The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-02-12
The Rxploit Of the Queen Of h West
r....i n;.Hn..h "a the Chicann Tribune.

The Exploit Of the Queen Of the Wes'
spaci., Dispatch to the Chicago Tribune
Atthe Mouth Of Yazoo RireT,
On board U. S. Hospital Ship Red ROUer,
February 8. ria Cairo. Feb. 8.
At last, after a complete dearth of news {
;mnortance since the Arkansas and White Riv
err exneditions, we have an interesting item t
! chronicle, which gives token of activity.
This morning ut 8 o'clock, the ram Queen Q
the West,commapded by Capt. Sutherland, Wit
Col. EIlet, Commodore of the ram feet, on boar
left this river, and having passed down by tn
peninsula, in full sight of Vicksburg, rounded
the noint and was under full Roadway dowr
towards the city before she was discovered. Tit
rebels then opened a fire upon her with q mum
Der of their heaviest guns, and kept up a brisk
cannonade, while she ran in towards the land
ing and fired shell into and twice severely but'
ted the rebel steamer Vicksburg, moored to the
bank, directly under the river batteries.
Besides the time occupied in running down
towards the city, she was fully ten minutes de-
tanned in making her assaults upon the steamer
Notwithstanding all this opportunity, and the
close proximity to the rebel batteries and hre
from them of 100 of shot and she'll, she was on
ly hit twelve times, and it is said not a person
was injured. She continued down the river. and
landed at the lower end ofthe canal, when Capt
Aahd oio ~
back to the river.
Col, Ellet continued down the river, his des>
~tination being watched. This movement will
be followed up tonight by an attempt by the
ram Monarch to make the same trip. These
rams will be able to keep open the river for some
distance, with the assistance Of one or two iron
clads, whose commanders are soliciting the same
privilege, and may soon be granted permission
to run the blockade.
A large body of troops might thus be landed
from latboats upon the south side OF Vicksburg.
1t this cannot at present be done, direct COM
municstion Of the besieged city with Texas and
Louisiana can be cut off, and transports on Red
aud Ouchite Rivers can be captured or destroy
ed.
This will be a great gain, and the value of this
achievement, therefore, relatively las well
as lntrinsically, is very great.
We have had two flags OF truce lately ,one OH
the 3lst and one later. The first was 0stensl~
bly, to discover what had become of the rebel
Colonel who is said to have disappeared. Ans
other TO demand possession of the woman now
Capt, Sutherland's wife. The rebels were some
what taken aback when informed that the love-
ly Mississippi widow had become the spouse of
a hated Lincolnite, but they had to go home
her Their real purpose was undoubt-
eddy TO obtain information.
/ have seen aud talked with officers engaged
in the conflict of the ram with the batteries.--
They say it was impossible to count the rebel
guns, but they seemed to be planted behind trees
and houses, aud rifle pits, with infantry using
mail arms. II was indeed a miracle that she
She was under FIRE from half-past 6
to quarter past Z.
MEMPHIS, Feb. 6.-The steamer Ruth, Capt.
Pegram, On her last trip to Memphis, took down
300 tons freight, 800 head cattle, one regi>
nent Of troops, 400 passengers and $l3, 900 900.
It was the most valuable cargo ever aloat on
he Mississippi.