Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-03-05
WOrtester @aiIp Spy,
THE DAILY SPY.
NEWS FROM THE WAR, &c,


The Washington correspondent of the New
York Evening Post says:
"a statement that the government has de-
cided to call out six or eight hundred thou
sand new troops is going the rounds of the
papers. 1t is untrue. The government has
not yet come to any conclusion upon that
point. The president, who of course will
finally decide so important question us that,
has by no means come to the conclusion that
1t Is wise to raise a new army of two-thirds of a
million Of men. Some of the best generals
in the service assert that while we need
enough men to make up the losses by disease
and discharges, the great want of the country
is the wise management of the army already
In the field. A draft of two hundred thou
sand would keep the present army up all sum-
mer, and If it is fought with an ability at all
the rebellion can be subdued before next au-
tumn. However this may be, it is not true
that the government has decided to call out
SIN or eight hundred thousand new men. and
the statement is calculated to cause alarm,
without accomplishing any good purpose,
1t Is said that the census office estimates
that the number of males in the loval states.
between the ages of 20 and 30, will number
two million three hundred thousand, and that at
least one million five hundred thousand are fit
for duty. 1t is thought that upon an average
about one IN three or four will pay the $500,
IN lieu of personal service. If, therefore,
three hundred thousand troops should be
called, In April or May, into the field, it
would give the government fund of thirty
millions which it could use in bounties for the
purpose Of inducing the old soldiers whose
term Of service is about to expire to re-enlist.
The secretary of war can offer each soldier
the sum of $500, cash paid at once, and it is
believed that such an offer will retain the ma.
Jority Of the troops who will be entitled to leave
IN the summer months. 1t is also expected
that under certain provisions of the militia
bill, at least thirty thousand deserters will
voluntarily or lnvOluntarly return to the
army"
CAPTURE OF THE QUEEN.
In SIGHT OF VICKsBURG, Feb. 22.-Tues-
day evening, Feb. l0th, the Queen of the
West, with the tender DeSoto, ran past the
rebel batteries at Warrenton, without receiy
ing shot. They passed Natchez the follow
ing day and anchored for the night at the
mouth OF the Old river, forty-fve miles be-
low Thursday, the 18th, she cruised in the
AtchataIaya, capturing and destroying train
OF army wagons, seventy barrels of beef, and
an artillery wagon, containing ammunition
and officers baggage. Upon her return in
the evening she was fired into from the right
bank OF the AtchatalYa by CITIZENS whom in
the daylight we had seen quietly smoking their
pipes in their houses, and first master
Thompson of the Queen was very seriously
wounded. He is not expected to live.
On Friday morning the Queen again enter
ed the Atchataaya, and i'll retaliation burned
every house, barn, sugar mill and negro quar-
tiers between the mouth OF the river and
Simmsport. At the latter place we captured
a rebel mail, and first learned of the occupa-
ton of Berwick Bay and Lower Atchataaya
by Commander Farragut. On Friday after
noon we entered Red river, and anchored for
the night at the mouth of Black river AT
ten o'clock Saturday morning we captured
the confederate steamer Era No. 5, laden with
stores for the rebel army at Little Rock.
There were on board fifteen privates and
three commissioned officers. The prvates
were paroled and the officers retained.
We had heard rebel battery was in posi-
ton eighty miles from the mouth of Red river,
at GordonS Landing, and as we approached
within three hundred yards of the fort while
rounding to point the pilot run the queen
hard aground. In this position the rebel bat
teries opened fire upon us with guns of heavy
calibre. The queen had no guns bearing on
the fort and could not reply. One shot COM
ing between the casemate and deck perforated
the steam chest, and we were compelled to
abandon her and escape down the river-Some
in SkitfS 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 seri-
ousy. One engineer is not expected to live,
and one white man and four negroes were
drowned. The following are prisoners
lie fHhn,nnSo,
Sd Master DUNCAN, Engineer Taylor, (scald-
ed), one blacksmith, two carpenters, Surgeon
Booth, Adjutant Bailey, privates Jarbon,
Williams, McCullom, Lanner, Smith, Hail
stem, Faulkner, Bates, Rice, Brown, Hill and
thirty negroes; and the correspondent OF the
New \ ork Herald was taken prisoner, and is
now with the rest at Alexandria, La. Col.
Ellet escaped to the De Soto on bale of cot
ton. The enemy have possession of the
Queen of the West We were pursued by
the gunboat w. H. Webb, but fortunately
lust before she overlook us, when we we're
eight miles south o. Natchez we met the
United States gunboat Indianola, which had
run the batteries at Vicksburg the Friday pre-
vious The Indianola fired two guns at the
Webb, and she ran like deer. We renamed
with the Indianola two days and started for
vicksburg on Wednesday evening.
THE NDIANoLA.
The following telegram appears in the Phil
adelphia Daily Press =
CAIRO, March 2.-The report of the cap.
ture of the Indianola creates much disap-
pointment and gloom here. She was one of
the new iron-cladS from which much good
results were expected. We have no partc-
uars of the affair, except rumors from
Memphis, which state that the Indianola was
attacked by the rams Queen of the West,
Webb, and number of other vessels, when
the shore batteries opened on her. She was
boarded finally, and taken to Port Hudson.
1t is said that the vessel will soon be put in
service against us Rebel deserters, arriving
at Memphis, insist that this new rebel fleet OF
iron-clads will proceed down the river at
once, and take part in an attack upon Baton
Rouge and New Orleans. The rebels had
crews all ready, and demonstration may be
looked for at any oment. Our loss is con-
sidered most humiliating, especially in view
of the fact that the most explicit orders OF adj
miral Porter have been disobeyed. We have
nothing on the Mississippi to cope with the In
dianola, except the Neosho, and she is moi
quite ready yet.
GEN. BANKS AND THE PLANTERS.
A correspondent of the Boston Traveller
refers to that meeting in New Orleans, o
the planters who were studying chow t.
make the niggers work for nothing" HI
says There were upwards of seyent,