Year: 1866

taxed. Men, money and means had been
freely offered Two grand fleets Of gun-boats
+ and mortar-boats,. with the most splendid
armament of modern times, were built and
/ ordered to operate in the river below and
above t6e=city. A seperate Marine Corps
was likewise organized for the same purpose
and ordered to this scene of action. Their
first attempt was to silence our batteries in
front, land their troops, and as they suppos-
ed, capture the place with ease. Different
attacks were made to accomplish this object.
Our batteries proved more than match and
as often drove back their ironclads," and
not until their upper aeeb" Was frequent
| ly bafled with disaster and loss did they de-
sist from this method of attack During
these frequent encounters aided by the dark
ness of night, they succeeded IN running
past our batteries several Of their strongest
boats. This partial success led to import
ant results ia the after scenes Of the drama.


Next occurred to the fertile imaginations
of the Federal authorities aremarkab1e plan
to effectuate their designs Vicksburg, it
must be remembered, is situated on the east
side of the Mississippi river, and about eight
miles below the mouth of the Yazoo In
front Of the citythe river seems to double
upon itself, for ming long narrow istmus
or peninsular attached to the western bank
this narrow neck of land extends be-
tween what is called the " first and second
river" for four or Eve miles in front of the
city. ConceiVing their object gained to pos
sess the entire river, they commenced the
herculean task of cutting through this neck
of land near to the mainland, andshoping
such a canal would widen and deepen, they
thought it bright idea to change the course
Of the river, leaving the city of Vicksburg
high and dry to the east, while they
would go on their-way rejoicing. Such
were the cogitations Of the ingenious FEEDER
ais, and this Yankee notion was forth
with put in practices but,


The best laid schemes of mice and men


Gang aft a geys''=z


These dirt diggers, proverbial for their
energies, aswelI in an evil as a righteous
cause ESQ it gains their purposes did under
take-be 1t knolcn. to, aU future generations
to sway the course of this volume Of water,
and bend it to suit their nefarious designs
L must be admitted that this was gigantic
task, and fully attests the value placed by
them upon this position, and what efforts
would be made to secure it. Notwithstand-
ing all the difficulties in the way of its ac-
mplishment, this canal, which was to
change the. course of the river was actually
dug, and several feet of water at high stage
found vent through its. channel-but like
some of their politicians at the beginning of
he war it ran both ways, or rather


G 1t wired in and wired out


And kept the Yankees still in doubt


Whether the stream that made the track


Was flowing North running baeIz,''


so when the river fell lower, as summer
came on the task was abandoned as a sad
failure, and will only stand to future geneE
ations as a monument of human folly and
presumption. Disappointed at this failure,
but not despondent of success the indomit-
able Federal turned to other means and
found an object for their ingenuity in an
other approach.


Far above the city of Vicksburg on the
same side of the Mississippi, there is a mar
row slough or bayou known as the a" Yazoo
pass" formerly used by fat-boatmen, as an
outlet into the river, through the dark wild
bottom, from the interior country. This
pass had long since been abandoned, as
the oyer-fowed country was levied, and
grown over with underwood and thus rem
dered impossible for many miles with trees
felled into and across its murky waters.
I'll II al = o,,tIo4AIo I'd J-- "
hoped to find way into the Cold Water" ="
and down its current into the Yazoo river to
the rear of Vicksburg. So with the same
characteristic energy of their race, SO ap-
parent in every other effort to capture this
famous city, another attempt was made to
effect that design through this g Yazoo pass" +"
Every necessary preparation and invention
was made to clear this slough of impedi-
ments, and render its navigation safe and
practicable. The Confederate Government,
not to be outdone by the willy foe, anticipat-
ing these designs, forthwith created formid-
able Qualifications high up the the Yazoo
river, at the mouth Of the Cold Water, which
proved such barrier to the Federal plans
that they withdrew In disgust, from a
swampy country where not only failure
awaited them, but harvest of death, in q
poisonous atmosphere, seemed the only re-
: ward Of all their labor.


Thus after various repulses at Fort Penn
berton, the Fedeaals Withdrew and so ended
? the third act in this grand drama of takins
, Yicksburg, likely before its close to b.
changed into the bloodiest tragedy in th
, book Of time Thus far the Confederate


had Bafied every scheme Of the Federals


and the notoriety of their failures was fas
e becoming a by-word and sneer to their al
+ my. From the foregoingit viii appear hoy
: difficult their task had proved. By wate
g and By land, nothing had been effected du
0 ring the twelve months previous to secur


their soul desires


Z The first bombardment Of the city bega
ccs ~.