Today in History:

302 Series I Volume XXIV-III Serial 38 - Vicksburg Part III

Page 302 Mississippi, WEST TENNESSEE, ETC. Chapter XXXVI.

nolia, a large boat; Hartford City, a small boat; Ben. McCulloch, a small boat; the Hope, a small boat; J. L. Larkland, a large boat, the Republic, a large boat; the Alonzo Child (her machinery has been taken out and sent to Mobile to be put in another boat); the Amos Betts, a small boat; the Mobile, a small boat, which is being converted into an iron-clad gunboat.

The J. F. Pargoud is sunk at Greenwood. They are building a boat, 310 feet long, at Yazoo City, for a gunboat ram, but the water has been around her, so that they have not been able to work on her for the last three months, and the ground has caved in under her, so that she is careened over to one side. The frames of the hull are not all up in her, but they have a great deal of timber ready to go into her as soon as the water falls. The Star of the WEST is sunk at Greenwood, below the raft there, to keep it from floating down.

The raft below Yazoo City broke away just before General Sherman's last attack on Haynes' Bluff. They have two flat-boats in the middle of the raft, to let the driftwood through, and have a great many men working on it, making repairs. The raft is fastened to trees on each side of the river by chains. The raft comes together from each side of the river at an angle pointing up the river.

The rebels have no soldiers at Yazoo City, except sick ones, and not a gun mounted there, and most of the guns have been removed from Haynes' Bluff to Fort Pemberton since Sherman's last attack. There are no soldiers from Rolling Fork, to this place; all gone to Vicksburg within the last four or five days.

He saw a courier coming this way, who told him they had a fight at Grand Gulf, and had driven the Yankees back to their boats; ; that General [J. S.] Bowen was in command there.

The crew of the iron-clad Arkansas, which was sunk last summer near Baton Rouge, are at Fort Pemberton, and some of Waul's Legion. They have no gunboat whatever in the Yazoo.

Says the people of Yazoo City were greatly troubled about Grierson's raid on the Jackson and New Orleans Railroad, and thought it surpassed anything done by Morgan or Forrest.

Says there are 4,000 bales of Confederate cotton on the Yazoo River, 60 miles above Yazoo City, at Murdock's place, landed there for the purpose of being rebelled. It had been roughly used on transport boats.

Captain [I. N.] Brown, formerly of our Navy, who commanded the Arkansas (iron-clad), was going to England to see about boats there, but was still at Yazoo City when he left.

I send you this direct, supposing there may be something in it that may possibly be useful to you. I am satisfied that the informant told the truth as far as he knew, as I cross-examined him thoroughly.

The Confederate made a raid across Bayou Macon, to Bissell's Cut, near Ashton, some ten days ago, and carried away some 15 or 20 negroes. I made a reconnaissance up there, and found it was possible for our troops to cross the bayou, which they did on Sunday last, and attacked the enemy, who had concentrated some 700 men at Caledonia, on the bayou. Our forces, the First Kansas Mounted Infantry, 300 strong, under Major Roberts, and 100 men of the SIXTEENTH Wisconsin Infantry, attacked them, drove them out of Caledonia, and drove them as far as Pinhook, a village 7 miles south of Caledonia, where they took refuge in log-houses, from which they could not be dislodged without artillery, which we did not have. Their loss was 4 killed, that we know of; the number of their wounded we have no means of knowing, but are satisfied it was considerable.


Page 302 Mississippi, WEST TENNESSEE, ETC. Chapter XXXVI.