Doc. 142. GENERAL WILLIAMS'S OFFICIAL REPORTS. CAPTAIN: Leaving the Twenty-first Indiana, Sixth Michigan, a section of Everett's battery and McGee's cavalry, and taking with me the Thirtieth Massachusetts, Ninth Connecticut, Seventh Vermont and Fourth Wisconsin, regular Nims's battery and two sections of Everett's, I left Baton Rouge on the morning of the twentieth of June; arrived off Elles Cliff in the afternoon of the twenty-second, where I found three gunboats awaiting my approach. To cover the transports in passing the cliffs I landed, so as to occupy all the woods leading from the cliffs to the interior, and cut off two field-guns reported to be in position on the cliffs. The Thirtieth Massachusetts and two guns of Nims's made a touring march of eight miles, while the Fourth Wisconsin, with skirmishers in advance, followed by the Ninth Connecticut and four guns of Nims's and two of Everett's, marched directly forward by the cliffroad leading to the battery and to Natchez, distant eighteen miles, giving time, however, for Dudley's column first to reach this road and cut off the retreat to Natchez. Soon the skirmishers of the Fourth Wisconsin came upon the abandoned battery, abandoned save by a gun-limber left behind in the abandonment. Limber benches, tables, a broken whiffle-tree, some few ears of newly-gathered green corn, from a neighboring field, and the well-trodden earth marked the place of the camp, near the battery, which was spacious, shaded and afforded a clear view of the river, up and down, and was perfectly protected by its height above the river from the fire of the gunboats. The rebel method of using their guns from the cliffs is to run the gun forward till it projects beyond the cliff, depress it, fire and run the gun back out of sight, load and repeat. Negroes afterwards told us that the battery, consisting of two guns and ninety mounted men, left some five hours before our landing; but the fellows had greatly loitered on the way, for Col. Dudley reported he was within an hour of intercepting them. The twenty-third of June Rodney was passed without molestation, but having learned from various sources that resistance to the further advance of the transports would certainly be made by guns in position on the heights of Grand Gulf, we entered Bayou Pierre about three o'clock on the morning of the twenty-fourth, and attempted to reach its point of intersection with the Port Gibson and Grand Gulf Railroad, in order to move from thence on the rear of the town and heights of Grand Gulf. After passing up the bayou some nine miles, and still eight miles from Port Gibson, a raft across the bayou stopped us. Wisconsin, Ninth Connecticut and four guns, after marching two miles, taking a branch road by Hamilton's plantation, which led to the rear of the reported rebel camp-some said five hundred, some nine hundred strong, pitched between the Port Gibson Railroad and the road from Grand Gulf to Willow Springs, and which branch road produced the only two roads-namely, the railroad and Willow Springs road leading from Grand Gulf to the interior-took the direct road which cuts the railroad about one mile in rear of Grand Gulf. One of the regiments, the Seventh Vermont, was to cooperate with the Fourth Wisconsin and Ninth Connecticut in the contemplated attack on the camp, and the other, Col. Dudley's, to be held in reserve at the fork of the two roads. The rebels, apprised of our coming, had decamped, leaving some of their sick, a few old tents, numerous booths, some articles of household furniture and a secession flag. (See herewith Col. Paine's report.) The town of Grand Gulf, which our troops, before leaving, burned to the ground, was abandoned by all save a single sentinel on picket, who, left behind, was captured by Col. Dudley's flankers. On the twenty-fifth we arrived here off Vicksburgh, and commenced running and levelling the line of the cut-off canal, and on the morning of the twenty-seventh broke ground. Between eleven and twelve hundred negroes, gathered from the neighboring plantations by armed parties, are now engaged in the work of excavating, cutting down trees, and grubbing up the roots. The labor of making this cut is far greater than estimated by anybody. The soil is hard clay, as far as yet excavated-sixteen and a half to seventeen feet--and must be gone through with, say some four feet more, before the water can be let in; for all concur in this: that we must come to sand before the clay. Under In Yesterday the river fall was only two inches. Drift-wood was seen coming down, and the Missouri Republican of the twenty-eighth of June announces the flooding up of the Missouri River and the rise of the Upper Mississippi. the heading of the June rise, with the hard-working twelve hundred negro force engaged, and this prospect of a rise, we are in good heart. The project is a great one, and worthy of success. the next three days we expect to be ready for the water of the Mississippi. The fleet of FlagOfficers Farragut and Davis are awaiting the result with great interest, seven of Flag-Officer Farragut's vessels having passed Vicksburgh at eleven o'clock on the morning of the twenty-eighth without alarming the batteries of the town, and are anchored with Flag-Officer Davis's fleet of six mortar-boats and four gunboats on the west side of Burney's Point. The mortar vessels of Commodore Porter and the remainder of Flag-Officer Farragut's fleet remain below Vicksburgh. CapWe then backed down, for the tain Davis arrived from Memphis on the first of bayou was too narrow to turn in, to one Colonel July. Berry's plantation, four miles only by a good To protect Commodore Porter's mortar fleet, wagon-road. Here, at about eleven o'clock in the lying close along the east bank of the river, withmorning, the troops were landed. The Fourth in range of the batteries of Vicksburgh, but conVOL. V. Doc. 35. teries at the city of Vicksburgh, Miss., had been in contemplation for some time, in order to effectually open the river, and it was at first thought that the squadron under Commodore Farragut could accomplish this end alone, but a cealed from their view by a dense forest from the enemy's skirmishers, I have despatched some three hundred men, under Major Whitmore, of the Thirtieth Massachusetts, for picket and reconnoitring on that side of the town. In the next five or six days I hope to be in the posses-reconnoissance made a month since induced the sion of much information regarding the batteries, their approaches, and the forces in support. Respectfully, your obed't servant, T. WILLIAMS, Brigadier-General Volunteers Commanding. P. S.-Lieutenant Elliott's Brigade Quartermaster goes down for supplies, and can furnish details not given here. July 6, 1862. belief that we could not attain a sufficient elevation with our guns to reach the rebel batteries located on the bluffs. Accordingly the mortar fleet of Commodore Porter, which was then lying at Pensacola, was sent for, and after the lapse of a month all the vessels of the fleet were towed up the river and anchored below the city of Vicksburgh. Brooklyn, arrived some three or four days pre This ship, together with the Richmond and vious to the fight. The navigation of the river with large ships had to be made with extreme caution, and rendered it necessary to come to anchor at night, so that our progress up the river was very slow. A part of our fleet was left at New-Orleans and Baton Rouge, but a majority of the vessels were brought up the river. On the twenty-sixth instant the bomb-flotills opened fire on the batteries, but met with very little response. Their labors, however, only continued during daylight. The nature of the country in and around Vicksburgh rendered it admirably adapted for defensive operations, and the rebels seemed to have taken advantage of it, and mounted guns in every commanding position. Their increased strength was apparent, and indicated that no time had been thrown away since our first reconnoissance was made. HEADQUARTERS SECOND BRIGADE, BELOW VICKSBURGH, CAPTAIN: The Tennessee left here last evening with the mail, but hearing the beating of drums at Grand Gulf, proceeded no further, and returned this evening for an additional gunboat to protect her in passing that point. Her return enabled me to supply an omission in my report of the fourth instant. It is that the eight longranged rifled guns of Nims's and Everett's batteries, from their position behind the levee at Burney's Point, distant seven eighths of a mile from the enemy's nearest battery on the upper side of Vicksburgh, coöperated gallantly and effectively with the fleet in the cannonade and bombardment of the twenty-eighth ult. Everett's battery lost one man and one horse killed. The fall of the water in the river is nearly at a stand-point, and the drift of logs and brush foreshadow what the newspapers promise, namely, a June rise. The work of the negro force on the cut-off, they being The city of Vicksburgh is located on the side organized into squads of twenty, with an intel- of a hill which slopes gradually down to the waligent non-commissioned officer or private to each, ter's edge. Guns were mounted in front of the superintended by officers, is satisfactory. The city, back of the city, to the sides of the city, in Flag-Officer and his fleet are most sanguine and even enthusiastic. I regard the cut-off to be my best bower. Should it fail me, I shall resort to the next best to seize and hold the enemy's batteries, or at least spike their guns. Respectfully, your obed't servant, T. WILLIAMS, Brigadier-General of Volunteers. P. S. The reconnoissance of to-day has shown how we ought not to approach the batteries; that of to-morrow will probably give the affirmative side. RUNNING THE VICKSBURGH FORTS. The annexed letter was written by a young participant on board the United States steamer Hartford, the flag-ship of Commodore Farragut. UNITED STATES STEAMER HARTFORD, MISSISSIPPI RIVER, fact, in the city. No thought seemed to be given to the safety of the place, their desire to bar the passage of vessels up the river predominating over all else. us. Just as day began to dawn on the morning of the twenty-eighth, the rebel batteries opened on The Richmond, Scioto and Oneida preceded us, while the Brooklyn and the gunboats brought up the rear. By the time we had got in complete range it was fully daylight, and an immense shower of solid shot was poured into us. The fire seemed to come from columbiads, and was particularly directed on the flag-ship. Our starboard battery was belching forth a fearful hail on the rebels, whilst we were going at such a slow rate of speed as to scarcely give us steerage-way. Most of their batteries mounted one or two guns, and were scattered over the whole surface of the hill. Some were mounted behind THREE MILES ABOVE VICKSBURGH, June 29, 1862. earthworks, whilst some were protected by solid DEAR FATHER: Yesterday morning, at about rocks. We were so close to the batteries that half-past two o'clock, we got under way, and the men could be seen working the guns and under a most galling fire passed the city of Vicks- waving their hats in defiance. Most of their burgh, and are now anchored above the city some shots were too high to disable us, but completely three miles, in company with four of the advance tore our rigging to pieces. They also cut off boats of Flag-Officer Davis, of the Upper Missis-about seven or eight feet of our maintopsail yard, sippi Flotilla. but the toplift prevented it from falling. A solid The project of silencing and capturing the bat-shot struck us just at the water's edge, and lodged in a room filled with sand-shell, or shell containing sand, which we used as solid shot in case of emergency. Our mizzen rigging was torn in shreds, and had only been left by Flag-Officer Farragut about two minutes before it was struck. It will be necessary for us to have new knees in some parts of the ship, which are cut in two by Allen, seaman, slightly; Alexander Cafrau, landsman, slightly; Lawrence Fay, boy, slightly; Patrick Roach, coal-heaver, head; Philip Roberts, seaman, severely; Sylvester Beckit, landsman, slightly; Alfred Stone, landsman, slightly; John H. Knowles, quartermaster, slightly; John Hardegan, landsman, slightly; Joseph Lands, ordinary seaman, slightly; Nathan Salter, ordiDuring the engagement the mortar-fleet was nary seaman, contusion; Capt. John L. Broome, firing rapidly, as also the steamer of the mortar-marine, contusion; Flag-Officer D. G. Farragut, fleet, which came up near enough to send their slight contusion. rifle-shot into the batteries. shot. When our fire was directed on any particular battery, the rebels would desert their guns until our attention was directed to others, when they would return and open on us again. After being under fire for about two hours in front of the city, and finding that we could not bring our guns to bear any longer, we started ahead fast, the shot still dropping around us, and soon came to anchor out of range of their guns. We lost only one man killed, but had several slightly wounded. The sloop-of-war Brooklyn, after engaging the batteries for nearly two hours, dropped below again. Captain Craven had orders not to leave any batteries behind without silencing them, and finding it impossible to effectually silence them, fell back again, and now lies below the city in company with the Kennebec, Katahdin, and Commodore Porter's mortar-fleet. We used six-second shrapnel during the entire fight, and must have killed a great many of the enemy, though they had no more men exposed than were necessary to work the guns. General Williams is in command of the Federal forces, and has some four thousand men here, including Nims's Boston battery, and his army will soon be increased by ten thousand men from Gen. Halleck's army. We will then attack them again, and with the aid of the army, take possession of the batteries at all hazards. The casualties in the fleet are few, and I escaped uninjured, and am well and ready and willing to try it again. Your affectionate son, ALBERT. P. S.—I annex the following official list of the killed and wounded during the engagement: Richmond-Howard F. Maffat, master's mate, amputated arm; James Noonan, ordinary seaman, contusion; Thomas Nolan, marine, do. ; George W. Harris, marine, do.; James Reddy, seaman, severely; James Mohegan, landsman, do.; George Millard, seaman, do.; Wm. Nicholas, landsman, slightly; Charles Howard, ordinary seaman, do. Oneida-Richard M. Hodgson, assistant engineer, severely; Wm. Cowell, seaman, do.; Henry Clark, boatswain's mate, slightly. Pinola-John Brown, ordinary seaman, severely; Wm. H. Shucks, landsman, slightly. Scioto-Edward Hathaway, seaman, amputated arm; Wm. Arne, landsman, slightly; Clarence Miller, ship-steward, severely. KILLED, eight.-Mortar flotilla-Six scalded, one killed, one drowned. Total-Killed, fifteen; wounded, thirty. Returns have not yet been received from Capt. Porter's mortar flotilla, and that portion of the fleet below Vicksburgh. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Doc. 143. PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S CALL. LETTER FROM THE GOVERNORS. To the President: THE undersigned, Governors of States of the Union, impressed with the belief that the citizens of the States which they respectively represent are of one accord in the hearty desire that the recent successes of the Federal arms may be followed Flag-Ship Hartford, abovE VICKSBURGH, MISS.,restoration of the Union, and believing that in up by measures which must insure the speedy OFFICIAL LIST OF KILLED AND WOUNDED. June 28, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to report the following list of killed and wounded in that portion of the fleet which passed above Vicksburgh in the engagement this morning: KILLED, seven.-Flag-ship Hartford-Edward E. Jennings, seaman, from Massachusetts. Richmond-George Allstrum, ordinary seaman; Thomas Flarity, seaman. Oneida Stephen H. Randall, seaman. Pinola-William H. Thomas, quarter-gunner; Thomas Graham, landsman. Scioto Augustine Ellsworth, ordinary seaman. WOUNDED, thirty.-Flag-ship Hartford-Chas. view of the important military movements now in progress, and the reduced condition of our effective forces in the field, resulting from the usual and unavoidable casualties of the service, that the time has arrived for prompt and vigorous measures to be adopted by the people in support of the great interests committed to your charge, we respectfully request, if it meets with your entire approval, that you at once call upon the several States for such numbers of men as may be required to fill up all military organizations now in the field, and add to the army heretofore organized such additional number of men as may, in your judgment, be necessary to garrison and hold all of the numerous cities and military positions that have been captured by our armies, and to speedily crush the rebellion that still exists in several of the Southern States, thus practically restoring to the civilized world our great and good Government. All believe that the decisive moment is near at hand, and to that end the people of the United States are desirous to aid promptly in furnishing all reënforcements that you may deem needful to sustain our Government. ISRAEL WASHBURNE, Jr., Governor of Maine. ANDREW JOHNSON, Governor of Tennessee. ALEXANDER RAMSEY, Governor of Minnesota. another in the large fort—their big rifled gunand they dismounted a gun by overworking it, carrying away the leap-squares. We found out the two former by prisoners taken, and the last by reconnoitring. Our pickets have been almost inside of the fortress. Yesterday the rebels came down on the head of the mortars with one regiment of Tennessee troops and one regiment of Mississippians, while a brigade attempted to get into the rear of them, not knowing the force of steamers we had there. Our pickets discovered them and fell back and reported. One of the vessels opened on the bushes for a mile along, the mortars dropping shells in the bushes and over them at three hundred yards. The result was a perfect stampede on the part of the rebels. They had attempted to pass a deep marsh, and got stuck in the mud. After firing for half an hour on them, our men went in and found three men stuck fast in the mud, unable to get out. They were captured with all their arms and accoutrements. The marsh was strewn with knapsacks, cartridge-boxes, boots and shoes. Among other things, the boots of a general officer, with silver spurs. They were taken by surprise, when they expected to catch us napping. With a hundred men on shore, we would have taken many of them. The prisoners inform us that at one time the whole party got stuck in the mud, and were perfectly helpless. attack land forces, and were very indignant at the The rebel troops were told they were going to officers for leading them into such a scrape. To Flag-Officer FARRAGUT. Doc. 145. W. D. PORTER. THE CAPTURE OF THE TEASER. UNITED STATES STEAMSHIP MARATANZA, JAMES RIVER, Saturday, July 5, 1862. YESTERDAY being the Fourth of July, we wanted to have a celebration, so at three o'clock started under moderate steam for a reconnoissance up the river. Just as we reached "Haxall's," where it has been our custom to anchor, our member of the signal corps cried out from aloft: "Rebel flag OPERATIONS BEFORE VICKSBURGH, MISS. in sight!" "All hands to quarters, and let her go ahead full steam!" said Commander Stevens, (who has, by the way, a quick eye and ready will for his business.) We soon hove in full sight of the stranger; she was flying the "Red, White, and Red." We trained our one hundred-pounder on her, and got all ready to fire, when down came her flag. It was a clever subterfuge for escape, but our glasses did not deceive us; her guns were being trained at us, and it was evident they didn't mean to surrender honorably. Bang went our gun, making a beautiful shot, and knocking over board several loose articles from the enemy's deck. Then they tried to return the compliment, but missed us completely. Bang went our second shot, and never did the fatal messenger take a truer course, tearing straight through the enemy's vessel, and blowing her half to pieces. The remains were soon at our disposal, and proved to be what was left of the rebel gunboat Teaser. The officers and crew, after firing their gun, jumped into a small boat, taking with them their flag, but our second shot frightened them so they jumped out again, leaving every thing behind. We got the officers' uniforms, swords, belts, pistols, muskets, silver, china, bedding, clothes, letters, and papers; among the latter a full description of the submarine batteries at Drury's Bluff, and a diagram of all the fortifications. We also found a balloon made of silk dresses, and a commission from the confederate States navy, running to Lieutenant Hunter Davidson, formerly of the United States Navy. Doc. 146. and an answer, of which I send you a copy, was returned. At the end of thirty minutes, our troops were advanced in pursuit. The wagons conveying the enemy's dead were but a short distance beyond our front, with an escort, but, of course, were not molested. We took a parallel road, inclining more to the right, with a view of again engaging, if possible, the main body, who were seen retreating in such a direction as would take them across our road, some four miles in the prairie. The intense heat of the day, and the uselessness of the pursuit of mounted men by infantry, induced me to recall the troops after they had advanced three miles. Too much praise cannot be bestowed upon Col. Spicely and the men and officers of his regiment engaged. The enemy's force, as shown by their musterrolls, which fell into our possession, was four hundred and fifty. Our own engaged was two hundred. Their loss, as admitted by prisoners and sympathizers in the vicinity, was eighty-four in killed, wounded, and missing. But few prisoners were taken, from the facility afforded them THE BATTLE OF GRAND PRAIRIE, ARK. to escape by being mounted. Our loss is one OFFICIAL REPORT OF COLONEL FITCH. HEADQUARTERS Indiana BRIGADE, July 6, 1862. Major-Gen. Grant, Commanding at Memphis: SIR: We arrived here yesterday. A scouting party was sent out, who discovered the enemy within two miles of this place. One prisoner was taken. On the morning of the sixth a reconnoissance was ordered, consisting of about two hundred of the Twenty-fourth Indiana, under Col. Spicely, followed, at an interval of half an hour, by the same number of the Forty-third, under Lieut.-Col. Farrow, and again, after a like interval, by another detachment of the same number, jointly, from the Thirty-fourth and Forty-sixth, with a Dahlgren boat-howitzer, which last detachment I accompanied. The remainder of the command, under Lieut.-Col. Cameron, was ordered to hold themselves in readiness, if required, for support. Col. Spicely was directed to proceed upon the road on which the enemy had been discovered the evening previous, and attack him whenever and wherever he met him, and in whatever number. He followed the Duvall Bluff road four miles to an open woods, immediately upon the border of Grand Prairie, where his skirmishers discovered and drove in the enemy's pickets. Their main body, all mounted, made an attack upon his front, which was quickly repulsed; but, availing themselves of a point of thick timber, which concealed their movements, they very soon after attacked simultaneously his front, flank, and rear, charging up to within twenty paces of the ranks, but were repulsed with loss, and fled in every direction, the main body following the Duvall Bluff road. Soon after a note-a copy of which accompanies this-was received by me, I having joined the advance, asking permission to bury their dead, man killed and twenty-one wounded, according to the accompanying list. Very respectfully, yours, Doc. 147. CHEROKEE DISLOYALTY. THE following letter from John Ross, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, settles the question as to the alliance of that nation with the rebels: EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, PARK HILL, C. N., July 8, 1862. To Colonel Wm. Weer, U. S. A., Commanding: SIR: Your communication of yesterday, dated from headquarters, Indian expedition, camp on Wolf Creek, under a flag of truce per Dr. Gilpatrick, has been duly received; and in reply I have to state that a treaty of alliance, under the sanction and authority of the whole Cherokee people, was entered into on the seventh day of October, 1861, between the confederate States and the Cherokee Nation, and published before the world. And you cannot but be too well informed on the subject to make it necessary for me to recapitulate the reasons and circumstances under which it was done. Thus the destiny of the people became identified with that of the Southern Confederacy. There is no nation of Indians, I venture to say, that has ever been more scrupulous in the faithful observance of their treaty obligations than the Cherokees. Allow me to further appeal to the history of my long public and private life to sustain the assertion that my policy has ever been to preserve peace and good feelings among my people, and the observance of law and order. |