The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1863-03-06
Queen of the West-Further Par
ticulars.

ticularS.
The jackson Miss Agpealo of the 2lst
has the following:
From gentleman direct from Match.
ez we have some further particulars OF
the capture Of the Queen OF the West.
On Wednesday OF last week the Queen
ran past Natchez and anchored two miles
below. The DeSOto followed her. stop
ping just above the landing, where she
destroyed several fiat boats and skiiis.-
From one of the flats she took three boys
! prisoners who were raised in Natchez.-
! The Queen of the West remained at an
| cbor in protecting distance, while these
| depredatIons were carried out by the De-
Soto. They both then steamed away to.
gether, the boys having been placed on
the Queen ofthe West.
The two vessels proceeded down the
river, entered Red river, and at or near
the mouth of the Atchaiaylaya Bayou,
the Era NaeiG with.a loadof corn for Port
Hodsoh, was capture1, They were fired
upon at the mouth of the Atacbafalaya,
by light battery, when the Captain of
the Queen was killed. In revenge, they
steamed down the bayou and utterly de-
stroyed six plantations by shelhng them.
They pressed the pilot of the Era No 8,
who deceived them as to the location
and strength of our batteries. One of the
boys captured at Natchez heard Col. FL
lett repeatedly assert that before he would
surrender he would blow the boat up,
but when lie was fred upon by our bat
teries, his feather Immediately wilted
and his only anxiety was the safety of his
precious person. He was afterwards float
ing down the river on bale.ot cotton
The courier has the follown report of the
affair:
The engagement lasted about one hour,
when 25 of the crew were taken prison
ers, 10 or IL drowned, and Col. Elicit,
who was in command of the Queen, COW
ardly forsook his boat and f1oated down
the stream on cotton bale. His own
crew shot at him for his cowardice.
The Queen had on board G heavy guns.
The DeSoto was scuttled and sunk by her
crew, as well as the coal boat in tow.
The Era, No. 5, being in possession of
the Federal guard below the scene Of ac-
ton, she soon put out to the Mississippi
river; bringing with her our informant,
Thomas O'Brien, who was afloat in the
river on cotton bale, and who brings
this intelligence. About 10 miles below
Natchez, the Era. No. s. met the Federal
gunboat Indianola, carrying four ! / inch
guns, and about 200 men. Here both
boats came to anchor, and our informant
made his escape.
Young O'Buen, and two others, were
kept on board the Queen of the West as
prisoners, during the attack of our bate
ries. He says that every shell from the
Confederate batteries carried destruction
to the boat and crew. The first shell COM
pletely cleared the gundeck of her men,
and the second or third came crashing
through her engines, cutting her steam
pipe in twain, and completely disabling
the gunboat She would soon be got off
for repairs.
On the Era, when taken, were two Con-
federate officers and 25 privates. The
privates were paroled.
The victory on Red River was complete.
The amount of stores taken is large.
The prisoners taken from the Queen
threatened to shoot Colonel Elicit, for
his desertion of them and cowaroice,
whenever they overtake him.