The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-07-28

cannot buy any fuel or provisions. They
are even forbidden to board the boat, W,
have been outten days, keeping up stsan
continually, for fear Of an attack frou
some guerrilla land To us, who have
been IN n civilized country. it is new
way of boating. Whea We make land.
ing We always have axes ready to cut
lines, in case of danger. On the approach
OF night we anchor as near the center OF
INC stream as we can get without making
any geometrical calculation We have
heard tho beating of drums several times,
and many very interesting and romaL tic
individuals, with Bowie knives. rifles and
reviewers have been seen along the shore,
but as yet We have not been disturbed
A few days ago the United States Quarter
masters boat, within sight Of us, was
fred into from both shores. Contrabands
and conscripts have been visiting us every
night. imploring US to take them aboard.
The negro we pass by, but we have nc
eommodated some of the latter. We
have on board two families that reached
US one night, in dug-outs or canoes
The hablhmenLs of the conscrips are
somewhat different from our own. One
In particular, has pair Of pants made
ont Of an old table cloth, and shirt made
OF bed ticking. He Informed me that his
present suit cost him as much as any he
ever had. There are two parties in this
section OF the country; the one to destroy
cotton, the other to protect il. | pre-
sumo every planter has more or less cot
ton seereted. No doubt but many bales
OF cotton have been q, stroycd 10 deceive
the cotton burner, bu: If the plantations
were very vigorously searched, immense
OF cotton could be found. IL
have been informed by reliable narties
that many fields of corn are now growing
over buried cotton. What cotton we
have looks to- have been buried, as the
bagging and ropes around the bales are
entirely rotten. We found deserted
postoffice at Old Point Landing, in which
we found one mail bag, containing few
letters, which we delivered to the Gov
eminent officer aboard. In looking over
the rubbish found many curiosities,
such as Southern Confederacy postage
stamps. proclamations, orders, etc., and,
strange to say, / even found eome opened
letters from Keokuk. Most of the letters
however were from some of the Southern
States. We were anchored some twenty |
i've miles below this point, on the 18th
nst., when we received dispatch per
team ship Gen, Bragg Captured at Mem.
'his) from Major. Gen. Curtis, who had
ust arrived at Helena, ordering us to re-
'ort ourselves Immediately. On arriving
It Helena, twelve pound howitzer and
squad OF men were placed ON the boat,
nd we started of, post haste, for White
river. in search of the transport feet un-
Ter command of Col. Fitch, of Indiana.
We proceeded up White River about
twenty-five miles and found the feet. If
We had been compelled to 20 any further
'ur little unprotected egg shell boat would
ave been riddled with balls. No boat
hat has gone up that river has yet es-
'aped. The same United States Quarter
master boat that was fred into on the
was fred into at the same
'lace where We found the fleet, and the
leet was anchored there with the inten-
ion Of securing the country. The first
nginecr on the gunboat Lexington was
llled few days ago by rebel
fortunately the rascal was caught, dress
d in soldier clothes and tied on top of
ne OF the transports, in hopes that he
you'd be picked off by some of his own
arty, but the devils along shore got wind
the joke or recognized him, and so he
escaped; but ] suppose he will be hung
I Helena.
Gen. Curtis headquarters arc at the
ne residence of the rebel Gen. Hindman.
here was quite conhagration in town
o-day. 1t is supposed that some of the
itlzens set fire to some large buildings
obtaining Suffers or Commissary's
torres. | think that there will not be
much of Helena left when our troops
cave here, as it is one of the hardest and
lottest secesh holes in the South. Gen.