The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-05

resented Granite Interference. and endeavorod
TO carry on q campaign on the lower Mississippi
untrnmmelied by Grants superior authority.
Later, by authority Of Con. Hallsck. Grant went
down tho river and assumed personal COM
mand Of all the operations against vicksburg.
greatly reinforcing tho army, thus again
RELOCATING McClcrnand to q secondary part.
Naturally this condition of affairs had tended
to prejudice tho othor officers Of the army, who
were generally friendly TO Grant, against Mo
Clornand, and when II was known that he ives
10 lead tho advance in the new campaign there
WINS q strong protest. sherman and Porter. par
ticulariy. believed II . mistake, and talked
frankly with me about It. Ono night whom We
had ali gathered ut Grants headquarters and
were talking over the campaign very freely, -
vo wore accustomed to do, both Sherman and
Porter protested against the arrangements
But Grant would not DO changed. McClcrnand,
he said, was exceedingly DESTROYS Of the com.
mand. He was the senior Of the other corps conn-
manders. He was an especial favorite OF the
President, and tho position which his corps 90
| cupied on the ground whom the movement was
FIRST projected was such that the advance
| naturally fell to its lot. Besides, McClernand
| had entered z~ealously into the plan from the
nrst, while Sherman had doubted and critioisedt
and McPherson. who commanded the Seven
teenth Corps, and whom Grant said he would
really have much preferred, was away at Lake
Providence, and, though he had approved Of the
scheme, he had taken no active part in 1t. W
believed the assignment OF this duty to MO
Clernand to be 30 dangerous that i added my
expostulation to those of tho Generals, and in
reporting the case to Mr.. Stanton I said: !
have demonstrated so far as I could properly do
90 against intrusting DO momentous an oporer
ton to McClernand." 4
Mr.. Stanton replied: Allow mo to suggest
that you carefully avoid giving any advice in,
respect to commands that may DO assigned, ~
It may lead to misunderstanding and trouble!
some complications" OF course, after that, !
scrupulously observed his directions, even in
extreme cases.
As tho days went on everybody, in spite Of
this hitch, became moro sanguine that the new
project would succeed. For my own part ]
had not o doubt Of 1t, as one can see from this
fragment written from Milliken's Bond on April
IS to one Of my friends:
Like all who really know tho facts, I feel no
sort of doubt that we shall before long get the
nut cracked. Probably before this letter reaches
New York, on its way to you, the telegraph will
get ahead Of 1t with the news that Grant, mask
ing VicksburR. deemed impregnable by its deI
Tenders, has carried the bulk OF his army down.
the river, through q cutoff which he has opened
without the enemy believing It could be doneb
has occupied Grand Gulf. taken Port Hudsops
and, effecting o junction with the forces OF
Banks, has returned up tho river to threaten
jackson and compel the enemy to como out Of
vicksburg and fight him on ground Of his own
choosing. or course this scheme may miscarrJ
in whole or in parts; but as yet the chances all
favor its execution, which is now Just ready to
Begin
RUNNING THE vICKsBURG BATTERIES. =
Admiral Porter's arrangements for carrying out
the second part Of Grants scheme-that Is. run
ming the Vicksburg batteries-wero completed
by April 16 1861. the ironclads and steamers
being protected in vulnerable parts by bulwarks
Of hay, cotton, and sandbags, and the bargegi
loaded with forage. coal, and the camp equipA
ment Of Gen. McClernand's corps, which was all
ready at New Carthage. Admiral Porter was tos
20 with the expedition on a small tug. and hea
invited me to accompany him; but / felt that I
ought not to get out Of my communications, and
go refused. Instead / Joined Grant on his head
quarters boat, which was stationed ON the right
bank Of the river. where, from the bows, we
could sec the squadron as it started, and could
follow its course until it was nearly past Vicks-
burg.
Just before 10 o'clock on the night of April 10
the squadron cast loose from its mornings. ID
was q strange scene. First one big black mass
detached itself from the shore, and we saw 10
float out toward the middle Of the stream.
There was nothing to DO seen except this black
mass, which dropped slowly down the river.
Soon another black mass detached itself, then
another. and another. 1t was Admiral Porter's
feet of ironclad turtles. steamboats,, and barges.
They foated down the Mississippi darkly and
silently, showing neither steam nor light, save
occasionally a signal astern, where the enemy
could not SEQ 1t.
The vessels moved at intervals of about 200
yards. First came seven ironclad turtles and
one heavy-armed ram; following these were
two side-wheel steamers and one stern wheel.
having twelve barges in tow; these barges car
ried the supplies. Far astern of them was one
carrying ammunition. The most of the gun.
boats had already doubled the tongue of land
which stretches northoasterly in front of Vicks.
burg. and they were Immediately under the
guns of nearly all tho Confederate batteries.
when there was n flash from the enemy's uppeP
forts. and then for an hour and n half the can
nonade was terrific, raging necessarily along the
limo OF about four miles in extent. / counted
525 discharges. Early in the action the enemy
set fire to n franc building in front of Vicks-
burg to light uD the scene and direct his fire.
About l2:45 A. NJ, ono of our steamera
Henry Clay. took fire and burned for three
quarters of an hour. The Henry Clay was
lost by being abandoned by her Captain and
crew in a panic. they thinking her to be sinking.
The pilot refused to 60 with them. and said if
they would stay they would get her through
safe. After they had fed in the yawls the cot.
ton bales on her deck took fire, and ono wheel
became unmnnagcablc. The pilot then ran her
aground, and got upon q plank. from which hs
was Picked up four miles below.
The morning after Admiral Porter had run
the VicksburG batteries 1 went with Gen. Grant
to New Carthage to review the situation. We
found tho squadron there, all In fighting con.
dition. though most of them had been hit. Noh
a man had been lost.
GRANT CHANGES HIS HEADQUARTERS.
A few days afterthe running of tho Vicksbun~
batteries Gen. Grant changed his headouarter1
to Smiths plantation. near New Carthage. An
of McClernand's corps. the Thirteenth, was nov
thore' and that officer said 10. ZOO men would bs
READY 10 move IRON New Carthage tho next day.
McPhersoD's corps. which had been buav -
the Iake Drnuidanca nrnaai.I.--