The rebels had evidently dispatched a force from Haines's Bluff up the Sunflower to the Rolling Fork, had anticipated the movement of Admiral Porter's fleet, and had completely obstructed the channel of the upper part of Deer Creek by felling trees into it, so that further progress in that direction was simply impossible.

It also happened that, at the instant of my arrival, a party of about four hundred rebels, armed and supplied with axes, had passed around the fleet and had got below it, intending in like manner to block up the channel by the felling of trees, so as to cut off retreat.

This was the force we had struck so opportunely at the time before described.

I inquired of Admiral Porter what he proposed to do, and he said he wanted to get out of that scrape as quickly as possible.

He was actually working back when I met him, and, as we then had a sufficient force to cover his movement completely, he continued to back down Deer Creek.