New York Times US
THE MISSISSIPPI EXPEDITION.
Great Preparations Made for "Opening the River"
Incidents of a Journey from La Grange to Newbern, &c.
From Our Special Correspondent.
HEADQUARTERS SECOND BRIGADE, ARMY EAST ARKANSAS, NEAR HELENA, November, 1862.
My last letter to you was dated at Lagrange, in Tennessee, a point whose distance from this, measured along an air line, is not greater than a day's journey for a good horse, but which, measured along the only accessible route, is further really than from Boston to St. Louis. You take the cars at Lagrange in the morning, and that same day, if lucky, you can make Grand Junction, distant three miles. That same evening the traveler leaves Grand Junction, and proceeding up the Mississippi Central Railroad, will probably "make" Jackson the next morning. At 12 noon, he takes another train, and, if no delays occur, he gets to the Mississippi River, at Columbus, the same night. From that point to this, the rate of progress is variable and uncertain, depending altogether upon the number of times the boat runs aground and the length of time required in each case to get afloat; the latter operation, by the way, I have observed, depends much upon the aptitude for bluster and profanity possessed by the mate. Our mate could curse everything blue in less than no time, and, in consequence, our landing upon sand-bars was generally short, exceeding in no case more than twenty hours.
The plan when we struck was, that the pilots, engineers and Captain immediately went into the cabin to take a general drink, turning the boat over to the mate. The latter commenced his part of the necessary performance by picking up a handspike and knocking down all the deck hands within reach, damning the while the Captain, pilot, river, sandbars, his eyes, in fact, everything and everybody that happened to occur to him at the moment. Then the spars were launched, and after a good deal of hauling and pulling, yo-heave-ching, accompanied with universal cursing all around, the knocking down or overboard of a few more deck hands by the mate, and a few side fights among the deck hands themselves, the boat would be sparred off and progress resumed, and continued until interrupted by another sandbar or a wood landing.
On our boat the passengers amused themselves as best they could. A half dozen tables were surrounded by gentlemen, who, with figured pieces of pasteboard, were settling the possessorship of small piles of circular red and white pieces of ivory, technically known as "chips." Of course the play was only to pass the time, with just stakes enough to add a slight zest to the amusement; -- in short, it was merely a "little game of poker, to kill time." At one table, I noticed a sleeply-looking individual with a broken nose, another with long white fingers and a Chatham-street cast of countenance, playing with a beef contractor of no marked expression, but whose chief virtue consisted in a well-stuffed wallet. They were having a quiet little game of poker, just to kill time, when Chatham-street dealt the contractor four "tens." Contractor endeavored to look unconcerned, and "swelled" the "pile" a dollar. He with the broken nose "passed out," and then Chatham-street, after apparently being astonished at the boldness of the other, and studying intently his "hand," remarked that he believed Contractor was bluffing, and then "saw" his dollar and "went" him five "better." Contractor made that "raise" good, and took one card. Chatham-street took the same number, and Contractor had the "age," when the other bet a "chip." The first "saw" the "chip" and "raised" it ten dollars. Chatham-street responded and raised him twenty-five. Contractor began to look nervous, but thinking the other might be "bluffing," came out with his wallet, "saw" the twenty-five and "raised" fifty. The fifty came up, and after it a raise of fifty more. Contractor grew scared, but, after considerable hesitation, "saw" the fifty and "called" his opponent. The letter displayed four queens; the game ended by Contractor leaving the table in much tribulation and disgust. A few minutes later I walked out on the guards, where I saw the gentleman with the broken nose and him of the white fingers dividing a roll of bills -- each stowed a fat roll in his right-hand vest pocket, and then, with an air of calm complacency, walked in the cabin and patronized the barkeeper to the extent of a pair of whisky-straights and another of cigars.
To cut the matter of the journey to this point short, I will only add that I left Lagrange Sunday morning and reached this place the next Saturday night.
I came here, intending to accompany the Grand Expedition southwards, whose object is supposed to be the much talked of movement called "opening the Mississippi River." The Northwest, having fought tolerably well during the war, and being of some slight consequence in a physical point of view, the magnates of eastern and other railroads have, it seems, at length concluded to yield to its wishes, and allow the river to be opened. Accordingly, orders to that effect were issued some two months age, and the plan of "opening the Mississippi" was immediately commenced. The commander of the expedition, with commendable activity, instantly started for the capital of a prominent Western State, where he commenced "opening the river," by engaging rooms at the best hotel in town, where he still remains -- engaged in the same business -- opening the river. Other necessary operations were not neglected to insure success in opening the river. Several of the gunboats came from Memphis, and below, up to Cairo, and received a new coat of paint -- all the officers of the land forces who could, immediately obtained a twenty days' furlough, and left for home, while at the same time Gen. CURTIS, in order to expedite the opening of the river, ordered Gen. STEELE, at Helena, to report immediately with all his available forces at St. Louis, which, at the time, was in great danger from a regiment of guerrillas under HINDMAN at Little Rock, Ark., and who, any moment, might cross the thousand miles or so that separated him from St. Louis, and capture that city without warning.
Nor was this all that was done to make sure the process of opening the river, Gen. STEELE and command upon arriving at St. Louis, were immediately sent back to Helena by Gen. HALLECK; and at the same time an expedition went down the river to capture Arkansan Post, an important rebel position a short distance from the Mississippi, on the Arkansan River. In order that so important an operation might not fail, the following special order was issued:

HEADQUARTERS, DISTRICT OF EASTERN ARKANSAS,
HELENA, Ark., Nov. 15, 1862.
SPECIAL FIELD ORDER, No. 1. -- The following signals and rules will be observed:
I. 1 whistle, stop; 2 to go ahead; 3 to communicate 1 -- 2 distress; 1 -- 3 attack; 1 -- 4 danger.
II. Boats must keep as close together as practicable and obey signals.
III. Boats must be as little exposed as possible, and guards must be stationed on the hurricane deck.
IV. No firing allowed under any pretence, except by command of an officer at the enemy.
V. The boats will proceed in the following order in the Mississippi River: Hiawatha, Gladiator, City Belle, Iotan, Meteor, Ohio Belle, Gunboat. Imperial, Tecumsea, Nebraska, Rocket, Key West, Evansville, Decatur, J.R. Williams.
If we enter White River, the Iotan will go ahead.
By command of Brig.-Gen. ALVIN P. HOVEY.
JOHN E. PHILLIPS, A.A. General.
W.H. MORGAN, Assistant Adjutant-General.

All these boats, laden down with soldiers, batteries and munitions of war, set forth, reached White River, and found the water so low that none of the boats could pass; and in consequence they returned. One would think that the stage of water could have been learned by less than fifteen steamboats loaded with troops; but still as the operation of "opening the river" is one of great magnitude, it includes, necessarily, many intricate movements which an amateur in strategy, like myself, cannot understand -- hence it is undoubtedly the case that the late movements of boats down the river and their return, had some important part in the programme of "opening the river."
At present, the preparations here for opening the river are extensive and well advanced -- we only lack troop, gunboats, the presence of the commander, munition supplies, &c. As soon as these small deficiencies are supplied, we shall proceed to open the Mississippi River.
Helena is situated in Phillips County, one of the wealthiest cotton-growing counties in Arkansas. Its population was originally 60,000, of whom 10,000 were whites, the balance slaves; and of the latter there is scarcely a baker's dozen in the entire county. Since the arrival of our forces, the negroes either have all absconded or else their masters, reduced to destitution, have been unable to support them, and have sent them away. Notwithstanding all the cotton that has been shipped from here, there are still thousands of acres lying outside our lines that never have been touched.
Here two distinguished characters have flourished -- just below the town DE SOTO built a fort, whose outlines are still visible; and just back of where we are in camp in the spot where MURRELL, the great land pirate, made his headquarters. Here, too, ends the range of hills thrown up by the great earthquake which commenced at New-Madrid, and for a distance of nearly 300 miles upheaved the low river banks into a series of picturesque bluffs that will do no discredit to the wildest scenery of the Rocky Mountains.
The command in the advance is the Second Brigade, under charge of Acting Brig.-Gen. VANDEUR, formerly member of Congress from Iowa, and who, from a successful politician, has become a popular and efficient officer. His command is made up mostly of veteran troops and includes the Ninth Iowa and HAYDEN's Battery, both of which gained a national reputation at Sugar Creek and Pea Ridge. More anon.
GALWAY.