Year: 1862

EEQ90SctoS-W


Acco~patsA- Why II Fdilsd-7hs White River Cosshy--


ne Reseis KSow Of Our Csmins-Gen. Steele Again in


Command-Gen. Carr in 81. Louts-Arriral Of Ne0


hoops, DC.


The great expedition Of which wrote you hastily from


the mouth Of White river has all returned this place
The advance guard reached hore yesterday evening" the
rear boats on one Of which your correspondent
rived this afternoon. The gunboats now coming up
the river being just In sight THIS is different termina
ton Of the affair from what promised in my last letter.
and as surprising to me IL viii be to you when you
In possession or all the facts relating to IT, Viewed in
almost any light II 10 complete failure; and yet it not
without compensa,ing benefits offset the mortia
cation which every Union man. favor OF an ener
getic and vigorous prosecution Of the war, must
feel at It's result. II followed by no sue
cess; but that, am confident, is owing to cir.
cumstances which were alike beyond foresight
ana control. The real point Of destination
mas not yet been diyuged TO the officers In
mand OF regiments and brgades; and, though have
very positive impression OF intended hardly
think u polite TO make II public than the generals
In command have At TO do.


From the size OF the force9 500 infantry 500 cavalry
and several batteries of artleryt evident enough
that heavy work anticipated | have alreadv. in
several former communications stated the strength and
positions Of the rebel forces in this State according 10 tho
latest and best information the possession or Tho mill


ary authorities Of this district che location and
extent Of the Notifications erected by them From hese
statements shrewd guess may easily be made as to
whore were to 60 and what to do can only
say that with all these data it IS not easy astray
Whatever was proposed we did not carry II out The
primary Of this failure was, have advised you
tho Of sufficient White river bar TO enable
to pass IT, This misfortune which, though IL
might have been foreknown by unusual and, may say



cpae Everywhere else there abundance Of water
in the river and even here had every there
the Old river men familiar With these waters
were positive that there would be fall in the water
until spring. and such thought as failure for that
allowed place in the minds Of those planning
the expedition There also other things which could
be accomplished In the event Of any unexpected failure in
the main enterprise. Why some Of these not under
taken will be seen in the course Of this letter.


At the close OF my last communication stated that
one Of boats would return Helena and that The re-
mainder would probably 90 down the river That was
indeed the generally expressed opinion and belief but the
result failed TO justify my too confident prediction The
one boat did return but he others did not 20 down tho
river, with the exception OF the Rocket which went as
far as Napoleon without meeting with any adventure
seeing anything worthy Of note After backing Of
White river, Wednesday morning, the leo proceeded
up sroam 10 point some six miles above Montgoinery's
Point and about ten miles from the mouth OF White river
where awaited the return OF tho cavalry from
trip Of thirty miles or so across the country 10 Prairie
Landing. That night they in and by noon OF
Thursday were all on board, ready Tor move
new direction Tho time thus spent occupied by the
generals and commanding officers in consultation TO
what should be done was present few moments in
Gen. Hoveys headquarters, and found him, with Gen.
Washburn and half dozen coonols, very busy with map
and chart, engaged In animated conference did not
remain until its close but understood that plan OF ope-
ratons had been agreed upon and that there pros
pec OF yet seeing something worth witnessing and de-
scribrg


In the meantime however, our despatch boat had re-.
turned and brought positive orders from headquarters for
immediate return Of the whole expedition However
rt. nd finn
tive, and with sorrDwlu hearts prepared to
homeward That evening the boats all dropped
into the stream and anchored preparatory to early
start in the morning 1T afterwards ascertaued that
the long and heavy three days rain had just expe
renced had swollen White rver so that instead OF three
there five feet OF water on the bar but
too late to benefit u.s. Friday morning we steamed up
the river, and after various small delays reached here
safely this afternoon. So ended this expedition bright
promise but barren Of results Beyond tho slaughter
Of every thing edible that came in our way, immense
amount OF inscriminatc stealing ard the burning Of
house or two. actually nothing accomplished. We
did not bale Of cotton and scarcely inhab
tant The benefits compenssting somewhat for this
total failure the from change OF location
nnd the exchange OF months OF comparative inactivity
FOR few days6 action As most Of the boats employed
already under government contract, the money
wasted upon 1t will net form very large sum, from
which some additional comfort may be drawn.


Some knowledge OF the country was also gained, but
il is not country worth knowing God-forsaken
region does not exist in the wide Garth Iuterminsble
swamps and impossible cnebrakes are its only promi
nent characteristics. From Nontgomerys Point,
the Mississippi, TO Prairie landing, on White river,
distance Of thirty five miles, not house, not
man, not an ear OF corn seen Al every step the
horses sank in mre 10 their bellies ard, than ALL
they had morhfu TO eat from the time Of starting
until their return with the exception Of what little
they could extract from the bark Of the Onc
OF the cavalry officers ieelngy remarked TO that
chick dee would starve TO death in sucha country In
less tnan week Along the banks OF the waHe river
il no better For distance OF fifty feet from the
water either side the mud is rom two TO four feet in
depth, presenting almost impossible barrier between
the and The dry land Beyond this there either
q canebrake wild dnmal thckct Of ndescrbahle and
~1.~
late q region have before do not wonder
that gueras and bushwhackers swarm along rs banks
1t t abode for thieves md murderers As repulsivs
and repugnant themselves, it affords convenient,
and, II il animated existence should say,
sympathizing cover for their deeds Of reachey and
crime.


One curious Circumstances to light return
do know that should say curious, either for
only in keeping with the whole history or the II
but Of facts that to show that the rebels
better informed Of our movements than ourselves
are whether this be owing TO their superior sagacty
the wiles Of traitors in midst be left
history and public opnion TO determine The fact wish
TO call attention this On return to Montgomerys
Point we told that, on Monday night, while
lying thero the rebels had tbor pickes but mile
beyond ours, and had had them there for two days.
They had told the Inhabitants that the federals
were coming and thai the boats would be along in day
two II Is interesting question. though Improbable
onenHSw aid they know WI this, The , expedition was Sc
correspondent being left, because he did not
know the exact time OF starting For once be acknow
lodges himself beaten, and he IL ashamed 70 say IT, by
the rebels.


During the absence Of the expedition nothing has trans
pred here. that learn, beyond the arrival OF
regiment or tws and has frequent an oc
currence that 10 scarcely noticed portion Of
Generals Steele and Ostehaus divisions, that loft here
something moro than month ago for Pilot Knob. have
returned 10 this post and The remainder are their
way. What wasSacsompished by their removal is be-
yond my power 70 tell, though possibly they may have
added somewhat the right Of the already badly scared
rebels Of ArkaDsas Al any rate, after much travelling
and rampng, they back again. ready topay their
specs alike 70 friends and foe With them Generals
Steele and Oserhaus the former Of whom again assumes
command OF this army, now larger and effective
than before. COED portion Of these troops To-
gethsr with new ones, are encamped tho MisSs-
sipp sde and wi attend 70 the gueras who have been
burning cotton and killing struggling Unisnists In that VI
cinity


AZ you will have seen, General E. A. Carr, lately In
command here, has been assigned TO the CON-
mand Of the g. Louis division OF this department, his
continued IN heath uR0ttng him for any active
command This . well meritsd compliment TO brave
and gallant ocor and while o6cers and OF th army
regret that he cannot be with them, they ready 70
congratulate the GOOD people Of Missouri upon the posses