May 26th. Another reconnoissance took place yesterday, but although the gunboats went very near the rebel batteries no firing took place. This morning all hands were surprised with the intelligence that no attack was to be made on the city at present, and that our large ships would again drop down the river. This is said to be caused by the fact that the position of the rebel guns renders the attack dangerous to our large ships, and that we could not at present occupy the place, if taken. The Richmond started early down the river, followed by the Brooklyn and at ten o’clock we got under way with the gunboat Kennebec, leaving eight vessels behind in charge of Capt. Palmer of the Iroquois. We also had in company, or rather ahead of us, two steamers loaded with troops. Nothing transpired to check our rapid passage until the steamers, in passing Grand Gulf, were fired upon by rebel light artillery; we accordingly wheeled round, and in company with the Brooklyn went back for satisfaction. The troops were landed, and they drove the enemy out of the town with slight loss, while we proceeded down and passed the night a few miles above Natchez, where were four of our coal transports.
Cruise of the U.S. Flag-Ship Hartford–Wm. C. Holton
May 24th. We left Grand Gulf on the 23d, at which time the Flag Officer joined us, and arrived four miles below Vicksburg at four o’clock, P. M., where we found several gunboats awaiting our arrival. We swelled the number here to eleven vessels of war. The city is situated on a bluff perhaps sixty feet high, and they have a battery on the hill, and another one below, but we do not know the number of guns mounted; they also have a ram to protect them, besides large numbers of troops behind the city. The Kennebec, with the several captains of the fleet, went up to reconnoitre, and on returning was saluted by the ram with a shot which fell far short.
May 21st. We got under way early, leaving the Iroquois aground, and ran up to Grand Gulf, where we are to wait for orders from the Flag Officer who has gone to Vicksburg. We saw much cotton afloat to-day, and the country nearly all overflowed by the turbid waters of the Mississippi.
May 20th. The quartermaster was buried ashore this morning, after which we got under way and proceeded up some thirty miles, where we found the river again divided by an island, and the Brooklyn, Richmond and Iroquois having preceded us and taken the wrong channel, the two former ones had run aground. We lay by till morning, in the meantime sounding; the Brooklyn soon got off.
May 19th. We left Natchez this morning and went up some fifteen miles, followed by the other ships, and stopped in the woods. In the afternoon the steamer Laurel Hill arrived and passed from below with troops, and the gunboat Kennebec came down from Vicksburg with news. At eight P. M., William Preston, signal-quartermaster, died of apoplexy induced by the heat, after an illness of three days.
May 18th. Found us under way early, expecting to reach Natchez in the course of the day. About noon the order was given to get the anchor ready for letting go, and we looked ahead for an anchorage. In one of the everlasting bends of the river, on a bluff forty or fifty feet high, could be seen a few houses, and others on the river banks below, with a road running from one group to the other upon almost perpendicular banks. This was Natchez, and here we anchored alongside the sloops-of-war Brooklyn and Richmond, which had been here several days waiting for us. Natchez is not discernible from the river, as it lies mainly over the hill, back from the river; but, from present appearances, we should judge it to be a rather lazy city.
May 17th. Got under way at five o’clock, A. M., and steamed along very slowly, owing to our burning bituminous coal, of which we had taken a little. At about noon we were obliged to anchor to get up steam, and as usual a boat put off to the nearest house for officers’ stores. Happening to anchor in an eddy, we were in imminent danger of being dashed on the levee. At another time, when we anchored in seventy fathoms of water, the ship continued to whirl round and round until we again weighed. We were soon under way again, and having substituted anthracite coal for the other, had no further difficulty. The banks were lined with cotton, and the river was so high that the levee was seldom visible; private dwellings were partly submerged, and in many instances all that could be seen of buildings was their roofs peering out of the water, and reminding one of the late style of rams; in fact, the river was said to be higher than before known for thirty years.
We frequently came upon portions of the river which seemed to terminate the great stream, and surrounded it on all sides with earth and trees; at such a place we arrived near sunset, and anchored for the night, though not until we had discovered that the stream continued. A boat went ashore for fresh meat, and returned about one o’clock, A. M., with a slaughtered bull and some mutton, for which, as usual, we paid gold.
May 16th. After discharging through the night a line was attached to a kedge off our quarter, and a gunboat hauling at the same time, started her from the sand, and at ten o’clock the Hartford was again a thing of life. The day was spent in reloading.
May 15th. Was spent in exertions to get our ship afloat. A gunboat was dispatched for a lighter, and we commenced discharging our battery on board a gunboat, and shell on board a steamer, also coal into a lighter.
May 14th. We weighed anchor early for Vicksburg; at noon we came upon an island which divided the river into two channels. We took the right and pushed along within three rods of the trees, and could hear the birds singing in them. Nothing of note occurred until two o’clock P. M., when in making a short turn we ran aground, but by properly disposing of the crew we were soon afloat and passing along as gaily as ever; we ran on till eight P. M., when in trying to lay the ship to out of the current she was run high aground; the night was occupied in trying to get her afloat, but without success.
