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Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 1. (ed. Reverend J. William Jones), Capture of the Indianola. (search)
e Ironclad Indianola, February 25th, 1863. Maj. E. Surget, A. A. Gen.: Major — My last dispatch to you, exclusive of the telegram sent you last night, was from Natchez. The Federal ironclad Indianola had forty-eight hours start of us at Acklin's Landing; at Natchez she was less than twenty-five hours in advance. We left NatcheNatchez she was less than twenty-five hours in advance. We left Natchez on the evening of the 23d instant; and I found that we could easily overhaul her on the evening of the 24th, but I determined not to do so, in order that I might bring the enemy to an engagement only at night, considering for many reasons that this time was most advantageous to us. We reached Grand Gulf before sunset, and therNatchez on the evening of the 23d instant; and I found that we could easily overhaul her on the evening of the 24th, but I determined not to do so, in order that I might bring the enemy to an engagement only at night, considering for many reasons that this time was most advantageous to us. We reached Grand Gulf before sunset, and there learned that the enemy was only about four hours in advance of us. As we were running more than two miles to his one, the time required to overtake him could be easily calculated, and I determined to overtake and bring him to action early in the night. We came up with the Indianola about 9.40 last night, just above New Carthag
olumbus. Every planter, and every wealthy or even well-to-do man, has plate. Diamonds, rings, gold watches, chains, and bracelets are to be found in every family. The negroes buy large amounts of cheap jewelry, and the trade in this branch is enormous. One may walk a whole day in a Northern city without seeing a ruffled shirt. Here they are very common. The case of Colonel Mihalotzy was concluded to-day. August, 5 General Ammen was a teacher for years at West Point, at Natchez, Mississippi, in Kentucky, Indiana, and recently at Ripley, Ohio. He has devoted particular attention to the education of children, and has no confidence in the usual mode of teaching them. He labors to strengthen or cultivate, first: attention, and to this end never allows their interest in anything to flag; whenever he discovers that their minds have become weary of a subject, he takes the book from them and turns their thought in a new direction. Nor does he allow their attention to be divid
The Annals of the Civil War Written by Leading Participants North and South (ed. Alexander Kelly McClure), Vicksburg during the siege. (search)
ape mainly with reference to the supposed movements of Johnston and E. K. Smith. One day the forces had gone to Memphis, to cut Grant off from his supplies, a report that provoked a poem from a gallant, gay boy named Cannon (afterward killed), which had this refrain: Damn Memphis and strategy-Vicksburg's the place, And I am, dear Joseph, your Cannon, in haste. Next time it was Milliken's Bend that had been captured (there was a fight there). And then Kirby Smith had crossed the river at Natchez, and had a division at Young's Point. And so on, over and over, like the dreams of fever. General Johnston appears, from his dispatches, to have really believed that assistance could be expected from the Trans-Mississippi Department; a strange delusion which might even appear, in the minds of the prejudiced, an attempt to transfer the responsibility of events. One of the rumors that somehow reached us in Vicksburg was that Virginia had elected a Union State ticket, and was making ready t
Lt.-Colonel Arthur J. Fremantle, Three Months in the Southern States, May, 1863. (search)
nce to Trinity, which is fifteen miles nearer Natchez (on the Mississippi) than Harrisonburg. We achita in my company, determined to proceed to Natchez to-day, and a very hard day's work we had of ianian bank of the Mississippi, just opposite Natchez. At Vidalia I got the immense luxury of aanded on the Mississippi bank at 9 A. M. Natchez is a pretty little town, and ought to contain mile broad at this point. When I reached Natchez I hired a carriage, and, with a letter of inte town about two miles. The scenery about Natchez is extremely pretty, and the ground is hilly, and was most anxious that I should remain at Natchez for a few days; but now that I was thoroughly I had fondly imagined that after reaching Natchez my difficulties would have been over; but I vst point on the railroad, and is distant from Natchez 66 miles. My companions were a fat Govern at 6 P. M. we met an officer driving towards Natchez at a great pace; he gave us the alarming inte[3 more...]
Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, The bayous West of the Mississippi-criticisms of the Northern press-running the batteries-loss of the Indianola-disposition of the troops (search)
s. All damage was afterwards soon repaired under the direction of Admiral Porter. The experiment of passing batteries had been tried before this, however, during the war. Admiral Farragut had run the batteries at Port Hudson with the flagship Hartford and one iron-clad and visited me from below Vicksburg. The 13th of February Admiral Porter had sent the gunboat Indianola, Lieutenant-Commander George Brown commanding, below. She met Colonel [Charles] Ellet of the Marine brigade below Natchez on a captured steamer. Two of the Colonel's fleet had previously run the batteries, producing the greatest consternation among the people along the Mississippi from Vicksburg Colonel Ellet reported having attacked a Confederate battery on the Red River two days before with one of his boats, the De Soto. Running aground, he was obliged to abandon his vessel. However, he reported that he set fire to her and blew her up. Twenty of his men fell into the hands of the enemy. With the balanc
Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, Retrospect of the campaign-sherman's movements-proposed movement upon Mobile-a painful accident-ordered to report at Cairo (search)
aving decided against me, the depletion of an army, which had won a succession of great victories, commenced, as had been the case the year before after the fall of Corinth when the army was sent where it would do the least good. By orders, I sent to Banks a force of 4,000 men; returned the 9th corps to Kentucky and, when transportation had been collected, started a division of 5,000 men to Schofield in Missouri where Price was raiding the State. I also detached a brigade under Ransom to Natchez, to garrison that place permanently. This latter move was quite fortunate as to the time when Ransom arrived there. The enemy happened to have a large number, about 5,000 head, of beef cattle there on the way from Texas to feed the Eastern armies, and also a large amount of munitions of war which had probably come through Texas from the Rio Grande and which were on the way to Lee's and other armies in the East. The troops that were left with me around Vicksburg were very busily and un
Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, The military situation-plans for the campaign-sheridan assigned to command of the cavalry-flank movements-forrest at Fort Pillow-General Banks's expedition-colonel Mosby-an incident of the Wilderness campaign (search)
Plymouth, Washington and New Berne in North Carolina; Beaufort, Folly and Morris islands, Hilton Head, Port Royal and Fort Pulaski in South Carolina and Georgia; Fernandina, St. Augustine, Key West and Pensacola in Florida. The balance of the Southern territory, an empire in extent, was still in the hands of the enemy. Sherman, who had succeeded me in the command of the military division of the Mississippi, commanded all the troops in the territory west of the Alleghenies and north of Natchez, with a large movable force about Chattanooga. His command was subdivided into four departments, but the commanders all reported to Sherman and were subject to his orders. This arrangement, however, insured the better protection of all lines of communication through the acquired territory, for the reason that these different department commanders could act promptly in case of a sudden or unexpected raid within their respective jurisdictions without awaiting the orders of the division com
J. B. Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary, chapter 29 (search)
. All generals are judged by the degree of success they achieve, for success alone is considered the proof of merit, and one disaster may obliterate the memory of a dozen victories. Even Lee's great name is dimmed somewhat in the estimation of fools. He must beat Meade before Grant comes up, or suffer in reputation. Gov. Bonham has demanded the free negroes taken on Morris Island, to be punished (death) according to the State law. July 27 Nothing but disasters to chronicle now. Natchez and Yazoo City, all gone the way of Vicksburg, involving a heavy loss of boats, guns, and ordnance stores; besides, the enemy have got some twenty locomotives in Mississippi. Lee has retreated as far as Culpepper Court House. The President publishes another proclamation, fixing a day for the people to unite in prayer. The weather is bad. With the exception of one or two bright days, it has been raining nearly a month. Superadded to the calamities crowding upon us, we have a ru
J. B. Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary, XXX. September, 1863 (search)
ively dry and dusty again. Gen. Jos. E. Johnston, Morton, Miss., writes that such is the facility of giving information to the enemy, that it is impossible to keep up a ferry at any point on the Mississippi; but he will be able to keep up communications, by trusty messengers with small parcels, with Lieut.-Gen. E. Kirby Smith's trans-Mississippi Department. He says if he had another cavalry brigade, he could make the navigation too dangerous for merchant steamers between Grand Gulf and Natchez. Two letters were received to-day from privates in North Carolina regiments, demanding to be transferred to artillery companies in the forts of North Carolina, or else they would serve no more. This is very reckless! Ordnance officer J. Brice transmitted to the Secretary to-day, through the Ordnance Bureau, an official account of the ammunition, etc. at Vicksburg during the siege and at the evacuation. He says all the ordnance stores at Jackson were hastily removed to Vicksburg, an
J. B. Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary, chapter 39 (search)
ill be greater than ever. Vice-President Stephens has not yet arrived. I do not understand that he is ill. May 18 Showers and sunshine, the first preponderating. Our killed and wounded in Beauregard's battle amount to some 1500. The enemy lost 1000 prisoners, and perhaps 1500 killed and wounded. Railroad men report heavy firing this morning near Fredericksburg, and it is believed another battle is in progress. From the West we have a report, derived from the enemy at Natchez, that Gen. Banks has surrendered to Lieut.-Gen. Smith. It is rumored likewise that President Lincoln has called for 60,000 militia, to defend Washington. A fortnight ago, Mr. Benjamin procured passports for one or two of his agents to pass the lines at will. They may have procured information, but it did not prevent the enemy from coming. Attended a funeral (next door to us) ceremony this afternoon at 5 P. M. over the body of Abner Stanfield, a nephew of Mrs. Smith, our next do