The New York herald., 1863-12-07
AFT AIRS AT NATCHEZ.
AIFE AT ENSACOLA,
&C., Re-, kOs

Tue steamship Evening Star, Captain W. r. Bell, from
s>Sew Orleans November %, and Havana December
rived at this port on Saturday evening. lhe Evening
fE5tar experienced very heavy weather hor voyage
General Lee made another successful dash upon the
eucmy the 25th OF November, with eight hundred
cavalry aud a section of artillery He attacked the
Fourth Texas and Second Louisiana (rebc) cavalry, and
drove them from Camp Pratt within four mlos OF Yer
million Bayou AT this point the Second and Tnird Hi
nos cavalry made gallant sabre charge and broke the
Racks OF the enemy moment and captured one com
nissoned officer and sixtynlne privates, mostly from
the Fourth Texas AS many and horses were
tured Eight OF the rebels killed and large
ber wounded
Our thanks are rendered to Mr. W II Field purser OF
the Evenins for prompt delivery OF papers and let
Gers
MIR. Charles II. FarrsITa 1"spatoha.
Nxw ORLEANS, Nov 25, 1868
Bold Attempt OF the Rebels to Close the Nauiga Of the
Mississipps-La,gs Force of the Emmy Near the Red
River-Seomers Fired Into-Narrow Escape Of One Of
Them from Destruction-Loss Of Lifeline United States
0urbodt ChoctdW Hand-A Case for Immediate At
te,sior-A Suggestion for Increased Facilities for Pro
tecsion from the Assaults OF the Enemy. dc.
The increasing audacity OF the rebels in nterruptng
Che free navigation Of the Mississippi river, by firing
uuarmed steamboats, ravsrsng It's waters has created
much alarm and uneasinsss in the minds Of the
merchants and citizens OF this city, and indeed, OF a
tthe towns below ycksbu-g, in which district, of late
the enemy have been committing outrages with high
and bold hand So extensively have the rebels carried
3heir guerilla warfare the river that and
Grade on s waters will be on and New Orleans,
which depending the West for supplies will be
commercially isolated from the upper country A
merous feet OF gunboats patrol the great river each
one having a district to watch and protect
Tho eoemys recent movements show that he has
comprehensive idea Of situation, by attacking
where he knows numerically weak In that por
sion Of the Mississippi below and south OF the Rod river
the enemy does not appear they formerly did
In small detached marauding bands; but within a
or two have displayed themselves force, with whole
batteries Of artillery with infantry and cavalry This
force mobile one, moving from point to point attack
ing unsrmed river craft; never staying long at
place. order to elude attack from any considerable
egorce OF eur troops.
Tho latest intelligence from this rebel army plac ed
them Al Hog Point .sone and half mile south OF Red
river Tho force Of about four thousand men,
under General Dick Taylor. They receHily arrived at
that point from Alexandria, La whore they had assem
bed 10 meet troops marching up Teche country, to-
wards that town. Learning that army coming
them they marched down the route along the Red
river 10 the point already named where they
preving upon One OF the latest outrages
committed by them the firing upon OF
|ermed steamboats, while peaceful voyage from st
Louis TO this city II Is the Of the Black
Hawk brief mention Of which affair sent to the HERALD
in previous letter. and which arrived here few days
ago Tho following brief history OF the affair got from
the thrilling account related - me by Captain Futon her
commander The trip from st. LOUIS was uninterrupted
except now and then soppnga a important places on the
route u land and freight and 10 take
plies OF fuel until the 2ls, inst. wnen she reached the
mouth OF tho Rcd river, where the boat stopped
oooupisd pie Iu, sho2. simo when '0't the boa,
continued her voyage 10 tnis city, reaching
when suddenly and unexpectedly the report q
and the whr of hostile shot hoard The shot struck
the boat aud pas cd through It's silc. 1t was ds-
covered that the boa, range and the object of
attack d rebel battery shore. The captain q the
boat Immediately gave orders to bis engineer 10 psf
all steam IN order to out of The throttle valve
was opened pine wood ~ss put IN the furnaces Of the
boilers and the vessel steamng the u
nftoen mics an hour The CONSERVATION Of the r1ssen
gers on the boat among which ladies and children,
described. The women lid down on the door and the
men hasteoed on to every conceivable part o the boat
where they imagined they could lind shelter yrotec
zion from the missiles Of the enemy. Foar pictured
on every ccuntenanee death med TO stare them "a the
face. The FIRST shot from tho enemy toliowed
by another and another and tic boat proceeded other
guns opened on IL, and discovered that the
sremy had gus at intervals line Of miles
during which the boat was atacEed In front, flank and
In addition 10 this there perfect storm OF
Mime balls from squads q ssarshooters who acted a.
she officers Of the boat felt tho est responsibility
ing on them and they proved euai 70 the emergency
and ali on board 1he fourth shot fred by the enemy
passcf through room on the upper deck In lie passage
1rsctting the IRE from ignitei tho oiner
work and combastibo matera,s near IT,. The deck and
e,a,ercoms on tho larboard side The boat forward Of
the wheel, also the plot house, onveopei In
Games, which spread IN such raidy as 10 threaten
quick destruction OF the boat In the midst Of this
ing OF affairs, which coud not bot have been
by the enemy they kept up terrific cannonide usi
ade the twelve FOUNDER balls and shells peforang the
boat rendng into fragments tho saloons Of the boat
One cannon shot perforated the one inch shield for
che protection OF the pilot, The boat, when the nre
broke out headed for the east bank Of the river.
when the Of The boat and some a the passengers,
inspired by the GOODNESS Of Captain ulton and h officers
at work ertingushng the flames. Ibis aiair
occurred the patrol district of the river guarded by
tbe United States ronclai guntoat Chociaw which
ssel anchor few mres below the point Of the
= enemy position when the Rack Hawk had escsped
Abe battery Of the enemy the rebel battery limberci
up and we're making all speed TO ge, their guns n
position opposite the poiG, where the Black Hawk
was stopriDg At the nrst report CT tho cpemy's
guns the chocav slipped her cable, got up al steam and
basened oi action As soon as the oca> of
rebels discovered the Choctaw opened her spen
did battery OF ope.hundred founder parrott guns and
several sho guos, throwing shot and shell With such
curacy OF aim that must have made havoc and couser
nation tho ranks OF the oowardy enemy The other
Of the affair Is thus graphically detailed N the Era Of
Nter dtposing OF the enemy, the choctaw proceeded
20 The BACK Hawk, took her IN tow and conveyed
her 70 the gunboat station, where she had received
mo cotton sunday temporary steering apparatus
~as rkeef up aud a.aiu started for View Orleans,
this time accompanied by the Monitor the No 20 and the
Welcome coming through without further Injury, al.
though nct without further aiyen'uie. ,-,,
" seven dcscrers from tho Union army. when she
caught and ashore seventeen o these men jumped
land and started down the liver lhet " eeeded
about one hundred yards when thoy became frightened
.nd turned back they aver that they came uTon an-
other rebel battery masked, and waiting iot the Black
Hawk 70 come in range this statement ts doubted
At half past twelve O'Clock Monday night, just hs
the boat reached carrolon, Of The deserers VAS
discovered by the watchman bid among pile Of mat
resses had been taken from the burned stteroOms
sns p,ed on the guards be- de the lad es cabin
driven down below bat shortly after a negro reported
% the watcbman that be puiliug cotton from the
S.is Iss, v,r, pted a 100 eosOs room. lie baa