New York Times US
THE WAR ON THE MISSISSIPPI.
The Destruction of the Village of Prentiss
Punishing Guerrillas
Rebel Outrages against the Contrabands, & c.
A HARD CASE.
Correspondence of the New-York Times.
STEAMER GLADIATOR, NEAR HELENA, ARK.,
Tuesday, Sept. 23, 1862.
The expedition down the river, of which I wrote in my last, returned on Saturday, the 19th inst. It was composed of six companies of the Thirty-third Illinois Infantry, under Lieut-Col. LIPPINCOTT, in the transports Alhambra and Iatan, attended by the ram Queen of the West. On their way down they were fired into by a band of outlaws, numbering about 100, near the Village of Prentiss, the county seat of Bolivar County, killing two soldiers and two negro laborers, and wounding two others. Our men returned the fire, killing two of the rebels and wounding seven. Lieut. Col. L. immediately sent Adjutant GOVE ashore with a flag of truce, and informed the inhabitants of the village that he would give them 30 minutes to leave, after which he would shell the town and burn it. They fled, and in an hour every house in the place was in flames, except a large one a little out of the town. Learning subsequently that that house was the dwelling of the commander of the rebels, they landed and burned that on their return. They passed down the river, destroying flat-boats and skiffs, to within a few miles of Vicksburgh.
When returning, as they approached Bolivar Bend a man informed them that a large force of guerrillas, with a battery, were waiting for them in the Bend. Lashing their boats together echelon, with the ram next the Mississippi shore, and with sharpshooters on the boats wherever a cover could be found, they passed on, the channel obliging them to go close to the shore. For the purpose of drawing our men out on deck, so that they might be raked by grape and canister, a squad of rebels opened fire from the bushes, to which no reply was made.
Instantly the howitzers on the transports and the guns on the ram were loaded and stood ready to fire whenever the enemy's battery should uncover. They had not long to wait. They opened upon the boats fiercely, throwing shot and grape, being supported by about a thousand men. The guns on the boats and the sharpshooters replied instantly. In a few minutes a shell thrown from the bow of the Iatan burst under one of the enemy's guns, throwing it high into the air and turning it over. The fight continued about 20 minutes, during which two of our men were killed and two mortally wounded. We could not learn the number killed and wounded on the other side, as all of them, except the men who worked the battery, were hidden by the levee. Our boats were completely riddled with grape-shot, and it is a wonder so few were hurt.
One instance of bravery is worthy of record. The rebels poured a hot fire of musketry upon the artillery men who were working a howitzer on the aft deck of the ram, killing one and wounding several, and silenced the gun. Lieut.-Col. ELLET, commanding the ram, saw it and rushed into the shower of bullets and loaded the piece and fired it; seeing which, the artillerymen returned to their post and worked the gun till their boats were out of reach. The rebels gave us a parting salute by sending a shot after us which entered the stern of the Alhambra and passed through the whole length of the boat over the heads of the men who were crowded into the cabin.
On the 20th Gen. CHARLES E. HOVEY's command moved up from Old Town and camped about eight miles below Helena. On the morning of the 21st, as I sat in a tent looking over upon the opposite shore, I saw about 20 contrabands gathered upon the bank. By the aid of a glass I counted 16 men, two women and three children, all evidently anxious to cross the river to our camp. A skiff was sent across and brought over four, but before it had time to return, six armed men rode up and commenced firing upon those poor timid creature. Some ran over the sandy shore for the brush; some plunged into the water, and some were driven off by those chivalrous sons of the South. They shot at one negro in the water three times before they killed him. After they had run them into the brush. I heard twenty or thirty shots, and presume they carried out the order of JEFF. DAVIS to shoot every slave who attempts to go into the National lines, or has been in the National camps. Are they savages? Tell the secession sympathisers that their chivalrous friends shoot down unarmed men, women and children if they dare now to attempt to secure their personal freedom, or gratify their curiosity to look at an encampment of United States soldiers. After the guerrillas separated themselves from the negroes, we sent a few shells after them, but presume none of them were hurt.
There is a prospect that our army will move soon, to act in conjunction with a large force of the new recruits now being organized in the West. There will be warm work on this field soon.
HINDMAN has an army of 30,000 going toward Missouri, and another of 20,000 to operate in Arkansas HINDMAN's game must be checkmated. To answer the question, how we intend to do it? might defeat us.
Gen. STEELE's policy in reference to the slaves who come into our lines, has produced some ill-feeling, but I think it results from a misconstruction of it. He is determined to put this army on a war footing. To do this he will put beyond the lines, whether slave or free, black or white, every person whose presence weakens it. The unemployed slaves in our camps do greatly weaken our army. The females are in too many instances made to serve as prostitutes. Their presence is demoralizing. There are a few exceptions. It may appear cruel to take the men to labor and leave the women and children on the plantations; but Gen. STEELE says war is cruel in all its aspects. We don't bring our wives and children into camp. For a similar reason we must put slave women and children out, unless they are servants, in which case the officers employing them must be responsible for them, and see that they and their goods do not cumber our transportation when we move. Gen. STEELE will not deliver a fugitive slave to his master, nor aid the master by sending the slave beyond the lines at a time and place which the master might desire; but he will cause all useless persons to be put beyond his lines,
KINNAN.