Nebraska Newspapers

    AT VICKSBURG.
Jhrcuty(inii Anniversary of the
(Irciil Catiipnitxii.
CONFEDERATE GIBRALTAR.
Fnrrngitt, I'orlcr, Sliorninii'nnd Ornnl
Try Their llituil.
First I'l-dcntl Al(i'iiit to ('upturn Vlclis
burc llnilii In Xlnj-, IRIl'i Attempt Ito
ncwcit In .lime, nnil gnlii In Met cmtirr.
I'mm .liinimrv, IHfl.'l, (111 'Miircli, ilium's
Soldiers right Mini. Miliaria, unit 31 1-
Isslpplr.ns lit tlio ('mini llt'lim Vlrks"
burg Yiion l'nss iiml Slri-lc's lliiyini,
"With tlio surrender of Vlekshurg tinil tho
bnttlo of Gettysburg, Oon. Sherman says tlio
civil wnr hus practically ended In fuvorof
tho Hoi Hi. All 1 1 mt followed wns simply
carrying tho wnr Into "tho Inst illtoh."
Tho liiiH)rtniH'i of tho possesion of Vlcks
burn to tho (liiinii cause was oiirly recog
nized Immediately oftcr tlio capture of Now
Orle.nn, Aihniiiil KnrniKiit proceeded tip tho
river with u llttlo Meet of moitiir bo-its.
Hut the necessity of keeping Vlekshurg hml
been qultons will understood liy the south
It wns ralleil tho "(lihrnltnr of the Southern
ConfeiliTitey." In Apt II, 1Mi., New Orlcnns
hml Imi-ii onpturod by the mntli. Memphis,
Island 10, nnd the chief points on tho Missis
sippi nbovo Viekslmrg wero nlrendy In tho
hands of tho United Htntes With Vlcks.
burg, tho Confederacy would lose its Inst bold
on tho great river. Tlio southern authorities
therefore held to their Gibraltar with a death
grip.
FARRAGUT'S ATTACK ON VICKSOURQ
Viekslmrg, Miss,, is built on a liltifT rising
abruptly 200 feet from tho Mississippi
river. Hack of tho town aro similar hills.
On theso eminences the Confederates planted
their guns, 150 feet apart, llelntv, at tho
river's edge, tho Rhoro fairly bristleil with
"water batteries," so called. Forrogut's llttlo
fleet passed up tlio
river June SS.IMW
Ho hud three wood
en ships, seven gun
boats and sixteen
mortar boats The
last limned curried
each a llMucli mor
tar. In May a fruit
less demonstration
had boon uiado
against Viekslmrg
with n small licet
mid 1,500 land avii a rAiiiuauT.
troops under Oen. Williams. Tho Confeder
ates meantime wero working with might
and main finishing tho earthworks, bomb
proof casemates and batteries that had
been begun about Vlekshurg In April,
18C2. In May (Jen. Williams had deemed
them too formidable for hint to attack.
By tho bust of Juno, thetefore, they bad
assumed really stupendous proportions.
Troops and supplies poured Into tho town by
mil. Commodore C II. Davis was nt that
tlmo Hag ollleer of I ho Mississippi squadron
nbovo Vlekshurg. Ho had captured Mem
phis from tho Confederates. In Juno, 1M!8,
ho was ordered to proceed down tho .Missis
sippi with his lleet to Vlekshurg, and thcro
mako n junction with Admiral Fnrrngut,
who was to como up tho river from Now
Orleans.
Juno 23, In tho early morning, Fnrrngut
passed the Vlekshurg batteries Shots wero
exchanged for two bourn, neither sldo doing
much damage. Then Fnrrngitt passed on
up out of range. July 1, Coiumodotu Davi9
joined hint with tho Upju-r Mississippi fleet
nt Young's Point, ft few miles nboo Vleks
hurg, but on tho Louisiana shoro opposite.
MUAM
Arkansas ro.
9-
AHflXm
TtitfiG
UACA"S0H
tvAttivrov
'HTAIVO suir
nuiMii)u?G I
FUOM MEMPHIS TO VICKSIIUIIO.
For somo thno tho two fleets lay there,
having not much to do but guo in wonder
nt tho defenses of Vieksbtug. They ex
tended a milo and a half back fiom tho
river. Tho Union lleet occnslonully dldsomo
shelling at the town.
Juno 25, three daj s licforo Fnrrngut passed
Vlekshurg with his tnnrtnr llotilln, the largo
vessels of his lleet bad landed on tho Louisi
ana shore, opposite Viekslmrg, Hrlg. (Jen.
Thontns Williams and !!,000 ttoops. Tlioy
had with them two batteries.
On tho map it will Ik observed that nt
Vlekshurg thcro is n very deep bend or curvo
In tho Mississippi Tho rier makes a loop
mid almost (limbics o or upon itolf. Iktwcen
the ends of this loop tho spnie is ery nar
row. Hero (Jen. Williams began digging n
cannl, the lino of which is shown on tho ac
companying map, unployiug l.VOO negroes.
This canal, when ll.tislied, would hnvo mado
tho spaeo within the lioi-M'slioe an island, and
would have enabled tho I'nluii troops to
cross easily to the Mississippi side. Vleks
hurg would thus hiiM) Ik t ii cut oil' fioiu tho
river, which would hno Uen shoitened by
so much.
Bo nil three parties kept "pegging nw ay," in
President Lincoln's homely phtaso, for sotno
weeks. At length tho Confederatu fortillctt
tlons i cached (irnnd Gulf , llftccn miles below
Vlekshurg.
THE CONFEDERATE RAM ARKANSAS.
Adrniiul Fan agut had heard rumors that
tho Confederates weio building an iron clad
riimat YnooCity, a llttlo distnneo up tho
Yuzoo liver. Ho did not, however, hellovo
that it uiiy filrmidahlv iirivitl w.scl could x
built in the swamps of Mississippi, so paid
llttlo attention to tho tumor Coal was
scarce, und tin- Union gunboats, In older to
Mvo fuel, had even let their (lies go down,
when on tho nioriilii of July 15, IgtB, word
HUMCMWIlS j
jyTf- ..t1"1 Wrji
nWAioh miMjTv
(?"
4 VI t J I i.l I
$MMj !
tSrv&votril Skrfjada
IprovmxRvm
J Az&lTSl'tAlOOCiy
Kj(J K pi
yir (
wamJfT k "wvj
1tirmtvAitiivrov I
Cj-6rAvo cci-
Y? vrrcasot
'BfiUIMiUUftG I
s brought f hit tho Confmler.ito ram
Arknnns wn coining down the Ynroo
The Union gunUvits Carondelet unit Tny
or, ith the steitui rant, Queen of tl o West,
were sent up the Ynroo to nximnoltir Hi
miles up the stream they met the Arkansas
steaming down to meet them She was com
manded by mi ox-United Stales tiaral olll
eer, Meut Hi own, who thoroughly under
stooil w hat 'e was about. The nun was an
Iron clad, well wptlppeil with rilled guns,
and with a hmg, sword liko Iron noo that
could pierce Mie sldo of any wooden ship sent
ngnlust her
As she nd uncoil tho thi-eo Union vessels
retreated llrlug back at the Arkausatnsthcy
wont. The iiim pttrsutst them, MMidiug shot
Into them from her heavy bow guns and do
ing some damage.
Tho ram fooii cnmotipoii the Carondelet,
n slow essel, with tho ovldeut Intention of
ramming her, but sho kept clear of the ram's
long noe, and Ilrcd its fast as possible. Then
v"-55- tlio Arkansas
W",a"w passed on down
stream, in turn ur
lug nt the Cnroii-
USSS ATA delet The uhetd
OT 'Jiiw.V iW.W rones of the Caton-
Iet wi-io shot
nway, anil sho
Irifted In shore
TheCarnndi'Ietwas
bnill ilamageil, '
and thirty of her '
crew and men were
lost. I
Tho Carondelet '
nnAit AiuiiiiM. walks, wascommatiihslby I
near AUinirnl Walke, n lirav and accom
plished oflleer, belonging to the generation
that had fouijht tho war with Mexico.
In tho light between tho Aikansiisand tho
Cnroudelei the Union gunboat Taylor, Lieut,
Ow inn commander, assisted tho Carondelet
as best sho could until that vessel drifted
nshore Then, with all steam on, sho
hastened toward Farragut's lleet Them only
ono vessel, tho ram Gen. Ilragg, had seam
up. Tho whole Union (leit was obliged to
watch tho At kanvts slipping safe pnst them
down toward Vlekshurg. Tho rant Ilragg
could indeed Imio pursued, but her com
mander waited for special orders lieforo do
ing so, and thus tho bold Confederate vessel
(caKil.
Tho licet K)ttreil n broadside llro into her
ns sho passed and did consldciiiblo Injury
Hut sho leached Vlekshurg In safitv Tho
Union gunboat, IVex, Commander William
D. Porter, follow ed her as soon ns steam
could lie inlsud, but did no additional liaim
to her
July 1(1, next day after tho Arkansas had
run tho lleet, Admiral Tarragut went down
the river with his llett to pioteet Ihotioops
and trnnsMiits In-low Vieksbtug Tho airair
of tho At kansns occaslouisl him deep mortlfl
cation.
Thcro wns another Intcrchnngo of shots lio
tneon tho Vlekshurg batteries and tho ad
iniral ns ho shamed down past them, hut
very little daniago was done, Farragut having
flvomen killed and sixteen wounded Tho
Arknus'is lay safe under tho Viekslmrg bat
teries ns tho Union lleet passed
Admiral Fan agut had already given It ns
his opinion that Vlekshurg could not Iki
taken except by u largo combined hud and
naval foico, and u long and steady eirort.
July W ho received orders from Washington
to return to Now Oi leans. A few ihtjs later,
July '27, thotwo Union fleets parted company,
that of Commodore Davis going back up tho
river to Cairo, that of Farragut down tho
river to tho gulf. Gen. Williams likewise,
abandoned his canal, his ti oops wero loaded
upon tho tiansports and eouvojed down to
Union Houge, wiiero they and their general
wcto left for tho time, under protection on
tho wntersido of n few gunboats.
So ended tho attack on Vicksburgof June,
1NW
Aug. fi a Confederate forco under Gen.
nrecklnridgo attacked Gen. Williams' bri
gado nt Il.iton Kongo. After u hot bnttlo
that Instil six
hours tho Confed
erates weio driven
otr w ith heiu J loss,
among then killed
nnd wounded being
Gens. Clark nnd
Helm
Tho Union com
mnnder, Gen Wil
liams, was killed
while giving orders
nt tho bead of his
command.
Tho di ended rntn
Arknusns also end-
s?
I). l'OUTKIl.
ADMIKAL I)
til her short but ndvcnttunus cnieer about
thii time. Tho plan had bwn ft r her to ns
tlst in tho Coufislernto nttnek on Union
Ilougo und nttnek tho Union gunboats. Sho
failed to como to tlmo, however, being dis
abled up tho river Aug. (1, tho morning
after tho battle, Commander I). Porter,
with his vessel, tho Fssex, and some other
bonts, stonmod np tho i iver nnd opened flro
on tho Arkunsas. lloth her emrlnes nem
disabled, ono of them by tho llro from tho
Cssex. The commander of tho Ai kalians ran
her nshoro nnd landed his crow, win. took to
tho woods Then ha set lire to tho ram nnd
turned her mlilft. Sho floated down tho
river a short distnncu nnd blow up.
SECOND ATTACK ON VICKSBURG.
Nothing moro was dono against Viekslmrg
for many months Tho Confederates had tho
Mississippi, between Union Hougo und Vieks
lmrg. cntiiely in their own hands They im
proved the intervnl by stiongtheniug tho bat
teries at I'ort Hudson, lielow Vlekshurg, and
elsow here along the I iver.
In October, Hi.', Hear Admiral I). U. l'orter
was appointed to tho command of tho Missis
lippl squadron. He wns to co-ox-rnto w ith
tho land forces nlong tho Mississippi, hut wns
directly lesponsiblo only to tho secretory of
tho na y.
jpssjfe: -:r.
bINKIMl OK THE C'AIIli)
Oen. Grunt was by this tlmo in command
of thoAuny of the Mississippi, whUh was
known us the Thirteenth Anny corps
Ornnt ami Porter met at Ciiiiii In uu In
tervlow, which tho admiral in his naval his
torv tells us "lasted Just half uu hour," theso
two soldh-i sand patriots planned the cam
paign which, after weary months, was to re
sult in the dow iifull of tho Gibraltar of tho
Confederacy
Hut no that downfall was nccomplUhcd ,
tr t i
3
.A,.-.. U(ffi- "'
S
WW
&m I fee 9
teHs
ninny plnns were to lio tried nn 1 were to fnll
The scheme Clrnut mid Porter formed Inlhi'lif
brief li.tirvtew wns this Grant won 1 1 march
from Holly Springs. Miss ,to(lrenniht, Mist..
In the I ear or Vieksbum withnuiirmv of (50,
000 (leu John (' l'emlH-rlou wastlioConfod
erato cnmmatider at Viekslmrg lie would
imtiinill mail h out fiom hli . Itmlcl to stop
tho iiiatvh ol Grant at (livnada lie being
thus awav from Vlekshurg, Sherman and
Tot ler, eoinln,; dow it tho Mississippi by water,
whlleGrnut nttacked (lieuada. wnuldbe abln
to attack ami gain possession of Vii ksburg
Such was the plan
The llrst part of Deceuiber 1MW, Sherman
nnd I'.ulei set out on their conilutiMl rxpcill
tlon ngalnsi Vlekshurg. Memphis was tho
starting point.
I'art of thcsipiidrnu went llrl, under sit
perxiston of ('ntumiiiiiler Walke, of thoCn
rondelet Their di'stiiiatiou was the mouth
of the Yazoo iner, tiUne Vh klmtg They
nsivudisl this liver
wuiic twenty miles,
tlcatmg it of tor-pishs-s
In perforin
tug this dillh'tllt
and thiiiKetims task
one it tho gun
boats
Lieut
tlio Call-o,
( iitiunauder
T O Silfildge.wa
blown up. The
slii ii s and the bed
of the Y11700 wero
lltcnilh lined with
toiNsliHH .Many
of those In the
L1KUT COM Hl't KltllKir;
wnter wereconneetiMl with gahanlc batter
las One of these electrically comicH-ted eu
glues was struck by tho gunliont on her ns
cent. The result wns two oxploslons, which
"tilmost sis'iueil to lift tho vessel out of thu
wnter"
Tho Cnlro sank linmrdlately, hut her crow
wero all saved.
Dec 2(1, INI'J.'Rherninn coin cyisl his troops
up tho Yaoo ilu-r from the Mississippi, and
landed them opposite tho mouth of Steele's
llayou Facing toward Viekslmrg, Sherman
then had Chlekasiw Hajtmon his left. All
nroun I him wero swamp and bajou Two
nnd u half miles from his front, nnd between
him mid Vlekshurg wero tho bluHs known nn
Wiilinit Hill.
CIIICKAHAW I1AYOU KUIIIT.
Tho fighting at Chickasaw llayou occurred
Dec. 27, 23 and 20 On tho 2Mb thcro was
only slight skirmishing as Sherman's men
advanced in four columns. As tl o ( oops
formed in line, Steele's division vvt.t to tho
left, Morgan's cnino next, on Stc.-b's right,
M. L Smith on Morgan's right. On tho ex
treme light, nnd cousidorahly neater Vleks
hurg than tho rest, was Hrlg Gen. A. J.
Smith's division. Hctwoen A J. Smith nnd
tho others wns n Issly of wnter culled tho
lako. It wns mi old bod of tho Y ioo river
Tho render will soo tho situation from the
map. "Tho I-ako" was near tho foot of tho
hills, which are here sometimes culled Chicka
saw Din lis.
So tho columns advanced on Dec. 28, In
tho teeth of Confi-dcrnto lutteries so numer
ously nnd skillfully phinted that they houio
times enfiladed with a deadly llro tho ad
vancing Union lines. On this ilny Hilg.
Oen Morgan I. Smith wns sow-rely wounded
in tho hip nnd wns curried oir the Held.
Steelo's division had nt first advanced on
the loft of Chii-kusaw Huvou. It was sub-
jocted to so deadly n llro that Steolo was
ordered to go back to tho Yooo ami letuin
with his division U) tho fight on tho tight of
Chickasaw llayou, homow hat in tho tear of
Morgan's division This movement ho com
pletcd late on tlm night of Dee 2S
Dee. 211 n general assnult wns ordered from
tho Union hue Sheruimi's force wns nt tho
foot of tho high bluffs Theso fnlrly
swarmed with Confislerato battel ics thor
oughly mnimisl Tho Confederato defenses
wcto in charge of Hrig Gen Martin L
Smith To take Vlekshurg it was necessary
to storm these heights and cnptuie thoni
It seemed n forlorn undertaking, on tho fnco
of It Sherman had hoped tostirpriso Vleks
hurg. Hut spies nil nlong tho Mississippi,
oven in Memphis nnd St Louis, kipt tho
Confederate generals Informed of every
Union movement.
When, theiefore, Sherman, with .12,000
men left Memphis, Dee. 20, to attai k Vieks
lmrg, tho Confederates understood his move
ment almost as well as he did himself They
bun led re-enforcements in large numbers
Into tho trenches
nnd upon tho
heights nb out
Vteksbuig Sowed
fortified weio tho
binds that one man
might easilj keep
ten nt bay.
Sheiinan's gener
al assault bivan at
noon, Dei 20 Fm-h
division of tho
Union arniv had n
particular task as- h
signed to It, but, ns
nlvvnys happens,
OE.N KnCIIMAV
somo failed to executo their orders. Two
brigades, Do Coureoy's from Morgan's ill
vision, nml lllalr's fiom Steele's division, on
tho left, mossed tho Inko in front of them
und ndvaiiced gallantly to the Confisleiato
woiks under n deadly Iho. They had obeyed
orders, iteaching the heights they looked
Kick nnd saw no supjioi ting columns Cross
flio and front Iho weiopourislintotheiu from
tlm terrible heights, mid they finally fell back
With these two gallant brigades was uu Iowa
leglment, and that regiment ami tho two
hi igades lost nioro than thnv quai tent of all
tho men who fell In this fiKht of ciih kiisnw
Hnxoii The Union troops lost In tin-lighting
of Dec 27, as and 20, 1,028, tho Ciinlodeintoi
only 167.
Dee .'iO Sherman decided to send 10,010
men up tho Ynroo river to Haines' HlniV to
try nn attack there Ho himself meanwhile
was to keep tho position ho hml gained be
tween the Ynoo river nnd Walnut Hills
Admiral 1'mter agreed to assist in tho
Hnlnes' Illull' inownitmt. It was to be mado
tho night of Deo :i Tho 10,000 troops wero
plaojil on the transports that nnjht itady to
go Shei man, at tho foot of the blulls. was
to wait until ho heard Hun,; from theiilicc
&& if
wMWw
pr MwiCKSDimG
WM
ivfXiZ w
tlii of IIiIiids' IlltiiT, then ho wns to renew
tl" 'itte.l, ngnliut tho heights with all possb
tile lvr
U it ti iture herself sremed tniUclilengalut
Union iieeess The inlii had hism punting
In toriKiits till a genontl MikmI of the low i
IiiiiiN, where Mhermau wns eiicniupeil, was
iliiivitomvl On the river the fo was ki i
deiiM-1 hut the l .out could not mine as np- ,
pointed Tin iiioenient to llaluis' Uluir
had I U put oir till the next night, .Inn I,
IKiVt The iiifjht promised to ls clear on i
Hint ill l.'fui Ni.w YenrVi day "f mud nnil '
swiiini. hut on that day Admiral I'm tit hap- '
H'iioil to reuieiiihei that tho moon would '
tiiiiirlniKhti all night, and that the innu
llietit could mil) Itcmnileln dm kuens
To wail In Hie low lands mid runlhetuk of
being ilmwiieil like tats inn hole wns not
a plonm. t pio.(t ot Sherman and his men,
'1 he whole uioM'uictil was gieii up Jan
2, IWSI, I ! I'niiiii tiiH'ps weio re elltharkeil,
and returned to tho mouth ot the Ynoo
rier
So ciiil.il the second ntlempt on Viekslmrg
(limit had his'ii un
able to ean out
his pin t of the pio
giauune nt (lien
nua, necnuso roil
( federate ml, Is, nn
der Fullest nnd
Vuu Doiu, had
broken his com
munieations and
ilostniicd his sup.
piles Slieruiandld
not reieixii infnr "$
matioii or (his In
tlmo
'A
Durliiirlhe Clile- MK1T
knsiw IIiimhi light tho gunbontM In the Yiuoo
shelleiisl the Viekslmrg heights, nnd nv
eolved in turn n hot flie A Ilflv ionndshot
killed Lieut Couunniiiler William Gw inn, of
the ll.'tiloii, as hestooil on the UpHT dis-k of
his vessel ghiugorilmx
llefore the ntliu k on Vlekshurg A, J,
Smith's division had Hrroiiinsl mi extra
service nn the lnuslfiim side of tho river
As Shei in iii's expi till Ion came down thu
Mississippi A. J Smith's division was
(Implied uir on tin) lioulsliinn i,hoi nt Mllll
ken's llcnd They wein Imulisl In older to
proceed into the Interior of the slnto n shoit
distance and destiny the lallmad that
brought supplies to Vieksburg fiom tho west
ami aeioss tho iher. Thny icjoliied tho
main foice Dec 27,
FLANKING PROJECTS."
In January tho Union tioopsat Iho mouth
of the Ynoo weio sent on nn ixnmIIoii
ngulnst Ai kansns Post, up White tlver, (o
keep their splilU up. They capturtsl tho
post, ami ii-Iiii mil to tho siege of Vlekshurg.
Jun I Gen. John A. McClcmunil nrrlwsl
from Meii.phls, nt tho mouth of the Ynoo,
nnd siiK-rstsloil Sherman In command of tho
tnsips Jun. 7, INKI, Gen. Grant wasordercil
by Halle, k, at Washington, to go In jiersou
to Vlekshurg ami take command, lk-illil no,
taking charge of tho trisips Jan. !0 Grant's
eonunmid was now orgnnlwsl Into four coips,
Thirteenth, Fifteenth, Sixteenth und Seven
teenth Tho corps commanders wero ie
icctlvely McClemnnd, Shernmn, Hiullmrt
nnd McPhcisou. All of thocorpi mt Iluil
hurt's w.re iibeady either at Viekslmrg or
weio Iinmedlately sent thi-ie. Iliulhuil's
corps operntisl in tho Interior.
Gen John C. Fcuiliortnii, the Confederato
coniiumuler nt Vlekshurg during tho siege,
wns northern
iiinu.lii rn in Penn
sylwniln in IHI7.
Ilo was a graduato
of Wist Point In
1W. llownsln tlm
Mi xlcan mid Send
nolo wars. In IMil
In tho
II ni toil States
army, enteiisl tho
tonfeileintoservlco
nml wns on Gen.
Joe Johnston's stair
.mill mi llidcMmlout commaml was given to
him. Ho commanded at Vli-kslmrir nil
through the nn '. Afler the win Gen Pein
Is i ton became a farmer In Virginia, remain
ing there till Ins i,-iilh in 1KS
Gieat luiHiitaueeliail been attached to tho
canal across the loop in tho .Mississippi ilver
at Vlekshurg Diggers were again set to
work omly in January. Instead, however,
of following oxuitl) tholluoot tho Williams
canal, which went ducctly neioss tho bend,
they began at a point above, so as to mako
tho canal slant ocioss, nnd thus tnko ml-
viiiitago of tlie assistance of th irrout It
was hoicd thus that the Mississippi would
choose the canal for its lied ami leave Vleks
hurg on dry laud The river did not do so
In 1NXI, hownvtr, nlthough it has dono so
since, cutting a new channel acmss tho U-nd,
or penliisulii, in 1S70 So that now, twenty
flvo jciiih after, Viekslmrg is high ami dry at
low wnttr.
In tho mud nml malaria Grant's soldiers
wrought nt the canal from Januarv, iNVt.till
Match 7. Giant lost faith in it liinis.-f soon
after coming to Vn-kxlmrg, but kept his iihii
digging still until he could project new plans.
His idea now was not to attack in front or
on tho well fm tilled heights, but to tnko
Vlekshurg by a gieat flanking move, p King
in its tear either above or U-low the town
Many plans were thought out. Several wero
tried nml abandoned
One wns the Ijiko Providence scheme This
was a jMiint somo miles nbovo Vh ksburg tri
the opMisti) side of tho river It was thought
thntn canal might bo cut from the .Missis
sippi Into I.ako Providence This would let
Grants trnnsorts ami gunhoits Into tho
Tensns river, tlu-nco through tlm lllm-k nml
Kid river they might get into the Mississippi,
150 miles Imluvv Vlekshurg Tlielikol'rovi
ih m o canal, u mile long, was actually dug,
then tho plan was given up Thecaiml served
ono purpose only, t lint was to Hood ami de
stroy thousands of actes of cotton
The Yiuh. Pass loiito was next tried. A
few miles Mow Helena, Ark., but on tho ou
jiosito side of tho Mississippi, nnil uenr that
river, was Moon Irfiko. Yii?ik Pass, so culled,
was a stream running from Moon Lako Into
tho Coldvvater river, thence into tho Talla
hatchie, theueo into the Yazoo
Tho i onto was thus Moon Like, Cold,
water, Tallahatchie, Yiuoo It can lxi traced
niKin the limit Could notnwnv lie fonml
thus to strike Vieksbtug als-ve and In hind '
Haines' Hlulf, on the Yuzoof
Accoi ding 11 canal from tho Mississippi to
Moon Ijiko was dug. Hut it wns a vvoik of
frightful dilllcult to get into theColilwnter
river through Yuoo Pass Tnvsaml stumps
obstructisl the ihaiinel, and crent branclies 1
locUisl arms overhead, as if to prevent tho
gunboats from iwssing The vessels wero
onl) able to mnko a milo in four hoiti-s
The Confederates meant line had caught
wind of tlio plan, mil wen- fortifving with
nughtftiid inainntFort lVinU-iton. on tho
Yaoo When Giant's gunboats 1 cached
that point tho Confederates weio rend) for
him
WORK OF THE GUNBOATS
Admiral Porter meantime hml co-oHtntcil
with tho laud forces constantly, and had
X),7rm
rs v .'"SSMS.
COM tlWtNV.
(1KV I-KStlirilTO.V.
lo mnnageil various oxcdltlons on hlsown
Account
After Hherinnn had nbandonisl his nllnek
on Vlekshurg In
Doivmber tlm Con
feih inles Icid con
veved down tho
Yiiimi and the
MlsiixsipplitMcnm
hon I ciilli'il IhnCily
of Vll l.llllg
The I'isleinl ram
f.lilism of the West
wiiscommauilrd by
Col Chin Irs It. Ill
lei, a gallant uung
olllcei, only an
j ears old Adml
nil I'oilei sen t
COI. t it Mil i.n tl l i.l i;t
him, Mi U, down the I Ivet lodentloy Mm
City of Vleli.liiiiR The fjuopii wnsn wtMslen
sleiimboat with n lung -,. Imiw, Cnllou
bales wi t pilisl aiiiiiml ht'l nmliMiips lo pro
lect hei nun hiiii'i v Innn shot.
It hml heeii exM'lisl Hint thu (.hiren of the
West would slenl down the river ul night
nndiittni k the Cilv of Vlekshuig unawnieH
In Ihi'dnikncM Ihit sho wns delayed, At
siiiiiIsk, In full view of IheCiinfisletMlnhnl
Idles, Iholjiiecu passed iltivvn the I ler nnil
iiindii stimuhl at the City of Vlekshurg.
Shot mid sin II came thick nnd fust fiom tlm
Iwlti'ilc-i I he wldn guiiids of Iho Vleks
hurg pievenlisl tlio (Jut mi fiom laUUIIiUg
, her Hiitiielv Cnl KHi-t ilieinfnro began
llring explosive shells at the Vleksbing.
Ihlt Ihi-slii-Hs finin theballcilessel Iho In
the pintn ting coltim bales, mid Cllel could
no no iit.iii- no iiieii-fnie pimsisl on down
thoilvet, leiiMng Vlcksbuigmitl Iho Clly of
Vlekshurg Ih-IiiihI him, A baign of coal
was lloalisl down lo hlui In the night.
Filet ihsi-ctiilril the Mississippi to tho
mouth of lied river. On tho way ho do
strojed three steamboats loaded with sup
plies fur Hie Cimfiih iiiIohiiI I'nit Hudson.
Thence the 1,)iii eu of tho West sleamisl up
Hod tlver, spi cading pmilonl her approach.
Ily this time Lllt-t was out of coal again nnd
lilurnisl to Wanenton, Just below Vlel.s
hmg, to get u supplv.
rTOS--i-
lltnsj t'LAI) IVIIIANO' A
Once more he went out In ilestiny, nccrtn
pnnlisl bv the coul Icudi-r Di-Solo Down
the liver he cnplurisl two stiauieiN lond'-il
with Coufi-ilertite piMvlslous Further on
hoilcst rovnl u wagon tliiltt Then he stalled
i up Hid ilver. One of tho steamers ho had
, onp! in ed vvns the New Km. F.llel took her
pilot on board to sti-or thu (.liu-en lie ran
her ngrniiiiil under the guns of the ('unfcdcr
nln I'ort Tavlor, on Hid tlver Tho foit
ncHcd on the plucky little simmer with
four heavy minion. A shot cut her stenin
I pipe, and tho scolding aHir smrisl through
tlm IkmiI, falally burning ninny of theciew
Kllct nml the test of thiiu Juuissl Into tho
I wnter llH)ii cnllou bales nml flouted down
thetlvi. They boarihsl Iho New ICra, ono
of ICIht's prUi-s, mid Hindu their M-as) in
hnsto.
i Somo months htli-r, after tho cnptiuo of
i Vlekshurg, Col. Kllct applied for nnd re
ceived pei uiivsiou to go homo on sick leave.
Ho died nt Hunker Hill, Ills., in Oitober.
Admiral Porter sajs: "KHtt wns a gnllunt
I joung fellow, full if dash and ontn prise."
I Onco morn Admiral I'm ter sent n gunlKint
I down past the Viekslmrg batteries. Thli
I was tho Imlianolii, a fine new iron clad, wl h
two II Inch Is-iw guns. Sim floatisl down
! pnst Vlekshurg In tlio night, Just in tlmo to
meet tho New Km coining up the river with
Col. Kllct on hoard The l.rn was i bused by
i u Confederate mm, the W. II Webb, from
( Ited liver. The Imlialiola In turn gao chase,
but the Wi-lih escapid.
Meantime the Coiifcih rates had rapidly ro
palnsl the lost (.hiis-u of the West and turnisl
, her against her own hiiiIi.
I Feb. 21 the Iiidlanola, in chargo of Lieut.
Commander Hrown, who hml inn tho bat
teries with htr, was at the mouth of Dig
Hlack river, forty miles Mow Vlekshurg
I Suddenly the ram Webb ami tho now Con
, federate (.lueeii of tho West cnino up the
rlvirln puisnit of him With them wero
I two stcnini rx "cotton elnd" so i allnl, thnt Is
to sny they weio pihsl with cotton around
the bows nml sides This wnsn Kifectpio
tection ogaliiht shot, though a w ry utiecrtnlu
niiongainst fire.
I All four cm-1s opened on tho Iiidlanola,
tho "cotton i lads" attacking with their small
1 gnus, tho rams oudouvoiiug to run tho In
iliauola down with their lion pious, "lloth
vessels came together, bows on," Mild Llout.
Hrown, in his n-poit
Tho Inihanola leoelvei! soven crushing
blows from tlio rams, nml Is-gnn to sink
rapidly Then Lieut. Hrown thiew his signal
looks mid hisO Inch guns oei Ixiard, disabled
his 11-inch how guns ami siiiiendeie.1
Tlio Iudiaiiola wasblowu up on tho night
if Feb 25, "by a Yankee I use," tis Admiral
Potter calls it. What that ruse was, how
ever, ho di-s not tell in bis naval history,
nlthough it is well woith tilling.
2' ''-nr.
,iM
V(is3l l'
WWtflT7'
sy
Till.
Tho admiral nut
ola, felt mm ti, 11 1
in ltIT."
i.irmg from the Indian
Ut hei fad He also do-
sirisl topnivi ki nil tholiM-lcM Hie
from tho
ickslmrg Witt. 1 n s that he ismld,
rccord-
Inglv he built a "dummy" guidioat and Mint
it filiating down the river past the lutteries.
An old cisil Imrgo wn I urn riled up high with
sloping suh-s, in imitation of an lmncl.ul.
Mud fuinnivs weio built, and formidable
lisiking smoke stacks wero const i-ii-ted by
piling old oik tuindtono iiikiii another and
nailing them tog. ther Then lln-s m rebuilt
'" me mud turnaccs, nn.l with Muck smoko
Is Ii lung from her iku k Imi n 1 1 hiinnev s this
ilum iionelail vviissel allnt jut in time to
make her apM-ar olf Vicksbiiig at da) light.
Hoiui I after nmnd of shot f 1 ..m th,- kiltinc
wasHiiuisl 111U1 her, which naturally wont
'" "l 0,u,f"h' and out the other Not n soul
was on Ixwul The dummy tslsvsl on hoc
wav culuilv down the nvei until sho
gioundeil a musi leniblo distant u below
Vlcksburg
Thisdiiiiii-n was a Jokopartlullv balancing
the mortilU .1 . o isiasiomsl li) tho loss of
the Ir-diniii in ismcihiI) when tho couso
iptcncvs to tin (.oulislvia(ci 101110 to lxi
noted
After capturing the Indian iln tho Queen
of the Wwi piiH-eislotl on her vvny up tho
Mississippi nil she reached Wanenton, seven
mil- sbii.ov i uslmrg. Hut nt Wanvnton
ihoiiiuht siriht uf thopoik band monitor
ji . -WWJtl'I'J 11
(((', vR
Ha. WWMZWW.X
Herolllceis fnneleil If. wns n lingo nnd tr
ilblouew kind of i-nglnoof wnr. Dlspatchos
wein sent east to Itichmond nliout tho nv
IK'iiiniiis'ln the southern widen of n "tur
lebsl ui'itister "
The (Jueen of the Wet slnyril lint on tho
onlei of her going, but turned nnd lied to
lied i Iver l-'or ftvir of cnpiure by tho samo
"tmri tid mouttei " tho lmllaunla waslilown
Up III Olll-O,
A shot I limn iillerwntil thu (Juii-u of tho
West was In iself blown up In lied river to
avoid riipltne
ihz
l
. si ,ta. r
mi'lKj
TS3qK--rfi&v
i ' ,
HI I UN UIIU'I. HAM
Maieh I Hit-Union tains Switzerland nml
IitrnMei mailen real ntlempt lo puss tho
Vlil(blllg hnllelles lo Join I'anagut below.
Tho Sw ii7i i land got asl, II ii badly
Injuteil by Iho shots, but Iho ljinensler wns
sunk.
Gen. Peinherton, Did Uonfcdi-rnb) com.
tnamler, was eleinally vlgllanl in and
n limit Vieksbtug thcro weio some -lO.IHK)
Confederal!) tnldlerN Pi'inbet Ion's lienil.
ipiatlcrs weiii nt ,lackon, a few hours' lido
fiom Vir-,-.inug on the nun hiiiid. nml (lieu,
ndii, also in linger of ullnili rnnu Union
tnsips, on l!it n,P,. (),, ,(H(.,, Johnston,
al Chattaii'ioga, ex -rclsisl genet al siiHrv liloti
over Mississippi, hut, Iho deltills weio noces.
sillily left to IVinbeiloii.
THC LAND rORCC.
Grunt had altemplnl to move his In ml
fnices dow n to Vlcksburg by tlm mule In-foro
desi riU-d as Iho Ynns) Push way Tho pn.
sago was iii.ide, ns narmlisl, by some of tho
gunlioalN that wero stopped ot Foit Piinlier
Ion. This foil was so adroitly located as to
commiiiiil the thin) lifers. Tallahatchie.
Yalliilmslia, nnd Ynoo. Gen, Idling hml
comiunml of the Confeilcrale (mops hirn.
Mm eh II Ross' division of McChriiand'n
corps aps-arcil Is-fiiro Fort Pcniheitoii, l,(KK)
men In all Mcpherson's corps was icady
nnd walling to follow them, and Grant hoped
from this side to l.o able nt last to get Into
Vleksbing Hut this navigation ngnlust
nature, ns it woe, that hohndatlemptisl was
attended with extraordinary dllllciilliiM No
Mils could go through tho Yurnn Pnss nml
Coldwaler.exciptlhosoof vcrvlluhldrauuht,
Moreover, Mm country was ovei flowed nnd
was one swamp, so that I hero was no testing
place or crimping place for an army any w hero
In tho low hinds nbovo Vlekshurg
Match II the Union gunboats hegnn their
boinbiiiiluieiilnf I'm I, Peiubcitun. .March 11
the laud lurce eieclcd n ballcry nnil fired nt
Foil Pi iiiIm-i tun awhile. Fiuillngit could do
no good, (he exsillllou started bni k up tho
Tallahali hie Half way up tho river they
met Gi n Ouiuihy coming to ro nfoico them
with a brh'iiile, all the men he could tinusM)rt
through the dilllcultpassrge In tlmo llclng
the senior ollhit, hooideicil thetionps haclt
to l-'oit I'eiiibcrloii. They rrtiirntd Another
frul I less nlteiupt was mado on the tort March
2:1 (Julmby was about to build n brldgo to
movo aioiiinl the uist sldo ot Fort Peinher
ton, whin, April I, he iccelwil oiiitrs for tho
whole exHslliiou to leturu to heailquarteni.
STEELE'S DAYOU EXPEDITION.
Anew attempt was to Imi innilo to reach
vicKsniirg 11 imiu
In another dlric
tlon, t li 1 o 11 g li
Steele's Hn oil.
I'oity liilli-s up
tho Ynnsi river,
mid enipting into
It, wns Steele's
llayou Into it
emptied 11 ciis-k
called Hlack Ha)
oil. This w n s
c(inti(s.-tsl with
Deer Ctis-k, nnd
that iigtini with
Polling Fork,
which os-uisl into
tho S 11 n f I o w ej
rlvor. Tho Sun
flower wns nn visi
HrKKI.K'M IIAVOl'.
ble for Imgo boats
Tlltiq (trillif. limwit In
, ', ., ." - ..-,"- -w
Mioc-rnioiiiiii 1 on I'i-uiIk rton and still get III
the rear of Viekslmrg.
Grant's headqiini tei sat this tlmo wero nt
Young's Point Tho map w ill show the routo
taken at this new ami Inst attempt ut n
"flunking movement "
OncDinoii hundriilsof faithful workmen
began cutting trees nml widening Iho chan
nels of lllm-k Hriyoiiiiiul Hulling Toik
Mmch Hi, tho work began, nml tho next
day, M ircb 17, thu Confederates heard of It,
and commenced to mako ready to rccclvo
them nt the jinn turn ot Hulling Fork nnd tho
Sunllower
Admiral Poitrr went abend, with n forco
of Isith land and nnvy, to pupate tho chnn
liol. Tho gunboats went soohslrmted that
tlioy could mil) rnlvaiiio through lllmk llayou
at the rate of four miles in twenty four
hours Sheriiian also s-nt u laud foico for
ward by another mute, fiomnhovc Mdliken's
Hi-mi. Shi-rinnii himself, afi.-i hurrying tlm
rest of his forces onward, follownl after Por
ter on 11 tug, thiougli the timln 1. .-hannel.
The history of the Stisle's lla)mi exjK-dl.
tlon is that of tho Yazoo Pass exH-dition over
again After plow inK through almost super,
human tblllcultu-s nml reaching within n fow
hundred )utds of tho Sunllowir mid clear
Killing, on the I'.ith of March the workmen
mw a pair of lo-from tho wisms m tho
ilins-liou of that river
The smoke was follownl b) striy shells
then inoie shells, ami mom 'I hen hidden
shnri.hooteri U-gun to pick oir man by mnn
tbos-on the guiiUsits, until every one who
showisl his In ml daiisi n curtain death Tho
Coiifederutos wi re icndy for tin in
Whnt wns worx-, the delnulers of Vleks
hurg weie alrwnl) well nigh in the rear of
Porter's giinlsmts and just on the jsiint of
obstructing the narrow chimin 1, thus cut
ting him oir from Sherman ami tin land
forces mid iimleriug certain hismpliiioninl
thnt of nil his men. wnsa di -.js tutornso.
Porter M-nt n negro through 11 byvvny in
the swamp to infoini Sheiinnn lnimedi.
ntcly Sheiiiuiii hurilisl forwnnl the NX) men
with him Ho himself went Uuk a I, -no iu a
ennoo to gi t the rest.
P01 ter had started to lotreut as soon ns Ins
saw bis iritical situation. The KUiiUwits
wero obliged to tottirn up tbtoii.h Deer
Cusik stein foivniost, tho channel U mg too
nairow for them to turn. Munh ,'1 ho mot
Sherman's advance of HK).
The same da) , March 2 Sherman's second
column bail a sklrinMi with the Imdy of Con.
federates who had lonie around in Potter's
rear to blot k tho 1 hauui-l. TheCoiifcth-rutes
retreated
Not till they nviihcd Stisde's Ha)oudld
the gunlsiats riml room to tutnarouuil They
had backed 'own Deer Cixvk for thirty
Hllles It lis,llled thris) dil)s Match 27
the Union hoops weru Kick in their old
quaittisiit nag's Point.
Out- in -ie litboiious attempt to tlouk
Yukshuig had eudcit In fallum.
. , , 1
f" ' '?
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