The National tribune., 1901-12-12

y
was high and rain fell almost necessarily.
This great river, after passing Cairo. ILL.,
runs through an alluyial bottom, widening
toward the South, the high grounds on op,
posite sides of the river are from ~
to 30 miles apart; the river winds
through this immense valley, touching the
hills at Columbus. Ky; Memphis, Tenn.
Grand Gulf and Matches, Miss. At va
lious points great bayOus flow out from
the river, a number of these bayous being
navigablc streams. 1t was conceived that
it would be possible to find a route on
some of these streams by which the rear
of Vicksburg could be reached with the
army. There were five different plans
adopted to secure this end. -Ihe hrst one
was to cut canal from Goungs Point TO
the river below, the distance being about
one mile Gen Thomas Williams went up
from New Orleans in 1862 and began the
work of a canal; he cut a ditch about
j. feet deep and about the same width
straight across the point. expecting that
a rise in the river would cause such an
enlargement of his ditch that vessels could
pass through and then get below Nicks-
burg Much work was done on this ditch.
but when the river rose the mouth of the
canal was at an eddy in the river and the
contemplated washout did not occur; be-
sides, the batteries at Warrenton now
commanded the lower end OF the canal.
This work was abandoned.
PRELIMINARY WORK.
An examination was made and consid-
erable work done for a passage through
the bayous at Milliken's Bend and Young g
Point, which connect with a bayou at
Richmond and enter the Mississippi River
N Carthage, about 80 miles above
Grand Gulf; one small steamer and
barge was passed through this line, but a
fall in the river made it impossible.
Gen. Mcpherson, at Lake Providence
undertook TO find a route for steamers by
way of Bayou Baxter. Bayou Mason, the
Tensas. Washita and Red Rivers, and to
this end cut the Mississippi levee at Lake
Providence and flooded the country, but it
was found utterly impracticable to take
the fleet of steamers through that route.
At a point opposite Helena, Ark, there
had formerly been in time of high water
n pass from the Mississippi to Moon
Lake. thence to Coldwater River and the
Tallahatchie into the Yazoo River; steam
boats and fIatboats had been cut off from
this route by a heavy leyee along the
Mississippi River, built by the State.
An expedition was fitted up to try and get
to high ground on the YaZoo above Nlcks-
burg by this route. Gen. Leonard W. Ross
with his division, and Lieut-Commander
W HTS00 NDlllU- Will SUult "Nip
detailed for this expedition. The levee
was cut Feb 2. and the river in good time
made a sufficient breach for the passage
of the vessels. On Feb. "A Gen.
Ross, with his feet Of transports and two
gunboats, steamed through the pass into
Moon Lake and went on their way down
the stream. Gen. Isaac F. Quinby, COM
mander of the Third Division, Seventeenth
Army Corps. was ordered to reinforce Gen.
~ nraiphv Qntarpd
the pass with his command and was sur
nrised to meet Gen. Ross returning from
an unsuccessful expedition. After full
consultation, Gen. Quinby assumed COM
mand of both divisions and decided to
make another attempt with the Increased
force to accomplish the purpose of the
movement This tortuou2 waterway was
again descended for distance Oh NoO
miles.
The streams were narrow, crooked, and
overhung with the boughs of heavy trees;
navigating these small rivers was very te-
dious and attended with frequent injuries
TO the steamboats,. None Of these vessels
made the round trip without incurring in
jury to their chimneys, pilOt-hOuses and
cabins. Anticipating a movement of this
kind, the Confederates had erected forti
fications at Greenwood. where the Yalla-
busha and Tallahatchfe rivers come TO-
gether and from the Yazoo. At this point
the bends of the river are such as to al
most form an island near the junction: the
grCTnd was very low, but little above the
water. and the position was well chosen
for defence and was well manned. 1t
was found impracticable to attack Fort
PembertOn successfully. The gunboats
bombsrded the place without effect, receiv-
ing considerable injury on their part and
losing six men killed and p wounded.
The expedition wen6ed its way back.
There was but little interruption on the
route; the country was greatly overtiowed,
and very few people were found on the
plantations; occasionally the feet would
be fred upon from the bank, but no serious
attack was made during the trip.
/ belonged to Quinby's division. and, of
course was greatly interested in the move
ment. NV regiment, the 18th Ill, had the
steamer La Sale from La Sale, Ill; the
officers and crew were splendid boatmen
and very accommodating men; they made
our trip as pleasant to us as possible, con-
sidering the crowded condition Of the boat.
One morning there was great delay with
the steamers in front of the la Sale, and
l concluded to go ashore and take some
exercise on the land: the regimental Adju-
tant, Lieut.. Duke Nicholson, went ashore
with me.
We were near a plantation residence: the
owner of the place was at home; we met
him and had considerable conversation
with him. He was evidently man Of
intelligence and education. and although
somewhat reserved, treated us with great
pOliteness. There was something abou.
the man that seemed familiar, but | could
not recall ever having seen him before
and did not ask his name I walked on
down the bayou, but had not proceeded far
when Lieut.. Nicholson called to me and
beckoned for me to return. The gentle
man had asked my name and at once rec
ogniZed it. | found that the Mississippi
planter was none other than James l.. Al
corn. who was born at GoIconda. H.
raised in Livingston County, KY. just
across the river. and was an old friend Of
my fathers family. / had not met him
since | was a youth. He had moved tn
Mississippi, had been Governor of the
State, and was then at home awaiting the
outcome of the war. Our interview was
indeed, an agreeable incident of the expe-
dition. Governor Alcorn was, after the
war, elected to the United States Senate
from Mississippi as q Republican and
served with honor. In his early manhood
he often visited Golconda and was guest
at my fathers home. His father. James
AlcOrn. was alsG at one time citizen OF
Illinois. but removed to Kentucky, where
he lived and died.
TRYING THE BAYoUs.
/ took full notes of the Yazoo Pass ex-
pedition. preserving an account of every
important incident. The observations made
by me during the expedition satisfied me
that it was utterly impossible TO find q
route between Memphis and Vicksburg
across the great Yuzoo Valley for the
passage of an army either by land ar