Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-03-13
TERRITORY, nvnNNa MARCH 49, 1886

ed it's connection between Moon lake
and the Coldwater, and the Yazoo pass
was established. The Mississippi, how.
ever, was not at full flood, and it was
deemed advisable to await aqueous rein
forcements sure to come when more
northern waters were released from the
grasp OF winter. Our command had in
the meantime embarked on steamers at
Memphis and had been transported
down the Mississippi to point near
Lake Providence, Louisiana, were We
were roosting about in the water of that
overtiowed region and awaiting the slow
progress of events with the most cheer
less concern that could possibly descend
upon congregation of featherless BIZ
peds under the rude discipline of an en-
forced waterfowl act.
After series OF tribulations which
none OF us will probably ever forget,
transports were furnished and we were
taken Up the Mississippi to point near
Helena, Arkansas. river journey OF
twenty-eight hours, where we were
landed on the only visible dry
spot, which was a low bar,
surrounded by water, afrording
US only crowded accommodations. Hers
We remained ten days and finally our
brigade was loaded upon small trans
ports and We steamed across the Missis-
sippi to try the uncertain venture OF the
Yazoo pass. This WAS on the oath OF
March.
Our fleet had been especially selected
for the perils OF it's forest pathway. Ite
boats were small and oil stern wheelers
except one, and that one was tub OF q
side,wheel craft named the Tecumseh,
| fat, short and unwieldy. I dwell upon
the obiectional features of the Tecumseh,
because fate aud the orders of the com.
manding general placed the section oi
the battery to which l belonged, to-
gether with the tenth Missouri infantry
regiment, on board that boat, and the
horrors of the cruise were thereby mater
tally augmented. The first exploit OF
the Iecumseh after leaving the Misssis
sippi was not reassuring. Our pilot head,
ed her tenderly for the cut IN the levee
and she won't through tho hole in the
bank with display of marine style
which seemed to command the admira
ton of the balance of the feet
But an instant later the
Tecumseh struck the watery down grade
of the pass and started for the timber
off at one side with the speed of rail
road train. Adopting the waltz move
ment, her larboard guard collided witt
a big sycamore tree and the rebount
, sent her into cottonwood grove fort,
rods away, where she hung up will
rudder unshipped and her upper work.
partially crushed in. In the course oI
time the boat was disentangled and dur
, ing the early evening We reached Moor
lake. where the feet had repdezvoused
; and noses were duly counted. We wer,
all there, Tecupaseh, with the rest. Dur
ing the night her wounds were dressed
and in the morning she was ready fol
business again.
The following morning the fleet lef
, Moon lake and headed for the Gold
water river, across the country, through
the woods. That was literally our route
We looked down upon an occasiona
plantation, with it's well sweep ant
cabin roofs protruding from the waite,
but there was no land in sight. Th,
timber growth was dense and the tree
, large and strong. To further embaras
our movements the confederates hai
felled numerous trees Ia such q way tina
they reclined across our pathway an,
these were serious impediments. M.
diary entry of that first day out of Moor
lake is condensed volume OF tsials ant
tribnlstions. 1t says:
The Tecumseh tonight is demoralizet
> In appearance. A large section of he
upper deck is torn away, the gnarc
| along one side is smashed in and the star
board wheelhouse is completely de
molished. The paddle wheels are botl
fit for use and the whole boat has mucl
3 fthe appearance OF q floating wreck.
f This was the result of one day of tre
: climbing III steamboat. The othel
transports OF the fleet escaped will
!, much less damage, ,as they were of smalls
dimensions and were easily handled
: So we laborlously threaded the intrica
9 cies of the forest pass. slowly pushing o.
from tree to tree, from plantation
9 crawling through the stubborn under
o growth, leaving fragments of%our boat
t in the branches Of the overhanging tin
r Der, crushing wheel here and rudde
q there, laying up for repairs and moyin
n on again with labored strokes, and a
d about us the everlasting, unending, i,
o ternmabls waste of water and Can
II brake and gum trees and sycamore
d There were q dozen boats in the iiee
10 which conveyed our brigade and anoth'
Q, brigade was ahead of us on other tran
le ports. We were conveyed by few ire
a clads, mortar boat and several woode
N gunboats of the "Musquito feet" o.
ar advance had encountered some arm'
r. opposition near Moon lake and coup
r. OF half sunken steamers told the tale
r. q conflict.
,r We were three days in travsrsing t
@ fifteen miles of the pass and the Col
n water river was reached on the evelair