to secure transportation below the stronghold, either through the abandoned canal of Williams, or by cutting channels from the Mississippi into the bayous. These la borious but abortive attempts constitute the prelude to a more daring and successful operation.

He recommences

On the 22d of January, Grant, encouraged by the circumstance that the river was rising very fast, recomWilliams's canal, menced the cutting of Williams's canal. He hoped to make a channel which would pass transports for moving the army and carrying supplies to a new base of operations against Pemberton's army. The work was energetically pushed forward by a large force day and night, the task proving more herculean, as Grant himself reports, than was expected. To the labor was added discomfort and embarrassment arising from heavy rains, which fell during the whole time.

To turn the Mississippi from its course was certainly a daring adventure, but it had already been done successfully at Island No. 10 (vol. ii., p. 276). Some of the celebrated sieges of antiquity had been illustrated by similar engineering triumphs. Thus Cyrus, the Median general, after besieging Babylon ineffectually for two years, took that city by turning a branch of the River Euphrates from its course, his troops penetrating the defensive works through the drained bed of the river.

but is obliged to abandon it.

Grant's attempt was, however, unsuccessful. On the 8th of March the pressure of the rising river broke the dam across the canal near its upper end. A torrent of water inundated the works. The middle of the peninsula was lower than the sides, and hence the water spread out and flooded the central swamp. Some endeav ors were made to repair the damage, but it was found that the plan must be abandoned.

In the mean time the engineers had surveyed a route He attempts a pas- through the bayous from Milliken's Bend on Roundaway Bayou, the north, and New Carthage on the south,

sage through

through Roundaway Bayou, into the Tensas River. Excavations were executed speedily, and a small steamer and some barges passed through the channel thus opened. But about the middle of April, the river, beginning to fall, made it impracticable to open water communication between Milliken's Bend and New Carthage, and, the roads becoming passable, rendered it unnecessary to do so.

dence,

Having more troops than could be employed to advan and by Lake Provi- tage at Young's Point, and knowing that Lake Providence, which is a portion of the old bed of the river, is connected by Bayou Baxter with Bayou Macon, a navigable stream through which transports might pass into the Mississippi below, Grant thought it possible that a route might be opened in that direction. He therefore caused a channel to be cut from the Mississippi into Lake Providence; but this also proved to be a failure.

Pass.

While these attempts were being made on the west side and also by Yazoo of the river, others were in progress on the east side. Yazoo Pass had formerly been used by boats as a means of gaining access into the interior of the country. It opens into the Coldwater, and that into the Tallahatchie, which, receiving the Yallabusha at Greenwood, forms with it the Yazoo River-a tortuous passage of 250 miles. By the Yazoo Pass Grant only expected at first to get into the Yazoo River with some of the lighter gun-boats, and to destroy the enemy's transports and gun-boats in that stream. The navigation proving better than was expected, he hoped that there might be a possibility of obtaining a foothold on high land above Haines's Bluff.

The mouth of the pass had been obstructed by a levee, and, the water having been thus diminished, a rank growth of cottonwood and willow had spread all over the swampy track. As soon as this levee was cut, the water of the Mississippi, which was nine feet higher than the adjacent country, swept every thing before it, and tore a passage

through the woods by which steam-boats could make their

way.

About the first of March, an expedition, consisting of some gun-boats and transports, carrying about four thou sand troops, attempted this passage. It reached the Coldwater with difficulty, forcing its way through the midst of a dense forest of wild cypress, ash, bitter pecans, cottonwood, swarming with ducks, cormorants, and black squir rels, the half-stagnant waters abounding with turtles, alligators, moccasin and copperhead snakes, the marshes cov ered with a thick growth of huge trees and masses of cane. Concealed in these recesses, supposed to be inaccessible, were great numbers of slaves busily employed in raising crops, not of cotton, but of corn. Here and there a white smoke floating through the trees indicated that hidden stores of that valuable staple had been set on fire. As the expedition advanced its difficulties increased; in three days it could force its way only eight miles. The limbs of mosscovered and enormous trees overarching the passage broke down the funnels and upper works of the steamers. The confluence of the Tallahatchie and Yallabusha at Greenwood was at length reached, but here the advance of the expedition ended; for at this point the Confederates, alarmed at the progress of the invaders, had constructed a battery-Fort Pemberton-on a spot where checked at Fort the ground was low and now overflowed. The land forces of the expedition could render no assistance; and, after an engagement of several hours, it was found that the gun-boats were unable to silence the enemy. Subsequently, however, it appeared that, had the attack lasted an hour longer, the post must have surrendered, as the garrison were almost out of ammunition. While the expedition was thus held in check at Greenwood, Grant received information from Adis made through miral Porter that he had found a better passage through Steele's Bayou and Black Bay

The expedition

Pemberton.

Another attempt

Steele's Bayou.

ou into Deer Creek, and some negroes had informed him that that creek could be navigated to Rolling Fork, and thence down the Sunflower into the Yazoo. Grant saw that if an enterprise on this line were successful, it would place Greenwood between two bodies of his forces, and cause its abandonment. Moreover, thirty of the enemy's steam-boats, which had sought refuge in these secret wa ters, would fall into his hands.

Accordingly, five gun-boats, several transports, and one of Sherman's divisions were ordered to attempt the new passage. The strength of the iron-clads enabled them to override obstructions of willow and cypress, or to break through their entanglements; but here and there the ves sels were wedged between trees, or had every thing swept from their decks by overarching limbs. In Black Bayou the way was forced or torn through dense forests: trees sometimes not less than four feet in thickness had to be cut down. The nights were not only moonless, but the gloom of the forests made them pitch-dark. Rain fell incessantly. So formidable did the obstructions become, that on one day not more than half a mile of advance was made. The enemy added to the natural difficulties by felling trees across the streams, and by firing upon the boats wherever riflemen could be secreted or guns advan This also proves to tageously placed. The expedition eventually failed, as Grant remarks, probably more from a want of knowledge of what was required to open the route than from any impossibility. It was stopped when within a few hundred yards of a free passage to the Yazoo, and at the same time orders were given for the withdrawal of all the forces engaged in the Yazoo Pass expedition. Grant, now recognizing that all these attempts above Vicksburg would be unsatisfactory, determined to turn that strong-hold from the south, and proceeded at once to concentrate his army at Milliken's Bend. His plan was very audacious. He resolved to march

be a failure.

Grant's final and his army down the west bank of the Missis successful plan. sippi below the enemy's works, to run the gun-boats and transports past the batteries, and by their aid force a passage across the river. Gaining its east bank, he determined to cut himself loose from his base, to swing round the rear of Vicksburg, to obtain possession of the heights of Yazoo, and there open a new base of supplies. Rising with true military genius to a just conception of the problem, he saw that he must attempt not merely to capture Vicksburg, but also Pemberton's army, and that while with his left hand he secured those great results, he must with his right keep off any relieving force. To insure the success of his main operation, he ordered a cavalry force under Grierson to ride from Lagrange, Tennessee, down to Baton Rouge, cutting all the approaches in the rear of the devoted strong-hold; and, to distract Pemberton's attention while the critical portion of the plan was being executed, he directed Sherman to make a feint on the Yazoo.

The execution of Grant's plan turned, therefore, on the It turns on the pos- possibility of the gun-boats and transports passing the Vicksburg batteries with impunity. Could this be done?

sibility of steam

boats passing the

Vicksburg batter

ies.

It has been already stated (vol. ii., p. 342) that Farragut had carried his ships past the batteries of Vicksburg, and had come into communication with the national fleet above (June, 1862). While in this position, he had organized an expedition to go up the Yazoo River for the purpose of capturing the Arkansas, a Confederate ram iron-clad, and protected with cotton-bales. Three gunboats, which he had sent to reconnoitre, unexpectedly met her coming down the Yazoo. They at once took to flight, and, in their haste, one of them ran ashore. The ram passed on her way, arriving safely under the guns of Vicksburg. Unwilling to let her escape, Farragut himself fol