The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-04-14
Letter from the Cumberland River
---MOFe Guerrilla Outrages.

EDITORS JoURNAL:-l seldom write fol-
the papers, but | venture to write YOU
from here by the opportunity which pre-,
SCENTS itSelf just now, in order to let YOU
and your readers know what is passing
here just at this juncture
We left Nashville under orders to re.
port at Evansville last Tuesday morning
and came down under escort of three
gunboats as far as this place. Here we
met the Telegraph No 3, stopped on &C
count OF the low water The Quarter
master here, Capt Brown, brought US up
with "round turn" together with the
Chenango, and Obliged us to take her
freight aboard, with the view of forward
ing 1t on to Nashville. Yesterday, before
we had finished loading, the little steam
er Saxonia, canal boat propelled by a
screw, and the Lowell, a small stern
wheeler, came up loaded with suffers
goods for Nashville, and Passed on up
without protection. They got up as far
as Daviss Ripple, about twelve miles
above here, where they were fred into,
1t IS said, without any previous warning,
| or without having been ordered to sur
render. At the first fire the captain Of
the Lovel was killed, the engineer wound
ed, and the arm Of the captain of the
Saxonia carried away. They were at
dinner (the boats being dashed together)
and the captains of both boats being
seated at the same table, were struck by
the same shell. The pilot ran the boats
ashore, and gave them up to the rebels,
who set fire to them at once and burnt
them up, with probably all the goods on
board L learn that they robbed all the
crew, making them pull off their shoes
and boats, and exchanging with them.
They are said to be under command of
Woodward, and number in all about 500
men My informant says they have an
eneampment about six miles back from
the river, where they have been for sew
eral days, watching the movements of
boats.
After the receipt of the news last
night, the large ferry-boat Excelsior was
put IN readiness, by placing baled hay
around her forecastle for breastworks.
putting, think, two guns aboard, and a
party OF soldiers, and ordered to 90 up
where the boats are said to have been
burned.
1t IS now nine o'clock in the morning.
and we have heard nothing from her. /
begin to apprehend that she has been
captured. A party of cavalry was sent
up yesterday evening also, on the Clarks-
vile side, to reconnoiter, who have not
yet returned.
There are several boats here, which
will have to return on account of the low
ness OF the river. They are the Tele-
graph No 3, Ohio, St Patrick, Stephen |
Decatur, and Swallow. There is not a |
gunboat nearer than Smithland. and !
probably will not be for two or three
days
L don't want to say any hard things if
can help it, but the management Of the
gunboats in this river has put me COM
pletely out of all patience. There is not
the slightest danger to the navigation of
this river below Fort Donelson. and vet
every trip the gunboats make thew 90
clear down to Smithland, lay there
day or two, and then come back TO Nash
Viile. transports are unnecessarily de-
tanned for several days at Nashville,
GAINESVILLE and Smithland, because the
gunboats are not ready TO escort them
apor down. venture the assertion that
It can be shown satisfactorily that fifty
per cent more army supplies could have
oeen carried to Nashville than has been
aiken up if the gunboats had been prop
.rly managed At least two or three
should be kept in the upper part of the
Iver-l mean between Fort DoneIson I
md Nashville-aU the time, and never
'llowed to go below unless in case of
.bsolute necessity. :
But | have written now more perhaps
han you will find room for.
{ Very truly yours,
-l PEDRO