The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1892-04-22

NAP SHOWING scxNE or OPERATIONS.
cary. Below Youngs Point the Missis-
sippi makes s1l AIvn bend. flows north
east four or i've nlil@s. when II turns
abruptly and rims the same distance
toward the southwest BY this curve
narrow peninsrla l. formed Of The
Louisiana shore. winch stretches ont in
Inc shape Of tongue little more than 4
mile in width Opposite the lower side
Of the perinsula Is the city Of vicks-
burg. situated on commanding cliffs.
thar rise abruptly 200 feet from the
waters edge. Above the town this range
IL hills strikes the lazoo nearly twenty
miles from It's mouth alI is known -
Walnut Hills
Between Haynes ElrH. which Is twelve
miles above the town. and Warrenton.
seven miles below. the Coufederates had
mounted twenty eight guns Of heavy
celiler along the river front. all Of
which nal 4 plnnging fire that could
not lie returned from gunboats IN the
river on account Of the extreme eleva-
ron. Rifle pits abounded along the
slol,e. chains We're also stretched and
RATS mo0rei across the lazoo. SO that
direct assault WAS impracticahle. In the
rear of Nicksburg ravines creeks and
tayOus also presen ted equally admirable
facilities for defense. AT Grand Gulf.
fifty miles below vicksburg. was an
other fertilization. and still another was
located al Port Hudson. 80 miles from
the sea Grants forces III Young's Point
and vicinity consisted Of $1,000 men
The plan e.sasred BY Grant cannot be
more clearly described than in his letter
20 Halleck: There l. system Of bayous
running frnm the river near this point
(YOungs) Tilt are navigable for large
and small steamers passing around lBy
Richmond 70 New Carthage. The
dredxes are now engaged in cutting a
canal into these bayous. am having
al The coal boats aud other barges pre-
pared for carrying troops and artillery.
AMI have written for SIX tugs 10 tow
them With them il viii be easy To
carry supplies 70 New Carthage aud any
point south Of that.
"My exrectaticnis for Some Of the fleet
10 run the batteries Of Vicksburg while
the army moves through BY this new
rcufe. Onre there. will move 70
NArrenton On Grand Gulf. probably the
latter Fromeitherof these points there
are good roads to jackson and the Black
river bridge without crossing Black
river | viii keep my army together and
see to it that am not cut of from my
supplies. or beat III any other way than
fair fight"
The plan was 50 full Of Obstacles that
it was bitterly opposed by his intimate
friends and corps commanders. who
urged that By thus cutting loose from
his communications. failure. If it result
Ell. meant absolute humiliation. But
Grant was decided The evaporation
and drainage Of the swamp on the west
ern side having rendered It possible 70
construct q road and bridges for dis
lance of thirty five miles TO the point
from which It was proposed 70 operate,
the work was promptly begun and lin
ished. On March 20 McCleruand was
ordered 10 take the advance.
Meanwhile Grant determined to risk
sending three steamers and ten barge'
past the batteries. loaded with rafions
and forage, Il being necessary TO have d
supply Of boats below vicksburg for the
purpose " ferrying the troops across the
river The night of the 10th o. Apri
WIS selected for the undertaking. While
seven of Porter's irnnclnds engaged the
batteries the river steamers. protected
BY bales Of cotton and wet hay and tow
ing the barges. were to run the gantlc
Of twcnty-ciglit guns that commanded
the river for over fifteen miles. TIL
transports were manned by volunteer
from the army, the river crews and cap
tains being afraid Of the danger. Porte
led the way.
The night was dark. hut houses set OF
fire on either shore Tade II light as day
Men at the batteries and the crowds II
the streets Of Vicksburg could beplainl,
seen. Every transport was struck. bu
there weri men IN the holds to pres
cotton bags in the fractures made b,
the shots. Two or three transports wer
set on fire and disabled On the gun
boats no one was killed and only eigh
wounded and within half an hour afte
passing the batteries all Of Porters vee
sells were ready for service. On Apr
% a second lcet Of transports and barge
was sent down. half Of which got safcl
by the fortihcations These were quickl
made ready for the purposes for whic
they were Intended.
The Seventeenth corps, under Nc
Pherson. hagspg arrived. Grant now Dc
termincd to attack the works AT Gran
Gnlf Admiral Porter. with his iron
claas. seven m nniahar began the bon
barcsnrnt un the nnraiug ~ the 29t'
nnA Ivi more tlia I'VE hours kept up
vigorous fire, but the position was =