The National tribune., 1901-12-12

Deer Greek. During the 10Th | heard the
heavy navy guns booming more frequently
| than seemed consistent with mere guerrlIla
operations, and on that night ! got mes
| sage from Porter, written on tissue paper
/ brought me through the swamp by negro,
who had it concealed in piece of tobacco
THE Admiral stated that he had met a
force of infantry and artillery, which gave
him great trouble by killing the men who
| 3ad to expose themselves outside the iron
armor to shove off the bows Of the boats,
which had so little headway that they
| would not steer. He begged me to come
to his rescue as quickly as possible. Giles
| 4. Smith had only about 500 men with
him, but | ordered him to start up Deer
Greek at once, crossing to the east side by
an old bridge at Hills plantation, which
we had repaired for the purpose, to work
| his way up to the gunbOat feet, and to
report to the Admiral that / would come
up with every man | could raise as soon
| as possible. / was almost alone at Hills,
but took a canoe, padded down Black Ba-
you to the gunboat Price, and there, luck
| lily, found the Silver Wave with load Of
| men just arrived from Gwin's plantation
Taking some of the parties who were at
work along the bayou into an empty coal
| barge, we tugged it up by a navy tug,
| followed by the Silver Wave, crashing
| through the trees, carrying away pilot
| house, smoke-stacks, and everything above
deck. But the Captain tMcMillan, of
| Pittsburgh was a brave fellow and real
lied the necessity. The night was abso-
luteIy black, and we could only make two
and half of the four miles We then
disembarked and marched through the
canebrake, carrying lighted candles in our
| hands, till we got into the open cotton
| fields at Hills plantation, where we lay
| down for few hours rest. These men
were a part OF Giles 4. Smiths brigade,
and part belonged TO the brigade of T.
| Kilby Smith, the senior officer present be
| ing Lieut.-COl. Rice, 57th Ohio, an ex-
cellent young officer. We had no horses.
ION Sunday morning, March q, as soon
as daylight appeared, we started, follow
| ing the same route which Giles A. Smith
had taken the day before; the battalion Of
the 18th u. S. Regulars. Mai. Chase, in
he lead. We could hear Portcr's guns
and knew that the moments were pre-
| cious. Being on foot myself, no man could
complain, and We generally went at the
| double-quick, with occasional rests. The
road lay along Deer Creek. passing sew
| eral plantations, and occasionally, at the
| bends, il crossed the swamp. where the
water came above my hips. The smaller
| drummer-boys had 10 curry their drums on
| heir heads. and most of the men slung
heir cartridge-boxes around their necks.
n
| heir general and field officers afOOt, but
| we gave them fair specimen Of march
| ing, accomplishing about 2l miles by noon.
| Of course, our speed was acceler-
| Gted by the sound of the navy
] guns, which became more and more
| tiStinct, though we could see nothing. At
I j plantation near some Indian mounds wo
met detachment of the Sth Mo, that had
been up 10 the feet, and had been sent
down as a picket 10 prevent any obstruc
/ tions below. This picket reported that
Admiral Porter bad found Deer Greek bud
" obstructed, had turned back; that there
| was a rebel force beyond the feet with
some six-pounders and nothing between us
and the feet SO sat down on the
door-sill Of cabin TO rest. but had not
been seated 10 minutes when, in the
wood just ahead of me. not 300 yards off.
| heard quick and rapid firing of musketry.
Jumping up, | ran mp tie road and found
Iieut.-Col. Rice. who said the head of his
column had struck small force Of rebels
with a working gang of negroes. provided
with AK who on the first fire had broken
and run back into the swamp. / ordered
Rice to deploy his brigade. his left on the
road and extending as far into the swamp
as the ground would permit, and then Ia
sweep forward until he uncovered the gun
boats. The movement was rapid and well
executed. and we soon came to some large
cotton-heldS ana could see our EunDoats III
Deer Creek, occasionally firing a heavy
eight-inch gun across the cotton field into
the swamp behind About that time q
Maj. Kirby of the Sth No, galloped down
the road on horse he had picked up the
night before, and met me. He explained
the situation of affairs and offered me his
horse. got on bareback and rode up the
levee, and sailors coming out of their iron
clads and cheering most vociferously as
/ rada hv md N ewQnf fNrUa I'd