White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1863-03-12
Queen of the West.
THE LOG" OF HER FATAL CRUISE
Full and Interesting Details.

CARo, 2S.-On Tuesday evening. Feb
ruary 10th. the Queen Of the West. with
the tender De Soto. ran past the rebel
batteries ct Warrenton without receiving
shot. She passed Natchez during the
following day. and anchored for the night
at the mouth of Old River. forty-hvs
miles below. Thursday. the 18th. she
cruised at Atchafalsya, capturing and de-
stroying a train of-army wagons. seventy
barrels Of beef and an artillery wagon
containing ammunition and officers bag
gage. Upon her return in the evening.
she was fred into from the right bank OF
Atchafslaya by citizens. whom. in day
light we had seen quietly smoking their
pipes in their homes. and the 6rst master.
Thompson, of the Queen. was very Sc
siously wounded. He is not expected to
live. asp
y 90 Friday morning the Qasen Of the
West again entered Atchsflaya, and. in
retaliation. burned every house. barn,
sugar mill. and negro quarters between
the mouth of the river and Simmsport.
At the latter place she CAPTURED rebel
mail, and first learned Of the occupation
of Berwick Bay and Lower Atehaialsys
by Commodore Fsrragut.
On Friday afternoon she entered Red
river and anchored for the night at the
mouth of Black river.
At ten o'clock ON Saturday morning
We captured the Confederate steamer Era.
No. 5, laden with stores for the rebel ar.
my at Little Rock. There was on board
95 privates and 8 commissioned officers.
The privates were psrolled and the officers
retained.
We had heard a rebel battery was in
position 80 miles from the mouth of Red
river. at Gordon's Landing, and as we
approached within three hundred yards OF
the fort while rounding point, the pilot
ran the Queen hard aground. In this po-
sition the rebel batteries opened fire upon
us with guns of heavy calibre. The
Qaeen had no guns bearing on the fort.
and could not reply. One shot coming
between easements and deck perforated
her steam chest, and we were compelled
to abandon her and escape down the riv-
er-some in skifs, some on cotton bales
and some ON the De Soto. The steam
penetrated every portion of the vessel, but
the fracture was so small that but one
man was scalded very seriously-an en-
gineer who is not expected to live. One
white man and four negroes were drown
ed.
The following are prisoners
1st master, Thompson; I'd master. Ed
Olson; Sd master. Duncan; engineer Tay
lor, scalded; blacksmith: 2 carpenters;
Surgeon Booth; Adj Bailey. and prisatss
Jarbon, Williams, McCullom. L,nner.
Smith, Hailsten. Faulkner, Bates. Rice.
Brewer. Hal and 30 negroes. One of the
correspondents OF the New York Herald
was taken prisoner and is now with the
rest at Alexandria, La.
Col. Ellet escaped to the De Soto on
bale OF cotton.
The enemy have possession of the
Queen of the West.
All the survivors were removed to the
Era No. 5. and the ID Soto blown up
and sunk.
We were pursued by the gnnbost ".
II. Webb, but fortun ,tely, just before she
overlook us. AMI when we were ! miles
south of Natchcz,: We met the U. S. gun-
boat Indiano!a. which had run the bat
teries at Vicksburg. on the Friday pre-
vious. The Indianols fred two guns at
the Webb. and she ran like deer.
We remained with the lndianola two
days and started for Vicksburg ON We'd
nesday evening.
l am happy to say that the correspon-
pondeut Of the Chicago Tribune. who &C.
companied the Queen of the West, es-
capped bodily injury. He was badly
frightened and lost his baversack, papers,
and suit of clothing.
At Grand Gulf the Era was fred into
by. 6pounders, but although so shots
were fred, not one took effect.
At Carthage We were again fred upon
by three guns-l2 Founders. 46 shots
were sent after US. and at Warreuton we
received % shots--a hundred in sll-not
one of which disabled us.
At midnight on Friday evening. we
arrived at our old anchorage.