The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-01-01
IFrom the n. o. Picayune.l
Interesting "Reminiscences of ths
War.

Numerous vessels, owned chiefly by
Southern boatmen, sought refuge in the
streams named. As the Federals forced
SOutherners backward in their determined
effort to capture and control the Missisip-
pl and Its tributaries on the eastern side,
steamers huddled closer together like so
many frightened sheep. Finally, when it
was found impossible to save them from
capture, the torch was applied, and great
havoc resulted. Thirty-three steamers
were given to the flames, among them
many Of the largest, heetest and cOstliest
that ever fioated 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 after
by the dense clouds of black smoke that
| hung like 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 enemy's
fleet 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 local.
ty enables us to give the following ac-
count of the situation:
In the Upper Tallahatchie River, and
120 miles from its mouth at Jarmyn's.
lies the wreck Of the Cotton Plant, for
merly Flora Temple She was burned
where she lies in July, 1868, and is no OBJ
struction to navigation
At Sam Evans's place, sixty miles low
er down, the wreck of the Hartford City
lies close to the bank, and out of passing
steamers way
At Fort Pemberton, six miles above the
entrance of the Tallahatchie into the va
zoo, the wreck of the famous steamship
Star of the West lies where she scuttled
and sunk, directly in the middle of the
river, and dangerous obstruction to pas
sing steamers. The engine walking-beam,
greatly injured by rust, and one weather.
beaten wheel-house of this monster steam
ship, stand high above the level of the
river, to warn approaching vessels from
above or below that they must give the
wreck as wide berth as possible The
channel at this point admits only few
spare feet on either side, while the cur
rent is swift as a mill-race, and pilots
make the run successfully. The Star of
the West, it will be remembered was
driven to sea, off Charleston harbor, by
Confederate batteries, when making an
effort to provision Fort Sumter, and caus-
ed the firing of the first gun of the war
She was afterwards captured off Calves
ton, Texas, by Van Dorm and party of
Confederates under him, carried into
New Orleans, and finally up the Yazoo.
She was an unlucky vessel, andnever did
the Confederates any good, except to en-
tail expense in caring for her. The
blackened hulk and rusty, weather-beat-
en- machinery may lie for ages in their
present position, a fitting emblem of her
useless career.
Up the Yallabusha, one mile from its
mouth, lies the wreck of the Ferd. Ken
net, once fine St. Louis and New Or
leans steamer, scuttled and burned in
1868. Navigation is unimpeded by this
wreck.
The Ed. j. Gay, another elegant St.
Louis steamer, lies directly at the mouth
of the Tallahatchie and Yallabusha, close
to the eastern bank of the Yazoo. Am
ele space is afforded passing steamers.
A mile and half below lies the wreck
of the Acadia, in times ante bellum a fav-
orite and well known New Orleans and
| Coast packet. Her wreck lies directly in
the middle of the river. Steamers must
| feel their way carefully when passing by.
/ The remains of the Mary +. keene,
once the pride of Vicksburg packets, are
at French Bend, fourteen miles below
| Greenwood The wreck is close against
the band, and is no obstruction to navi-
CATION.
AT Browning's Bar, twenty-five miles
below Greenwood, four wrecks lie side by
| side, bows down stream, in the exact pO-
sition where they were sunk to prevent
the ascent of the Federal fleets. The
Scotland is near the western bank, next
the Golden Age, then the X. j. Lack
| land. 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,
CO using the wreck to settle so far beneath
that steamers pass directly over her with
out danger
The great Natchez, one of the finest
steamers ever constructed, and converted
into a ram, was burned and destroyed
with 1900 bales of cotton on board at Bur
tonia, eighty miles above Yazoo City.
! Sixty miles farther down, and within
nineteen of Yazoo City, is the wreck O
the Peytona; ten miles below Is the
Prince of Wales. The j. +. Pargoud
regarded by many boatmen as without
superior in point or symmetry and beau
tv, lies three miles farther down.
The Magenta and Magnolia, both Of
huge size and capacity, lie six miles above
Yazoo City. Just below lies a Fedora
tin-clad gunboat, the Number 5, captur
ed and destroyed here by the Confeder
ates.
The Baron DeKalb, Federal iron-clad
was blown up and destroyed by torped,
half mile below Yazoo City. The Con
federate gunboat Mobile was burned neal
the same spot. Both wrecks lie out O
the channal. The Republic and Alenz
Child lie near here, their machinery hav
ing first been removed to Selma, Ala
where it was afterwards placed in Cor
federate gunboats.
A Liverpool Landing, some twent
miles below Yazoo City, several vessel
were scuttled and burned. Among then
was the famous Capitol, owned at Mem
phis. and which, during the summer o
1850, made thirteen successive week.,
trips between Memphis and New Orleans
) The gunboat V. III. Joy also lives here
E First as the Roger Williams, noted 70
0 speed in New England waters, then
: the Ell Paraguay, South American gun
, boat, again as a towboat, towing ship
t between New Orleans and the Cult, the
e transformed into Confederate war We
n sci and as Hollins's flag ship, maxim
K rapid dashes in front of the enemy saoor