Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-03-03
The queen of the West.

From special dispatch 10 the Cincinnati
Gazette we extract the following account Of the
late cruise and capture OF the Queen Of the
West. The dispatch is dated near vicksburg,
Feb. %. N
On Tuesday evening, February 10Th, the
Queen of the West, with the tender, De soto,
ran past the rebel batteries at Warrenton, with.
out receiving shot. Size passed Natchez the
following day, and anchored for the night at the
mouth of Old river, fortJ-five miles below. On
Thursday, the 18th, snt cruised In the Atchafa-
laya, capturing and destroying train of army
wagons, seventy barrels of beef, and an artil-
lery wagon, containing baggage. Upon her re-
turn, che was fred into from the right bank Of
Atchafalaya, by the citizens, who, in day light
their houses. First Master Thompson OF the
Queen was very seriously wounded He Ia not
expected TO live. t'
On Friday morning, the Queen again entered
the Atchafalaya, and in retaliation burned every
house. barn, sugar mill, and negro quarters, be-
tween the mouth of the river and Semmesport
At the latter place che captured rebel mail
and first learned of the occupation of Berwick
Bay aud Lower Atchafaaya by Admiral Fsrra-
gut. .
On Friday night che entered Red river. and
anchored for the night at the mouth of Black
river. at ten on Saturday morning we captured
the Confederate steamer Era No. S, laden with
stores for the rebel army at Little Rock. There
were on board fifteen privates and three com :
missoned officers. The privates were paroled
and the officers retained. We had heard that
| rebel battery was in position eighty miles
from the mouth Of Red river, at Gordon's Land
| ing, and as we approached within three hun
dred Yards of the fort, while rounding point,
the pilot ran the Queen hard aground. In this
position the rebel batteries opened fire upon
US, with guua of heavy caliber. The Queen
had no guns bearing on the fort, and could not
reply. One shot coming between q casemate
and the deck perforated the steam chest, and
we were compelled to abandon her and escape
down the river, some in skiffs, some on cotton
bales, and some on the De Soto. The steam
penetrated every portion of the vessel, but the
fracture wac 60 email that but one man wac
scalded very seriously. One engineer is moi
expected TO live. One white man and four ne
grOea we're drowned.
Thompson, % Master Eddison, Sd Master Dun
can, Engineer Taylor (scalded), ! blacksmith
carpenters, Surgeon Booth, Adjutant Bailey
privatas Jarbon, Williams, Mccullough, Lar
mer, Smith, Hsilsten, Faulkner, Bates, Rice
Brown, Hill, and Thirty negroes The CORES
pondent of the New York Herald was taker
prisoner and is now with the rest at Alexan
, dris, La. COL Elet escaped to the De Soto or
bale of cotton, The enemy have possession
Of the Queen Of the West.
All the escaped survivors were removed tc
the New Era No 5, and the De Soto was blown
up and sunk. We were puraued by the gun
boat w. H. Webb, but fortunately just before
she overlook us, when we were eight miles
south Of Natch6z, We met the ULitsd States
gunboat Indanola, which had run the bate
Ties at Vicksburg the Friday previous. Tht
Indianola fired two guns at the Webb and she
ran like deer.
We remained with the lndianOla two days
and started for Vicksburg on Wednesday even
| ing