rys position while Gen. Birge was moving upon the
enemy's left flank. The enemy opened with heavy
cannonade from his batteries. which was returned by
our artillery with spirit and effect The fire was con
rued at intervals during The morning but the troops
were held In reserve for the purpose Of forcing the pas
sage Of the river at the moment Gen. Brge commenced
bis attack on the right The action lasted till dark
when the enemy retreated. and tie hgnts were occu
MED by our forces. -,
Gen A J. smiths command had sharp skirmish-
ing it'll the advance of the enemy in our rear on the
At . o'clock on the morning OF the 2fh. six guns
were fired from the camp Of the enemy III the rear IL
was INTERPRETED as signal that they were ready Tor
combined attack but the enemy In front had then been
driven from the river, and the contemplated movement
upon onr front and rear failed.
During the morning Of the 23d. an effort rad been
made by portion OF the cavalry under Col T. Da'lS
10 turn the right flank Of the enemys position Dy cross
River which proved impraticible on account OF I'm
passable svamps sharp engagement occurred on o,
The morning OF the 2Ith between the troops OF zen
Kirby Smith and tie enemy in the rear which resulted
in The repuse Of the latter Oar loss was about ~ IN
this affair Had the enemy concentrated bis i,rces ana
fortified Lis posion NJ Monets Bluff we could not pave
forced him from IT, and would have been compelled to
accept the chances Of crossing Red River above Cane
River in the presence of the enemy on both SIDES OF the
river Orders had been sent 10 Gen. Grover to move
with all his force upon Monets Bluff in the event OF It's
I..t. pfa1b V he
DISTRACTED and his troops were in readiness ior the
movement The army marched frsm Monets Bun on
The afternoon OF the 18th OF APRIL and established lines
OF defense at Alexandra on the 18th and 25th OF April
In the "a DAYS intervening between the departure OF the
army from Alexandria and its return the battles Oh
Nelson's Farm, Sabine Cross loads fleasaill Gio,e
Pleasant HILL Compile Monets Bluff and several COM
hats i'm the neghhorhood Of Grand Ecore, while we
were in tbs occupation of that point had been fought,
I'm every one Of these engagements. except that oi
sabine Cross Roads we had been successful The fal'
ure 10 accomplish the main object Of the expedition was
due to other considerations than the aetnal SUPERIORITY
OF The enemy in the field. In these operations IN whlcI
my own command had marched by land nearly 4V
miles the total loss sustained was 39sOmen. whom ~
were Killed l. al wounded, and 2, % missing large
poton Of the latter captured and have since beei
exchanged bat considerable portion returned to the
army during It's operations on Red River No loss OF
artillery or of trains or any army material Whatever
was sustained except that which occurred at SABINE
Cros. Roads We lost there Nimss Battery and sec.
ton of the Missouri Howizer Battery loo wagons ana
800 mules captured by the enemy on account OF the
paat
Ammunition wagons were saved. The army had cap
tnred M to this time from the enemy y guns and l5O
prsoners His losses in killed, wounded and prisoners
-ofhcers and men-were much greater than ours.
Among the former some OF the most eihoent
Rebel commanders whose loss can never be made good
10 this time other loss OF men had been sustained
by our army -,
pnraons were made for the release Of the feet which
was then unable TO pass below the Fails. From the
difficulty which the supply transports had enconned N
-. IL. /, In. =
early AZ the 18th Of April that the navy could not go
hollow and the means Of is release freely discussed
among be officers Of the army During the campaign at
Port Hudson the steamers Starlight and Red CHIEF
we're canturod by Griersons Illinois Cavalry under
command of Col Prime In Thompson's Creek The
bed the creek nearly dry and the steamers were
sunk several feet in the sand After me capture OF
Port Hudson Col Bailey constructed wing dams,
which by raising the water lifted The steamers from
the sand and oated them ont Of the creek into the
Mississippi. This incident naturally suggested the
same works NJ Alexandria FOR the relief Of the feet
survey was ordered for the purpose OF determining
what measures could be best undertaken The engineers
OF the army had complete surveys OF the FAILS captured
from the during our occupation OF AleAandrh III
sts3 Al the commencement Of the Port Hudson cam.
paicn 1t was found upon examining these Charts and
upon survey Of the river thar the channel was
and crooked formed in solid rock and that il would be
wholly inpraeticab 10 deepen It's bed. 1t was there
fore determined 10 commence the construction OF dam
10 raise the river to such hight as 10 enable tne
vessels To float the Fails This project was freely
discussed by the engineers and officers OF the army and
WAS generally believe 10 be practicable Capt. D. =.
pnroy who had made the survey reported that IN DIS
Indictment IT was entirely feasible and the only question
raised related TO the that might be required for SC
great WORK. :, =,
The management of this enterprise was naturally In
trusted 10 Lieut. Col Joseph Bailey. 4th Wisconsin
Volunteers who by profession civil engineer
familiar with works Of that kind, common to slack
water nav CATION upon ali the Western RIVERS ana ia,
successfully released the steamers from Thompsoni
Creek on the Mississippi. Col Bailey had suggeste,
The prnctcability OF the dam while We were ut Crane
EcOre and had offered 10 release the Eastpoft we,
aground below Grand Ecore by the same means, whie
offer was declined.
Material was collected during these preparations ant
work commenced upon the dam on Sunday, May
Nearly the whole army engaged at different time