by a tug up Black Bayou. In the mean time the gunboats had gone through Biack Bayou into Deer Creek. The great might and strength of the iron-clads enabled them to ride over almost any ordinary growth of willow and cypress in the creek-the water was deep, and they moved slowly and surely along up Deer Creek some fifteen miles, without much labor, and without any obstruction from the enemy. On the 20th, the rebels commenced annoying them with sharp-shooters, and by felling trees in the creeks. The boats were obliged to lay by at night, and on the morning of the 21st, the Admiral found considerable obstructions in the river, and an enemy, some 600 strong, with a field battery of rifles, disputing his passage. This was near some old Indian mounds, and for the greater part of the day they were kept quite busy, making but a half mile progress.

Large bodies were kept a good distance from the fleet, but sharpshooters would come up behind trees and fire, taking deliberate aim at our men. The Admiral sent a dispatch back to General Sherman, stating the condition of affairs, and a force was at once sent to the relief of the gunboats, and to assist in getting them through. They made a forced march, skirmishing a part of the way, and reaching the gunboats before night of the 22d, a distance of twenty-one miles, over a terrible road. During the day the enemy had been largely re-enforced from the Yazoo, and now unmasked some 5,000 men-infantry, cavalry, and artillery. The boats were surrounded with rebels, who had cut down trees before and behind them, were moving up artillery, and making every exertion to cut off retreat and capture our boats. A patrol was at once established for a distance of seven miles along Deer Creek, behind the boats, with a chain of sentinels outside of them, to prevent the felling of trees. For a mile and a half to Rolling Fork, the creek was full of obstructions. Heavy batteries were on its bank, supported by a large force. To advance was impossible; to retreat seemed almost hopeless. The gunboats had their ports all closed, and preparations made to resist boarders. The mortar-boats were all ready for fire and explosion. The army lines were so close to each other that rebel officers wandered into our lines in the dark, and were captured. It was the second night without sleep aboard ship, and the infantry had marched twentyone miles without rest. But the faithful force, with their energetic leader, kept successful watch and ward over the boats and their valuable artillery. At 7 o'clock that morning (the 22d), General Sherman received a dispatch from the Admiral, by the hands of a faithful contraband (who came along through the rebel lines in the night),

stating his perilous condition. Leaving a dispatch for General Stuart. who was bringing up Ewing's Brigade, and orders for Stuart to follow him with the remainder of the division, General Sherman at once marched with the Second Brigade, and a part of the First Brigade. Our gunboats at that time were in a bend of the creek, the three regiments of the First Brigade had been brought in and placed in position near the boats. A rebel battery of fifteen guns was in front, at Rolling Fork. The creek was barely the width of a gunboat-the boats were so close up that only one bow gun apiece of four could be used, and then at an inconvenient angle-in fact, in only one position-and the broadsides of several were useless on account of the bank. Our immense superiority of metal was thus rendered almost useless for the purpose of engaging an enemy that was endeavoring to encircle the Admiral's boats. If his rear was gained, their superior numbers could board the first or the last boat, and, having captured her, use her guns with fearful effect on the others.

About mid-day the enemy commenced moving upon us, with the purpose of reaching the bank of the creek below the gunboats and below the infantry. General Sherman was some six miles distant. The rebels are believed to have advanced with about 4,000 men. It must be borne in mind that our troops were on a belt of land which forms the bank of the creek, of not great width, back of which the bottom land was under water and impassable. The rebels came down with the intention of turning his right and reaching the creek below. The gunboats and four mortars opened upon them, as soon as they discovered themselves in bodies. This firing embarrassed their movements and considerably retarded them. They debouched through the wood and became engaged with the skirmishers. The fight was beginning to be in earnest, but the rebels were gaining ground. The object was not a battle, but to pass by our forces. The first firing of the gunboats was heard by General Sherman near the Shelby plantation. He urged his troops forward, and after an hour's hard marching, the advance, deployed as skirmishers, came upon a body of the enemy who had passed by the force which had been engaged. Immediately engaging them, the enemy stood a while disconcerted by the unexpected attack, fought a short time, and gave way. Our forces pressed them, driving them back some two miles. The gunboats opened upon them thus hemmed in, and the day was ours. The rebels retreated, and the gunboats were saved for that day. Our loss was but one killed and none wounded. The loss of the rebels was heavy. One shell from a mortar killed twenty-six, as they were rallying as skirmishers. Another is stated to have killed and wounded forty

persons. They suffered very much, but, as we did not attempt to occupy the field, it cannot be ascertained. It being obvious that further advance was impracticable, the boats at once commenced moving backward, and made several miles that evening.

The next effort of the rebels was to pass around our lines in the afternoon and night, and throw their whole force still further below us. General Stuart, with four regiments, marched on Hill's plantation the same morning, having run his transports in the night, and immediately advanced one regiment up Deer Creek, and another still further to the right. The rebels, who were making a circuit about General Sherman, thus found the whole line occupied, and abandoned the attempt to cut off the gunboats for that day. During the afternoon the troops and gunboats all arrived at Hill's plantation. Rebel scouts followed them within two miles of the division head-quarters. During the night the picket about one-half mile out was attacked by a squadron of cavalry, It immediately, upon the return of their fire, fell back. In the afternoon of the next day, another regiment was attacked by three regiments of infantry and a squadron of cavalry. Acting under instructions to draw them on, and to develop their whole force, a skirmish ensued, but they refused to follow. The enemy, the night before, landed a steamer and two flatboats, loaded with troops and artillery, about six miles above. We remained two days at Hill's plantation, waiting for the rebels to prepare; but they would not give or receive battle. We embarked on the transports and gunboats, and returned. The troops, gunboats, ammunition, and supplies, with a considerable quantity of cotton and fifty good mules, are all safe, and approaching Young's Point, as I write.

There were destroyed by our troops and by the rebels at least 2,000 bales of cotton, 50,000 bushels of corn, and the gins and houses of the plantations whose owners had obstructed our progress, and joined in the warfare. The resources of the country we found ample to subsist the army at Vicksburg for some length of time, and by the destruction of them we crippled the enemy so far.

There were features about this expedition novel and exciting.

Black Bayou, a narrow stream heretofore, only navigated by dug outs, was made of the width of our steamers, with great labor of felling trees and sawing stumps below the surface. Every foot of our way was cut and torn through a dense forest, never before traversed by steamers. I never witnessed a more exciting and picturesque scene than the transportation, on the last day, of the Third Brigade, by General Stuart. Crowded with men, the steamer, at the highest possible speed.

Some

pushed through overhanging trees and around short curves. times wedged fast between trees, then sailing along smoothly, a huge cypress would reach out an arm and sweep the whole length of the boats, tearing guards and chimneys from the decks. The last trip through the Black Bayou was in a night pitchy dark and rainy.

While the adventure was of uncertain success-when the result seemed almost accomplished, and when our gunboats were surrounded with an enemy confident of victory, and their extrication seemed almost an impossibility-officers and men worked with equal alacrity, whether in building bridges or making forced marches, both by day and in the night. The whole time was used in labor-constant and severe. It seems almost a miracle that the boats were saved. If Generals Sherman and Stuart, by their utmost exertions and labor, had forwarded their troops a single half day later, if the second forced march under General Sherman had been retarded a single hour, in all human probability the whole force would have been lost.*

All these expeditions proved to be excellent feints to distract the enemy's attention; but there is no doubt that if they had succeeded, one of them would have been adopted, and might not have produced so glorious a result as the final campaign and plans which General Grant had himself laid out. In fact, he states in his report, that the failure of these expeditions "may have been providential in driving him ultimately to a line of operations which has proven eminently successful."

The losses inflicted on the enemy in the destruction of supplies, and the withdrawal of certain portions of his garrison to meet the expeditionary movements were of inestimable value to General Grant in his final Vicksburg campaign.

*Correspondence of the Chicago Tribune, April, 1863.

CHAPTER XXV.

THE HEALTH OF THE ARMY.

Ir has often been stated by generals in the field, that they had far less dread of the enemy in their front than they had of their friends at home. A slight word of alarm, uttered by the latter in a careless moment, would soon be increased until it became a perfect panic. While General Grant was engaged in the before described expeditions, letters to friends were for a time prohibited, to prevent information reaching the enemy through a mail captured by guerillas; and this absence of regular communication between those in the army and their friends at home, led the latter to believe that the former were sick. An interchange of such news between the friends of various absentees, and the return of a few invalids, settled it as a matter of fact that the whole army was dying of disease.

An official inquiry was at once made by the Surgeonin-chief, and General Grant, under date of March 6th, 1863, wrote to Surgeon-General Hammond, as follows:

No army ever went into the field better provided with medical stores and attendance than is furnished to the army before Vicksburg. There was a deficiency in volunteer surgeons, but that is now supplied. The hospital boats are supplied with their own surgeons, nurses, and every thing for the comfort of the sick. The purveyor's department not only has every thing furnished the sick, but more than it ever dreamed of was furnished to the army, and more than the great majority of men could have at home. Then, too, there is not that amount of sickness that persons would be led to believe from the statements in