Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1869-12-25
FEomma EsE 0llahs PisHyunal
REmaNusUEN-
nEla o. IL Va.

war that never have and never viii
be told. The line OF the YazOo,
Tallahaichie and Yallabusha rivers
was q field Of incident that has so
far almost escaped the notice Of re-
p0rters.
Numerous vessels, owned chiefly
by Southern bOatmen, sought ref
nge In the streams named. Az the
Federals forced the SOutherners
backward In their determined effort
TO captuFe aud control the Missis-
sippi and lis tributaries on the cas-
tern side, steamers huddled closer
together like so many frightened
sheep. Finally, when It was found
impossible to save them from cap
ture, the torch was applied, and
great havoc resulted. Thirty-three
steamers were given to the flames,
among them many Of the largest,
fieetest and COstliest that ever float
ed on the waters of the West. The
line Of the river was lurid with the
glare Of many burning steamers. Its
course could be traced for days af-
ter by the dense clouds Of black
smoke that hung like q funeral pail
over the wrscks that now lie scat
tered ct intervals along the river.
At several points vessels were
m0ored side by side before destruc.
ton, that their sunken hulks might
obstruct the channel and prevent
the advance Of the enemy's feet.
At low stages Of the river these
wrecks now impede navigation,
though they do not entirely prevent
the passage Of steamers. A recent
visit to the locality enables rs to
give the following account of the
situation:
In the Upper Tallahatchie River,
and 100 miles from Its mouth at Jar.
myn's, lies the wreck Of the Cotton
Plant, formerly Flora Temple. She
was burned where she lies in July
1868, and is no obstruction to navi-
cation.
AT Sam Evans place, sixty miles
lower down, the wreck Of the Hart
ford City lies close to the bank, and
out Of passing steamers way.
At Fort Pemberton, six miles
above the entrance ofthe Tallahat-
chic into the Yazoo, the wreck of
the famous steamship Star Of the
West lies where she scuttled and
sunk, directly IN the middle of the
river, and a dangerous obstruction
to passing steamers. The engine
walking-beam, greatly injured by
rust, and one weather. beaten
wheelhouse of this monster steam
ship, stand high above the level Of
the river, to warn approaching ves-
sells from above or below that they
must give the wreck as wide a berth
as possible. The channel ut this
point admits only a few spare feet
on either side, while the current Is
as swift as a mill-raee, and pilots
must exercise their best care and
skill to make the run successfully
The star of the West, it will be re-
membered, was driven to sea of
Charleston harbor, by Confederate
batteries, when making all effort to
provision Fort Sumter, and caused
the firing OF the first gun Of the
war. She was afterwards captured
of Galveston, Texas, by Van Dorm
and q party Of COnfederates under
him, carried into New Orleans, and
finally up the Yazoo. She was an
unlucky vessel, and never did the
Confederates any good, except to
'entail expense in caring for her,
The blackened hulk and rusty,
weather. beaten machinery may lie
for ages in their present position, O
fitting emblem of her useless CO.
reer.
Up the Yallabusha, one mile from
its mouth, lies the wreck Of the
Ferd. Kennett, once q fine st. LoGis
and New Orleans steamer, scuttled
and burned in 1868. Navigation IL
unimpeded by this wreck.
The Ed. j. Gay, another elegant
ST. Louis steamer, lies directly al
the mouth Of the 1allahatchie and
Yallabusha, close to the eastern
bank Of the Yazoo. Ample space
Is afforded passing steamers.
A mile and a half below lies the
wreck of the Arcadia, In times ante
bellum a favorite and we'll known
New Orleans and Coast packet,
Her wreck lies directly In the mid
die Of the river. Steamers must
feel their way carefully when pass
ing By.
The remains Of the Mary e
Keene, once the pride of Vicksburg
packets, are at French Bend, four
teen miles below Greenwood. The
wreck is close against the bank,
and Is no obstruction to naviga.
ton.
At BrOwning's Bar, twenty-five
miles below Greenwood, -four
wrecks lie side by side, bows down
stream, In the exact position where
they were sunk to prevent the as.
cent Of the Federal fleets. The
Scotland Is near the western bank,
next the Golden Age, then the Il,
j. Lakeland, and on the eastern
bank the John Walsh is planted.
These wrecks are all plain to view,
except the Golden Age, from un-
der which the sand washed, caus-
ing the wreck to settle SO far be-
meath that steamers pass directly
over her without danger.
The great Natchez, one of the
finest steamers ever constructed,
and converted into a ram, was
burned and destroyed with 100
bales Of cotton on board at Burto-
mia, eight miles above YazOo City,
Sixty miles further down, and
within nineteen Of Yazoo City, il