The National tribune., 1896-11-26
SHERMAN'S MEMOIRS.
CONTINUED from first page.)

posed to do, and he said he wanted to
get out of that scrape as quickly as pos
sible. He was actually working back
! when met him, and, as We then had a
| sufficient force to cover his movement
completely, he continued to back down
Deer Greek. He informed me at one
time things looked so critical that he had
made up his mind
TO BLOW UP THE GUNBoATs,
and to escape with bis men through the
swamp to the Mississippi River. There
being no longer any sharpshooters to
bother the sailors, they made good pro-
gress; still, it took three full days for the
fleet to back out of Deer Creek into
Black Bayou, at Hills Plantation,
whence Admiral Porter proceeded to his
post at the mouth of the Yazoo, leaving
Capt Owen in command of the fleet. l
reported the facts to Gen. Grant, who was
sadly disappointed at the failure of the
fleet to get through to the Yazoo above
Haines's Bluff, and ordered us all to re-
sumo our camps at Young's Point. We
accordingly steamed down, and regained
our camps on the 9th. As this ex-
pedition up Deer Creek was but one Of
many efforts to secure footing from
which to operate against Vicksburg, |
add the report of Brig. Gen. Giles A.
Smith, who was the first to reach the
fleet:
GEN. SMITHS REPORT.
HEADQUARTERS FIRST BRIGADE, sEcoND)
DIVISION, FIFTEENTH CORPS, YoUSG's
POINT, La, March %, 1863.
Capt. L. NJ. DAYTON, Assistant Adjutant-G en-
erai.
CAPTAIN: have the honor to report the
movements of the First Brigade in the expedi-
tion mp Steele's Bayou, Black Bayou. and Deer
Creek.
The 9Th Mo- and 10th Ill. regiments en-
barked at the mouth of Muddy Bayou on the
evening of Thursday, the 18th OF March. and
proceeded up Steele's Bayou to the mouth of
Black; thence up Black Bayou to HilPs plan
tatioD, at its junction with Deer Creek, where
| we arrived On Friday at o'clock p. M, and
joined the 9Th Mo-. Lieut.-Col. Coleman COM
mandipg, which had arrived at that point two
days before. Gen. Sherman had also established
9Th No. in q tug, with no other escort than two
or three of his staff, reconBoteriDg all the
different bayous and branches thereby greatly
facilitating the movements of the troops, but at
the same time exposing himself beyond prece-
dent in Commanding General. At O'Clock
of Saturday morning the goth instant, zen.
Sherman having received a communication
| from Admiral Porter at the mouth of Rolling
Fork, asking for a speedy cooperation OF the
land forces with his feet, / was ordered by
Gen. Sherman to be ready, with all the available
force at that point, to accompany him to his
relief; but before starting it was arranged that
/ should proceed with the force at hand 300
| mem, while he remained, again entirely un-
| protected. to hurry mp the troops expected to
arrive that night. consisting of the 18th and
| 13Otl, ILL.,. completing my brigade. and the Sec
ond Brigade Col. T. KiIby Smith commanding.
| This as the sequel showed, proved a
VERY WISE MEASURE,
and resulted in the safety of the whole feet.
| At daybreak we were in motion, with regular
/ guide. We had proceeded about six miles,
when we found the enemy bad been very busy
| telling trees to Obstruct the creek.
| All the negroes along the route had been
notified to be ready at nj ghtfall to continue the
work. To prevent this rs much as possible. /
ordered all able bodied negroes to be taken
| along, and warned some of the principal in
habitants that they would be held responsible
| for any more distractions being placed across
| the creek. We reached the Admiral about 4
! o'clock p. M, with no opposition save my ad-
| vance-guard (Co A, 9th No. being fired into
| from the opposite side of the creek, killing one
man, and slightly wounding another; having
no way Of crossing, we bad to content our
selves with driving them beyond musket- range.
Proceeding with as little loss of time as posi-
| ble found the feet obstructed in front by
| fallen trees, in rear by sunken coal-barge, and
| surrounded by large force of rebels with an
abundant supply Of artillery, but wisely keep
I ing their main force out of range OF the Ad-
| mirals guns. Every tree and stump covered a
sharpshooter, ready to pick off any luckless
marine who showed his head above decks, and
| entirely preventing the working parties from
removing distractions.
| In pursuance of orders from Gen. Sherman,
reported to Admiral Porter for orders, who
| turned over to me all the land forces ia his
| feet (about $50 men), together with two how
| itzers, and was instructed by him to retain a
sufficient force to clear out the sharpshooters,
and to distribute the remainder along the creek
| for six or seven miles below. to prevent any
more Instructions being placed in it during the
night. This was speedily arranged. our skir-
| mishers capturing three prisoners. Immediate
steps were new taken to remove the coal barge,
which was accomplished about daylight on
| Sunday morning, when the feet moved back
| toward Black Bayou. By o'clock p. m. we
| had only made about six miles, owing to the
| large number of trees to be removed; at this
point. where our progress was very slow, we
| discovered
A LONG LINE OF THE ENEMY
| filing along the edge of the woods, and taking
position on the creek below US. and about one
| mile ahead of our advance. Shortly after. they
opened fire on the gunboats from batteries be-
! hind the cavalry and infantry. The boats not
only replied to the batteries which they soon
sileneed, but poured destructive fire into their
lines Heavy skirmishing was also heard in our
| 'front.' supposed to be by three companies from
the 9Th and 9th Mo-, whose position, taken the
previous night to guard tho creek, was beyond
the point reached by the enemy, and conse-
quentIy liable to be cut off or captured. Capt.
Owen of the Louisville. the leading boat, made
every effort to 60 through the distractions and
aid in the rescuing of the men. / ordered Maj
Kirby, with four companies of the 9th Mo-, for
ward with two companies deployed. He soon
met Gen. Sherman, with the 18th and 113th
ILL.,, driving the enemy before them, and open
ing communication along the creek with the
gunboats. Instead of our three companies re.
ferred to as engaging the enemy, Gen. Sherman
XX/HV NJ