The National tribune., 1892-09-22
AT YICKSBURG.
A Comrade Gives the Date Haynes Bluff
was Evacuated.

"A CoBlraue UlveS the Date haynes ASiuh
was Evacuated.
TN your issue Of june 16 appeared an article
Haynes Bluffs" by Comrade Parr. Not
l. having read the previous one OF Feb q,
/ am only able to give Comrade Parr
one answer to hisqnestion of when did the two
companies of Herberts Brigade abandon the
works?" Our division (Gen. Steele's), of Eff
teenth Corps, deployed on the evening Of the
18th Of May close to The outer works of Vicks-
burg. On the morning, early, of the 10Th the
Confederates had withdrawn to their main
works and allowed US to advance to coop them
in on the right clear down to the Mississippi
River About O'Clock our Signal officers at
tempted to catch on" to our feet, which was
in plain sight at the mouth of the Yazoo, but in
vain, for our signals were not answered. Gen.
Badeau then ARR we'd, and consulted with Gen.
Steele, and advised him to send some one across
the Chckasaw and swamp to the Yazoo and
down to Admiral Porter, while our cavalry
would endeaVor to get through to Haynes
Bluff to meet our gunboats.
The late Comrade p. Carberg, of the 18th Mo-,
heard the conversation, and volunteered to go
across, but as he was not commissioned
officer, could not carry the desired dispatch. he
therefore came to me, and we volunteered to
go, as we were both good swimmers. After
few minutes of preparations we started, swan
across the old river bed, bayous, swamps, ETC.,
reaching the Yazoo about p. m. An old canoe
that wouldn't float was abandoned, and we
tramped along the river the best we could, when
all at once the gunboat Baron de Kalb turned
around a corner coming down the river. We
both were taken ON board. Stating our mission,
and halipg tugboat went aboard of that
to hurry and report to Admiral Porter, while
the Baron de Kalb with Comrade Carberg
steamed again up the Yazoo River to meet our
cavalry at Haynes Bluff. At that time the
navy was not aware of any evacuation OF
Haynes Bluff nor of any of our doings around
vicksburg. They hailed the good news We
brought them with delight.
Upon my arrival on board the flagship Ad-
miral Porter received me most royalty and was
astonished to hear Of Gen. Grants success in
investing Vicksburg. l gave him all the news
] had and he then gave orders at once for the
fleet to proceed up the Yazoo (This accounts for
the comrades countermarch.) l was placed on
board the Petrol capt. Brown commanding
with the Signal officers aboard, when we
foated down within range OF the rebel guns,
and they made good use Of US as target. We
then signaled to our men on shore, which &C.
complished, we returned to Young's Point I'M
harmed.
learned later that the cavalry officer with
further dispatches arrived between and 5
o'clock the same day; 80 Haynes Bluff could
not have been abandoned on the 18th, but on
the 10th, for Comrade Carberg and myself
n0tlceo lew rebel cavalry near the Oiu
saw mill on our tramp, which made us keep to
the woods, and so out of sight, until We had
crossed the old bed of the river, where we were
safe from horsemen at least
/ have documents showing that Admiral
Porter received from me the very first news of
our great battles of Champion Hill, Jackson,
and on the Big Black River, and his immediate
relief of our needs of bareback and ammuni-
tion on the Goth of May in the morning showed
his hearty cooperation with our great captain,
Gen. q. 8. Grant.-JoHN g. LANGGuTH, Cap
tain, 18th No., 80 Madison street. Chicago, Ill.