hysterics by an old coal-boat, fresh | than the west. It was in pursuance word was sent that they had been sold; but, ere this arrived, the Indianola had been blown to splinters-not even her priceless guns having been saved. The Webb now escaped up the Red river; leaving our supremacy on the Mississippi once more undisputed and unbroken. Admiral Farragut, commanding below Vicksburg, having applied to Admiral Porter for iron-clads and rams to operate against certain small but formidable Rebel iron-clads and rams which held possession of Red river, the rams Switzerland, Col. Chas. R. Ellet, and Lancaster, Lt.Col. John A. Ellet, were prepared for running the Vicksburg batteries; which they attempted" to do; but with ill success. Instead of being started in due season, it was daylight when they came under the Rebel fire; whereby the Lancaster was sunk and the Switzerland badly cut up. The latter succeeded in passing. Of several frailer vessels, which from time to time made the venture, two or three were sunk; the residue mainly went by unscathed. of this plan that he had so abruptly ordered a discontinuance of and withdrawal from the various expeditions looking to the control of the valley of the Yazoo, and the capture or destruction of the thirty Rebel steamboats employed on that river or laid up near Yazoo City. All being at length prepared, and the Winter overflow of the Mississippi so far abated that the so-called roads of that region were no longer generally under water, but only beds of the profoundest and softest black mud, Gen. McClernand, with his (13th) corps, was impelled" down the west bank of the great river to New Carthage; McPherson following directly with his (17th) corps; each moving no faster than it could be accompanied by its trains. The roads were so inconceivably bad that the advance was inevitably laborious and slow. The river-bank, being higher than the country back of it, the march was mainly along the levee; of course, under constant observation from the Rebel pickets and scouts across the river. When our van was barely two miles from New Carthage, it was stopped by a break in the levee, through which the waters of the Mississippi were pouring out into the bayou Vidal, forbidding approach to the village, which was temporarily transformed into an island. After boats had been collected to effect a crossing of the upper break, it was found that the process would not only be tedious but would have to be repeated below. Grant now decided to march around the bayou, avoiding New Carthage, and striking 4 March 29. PORTER RUNS BY VICKSBURG-GRIERSON'S RAID. 301 the Mississippi at Perkins's, 12 miles farther, or 35 from his base at Milliken's Bend. And now the lack of transportation on the river below Vicksburg, dictated a still farther march down to Hard Times, opposite, but rather below, Grand Gulf; extending the distance traversed from Milliken's Bend to 70 miles. Meantime, Commodore Porter, at the suggestion of Gen. Grant, had made preparation for running the batteries of Vicksburg with his ironclads, followed by three transports; and the experiment was made" with fair success. The gunboats Benton, Lafayette, Price, Louisville, Carondelet, Pittsburg, Tuscumbia, and Mound City (all iron-clads but the Price), floated silently down the current, under cover of thick darkness, for nearly an hour; and their crews were beginning to infer that the Rebels had, for some reason, concluded not to assail them; when just as they were fairly opposite the city-fire was opened on them from the up-stream batteries, and in a moment the whole bluff was ablaze with the flashes, and quaking to the roar, of heavy guns, rising tier above tier along the entire water-front of the city. The fleet promptly responded with grape and shrapnel, firing at the city rather than the batteries, and went by unharmed; opening upon the Warrenton batteries, as it neared them, so furious a cannonade that they scarcely attempted a reply. The passage of the gunboats was thus triumphantly effected; but of the three transports-Forest Queen, Henry Clay, and Silver Wave-which attempted to follow, under cover of the smoke, the first-named was hulled "Night of April 16. by a shot, and received another through her steam-drum, disabling her; yet she floated out of range, and, being taken in tow by a gunboat, went through without further damage; while the Silver Wave ran the gauntlet entirely unscathed; but the Clay was struck by a shell which set her protecting cotton-bales on fire, just as she had been stopped to prevent a collision with the crippled Queen; when her panic-stricken crew launched her yawl and made for the shore, leaving their vessel to float down the river in flames till she burned to the water's edge and sunk— a total loss. We had one man killed and two wounded by a shell on board the Benton, but lost none beside, on either gunboats or transports. Gen. Grant now ordered six more transports to be sent down, towing and partially shielded by twelve barges laden with forage. Five of the transports made" the venture in safety; but the Tigress received a shot below her water-line which disabled her, so that she drifted helplessly down and sank near the Louisiana bank, some distance below. Of the barges, three, with five of the transports, were soon made ready for further usefulness. The effective Rebel force in the States bordering on the Mississippi being now mainly engaged in the defense of Vicksburg and the Yazoo valley, Grant had determined to retaliate one of the destructive cavalry raids of Morgan, Forrest, and Van Dorn. To this end, Col. B. II. Grierson, with a cavalry brigade, 1,700 strong, composed of the 6th and 7th Illinois and 2d Iowa, starting from Lagrange, Tennessee, swept rapidly 19 Night of April 22. 50 April 17. 60 ordinates. Detachments necessarily made to the right and left to destroy Rebel supplies or mislead pursuers— of whom thousands were sent after him from Jackson, Vicksburg, and other points--were frequently compelled to ride 60 miles per day of these horrible roads in order to regain the main body-which, during the 28 hours preceding its arrival at Baton Rouge, had marched 76 miles. enjoyed four fights, and forded the Comite river where it was necessary southward, through Ripley, New Albany, Pontotoc, Clear Spring, Starkville, Louisville, Decatur, and Newton, Miss.-thus passing behind all the Rebel forces confronting and resisting Grant-until, having passed Jackson, he turned sharply to the right, and made his way W. S. W. through Raleigh, Westville, Hazlehurst, and Gallatin, to Union C. H., back of Natchez; thence zigzagging by Bogue Chito to Greensburg and Clinton, La., and so to Baton Rouge:" having traversed more than 600 miles to swim many of the horses. Grierof hostile territory in 16 days; cross-son's conclusion that the Confederacy ing several considerable rivers by was a mere shell, which needed but ferriage, burning great numbers of to be fairly pierced to demonstrate railroad bridges, trestles, cars, and its rottenness, was justified by his dépôts of supplies, having several experience; but a leader less able, smart engagements with Rebel forces alert, wary, untiring, and courageous, hastily gathered to obstruct his prog- would have found that shell far easier ress, killing or wounding about 100 of to enter than to emerge from. them, beside capturing and paroling over 500 prisoners, and destroying 3,000 stand of arms, at a total cost of 27 men, including Lt.-Col. Blackburn, 7th Illinois. Col. Grierson sent back, after he was fairly on his way, the 2d Iowa, as also 175 of the least effective men of his remaining regiments; so that this brilliant raid was actually made with less than 1,000 men. It was a succession of forced marches, sometimes without rest for 48 hours; often through drenching rain, over long stretches of swamp, so completely submerged that no road could be discerned; so that, in crossing one swamp, eight miles wide, on the Okanoxubee, near Louisville, no less than twenty fine horses were drowned. Grierson proved himself eminently fitted for his place, as did Col. Prince, of the 6th, and Lt.-Col. Loomis, 7th Illinois, and their sub 1 May 2. All being at length ready," Gen. Grant directed a naval attack on the batteries of Grand Gulf; which was gallantly made by Admiral Porter, with his gunboat fleet. But five hours of mutual cannonade, during which our larger boats were often within pistol-shot of the Rebel batteries, brought no decisive advantage to our arms. The enemy's fortifications were strong; many of their guns planted on the bluffs at too great an elevation to be effectively assailed from the water; the hillsides. were lined with rifle-pits; beside which, they had field-guns which could be moved from point to point, and so concentrated wherever they could be most effective to prevent a landing or defeat an assault. After watching the cannonade from a tugboat from 8 A. M. to 1 P. M., 02 April 29. SHERMAN'S FEINT ON HAINES'S BLUFF. 303 Grant decided against its further | boats, and proceeded" to the mouth prosecution; having determined to debark his troops now on shipboard, and march still farther down the Louisiana bank, to a point opposite Rodney; while the gunboats and transports should run the Grand Gulf batteries, as they had run those of Vicksburg and Warrenton, and be ready to cross his army at a point where little resistance was anticipated. Accordingly, at dark, our gunboats again engaged the batteries, while our transports ran by them; receiving but two or three shots, which did them no essential harm. Finally, having learned from a negro that there was a good road from the little hamlet of Bruinsburg, half way down to Rodney, running back to Port Gibson, in the rear of Grand Gulf, the General decided to cross at this point; and, by daylight next morning," both gunboats and transports were ferrying over the 13th corps; our soldiers, so fast as landed, taking three days' rations in their haversacks, and pushing out on the road to Port Gibson, followed by the 17th corps. 54 of the Yazoo, where he found Capt. Breese, with the iron-clads Black Hawk, Choctaw, and De Kalb, and several wooden boats, all ready, with steam up; and they at once ascended the Yazoo, stopping for the night at the mouth of the Chickasaw bayou, and moving up next morning to within range of the Haines's Bluff batteries, which were engaged for four hours by our iron-clads and the Tyler-the enemy replying with spirit; but, though the Tyler was hit once, and the Choctaw repeatedly, none of our men were seriously hurt. Toward evening, Blair's division was debarked in full view of the enemy, and seemingly prepared to assault; our gunboats thereupon renewing their fire and provoking the enemy to reply. Thus the menace of an assault was maintained till after dark; when our troops were quietly rëembarked. Next day, equally threatening demonstrations were made, accom panied by reconnoissances on all sides; meanwhile, orders were received from Grant to desist from the feint and hurry the whole corps forthwith to Grand Gulf. Meantime, Gen. Sherman, with the 15th corps, had been left above Vicksburg, expecting to follow on the track of the 13th and 17th, until he received a letter from Gen. Grant, near Carthage, depicting the badness of the roads, and directing him to remain where he was for the present. Two days later, Grant wrote him that he proposed to attack Grand Gulf next day, and suggesting a simultaneous feint on the Rebel batteries near Haines's Bluff. Sherman accordingly embarked Blair's division on ten steam- they were 63 April 30. "April 26. 66 April 29-10 A. M. 53 56 Sending orders to the divisions of Steele and Tuttle to march southward at once, Sherman kept up the feint till after nightfall; then quietly dropped down the Yazoo to Young's Point; and next morning s Blair's division moved up to Milliken's Bend, to remain there as a garrison till relieved by fresh troops from above; while Steele's and Tuttle's hurried down the west bank of the Mississippi to Hard Times, where ferried across," and were pushed forward 18 miles next day, to | connoissances employed in obtaining information of the enemy. Hankinson's Ferry. 58 Grant's advance, under McClernand, first encountered the enemy when eight miles out from Bruinsburg; but the Rebels were not in force, and fell back unpursued till morning; when McClernand advanced, and, when approaching PORT GIBSON, was resisted with spirit by a Rebel force from Vicksburg, under Maj.-Gen. Bowen; the country being broken into narrow ridges, separated by deep ravines, which afforded great advantage to the defensive. Our superiority in numbers being decisive, however, they were steadily driven; Grant finally sending up J. E. Smith's brigade of McPherson's corps to the support of our left, under Osterhaus; when, late in the afternoon, the enemy was defeated with heavy loss, and pursued toward Port Gibson. Our loss was 130 killed, 718 wounded. We captured 3 guns, 4 flags, and 580 prisoners. Night soon closed in, and our troops slept on their arms till morning; when it was found that the enemy had retreated across Bayou Pierre, burning the bridge behind them, abandoning Port Gibson, and evacuating Grand Gulf, as our army advanced" in its rear to Ilankinson's Ferry on the Big Black, skirmishing and taking some prisoners, mainly stragglers, but not seriously resisted. Gen. Grant now rode across to Grand Gulf, with a small escort of cavalry, to make arrangements for changing his base of supplies from Bruinsburg to this point, while his army awaited the arrival of wagons, provisions, and Sherman's corps; meantime, scouts were busy and re Grant had expected to remain some time at Grand Gulf, accumulating provisions and munitions, while he sent a corps down the river to cooperate with Gen. Banks in the reduction of Port Hudson; but the information here obtained dictated a change in his plans-Banks not having yet invested Port Hudson. Accordingly, his army was pushed forward" on two parallel roads up the left bank of the Big Black: MePherson on that nearest the river; McClernand on the higher, or ridge road; while Sherman's corps, divided, followed on each; all the ferries on the Big Black being watched to guard against a surprise from the enemy, who had taken care to burn the few bridges. Thus advancing, our army encountered no serious resistance until its van, under McPherson, then moving on Clinton and Jackson, was encountered," near RAYMOND, by two Rebel brigades, under Gen. Gregg, who had taken a good position, with two batteries, commanding the road in our front, having his infantry posted on a range of hills to the right of the road, and in the timber and ravines just in front. The fight here was a short one. The Rebels opened it with great fury, attempting to charge and capture De Golyer's battery, which was in position on our front; but, being repulsed by a terrific fire of grape and canister, they broke and fled precipitately, so that McPherson had scarcely begun the fight when it was ended; the Rebels fleeing at full speed through Raymond, which our troops occupied at 5 P. M. Only Lo |