Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-01-18
interesting Re miniscences OF the
War.


From the New Orleans Plcayune.l
Many scenes of exciting interest tran
spired during the recent civil war that
never have and never will be told. The
line Of the Yszoo, Talshatchie and Yal-
lobusha rivers was fielS of incident that
has 80 tar almost escaped the notice of
reporters.
| Numerous vessels, owned chiefly by
| Southern boatmen, sought refuge in the
! streams named. AS the Federels forced
| Souiheruers backward in their determ-
iBed Effort to capture and control the
| Mississippi and its tributareo on the
eastern side, steamers huddled clio ser to-
gether like 20 many frightened sheep.
Finally, when it was found impossible to
to save them from capture, the tore b was
applied, and great havoc resulted. Thirty
three steamers we're given TO the flames,
among them many Of the largest, heetest
and eostliest that ever hoated 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 by the dense clouds Of
black smoke that hung like q funeral
pail over the wrecks that now lie
scattered at intervals along the river.
At several points vessels were moored
side by side before destruction, that their
sunken hulks might obstruct the channel
and prevent the advance of the enemys
feet. At low stages of the river these
wrecks now impede navigation, th ough
they do not entirely prevent the pa, sage
of steamers. A recent visit to the To-
cality enables US to give the follo' Ting
account of the situation:
In the Upper Tallahatchie river, and
one hundred and twenty miles from its
mouth, at Jarmyn's, lies the wreck of he
Cotton Plant, formerly Flora Tempt e.
She was burned where she lies in July,
1868, and is no obstruction to naviga
tion.
At Sam. Evans place. sixty miteI
lower down, the wreck of the Hartford
City lies close to the bank, and cut of
passing steamers way.
At Fort Pemberton, six miles ab owe
the entrance of the Tallshatche into the
Yszoo, the wreck of the famous ste am
ship Star of the West lies, where she was
scuttled and sunk, directly in. the middle
of the river, and dangerous obstrn' ,tion
to passing steamers. The engine walk
ing-beam, greatly Injured by rust, and
one weather beaten wheelhouse of this
monster steamship, stand high above 'he
level of the river to warn epproachi ug
vessels from above or below, that they
must give the wreck as wide berth
possible. The channel at this point ad'
mits only few spare feet on either eide,
while the current is as swift as mill-l:ace,
and pilots must exercise their best care
and skill to make the run successf ully.
The Star of the West, it will be reuiem-
bered, was driven to sea, off Charlie ston
herbor, by Confederate batteries, when
making an effort to provision Fort Sum
ter, and caused the firing of the e. IN of
the war She was sfterward capture of
Galveston, Texas, by Van Dorm al I'd
marty of Confederates under him, car ried
into New Orleans aud finally up the
Yezoo. She was an unlucky vessel. and
never did the Confederstes any good ex-
cent to entail expense in caring for h.r.
The blackened hulk and rusty, weather
beaten machinery may lie for ages in
their present position fitting smblea of
her useless career.
Up the Yalabusho, one mile from its
mouth, lies the wreck of the Ferd Ken
nett once fine St.. Louis and New
Orleans steamer, scuttled and burned in
1868 Navigation ia unimpeded by thle
wreck.
The Ell. ]. Gray, another elegant St.
Louis steamer, lies directly at the mouth
of the Tallahaichie and Ysllahushe, close
to the eastern bank of the Yazoc-
Annie space is sfforded passing steamers.
A mile and half below lies the wreck
of the Acadia, in times AETE.BELLUM b
favorite and well known New Orleans
and coast packet. Her wreck lies
directly in the middle of the river
Sieamers must feel their way carefully
when passing by.
The remains Of the Mary E Keene,
once the pride Of Vicksburg packets, are
at French Bend, fourteen miles below
Greenwood. The wreck is close against
the hank, and is no obstruction TO navi-
cation. =,
Al Brownins's bar, twenty-five miles
helow Greenwood, four wrecks lie side by
side bows down stream, 10 the exact po-
sition whore they were sunk to prevent
the ascent of the Federal heets. The
Scotland is near the western bank, next
the Golden Age, then the X. ): Lakeland, !
and on the eastern bank the John Walsh |
is PLANTED. These wrecks are all plain to |
view, except the Golden Age, from under
which the sand has washed, causing the |
wreck to settle so far beneath that steam
ers pass directly over her without danger.
The great Natchez, one OF the finest |
steamers ever constructed, ana converted /
into ram, was burned and destroyed
with twelve hundred bales Of cotton on
board st Burtonia, eighty miles above
Yszoo City. -.
nineteen miles of Yazoo City, is the
wreck of the Peytons ten miles below is
the Prince of Wales. The j. F. Pargoud,
regarded BY many boatmen as without
superior in point Of symmetry and beau
", hes three miles farther down.
The Magenta and Magnolia, both OF
huss size and capacity, lie SIX miles
above Yasoo City. Just below lies s
Federal un.elsd gunbOat, the Number 81