[
55]
These forces consist of a portion of the Thirteenth army corps, and comprise four divisions, organized as follows:
Ninth division--
Brigadier-General P. J. Osterhaus commanding:
First Brigade--
Brigadier-General T. T. Garrard commanding, consisting of the Forty-eighth and Sixty-ninth Indiana, One Hundred and Twentieth Ohio, One Hundred and Thirteenth Illinois, and Seventh Kentucky.
Second Brigade--
Colonel L. A. Sheldon (Forty-second Ohio) commanding, consisting of the Sixteenth, Forty-second, and One Hundred and Fourteenth Ohio, Fifty-fourth Indiana, and Twenty-second Kentucky.
Artillery--First Wisconsin and Seventh Michigan batteries.
Cavalry--Companies A and K Third Illinois cavalry.
Tenth division--
Brigadier-General A. J. Smith commanding:
First Brigade--
S. G. Burbridge commanding, consisting of the Sixteenth, Sixtieth, and Sixty-sixth Indiana, Eighty-third and Ninety-sixth Ohio, and Twenty-third Wisconsin.
Second Brigade--
Col. W. J. Landrum (Nineteenth Kentucky) commanding, consisting of the Nineteenth Kentucky, Seventy-seventh, Ninety-seventh, One Hundred and Eighth, and One Hundred and Twentieth Illinois, and Forty-eighth Ohio.
Artillery — Chicago Mercantile and Seventeenth Ohio batteries.
Cavalry — A company of the Fourth Indiana cavalry.
Twelfth division--
Brigadier-General A. P. Hovey commanding:
First Brigade--
Brigadier-General G. F. McGinnis commanding, consisting of the Eleventh, Twenty-fourth, Thirty-fourth, and Forty-sixth Indiana, and Twenty-ninth Wisconsin.
Second Brigade--
Colonel J. R. Slack (Forty-seventh Indiana) commanding, consisting of the Forty-seventh Indiana, Twenty-fourth and Twenty-eighth Iowa, and Fifty-sixth Ohio.
Artillery —
Peoria light artillery, Second and Sixteenth Ohio, and First Missouri batteries.
Cavalry--Company C First Indiana cavalry.
Fourteenth division--
Brigadier-General E. A. Carr commanding:
First Brigade--
Brigadier-General W. P. Benton commanding, consisted of the First U. S. infantry, Eighth and Eighteenth Indiana, and the Thirty-third and Ninety-ninth Illinois.
Second Brigade--
Brigadier-General M. K. Lawler commanding, consisting of the Eleventh Wisconsin, and Twenty-first, Twenty-second, and Twenty-third Iowa.
Artillery--First Indiana battery.
Cavalry--Companies E and F Third Illinois cavalry.
Detachments of the Second and Third Illinois and Sixth Missouri cavalry, also formed part of my immediate command.
After several fruitless attempts to penetrate the
State of Mississippi above Vickburgh, and to turn the rear of that city, it became a question of the highest importance, whether a point be. low on the
Mississippi River, might not be reached, and a way thus opened to the attainment of the same end.
My corps, happily, was in favorable condition to test this question.
It was inspired by an eager desire to prove its usefulness, and impatiently awaited an opportunity to do so. Sharing in this feeling, I was more than rejoiced in permission to essay an effort to cross the peninsula opposite
Vicksburgh, from
Milliken's Bend to
New-Carthage.
Accordingly, on the twenty-ninth of March, I ordered
Gen. Osterhaus to send forward a detachment of infantry, artillery, and cavalry to surprise and capture
Richmond, the capital of
Madison Parish, La: On the morning of the thirtieth,
Colonel Bennett, with the Sixty-ninth Indiana, a section of artillery, and a detachment of the Second Illinois cavalry, took up the line of march in execution of this order.
By two o'clock P. M. he had marched twelve miles over a miry road and reached the bank of
Roundaway Bayou, opposite
Richmond.
Artillery first, and infantry next, opened fire upon the small force garrisoning the town, and immediately dislodged it. A portion of the cavalry dismounting from their horses, sprang into the small boats brought along on wagons, and paddling them across the bayou with the butts of their carbines, hastened to occupy the town.
Hot pursuit of the fugitive enemy was soon after made by another portion of cavalry, who swam their horses over the bayou.
Seven of the enemy were wounded, four of whom fell into our hands.
This spirited and successful attack was consummated under my own observation, and effectually cut off the supplies which were wont to be transported through
Richmond from the rich tracts traversed by the
Tensas River and
Bayou Macon to
Vicksburgh.
On the night of the third a bridge two hundred feet in length, made of logs taken from houses, was thrown across
Roundaway Bayou at
Richmond, by the pioneer corps, under
Capt. Patterson.
This was the work of twenty-four hours, and a way being thus opened, the remainder of
General Osterhaus's division was rapidly moved forward and so disposed as to cover and hold the only practicable land route between
Milliken's Bend and
Smith's plantation, two miles north of
New-Carthage.
Meantime, many obstacles were overcome — old roads were repaired, new ones made, boats constructed for the transportation of men and supplies ; twenty miles of levee sleeplessly guarded day and night, and every possible precaution used to prevent the rising flood from breaking through the levee and engulfing us.
Other obstacles were also encountered.
Harrison's rebel cavalry, supported by a detachment of infantry, were active and vigilant to oppose our advance, but after having been repeatedly repulsed,
