YAZOO PASS AND STEELE'S BAYOU EXPEDITIONS. In the Civil War after the battle of Chickasaw Bayou. 29 Dec. 1862, and the capture of Arkansas Post, 11 Jan. 186.1, General Grant ordered the army to Youngs Point and Millikin's Bend, where he took com mand in person 30 January. Work on the pro jected canal across the peninsula opposite Vicksburg was pushed, but on 4 February Grant questioned its success, and began to look for other routes by which the army could reach the high ground either north or south of Vicksburg. Tao projects were considered. One insolscd cutting away from the Missis sippi into Lake Providence from a point 70 miles above Vicksburg. This lake, a former bed of the river, was connected by Bayou Baxter with Bayou Macon, a navigable stream, which led to the Tensas, thence into the Wash ita, and filially into the Red River. Thus It was hoped the army could be transported to the lower Mississippi to co-operate with Banks against Port Hudson. It is 470 miles by the main riser from Lake Providence to the mouth of Red River. and much farther by the winding bayous. Upon the cutting of the levee at Lake Providence the water from the river flowed in rapidly and the six miles of the lake beyond were soon asailable. But Bayou Baxter was found choked for miles with fallen trees and a thick growth of tim ber oserhanging it. General McPherson's en tire corps was engaged for some time in at tempting to open this channel and those be low it. In March this project was abandoned.
On the east side of the riser, a few miles below Helena. was Yazoo Pass. This bad formed the old route of river steamers through the Coldwater to the Tallahatchie, and the Yallabusha to Yazoo City, but it bad been closed for some years by a strong levee. By reopening this route it was believed to he pos 'Ole to reach the high ground on the Yazoo Huffs north of Vicksburg. This Yazoo Pass plan promised greater success than the Lake Providence scheme Under Licut.-Cul. Wilson of the engineers, later Maj.-Gen. James H. Wilson, the levee was cut 2 February, a way was deared to the Coldwater, and the Pass opened to navigation on 24 February. Brig. General Ross, with 4,500 men, was ordered into the pass upon light draft transports, and, preceded by gunboats, penetratedby that stream to the Tallahatchie, and thence to the Yallabusha, where the expedition, after an advance of 225 miles, was stopped 11 March by Fort Pemberton, near the juncture of the last named streams. It was a strong work in a bend
which commanded both. The fort was found to be so situated that in this time of high water neither troops nor gunboats could re duce it although the gunboats attacked on 11 and 12 March. As it stood only a few feet above the water, attempts were made to flood it by cutting the levee at Austin above Helena, and widening the cut into Yazoo Pass. These were unsuccessful. The expedition, after sev eral attempts on the fort, withdrew. On the way back a reinforcement under General Quimby was met, 22 March, and this officer ordered a return to Fort Pemberton for fur ther efforts. He soon became satisfied that the fon could not be reached, and ordered final withdrawal. The gunboats could not turn in the narrow channels and were forced to back out over a large part of the route. General McPherson's corps had been ordered into the pass, but was delayed for lack of light draft transports and later the intended movement of the army by that route was abandoned. Meantime the Confederates had gathered a strong laud force under W. W. Loring, which became first harassing and soon after most threatening. Sherman, preceded by five gunboats of Admiral Porter's fleet, was dispatched in haste 16 March through Stecle's Bayou, by which route it ssas hoped he could reach the Yazoo, relieve Ross, then supposed to be in danger of capture, and at the same time find a practical way for the army into the Yazoo. Sherman had a winding and dtlfi cult route of 150 miles before he could reach that stream. From Steele's Bayou, which he entered at Eagle Bend, he passed to Black Bayou and thence to Deer Creek. This opened into Rolling Fork by which he could enter the Big Sunflower, and by this stream reach the Yazoo. Es en with the tremendous energy of his advance Sherman was barely in time to save the gunboats which had been at tacked in Deer Creek by land forces, and were so hard pressed that Admiral Porter was con sidering the blowing up of his fleet and re treating with his crews through the swamps. These several attempts through the bayous east and west of the river had been carried on over hundreds of miles and against the most formidable obstacles of flooded country, dense forests and heavily obstructed streams. They were finally abandoned and the army reassembled at tiillikin's Bend and Young's Point. From this position the army subse quently moved in the final campaign against Vicksburg.
H. V. BovsnoN.