16

15 1/2
and did de camp on the staff of the General
commanding of the 13th Army Corps in which capacity the
balance of my service in the Vicksburg
campaign was performed.

Late in the spring the 13th Army Corps was
moved to better camping ground at Milligans
Bend, a short time afterward I received orders
to accompany an expedition commanded by
Col Tom Bennett. composed of the 69th Indiana
a squadron of the 2d Ills, Cavalry Col, [illegible]
a company of pioneers under Capt Patterson
our instructions were to find a practical road
accross the country for the passage of an army.

The first obstacle encoutered was Houndaway
Bayou which was speedily bridged by our
pioneers and we proceeded parallel with
the bayou making it naviable for scorrs as we advanced
by removing trees The scorrs or small flat
boats were numerous and when found were pressed into service, We
Borrowing the idea from the navy we improvised a gunboat by mounting a couple
of Howitzers on one of them, of which the
opposing force under Harrison gave a wide
berth, until we reached James Plantation
where they stubbornly seemed to gain courage resisted our advance,
and worried us a good deal. but I think we worried
them the most and finally at all events we reached the
Mississippi at New Carthage 25 miles
below Vicksburg, [illegible] Bayou and the
road we had partly discovered but mainly