Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-04-30


ell now slowly turned his head up stream,
when the Kineo let fly another shell, and hit
secesh. This had the effect to quicken his
speed, and away he went up stream as fast as
his wheels could propel him. The kineo
kept firing at him. and Captain Ransom in
forms me that he hi, him three times.
APRIL 9, 1862 Yesterday, Capt. Clews,
OF the French brig OF war Milan, having the
permission OF our flag officer, took his boat,
aud went on board the gunboat Winona, com
mander Nichols, to go up TO the Crescent
City. The Winora went up within two miles
of the fort flying flag of truce, where the
French captain embarked in his boat The
Winona, with commander De Camp, of the
lroquos, OH board, went up still further, TO
inform the commander OF the forts of the
Frenchnans desire to communicate with him.
AS soon as the Winona came within range Of
ioit Jackson, the latter fred blank cartridge,
signal TO hpave to. Owing to some mistake,
the Winona did not slacken down her speed
enough to satisfy the rebels, and they fired
shot al her, which just cleared her topgallant
forcCastle. By this time the gunboat was
close to the fort, and to q small tug boat which
lay at the point 'wooding up The fellows i'll
the boat were terribly frightened, and ran
away from, their vessel No sooner had they
cleared the decks of the tug before she was
| discovered TO be i'll flames, and despite OF the
efforts of the Wnona's boats, size was totally
| destroyed by ire.
In the mean time, captain De Camp low
cred boat bearing white flag and started
towards the landing place. Again the rebels
| fired a shot at our people. The boat returned
| to the gunboat, and Immediately the rel bel
| steamers Morgan and Defiance came down
bearing white flag, and took up position on
| each side of the Winona. AS soon as matters
| could be explained, the Morgan went down
| the river and took the French boat in tow !;
| after which some palaver took place between
the rebels and captain De Camp, and they
| separated.
This morning the French boat was seen in
the distance coming down the river under
sail. 1t looked strange, expected he
would come down by one of our sgunboats.
When captain CIews, of the Milan, arrived on
board, lie stated, in substance, that the rebels
| had made Il prisoner Of HIM, charged him 'cith
being spy, and refused to aHOU him to conlmuni-
cate tcih Nelc Orleans, except by brief tele-
gram, and they told him that whom an answer
came down they would send it to him. This
morning, at seven o'clock, they released him
| and invited him 10 breakfast with them. This
he refused in a prompt and decisive manner
| He left them in no very pleasant humor, and
break led on board of one OF our gunboals.
l am at loss to know how Lis government
will receive his report This piece of inform
atAOH IlSS spTeAu ike Wlluure, ana Is Lne pfln-
clpal topic of conversation to day"
APRIL 10, 1862.-"On Saturday, the 9th,
Com. Farragut came on board the Iroquois,
and we steamed up the river on a'reconnos-
sance. The Two forts could be seen through
the glass, thronged with rebel officers watch
ing our movements AS we came within
range white puff OF smoke floated upward
from fort Jackson, and a hundred pound rifle
shell screeched through the air. striking the
water and exploding only about hundred
yards in advance OF us. Flag officer Earragut
| and flag captain Bell had meanwhile gone
aloft, where they sat in the cross trees taking
| observations. There was another white puff
| of smoke and another monster shot came
| screeching towards us. This passed perhaps
fifty feet over the heads OF the gentlemen aloit,
| and struck the water two-thirds across the
| river. Back her. from aloft, and we drift
down the river two or three ships lengths,
and only Just in time, third furious shell
striking aud bursting in the water just at the
| point we had a moment before lett. Another
| shot fails short, another bursts prematurely,
| (this one from torty-tWo pound smooth bore, y
| when, 'whizz l. with a fearful sound, q hun.
dreed pound shell passes low down, between
its swift passage actually rocking one Of the
ships boats hanging at the side. Having Is.
| capped seven most admirable shots without in
| jury, We turn about and steam down again.
"On Sunday evening, Capt. De Camp went
| aboard the kineo, and steamed up the river
| for the purpose Of 4 general scouting exped-
| tion, and to cut the telegraph wire which
runs up the western bauk of the stream. TAX
| ing advantage of the thick fog Wekwent TO
within very few hundred yards of the chain.
Backing slowly down, we presently passed
from under the range OF the forts, and paused
| to meet Two rebel steamers that appeared
| from behind the point, each bearing flag of
truce. One was an ordinary river boat, par
TALLY plated with railroad iron, under COM
mand OF a lieutenant Kennedy. This boat
Capt. DE Camp boarded, bringing off the
lieutenant with him on his return We were
met on our way to the Winona by boat from
the nther rebel steamer containing Capt Jack
Wilkinson, formerly of the United States navy
and an old friend OF Capt. De Camp, who in
vited him on board the Winona.
Both Wilkinson and Kennedy went to the
WlnonH, where they spent something like an
| hour in the cabin With Capt. De Camp, after
wards returning TO their boats, when we
dropped down the river. Captain DE Camp
was ton the 9th) ordered down the river, to
answer certain charges regarding his conduct,
among which was his compelling the captain
oil the Winona to run up to the fort, against
orders from the commodore ; his beating to
| quarters under TIE guns of the fort his en-
tertaining rebel officers on the Winona, &c."
From the New Orleans Pieayune April TO-
Awaiting ourselves of a courteous invitation,
we accompanied pleasant party to the forts,
leaving the city in a steamer, on Saturday
night. and arriving, after some detention by
a fog on the river, in the forenoon of the next
day. just as our boat touched the landing
we heard the drum beat "the long roll, ;" while
bugler standing on one of the bastions sound
ed the call to quarters. AT this summons
many OF the soldiers who had been engaged
outside set off at double quick, and made
their way to the interior of the fort, and when
we entered we found the various companies
drawn up in line, or on their way the case
mates and the parapets. Soon all were in
place beside their guns, ready for the threat
ened conflict, while Gen. Duncan and his as
ststInt officers were seen pacing the parapet
Eyeglasses in hand and casting eager glances
to the point Of woods about two miles down
the river, and behind which they could al
ready discern the masts of the enemy's vesscls
coming up.
Soon a black hull was seen to emerge be-
yond the woods, and making her way towards
the lett bank of the river. Having attained
what she probably considered an eligible posi-
ton for her services, she came round and pre-
scented her broadside to the fort, being them
about two miles distant. A lew moments Of
eager exception, and flash, followed by 9
puff of smoke, was seen to issue from one oil
her guns, and then there came whizzing and
hurting through the air-heSrd by all and