Jim

In the Book "Recollections of a Pioneer" by J.W. (Watt) Gibson Reprinted by Two Trails Publishing in 1999 and available from Camp Pope Books, in Chapter 14, page 148-149 Gibson relates that Clark's "division" had concealed them selves along the west bank of the Mississippi river were the river came close to the shore.

That after being there but a short time a 7 boat convoy of of supplies escorted by a small gunboat behind them came into view heading downstream to Vicksburg. When the lead boat came abreast of their position they hailed the boat and ordered it to surrender and pull to shore at which time the Union soldiers on board ran for the weapons and began firing on the Confederates.

Gibson said the southerners returned fire with their muskets and cleared the decks of that boat at which time Ruffner's battery of 6 guns opened on the steamer and sent a ball threw it boats boiler. He said that this boat thus being disable drift and become grounded on a sandbar at which point those on board abandoned it.

Gibson stated that each of the following boats recieved the same treatment as they came into the trap and were disabled and drifting or sunk. He stated that the small gunboats during this time was out of position screened by the bluff and had to reverse course back upstream against the current before it could respond. But by that time the damage had been done and the Confederate withdrew as the Gunboat shelled the former position. According to Gibson the Confederates did not suffer but one casualities John Harper who was wounded by gunfire from the boats.

He Said that they then went 15 mile futher downstream from that action and in like manner crippled two more transports. He stated that they continued following the levee south until they could hear the Big Guns at Vicksburg and were in that position on July 3rd when the guns went silent. They learned the next day that Vicksburg had surrendered.