48 



AEMY OPERATIONS. 



want of knowledge as to what would be re- 

 quired to open this route, than from any im- 

 practicability in the navigation of the streams 

 and bayous through which it was proposed to 

 pass : the want of this knowledge led the expe- 

 dition on until difficulties were encountered, 

 and then it would become necessary to send 

 back to Young's Point for the means of remov- 

 ing them. This gave the enemy time to move 

 forces to effectually checkmate further prog- 

 ress, and the expedition was withdrawn when 

 within a few hundred yards of free and open 

 navigation to the Yazoo." 



In addition to these several routes, another 

 was prospected by Capt. F. E. Prime, as Chief 

 Engineer, and Col. G. G. Pride, through the 

 bayous, which run from near Milliken's Bend 

 and New Carthage on the south, through 

 Roundaway bayou into the Tensas river. This 

 route was found to be practicable, and work 

 was commenced on it. "With the aid of three 

 dredge boats, it proceeded rapidly, and one 

 small steamer and a number of barges were 

 taken through the channel thus opened. 

 About the middle of April, however, the 

 river commenced falling so rapidly as to ren- 



der it impracticable to open this water com- 

 munication between Milliken's Bend and New 

 Carthage. At the same time the roads be- 

 tween them became dry and passable, and 

 thus made the water communication unneces- 

 sary. 



About this time, Admiral Farragut had sent 

 to Admiral Porter for the assistance of iron- 

 clads and rams, to operate against a fleet of 

 small, but dangerous boats, cruising in the Red 

 river. The large vessel of Admiral Farragut, 

 the Hartford, near Warrenton, might be use- 

 less against two or three small rams. The 

 rams Switzerland, under Col. Chas. R. Ellet, 

 and Lancaster, under Lieut.-Col. John A. Ellet, 

 were ordered to go down the river. Every 

 precaution was taken to make the run of the 

 batteries as quietly as possible, but it was 

 about daylight on the 25th of March when 

 they turned the point and came in sight of 

 Vicksburg. They were discovered by the 

 enemy, and the Lancaster was sunk before she 

 had reached halfway. All of her crew es- 

 caped but one man, who was drowned. The 

 Switzerland was badly cut up, but arrived 

 below. 



The object of Gen. Grant now was* to find 

 a route by which he could place his army with 

 its supplies below Vicksburg, so as to approach 

 it in the rear, where alone it was supposed to 

 be weak and assailable, with the hope of suc- 

 cess. As soon, therefore, as he had directed 

 a water communication to be opened from a 

 point on the Mississippi, near Milliken's Bend, 

 to New Carthage, he determined to occupy the 

 latter place. It was the first point below 

 Vicksburg that could be reached by land at the 

 stage of water existing at that time, and the 

 occupancy of which, while it secured a point 

 on the Mississippi river, would also protect the 

 main line of communication by water. Major- 

 Gen. McClernand, therefore, with the thir- 

 teenth army corps, was, on the 29th of March, 

 ordered to move to New Carthage. The 

 fifteenth and sixteenth corps were to follow, 

 moving no faster than supplies and ammuni- 

 tion could be transported to them. The move- 

 ment was necessarily slow, in consequence of 

 the bad state of the roads. As the advance 

 reached Smith's Plantation, two miles from 

 New Carthage, it was found that the levee of 

 Bayou Vidal was broken in several places ; and 

 in consequence of the overflow of water, New 

 Carthage was made an island. All the boats 

 in the different -bayous in the vicinity were 

 collected, and others were built, but the 

 transportation of fcho army was exceedingly 

 tedious. Another route was therefore found, 

 by making a further march of twelve miles 

 around Bayou Vidal, to a point called Perkins's 

 Plantation. The whole distance to be marched 

 from Milliken's Bend to reach water commu- 

 nication below was thirty-five miles. Over 

 this distance it was necessary to transport by 

 wagons, with bad roads, the supplies of ord- 

 nance stores and provisions with which to 



