YAZOO PASS EXPEDITION

We left Memphis sometime in March. Went in camp some three miles south and west of town. Were there some time. Then took steam boat, Jesse K.Bell. Went three miles south of Halena on what we called sand barr. Here we lay a while. Then got together some boats for an expedition. What is called Yazo Pass. (the 93rd participated in the unsuccessful Yazoo Pass Expedition in late March and early April of 1863) We left the Missippia entered Moon Lake. Then we rode over trees ten inches through no channel. We got in the Tallahatchey River from the (unidentified word) River to the Tallahatchey. We seen but little land. All was under water. Our boat was a sight to look at. All the banisters was torn off by limbs of trees. We kept on till we got near the Yazo River. There we lay some three or four days. There was some fighting in front. Here is where I seem some big (unidentified word) grow. I cut and stood them on end. Made me and my partner a good tent some three or four days later.

One morning we got hurry order to get on our boat again. Then steamed up the river again. It took us several days to get up to the cold water. When we got to the cold water we could hear trains on a railroad. The rebs were running troops up to cut us off from entering cold water. They could not follow us any further. We got up to the old camp we had left a month before. Such a sight as we was lousy and dirty. Was no name for us. We lay on this sand barr some time. We again got order to get on our boat. We sailed down to Lake Providence. Stoped awhile then down the river to Milligens Bend (Milliken's Bend) some 25 miles above Vicksburg.

(The Yazoo Pass Expedition was a scheme to move troops down small connected rivers to attack Vicksburg from the north. However, the passage was very narrow and overhanging trees along the river banks struck the steamboats and made passage very difficult. The Confederates also dropped logs across the river to impede progress. The expedition was a failure and the Federal troops had to reverse and return up the river.)