Return to Mississippi--Instructions--Visit to Troy--Movement
of cavalry--Reports to General Denver--Is arrested--Federal
Cavalry driven back--Is released--Visits Greenwood--Journey
to the Mississippi River--The perilous crossing--Again
arrested--Interview with General Prentiss--Takes the oath
of allegiance--Meets a friend--Makes his escape--Reports to
General Grant.
When General Grant had heard my report of my Mississippi trip, he
supplied me with funds, and requested me to return into the Confederacy,
to whatever place I thought proper, and remain until I saw a movement
worthy of his notice, and then immediately return.
With these instructions, I started for Memphis, leaving my servant
Spence to report himself to my Captain.
At the time I undertook to make the trip, a part of the army operating
for the capture of Vicksburg was engaged in trying to get through the
Yazoo Pass into the Yazoo River. A part was at Lake Providence, a part
at Milliken's Bend, and the rest at Young's Point; the three latter
places are in Louisiana, and the former in Mississippi.
I made up my mind to visit that part of Mississippi through which any
force designing to operate against General Grant's movements might be
seen in time to communicate the fact to General Grant.
Supposing that I might have swamps and rivers to cross, which would have
to be accomplished in canoes or on rafts, I determined to make the trip
on foot.
I left Memphis some time in the latter part of March, in the same dress
that I had worn on the previous trip, and directed my course to Grenada,
on the Hernando road. I met with nothing of interest on the entire road
to Grenada, a distance of one hundred miles.
On my arrival at Grenada, I found the forces that were there on my last
visit to the place, under command of General Price, gone, except the
convalescents.
General Price, as I learned afterward, had gone to Missouri. At that
time, however, I supposed his forces were at Fort Pemberton, near
Greenwood, Miss., resisting the advance of the Federal force through the
Yazoo Pass.
From Grenada I intended to visit Yazoo City, and left for that purpose
the next morning after my arrival, on the road to Troy, which place I
reached about 2 o'clock in the afternoon. There I remained until the
next morning, and was about resuming my journey, when a force of five
regiments of cavalry made its appearance, coming in on the same road
that I intended to take out. They passed through Troy, and took the
direct road to Coffeeville. I followed them on foot, and on my arrival
at Coffeeville, I found them halted for the night. I had been there
only a few minutes, when another cavalry force of five regiments came in
on the road from Grenada, and halted for the night.
The next morning a council was held by the commanding officers, but I
was unable to learn the subject of discussion. The opinion prevailed
among the troops that they were part of a force designed to take
Memphis.
I was of a different opinion. I did not think that they could bring to
bear a sufficient force to take the place, and from what I had heard
from some of the officers, I concluded they intended an attempt to
capture Fort Randolph, above Memphis, and intercept the supplies being
sent below for General Grant's army. I felt convinced that the movement
was of such importance as to warrant me in reporting it, and, not
knowing how rapid the movement might be, I determined to report to the
nearest Federal commander.
Soon after the council of officers was held, the force started--the
first five regiments on the road to Holly Springs, and the other five on
the road to Hernando. I accompanied the first.
One of the soldiers had an extra horse, which I persuaded him to let me
ride. The march was continued to Lumpkins' Mills, where the regiments
halted. There I turned my horse over to its owner, and before any
pickets were thrown out I was on my way to Lagrange, which place I
succeeded in reaching without any interruption.
At the Yacona River a little incident occurred which amused me
considerably. Previous to evacuating that position, the Federal troops
destroyed the bridge across the river. The water in the stream at that
place was quite shallow, but the mud was exceedingly soft and very deep,
and the banks at the immediate edge of the water very steep and high for
a horse to step from. The General in command of the force attempted to
cross in advance of his command, and his horse, in stepping from the
edge of the bank into the water with its forefeet, plunged in so
unexpectedly deep that he precipitated the General over his head into
the water, all over. By the time he had established himself on _terra
firma_, he was, from his sousing in the mud and water, a ludicrous
looking personage.
On my arrival at Lagrange, I immediately reported the movements of the
enemy to General Denver. For some reason, best known to himself, he did
not credit my report, and detained me under arrest until he could
ascertain the truth of the matter.
I told the General my instructions, and assured him that I thought the
movement of the enemy was one worthy of notice. A regiment of cavalry
was then sent out to reconnoiter, and when near Holly Springs they
encountered the enemy, and a sharp engagement took place, in which the
superior numbers of the enemy enabled them to drive the Federals back,
with a loss of eighteen killed and wounded. At the end of three days the
regiment returned, and the General was convinced that a _part of my
report_, _at least, was true_. He then told me that I had better report
the movement to General Grant.
I replied, "I have been of that opinion for _three days_."
I then determined to penetrate the country between Hernando and
Coffeeville to Greenwood, and find out the locality of the other five
regiments of cavalry, and see the position and force of the enemy at
Greenwood, and, if possible, communicate with General Ross, and then
make my way across to the Mississippi River, and then to General Grant's
head-quarters at Milliken's Bend, La.
In crossing the country, I left Hernando to my right, but learned, by
citizens, that the cavalry stopped at that place, and that General
Hurlbut had sent a small force of cavalry to reconnoiter, which, like
the one General Denver sent out, was driven back with considerable loss.
On arriving at Greenwood, I found that the principal part of the rebel
force was twenty miles below; to which place I went. The force there at
that time was a division of fourteen regiments of infantry, under
General Tighlman, and one other division of infantry, under whose
command I did not learn, and some artillery.
At the time of my arrival, the rebs had erected a battery on a flat near
the river, which they flattered themselves would do immense execution
upon the Yankee fleet. The Yankees, during its erection, cut the levee
above, and in the morning the rebs were chagrined to find the flat
overflowed with three feet of water.
I was exceedingly anxious to communicate with General Ross, and the
cutting of the levee had very much increased the difficulty of doing so.
I made a great many inquiries concerning the Yankee fleet and the danger
of crossing to the opposite side of the river. The soldiers assured me
that every person that had attempted to cross had been fired into by the
Federal gun-boats. The overflow of water made it impossible to reach
General Ross from the side I was on. My anxiety to do so caused me to
make several indiscreet inquiries of the rebel soldiers, which, I was
convinced, made them somewhat suspicious of me, and I thought it not
advisable to remain there longer than was absolutely necessary.
On reflecting upon what course to pursue, I decided that the safest way
would be for me to make my way to the Mississippi River, opposite
Helena. With that determination, I left the rebel force in the afternoon
of the next day after my arrival, and retraced my way twelve miles
toward Greenwood, and there I took to the left on the bluff road that
leads to the river, opposite Helena.
So strong had my fears been excited for my safety, by the suspicions
caused by my indiscreet inquiries, that I did not feel safe to stop at
any plantation-house over night, but stayed by myself in the woods.
Fortunately, the enemy did not suspicion me strong enough to induce them
to follow. After seven days' hard walking, I arrived at Crowder's
plantation, on the Mississippi River, near the foot of Island No. 60,
without any molestation.
I was then three miles from Helena, with the Father of Waters between,
and no means of transportation across. I immediately commenced a search
for some means of crossing. After spending several hours in search of a
boat, I found a Dutchman, who owned an old leaky dug-out, which was very
small and extremely unsafe for even one person to cross in. I concluded,
however, that if I could buy it, I would make an attempt. The Dutchman
asked me ten dollars for it, and could not be induced to take any thing
less. I took it, at last, and paid him ten dollars in Confederate money.
I embarked in it and undertook to cross. The water came in on me
rapidly, and by the time I had reached the sand-bar at the foot of
Island 60, my frail bark was so full of water that I was in imminent
danger of going down.
I landed on the bar, and drew my dug-out up on the sand and emptied out
the water. I had still all of two miles further to go, without any
intervening place on which to land, and before re-embarking it was
necessary to contrive some way to stop the leaks.
Nine years previous to that time I had been engaged in chopping
steamboat wood on that very island. Two winters I had chopped wood
there; consequently, I was no stranger to the locality.
About a quarter of a mile from where I landed, near an old
wood-chopper's shanty, I found an old shirt; with that I stopped some of
the worst leaks, which, having accomplished, I re-embarked on my
perilous voyage. I kept my bark to the north of the middle bar, and ran
into the Sterling chute, and then landed at Helena, near the foot of
Main street.
The moment my dug-out touched the shore, two guards stood ready to
capture me, and accosted me with:
"Halloo, old fellow! what's the news on the other side of the river?"
"The news is favorable," I replied.
"Well, I reckon we'll have to take you to the Provost-marshal," said one
of the guards.
"Boys, I am a soldier, and I want you to take me to the General in
command of the post."
"Our instructions are to take all such customers as you are to the
Provost-marshal."
"I can't help that I am a Federal soldier, and I want you to take me to
the General."
They then called the corporal of the guard. I knew him; he belonged to
the 25th Indiana Infantry. I had frequently seen him in Memphis, during
my stay there in the winter; but he knew me as my secesh acquaintances
had known me--as a rebel Major. I prevailed on him, however, to send me
to the General, whom I learned from him was General Prentiss.
As soon as we arrived at the General's quarters, the guards explained
how they had captured me, and then returned to their post, leaving me
with the General.
When ready to attend to me, he said: "Well, where do you belong?"
"To General Grant's army."
"What are you doing here?"
"I came in from the other side of the river."
"What do you want here?"
"I want to take a steamboat down the river and report myself to General
Grant."
"Yes, to General Grant! That would be a nice way to get off! I guess the
best place for you to report is to the Provost-marshal!"
"General, I am a Mississippian, and a soldier sworn into the service of
the United States; and I belong to the Army of the Tennessee, under
General Grant; the 17th Army Corps, General McPherson; the 3d Division,
General Logan; the 2d Brigade, General Leggett; the 20th Ohio Regiment,
Col. M. F. Force, and to company H, Capt. E. C. Downs; and I am detached
as a scout for General Grant."
"Yes, a _Mississippian_! There are a _great many_ Mississippians coming
into our lines nowadays! Have you any papers to show that?"
"No, sir, I have not; but I can tell you all the principal movements of
the Federal army on the east side of the Mississippi River, since the
capture of Fort Donelson, up to the present time."
"Well, what are they?"
I then told him what they were, and where General Grant's forces then
were; and then I added, "I can tell you all about your surrendering at
Shiloh, and what Confederate regiments captured you."
"Well, that's quite likely; I suspected you could do as much. Now tell
me about the movements of the army in Missouri and Arkansas."
"I can't do that, General."
"No, I don't expect that you can. I will now give you the following
limits: You can go from my quarters to the Commercial House, and from
there to the Provost-marshal's office and back; and if you undertake to
get away I'll have you shot."
"General, I left papers in General Denver's possession, at Lagrange,
Tennessee, that will show who I am and what my business is."
"Well, you can have the limits that I have given you, and if you have
got papers to show who you are, the Provost-marshal will write for you
and get them."
From the General's quarters I went to the Provost-marshal, and requested
him to write to General Denver for the order he took from me, when on my
way to Vicksburg and Jackson, Miss. I learned from him that there was an
order, from the commander of the post, requiring all citizens within the
lines to take the oath of allegiance to the Federal Government by 9
o'clock of the next Day, or be sent outside of the lines toward Little
Rock.
I went to General Prentiss the next morning, and again assured him that
I was a Federal soldier, and asked him if he required me to take the
oath of allegiance.
He replied, "Yes; and unless you do, you will have to leave the lines
before 9 o'clock this morning." I then went to the Provost-marshal and
took the oath.
I had hoped that in doing so I would be released, and allowed the full
privilege of a citizen; but, for some reason not known to me, I was not
released from the limits assigned to me. I could not make General
Prentiss nor the Provost-marshal believe that I was a soldier. Several
of the soldiers in the 25th Indiana Regiment, on provost duty, had known
me in Memphis, in my assumed character; but I could not make them
believe that I was a Federal soldier. I had very little hopes of getting
the order that General Denver had taken from me; but I felt almost sure
that among the great number of officers that I knew in General Grant's
army, some of them would stop at Helena, either going up or down the
river, and, with their assistance, I thought I could get released. It
seemed to me as if every steamer would have on board some one of my
numerous acquaintances; but one came, and then another, and still
another, and in that way day after day passed by, and no familiar face
was seen. In that way I spent nine days in anxious suspense.
At the levee, within the limits allowed me, lay the steamer Imperial.
She was used for stationary purposes, and on board was kept a saloon and
various refreshments. I was allowed to go on board of her whenever I
desired.
On the ninth day after my arrest, I happened to be on board of her, when
the steamer Continental came down the river, and, stopping, made fast
alongside of her. Before the guards made their appearance, I jumped
aboard the Continental and ran up into the cabin, in search of some
person that I knew.
There I found Colonel Marsh, of the 20th Illinois Regiment. He knew me.
I told him how I came to be there, and that I wanted to run away and
report myself to General Grant. He was going on shore at the time. He
handed me the key to his state-room and told me to make myself at home,
and when the boat started he would join me. In the course of an hour we
were under way, and without any molestation from the provost guards.
Whether the Provost-marshal ever received my order from General Denver,
or whether General Prentiss ever found out what became of me, is more
than I know.
I reported to General Grant the result of my trip, and why I had been so
long in getting to him. He said that I had done right in coming back
when I did, but that I should have reported the cavalry movement to
General Hurlbut, at Memphis. He then relieved me from duty for thirty
days, and allowed me to return to my regiment.
I will here say, that I have no doubt that Generals Denver and Prentiss
acted in good faith on their part, and had what seemed to them good and
sufficient reasons for detaining me as they did.
All the conversation that I had with General Prentiss was no more than a
Confederate spy might have had under the same circumstances.
Papers I very seldom carry about me when inside of the enemies lines;
and in the absence of such evidence, it is sometimes very hard to
convince one's own friends of his loyalty, and equally as hard for the
enemy to make him out a spy.