New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-03-06
Girw ExPEpzTION OF THE BAN
ouEKN or THE WEST.

s,oo,.i,, and "a Portion of the Grew
rae Fortunate Appearance Of Inc
Indianoln.
<.nod.uoo 10 The Chicago Tribune ~
STglsRR ERA Nc. 5, IN RED hisHh' feo 10; ,0O''
The career of the gallant Queen OF the west M
.,ded Her crew are dspersed; some are wounded
anne nre killed, and more are taken prisoners a
wall ,swuant. 40 far escaped from death and cap
,.ro sre now 90 miles from the month CT the Red
D;ve, moving as fas rs Providence permits, from
,ha .c.ns of one of the most thrilling incidents OF
,be Rebels n. toward the far.famed City of Vicks-
burg
OUR DEPARTURE.
w. had intended 10 leave on Monday, the 9th
irs but certain repairs were at the last moment
found Necessary, aud we Uere compelled to remain
over the succeeding day.
Col. EAet decided TO run the batteries by star
light and Just at dark the chinneys Of the Queen OF
tbs West aud toe DE Soto began to vomit forth huge
columns Of deuse black smoke, and we knew dha'
lie time Of our departure was approaching. re re-
cisely at clock we swung into the stream inc ~
Soto, around whose boilers and machinery oales y
Gotten had been placed, and Oh whose DOW was
mounted huge 81 pound rifle, toward NE 1a'IeI'ee
the Queen OF the West next, and TIE eoal oaIge on
the. outside all lashet toSether' III u4iS pos'0" "
foaied down the rivo.. ...
silently we foated by every momert expecting
20 hear The scream aud hiss of shot and she'll every
Uomen, booking for tie explosion OF the ngiy ms
,;les over our heads. We were abreast OF Tie 9at-
tories. and began to wonder at their retieenoe we
Ycre at poiut.blank range, the night was fne-Why
did they not ire The suspense was terrible Ho',
1teeentiy some sang out, We are out OF dail,
ger: we arc below the batteries Z ~ is wohoeriui
~ this announcement affected US. Some who were
,r,u.bing In abioct terror became valiant IN an
instant. They mounted the hurricane eeeA and
slapped their Gnge's Tor JOY "ha' e"feu '"eS lot
Rebel batteries
SPECULNTIoNS.
We hsd passed the dreaded batteries without q
SHOT and began 10 bother our brains LOT an eA phha'
ton. Some imagined thai as the Queen lsh aelloh'
sirated her ability to pass them unnarneh Tue ehe-
nv had thought pepper TO remove the guns 10 'he
civ where tbey could do harm. Others. anu among
Them Col, Ellei thought they were removed 10 1ol-
,ifv the bridge across Big Black Alver, where INC
Vicksburg and Jaekson Railroad spans IT. Since
The previous expedition down the mississippi aud
,he conseOuen closing Of the Red River eoantry as
source Of simply Tor tho Confederate forces at
Vlcksburg, tue integrity OF ins means OF commnnl-
cation would naturally be religiously guarded. we
finally settled down this explanation, ana the
projected movement up the Big Black was aban-
doued, and we rapidly and carefully steamed down
TIE Mississippi.
GEoGEAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL.
The a.outh OF the Big Black is 90 miles south Of
Vlcksburg. On the bluffs TO The sOath OF this stream
it the OF Grand Gulf once iourishing village
of 600 inhabtsn's and connected by rail with the
village Of Port Gibson, Mississippi. When Farra-
CUTS fleet passed up the RIVER last SUMMER the olti'
stns bad ugly haLits among them that of throwing
slel al his Transports. Tie old man became angry
and burned the town. 1t is now desoste and nearly
0ninhabited sad commentary upon tbis fearful Re-
beliion and standing monument of the vengeance
which Union officers are instructed TO nete out to
tlose who allow their patriotism IN this direction TO
cntrun their discretion.
EX-PRESIDENT TAYLoR's PLANTATION.
"Wednesday morning, Feb. H. found US just be-
Iatyt Ea n n Rlr nd th4l0
down che Iiver, thirty miles north OF NatcheZ, al
what called layiors Point, we Landed TO visit TN
Plantation Of ex-Plesdent Taylor The fe'nill
mansion quiet, homeEke structure, embowere'
IN a splendid grove Of cvergreens, and surrounds
by cotton gins negro quarters aud other appliance
Of Southern plantation life. The farm is au excel
leni one embracing an area OF 2,OOU acres OF IN
finest cotton lands in the State. 1t lie now owne
and cultivated by DR. New, formerly of kentucky
who purchased il of JeI. Davis and the other heir
Of Gen. Taylor. II is beautiful home, jast snch
one ne a gentleman of taste aud refinen N, woulC
select. Col Ellci at first supposed the title 10 ves
in the President of the Southern Coniederacy. and
hence intended u seize tue cotton ior 1reasiworA'
and 10 negroes for deck hands. He did not to
trouble Dr. New.
NATCHEz on THE HILL.
Thirty miles below iaylOr's Point, we rounded a
,Larp bend in the river, and Nstehez the hill 4"
burs upon us in foil loveliness like GsrobDg god.
dess. The arrival OF our little fleet naturally
created considerable CONSERVATION, and, as we
steamed up and down the river before the city, men
In Dutternu, women in siikr, old men and children,
white aud black, out OF their houses TO gaze al
us. Not a sound arose from that crowd of curious
lOOkeTs-Vn-uot shout, cheer, or wave Of handker-
chief. All was silent as the grave.
"Nltchez on the bill " and "NstcheZ under the
hill present an inviting field to an enterprising
commander, but am told q sort OF truce exists
between the feet and the citi1els-eccOrding to the
implied rather than the expressed terms OF which,
TIE formers expected no, y. shell the town go long
10 '' ''H'" "- """"co'oa there. In's
inent has besn regarded mp to ths time.
We delayed but an hour or two at Natchez, and
DID not leave The boat b. Wit Tie city. 1t is doubt
fg If il were safe 10 DO 80. little after noon we
were on our way for Old River sixty miles below.
TYPOGRAPHICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL.
Old River il the channel followed by the Mssis
vipii befor. the present CUTOFF was formed II de-
terbes al Ale Of circle whose diameter cannot be
lets than ter Iailee into this river, accessible from
the Mississippi above AUD below She cutoff, the Red
River empties, and from j., through the Atchaia-
isys a large body of water passes, swift and deep,
which finds al exit inio Berwick Bay, and thence
into the Gulf of Mexico. From this river there Ia
m entrance into the Mississippi below Fort Hudson,
defended by battery Of four guns, near the point
where the bayou, which connects The Two, approach
e. tLe river. New.Orleans can also be reached
through the Atchaiaaye with 10 other obstruction
tbaD battery At Butte 10 Rose.
TiIE QUEEN IN THE hTCHAFALAYA.
7. was q, The mouth OF Old River that we tied up
Oh Wednesday night, sending the De Soto to do
picket duty a mile in advance. The light passed
quietly. and at daylight on Thursday we started up
Old River, moving cautiously, and calling at the
plantations OIL tho way. At o'clock We entered
tbe mouth Of the Atchafslays. -Four miles down
toe nvsr long train OF heavy army wagons, driven
by negro teams,Aro and guarded by squad Of SOL
9iers, was discovered moving along the river bank.
we hsited them, landed and took possession. The
eolo'ers escaped TO The forests skirting the psnta