L. P. Brockett, The camp, the battlefield, and the hospital: or, lights and shadows of the great rebellion

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[236] for General Grant, while marching his troops overland on the west side of the Mississippi, toward the point from which he intended to cross and attack Vicksburg from the south and east, to have transports and gunboats below the Vicksburg and Warrenton batteries to bring supplies and ferry his troops across the Mississippi, as well as to attack the Warrenton batteries from below.

On consultation with Admiral Porter, that brave officer proposed to send down eight gunboats, three transports, and a number of barges and flat boats, laden with commissary supplies, past the batteries to New Carthage. These were all manned by volunteers, who were not deterred by the previous misfortunes of Farragut's squadron from undertaking this perilous expedition.

The former attempts at running the Vicksburg batteries had been made shortly before, or at daylight; this time a change was resolved upon. Eleven o'clock at night was appointed as the hour at which the boats should leave their rendezvous, which was near the mouth of the Yazoo river. To the anxious expectants of the coming events, the hours stole slowly by. As the appointed moment drew near, the decks of the various steamboats were crowded with watchful spectators.

A sort of apprehensive shudder ran through the collected gazers when it was announced that the first boat destined to pass the batteries was approaching. Sombre and silent it floated down, near the Louisiana shore; scarcely were its dark sides to be distinguished from the foliage lining the bank. Stealing slowly on, it passed the group of steamers, and at a point below took an