The New York herald., 1863-03-06

TaE ATcHAsALAyA
yery singular stream out Of Ofd river, through
which there is uninterrupted al ton vih
the Gulf by way OF Berwick Bay and Grand river Tho
enemy have battery ut suite La Rose whsn this u
ssed or destroyed have freo passage through tho
htohaiaaya 10 New Orleans. There Is also q bayou
which the Atchafaiaya with the Mississippi a.
Puckerman below Port Hudson and in the vicinity Of
Baton Ouge The entanceto this bayou Is defended by
sples and battery.
This river extends from the northern side OF Old river,
first noth~estery and then nearly due west across the
State Of Louisiana andsa long distance into Texas. IL
crooked stream, narrow, with powerful current and
this present stage of water navgabe 10 Paris nine
hundred and sixty miles from New Orleans Steamers do
usually farther than Shreveport a. beyond that
point there is what called the big rat c"nsslns of
the accumaations OF drift wood for 4undreds OF years
This accumulation extends q distance Of twenty hve
miles, and would have eleotuay stopped navigation had
not tho Red River Packet Company constructed canal
through side and bayous ut cost Of t5 0Oe,
Company are allowed to charge toll OF fifty baio
for cotton and ten cents barre Tor Other freight
wednesday night the Queen of the wes, anchored a.
the mouth OF Old river, with the De Soto milo n "a.
vance, as picket guard Thursday mornng leaving no
the Queen entered the Atohafaaya Five or six miles
from It's mouth q train Of eleven army wagons, eacn
driven ~ two negroes and drawn by e. muies sns
up the road on the leis bank Of the river They bad
taken sam and provisions to the army. Cooasl
sion The wagons were partially destroyed, mules
turned loose harnesses thrown into the river
tne negroes were taken Dut 6oCOrL
the forests the loft From the negroes Colonel Elat
learned that the rebel steamer Minerva lying al
Smmesport ten miles below and concluded TO defer the
destruction or the wagons until evening He aryed st
Smmesp0rt shortly after, but found that the Minerva
had escaped She left behind her sevenyfve barrels Of
excellent beef which fell into Colonel les hands This
he destroyed Here he also captured rebel mail and in
terceped important rebel dispatches from one OF which
he learned Of the capture Of Berwick Bay ana se
gut. He also pturcd an artillery baggage wagon nod
with nxed ammunition, and officers baggage, belonging
to Captain Sayers Of the Texas Valverde Battery.
GuxRuLAs.
The Queen cruised about until nearly dark sheng tha
forest in which the balance OF the artillery traias had
taken refuge, and then turned her Prov towa Old
river agan Colonel Eet intended 10 land at tho point
where he had captured the wagons in the morning and
finish their destr tructon. Just the pilot at the wheel
was making preparations TO land the boat while the
at supper and in sight upon the deck Of
the Queen but the sailing master, murderous fire or
muskotry opened upon her squad OF citizens
behind tho evee and First Master Thompson fell 10 the
deck mortally wounded The expected landing was of
and the steamer made the best OF her
way TO her Old anchorage.
RETALIATION.
During the night gone aboard the Queen OF
the West and informed Colonel Eet who were the perpc
traitors the outrage, and early Friday morning he
lation From the mouth of the Atthaiaaya 70 simmes
port there are six splendid sugar Plantations each with
ne dwellings, negro quarters and sugar mills upon tnem
furniture and personal effects from the houses and every
house, barn. shed and mill burned TO the ground.
In instance the people admitted tnat they had fred
upon the Queen and only regretted that the number was
not larger In one instance beautiful young LADY, the
Flag" while her house was burning.
RIVER.
Friday afternoon the boats entered Red river, and
little after dark reached the mouth OF Black river where
they anchored for the night tho Do Soto In advance
before, with instructions to are upon any steamer
matter what its character, which might approach.
8.
Nothing occurred TO disturb the little feet during tho
were again under weigh About O'Clock the lookout
reported smoke approaching The decks were cleared
for action and shortly after the Ere No. sa boz boat Of
almost at the same instant. and wss half turned about as
II attempting to escape, when Colonel Eet ordered the
bow gun OF the Queen to be fred At her. This took effect
In her wheel house, demolshing the stove In tho cook
room, and wounding the negro cock. The people on
the Era then went on the hurricane root, and
displayed white flags token Of surrender, and Colonel
Elet the Queen along side and took possession.
Fourteen privatos were found on board belonging TO
he did also all the citizens without parole upon their
pledge honor that they would not attempt 10 leave the
his possession S2s 900 in Confederate funds retained
with his money, also two lieutenants Of Tcxas
was laden with corn, tho ear-4 500 bushes-worth,
the currency Of the confsderacy over 5000 which
U %as the @ BACK 1s and Gr wasns rivers Was S
There wore, as Colonel Eie. aiierwa,ds learned,
several important dispatches board which were de-
stroyed, character was known, by the
officer in charge OF them. This officer Is brigadicr
general undor Major General Hindmau, and ono against
whom, an Indictment is still pending in Missouri for
bridge burning He escaped by insisting that he was
citizen only ns he appeared to be an honorable man.
his statement was unQuestiOned.
sraSp
From the place whcro tho Era 'aptured, TO point
twenty miles below 0ordons Iding, nothing oc-
Cured Of interest. The lookout s kept aof IN the
hope discovering other prizes but because the intelligence
ing across The country orrom other causes UNKNOWN
craft more imposing than skin or dugout made Its ap-
pearance. Some idea q the ease with which informa
ton be carried in that country can be hnd when
that crooked II the river at this point that what
requires twenty miles Of difficult navigation by steamer
ryer is most crooked and where the current the
swtest the Era egt with the coal barge, stil con
tainng thousand bushels, lashed to her side. Both
were in charge OF corporal and three men, who also
dertook TO guard the prisoners.
ArPRoAcH GoRpoS's LANDING.
The twenty miles most difficult OF passage.
So intricate the channel and powerful the current
that required the united Efforts OF both pilots TO keep
dry among the timber As Colonel Eet approached the
forDcati0us called Fort Taylor from General Taylor
snSns hc can,red seyeraI ashermen snd others in ding
from whom he obtained clear idea Of the character
OF the works. Some thought there were two guns mounted
others three all agreed that the fort could not with
stand hour the weight Of the metal the Queen could
bring against IT, The troops there were variousy es,i
mated at from seventy Ave 70 two hundred men. They
all said too they would fight that the first broad
side from tho Queen would put them 70 hgtt When still
two miles distant gentleman with his wiie rode along
the lcvee his carriage, the gentleman swinging his hat
and the her handkerchief. Either they werc
loyal and thus gave expression TO their hopes Tor her
approach Fort Taylor from below the bends grow
larger aud formidable Sntil we are almost within
hundreds yards OF the guns Here the river takes
abrupt the east long bar from the point OF
land opposite the bend o the river where the water ~
shallow, and near which Is powerful eddy which draws
the boat upon shore the certainty OF fate unless II
Is avoided keeping closely in the bend Of the river op
posite.
II was just at nghtfaIi--Amost dsrk-when the Queen
approached this point The enemy knew she was coming,
both because be had doubtless received the INTEL
by courier and because while mile below, she bad fired
two Of her rncd PARROTS Al sowe resreating steamer
above the tort. ScsksfsSwNe-<afss~
-se61x&1AnO loss or 1aE QUEEN
Colonel Rot had pressed into his service the pilot Of
the captured Era, and placing him In the pilot house,
forced him assist the wheel She slowly up
the river II "slow bcll but with full head Of steam
her boilers and instead o taking the bend OF the river
outside the eddy inside, and In instant hard
aground and immovabe the hills II was q, this worry
that the three red thrytwo FOUNDERS In Fort
Taylor opened re Each shot told with fearful accuracy
Solid shot crashed through her cabins A. they wers
made OF paper. shell exploded between her chmnsys
upon her decks, over her pilot house-all about
her, and she 6xed aad immovable. Every exer.