Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-07-05
THE WHITE RIVER EXPEDITION

The Arkansas correspondent OF the St Louis
Republican gives some interesting details Of the
expedition up the w hite river. from which we
extract The following:
OF the rebel gunboats two more certainly vet
remain-the PoRchartrain and Arkansas both
In the Arkansas. The former is commanded by
J. w. Dunnington, formerly Of the u. 9. NAVY
In the papers before me, the name OF X. F. Pink
ney, formerly OF the u. >. Navy frequently ap-
pears. These men, with Fry, Roby, and Com
stock, Of the Maurepas, were all educated by the
United States, and are now arrayed against their
alma mater with matricidal blood upon their
hands,
I have before me the clog" Of the Msurepas
from the 23d Of May to the time she was sunk
few notes from II will not be unihterestIng to
the public.
At Clarendon the Goat was greeted with "cheers
from the Iadies;' and st Des Arc large crowds
visited her, ''examining the wounds that she
"received at Tiptonville." May 81, she was Iy.
ing inactive at Des Arc, "without much prospect
OF getting at the YankeesD' Sanguinary logo
graPhist As the writer was "undecided what
to do" he had his "eIothss JU1Shed," which,
from the fact Of his underscoring the news, must
have been rare occurrence. The writer misses
the "cheers from the ladies'" so he went up into
town, but had to report ''ladies scarcen What
fate for a lady killer! He thus describes Des
Arc:
"Des Arc is a very pretty little tewn, imme.
diatelY upon the bank Of the White river. The
houses are all built In cottage style, mostly all
frame, and painted white. Very pretty flower
gardens about the houses. Nearly every other
house is store, or was before the present trouble
commenced. Quite number are now closed
only sign to indicate what they have been.D
The next day, however, the ladies came down
to welcome them, but our log -man regrets that
"beautY did not prevail to very great extent''
among them. People from the country flock in,
"who seem to look upon the gunboat as a great
novelty and think 1t will produce great slaug hter
among the yanks." (Southern style) Here a
company OF sharpshooters was raised and went
on board the Maurepas for the purpose Of er-
noIl Inc fha kaD from Lac ckann Ufoito
became "bore" at last. Here's an ''elegant sx-
tractn:
"Our sharpshooters are killing a great many
Yanks. They are hunting them through the
woods and bushes. One man was on the boat to-
day who has killed twenty-f five within a few
weeks past Last week they succeeded in killing
one hundred and eighty"
Pretty good "huntiEg" Old sledge and brag
ought not to be the principal game In Arkansas
as long as s'Yank" is left.
On the 29th OF May the boat left Des Arc " to
meet the Yanks." On the way to NEE, them,
took In wood to prevent the enemy seeing the
smoke at too great distance. Sharpshooters on
board, protected by cotton bales.
at Niger Hill our log-man visited "Joseph
Jones, the great Arkansas bear hunter"
Above Niger Hill, Capt. Fry sent squad of
sharpshOOters shore to take suspicious char
ac'er,n native Of Ohio, but who claimed to be
a southern man.
southern army that he had no gun This being a
poor excuse, the captain determined to let him re-
main on board for the present
All the way up, the men Of the Maurepas smelt
Yankee blood, but did not stop to have sssome''
till they came to the great bend OF the river,
which brought them within half a mile OF
Jacksonport by land, and four miles by water
The federal pickets fred and retreated, while
citizens hurrying across the country, "expressed
the greatest delight at the sight OF the dag of our
noble confederacy, and implorsd us to hurry
around the bend and cut of the enemy's retreat.
But the Yankees got safely over Black River,
xfybf anf had
throwing few shells at them, as announced In
his report TO Gen. Hindman. Here the crew de-
stroyed 800 bales of cotton and so hogsheads of
| sugar. The log man also speaks Of capturing
the provost marshal's trunk, which Is true, as
saw some OF his papers among Capt. Fry's.
The river falling, the Maurepas dropped dow n
the river fifteen miles, when two men who chad
voluntarily visited Batesville for the express
purpose of taking the Yankee oath OF allegi.
ance," were arrested. At Augusta the captain
gave orders to have all the cotton and sugar de-
stTOFCi b. certain time. Running up the Red
river, the boat captured several "Yankee spies, )"
and burnt out Mr.. Peoples, Unicn man.
June S.-"Bad news reached US this morning,
II true, viz: That Fort Pillow and Memphis
have fallen. Our fears are now that we may be
blockaded in w hite river. The transport Eliza
g. has just arrived from Memphis with provis-
ions for our boat.''
The transport Eliza G. was ordered to Augusta
accompanied her. On the way, met the Thomas
Sugg, and Capt Fry ordered her to fall In behind
June 10 -"Capt. Fry has just received a dis
patch from General Hindman, to destroy all the
cotton, and should fhe citizens fEtsrfsTe, to fire
upon then" !"
June IL -" Our men were engaged all day In
burning cotton. They must have burned twelve
hundred bales" "A sacrifice offered by the pa
triots OF the South!n
On the 18th the boat dropped down the river,
and In a few DAYS was sunk at st. Charles along
with the Eliza G. formerly DR.. Buftiugton) and
the Mary Patterson.
So ends the "logn Of this chivalric cruise.