CHAPTER XXXIV.

CAPTURE OF PORT GIBSON—­GRIERSON’S RAID—­OCCUPATION OF GRAND GULF —­MOVEMENT UP THE BIG BLACK—­BATTLE OF RAYMOND.

We started next morning for Port Gibson as soon as it was light enough to see the road.  We were soon in the town, and I was delighted to find that the enemy had not stopped to contest our crossing further at the bridge, which he had burned.  The troops were set to work at once to construct a bridge across the South Fork of the Bayou Pierre.  At this time the water was high and the current rapid.  What might be called a raft-bridge was soon constructed from material obtained from wooden buildings, stables, fences, etc., which sufficed for carrying the whole army over safely.  Colonel J. H. Wilson, a member of my staff, planned and superintended the construction of this bridge, going into the water and working as hard as any one engaged.  Officers and men generally joined in this work.  When it was finished the army crossed and marched eight miles beyond to the North Fork that day.  One brigade of Logan’s division was sent down the stream to occupy the attention of a rebel battery, which had been left behind with infantry supports to prevent our repairing the burnt railroad bridge.  Two of his brigades were sent up the bayou to find a crossing and reach the North Fork to repair the bridge there.  The enemy soon left when he found we were building a bridge elsewhere.  Before leaving Port Gibson we were reinforced by Crocker’s division, McPherson’s corps, which had crossed the Mississippi at Bruinsburg and come up without stopping except to get two days’ rations.  McPherson still had one division west of the Mississippi River, guarding the road from Milliken’s Bend to the river below until Sherman’s command should relieve it.

On leaving Bruinsburg for the front I left my son Frederick, who had joined me a few weeks before, on board one of the gunboats asleep, and hoped to get away without him until after Grand Gulf should fall into our hands; but on waking up he learned that I had gone, and being guided by the sound of the battle raging at Thompson’s Hill—­called the Battle of Port Gibson—­found his way to where I was.  He had no horse to ride at the time, and I had no facilities for even preparing a meal.  He, therefore, foraged around the best he could until we reached Grand Gulf.  Mr. C. A. Dana, then an officer of the War Department, accompanied me on the Vicksburg campaign and through a portion of the siege.  He was in the same situation as Fred so far as transportation and mess arrangements were concerned.  The first time I call to mind seeing either of them, after the battle, they were mounted on two enormous horses, grown white from age, each equipped with dilapidated saddles and bridles.

Our trains arrived a few days later, after which we were all perfectly equipped.

My son accompanied me throughout the campaign and siege, and caused no anxiety either to me or to his mother, who was at home.  He looked out for himself and was in every battle of the campaign.  His age, then not quite thirteen, enabled him to take in all he saw, and to retain a recollection of it that would not be possible in more mature years.