The New York herald., 1863-03-06
IMPORTANT FROM TIE SOUTHWEST.
The Second Cruise Of the Queen Of tho
West Below VickSbarg.
-o.s~s-,e>o~~--~--~~~,-~~-~
CAPTURE or A REBEL TRANSPORT.
The Queen Ran Hard Aground
and Captured.
>~-~~>~~>->--~>~~~N-~~~>>~~
Terrific Cannonace from the
Rebel Batteries.
ESCAPE OF A PORTION Of THE QUEENS CREW
>-~>>~>~~~~->~-~~~~~~~
incidents Of Trip Up tho Mississippi
Pursued by Rebel GunbOat,
ks., ks.s ks.
ESCAPE OF A PORTION Of THE QUEENS CREW

Oar Mtssisstppf River COrrcspOndence.
NEAR vIoxsBrRa, Feb. n, 1859.
The daring Of the Union during year which
has passed. has urnished themes for the admiration OF
the country What was accomplished at Memphis before
che Union occupation of that city, is st fresh in the
minds OF your readers The recent operations on
Arkansas White and Yazoo rivers have been for
gotten. In this respect not boat has acquired re-
nown than the Queen Of the westn We well remember
her later exploits in running the batteries vcksburg
and warrenton six miles below her capture OF the rebel
steamers below Natchez, aud the excitement they
stoned here and elsewhere. Her glory is departed She
is in the hands Of our enemiesI
From gentlemen who accompanied her her last and
unsuccessful trip and arrived yesterday, through much
Sribuiton and after hair breadth escapes able
eive you the following account Of her adventures
THE QUEEN
The "Queen" old freight boat formerlysn the
st Louis, Cincinnati and New Orleans trade and her
prime ten years ago, considered model Of th
and speed. when Colonel c. r. Elet the originator Of
the ram fleet who died less than year ago, conss
quence Of wounds received at the battle Of Memphis
organizing this branch Of the SERVICE this boat
of tho hrst selected She strengthened as to her
hull by neavy oak tmbers, and TO her machinery by
bulwark of solid wood work, twenty -four inches thick
extending from stem TO stern and enclosing the boilers
and engines that they considered safe from shot and
shell from guns Of no heavier calibre than twelve
Founders When she the batteries vicksburg she
was further strengthened BY two OF cotton bales
extending entirely around her, from the guards to the
upper deck. Her pilot house was also similarly pro-
teccd To guard against the effect OF plunging shot
hsre was layer Of cotton bales upon the gun deck
ARMAMENT.
Her armament consisted OF q bow gun, large thirty
FOUNDER red PARROT upon her main deck one twenty
FOUNDER red PARROT and three twelve FOUNDER brass
howItzers upon her gun deck. Besides these she had
ATTY sixty Mississippi rifles carbines cutlasses, ps
Sns. &c.
CREW.
Her consisted Of nrst, second and third MASTER
two pilots hree engineers, backsniths carpenters and
deck hands There also detail Of twenty six SOL
diers from the Eighteenth regiment Illinois infantry,
under Capt Conner aud Lieut. Tuthi The entire expe
dt,on and tho forces wore commanded BY Col CharesR
Ellet, son OF the originator Of the ram feet.
COLONEL ELrEr
Colonel Elet entered the service lieutenant in
fanry attached to the fleet His father was colonel his
Ellet, now scarcely twenty years old was medical
cadet when the rebellion hrst broke out The death OF
his father caused the promotion Of his uncle colo
necy and himself TO lieutenant coonelcy. Tho uncle
was subsequently, made brgadisr and young Ellet q
colonel
General Elet 10 now engaged in forming brigade
sistng of infantry, cavalry and artillery, to be placed
upon Transports the whole To form part and parcel OF
the ram fleet General Eet commaods the ram nset
brigade, and Col Ellet the ram feet proper.
Three weeks the De soto small steam ferry boat
formerly running De Soto, the terinus or the
capured by General Blairs brigade, and after the
passage the batteries turned TO Col Eet
a tender 70 the Queen OF the West.
Col Elet had surrounded her too with q bulwark Of
cotton bales and mounted an excellent thirttwo FOUNDER
rife upon her bow She was Of little account in running
batteries and would be only useful account Of her light
daught running up creeks and bayous where the Queen
could not venture.
oRJEcI oy THE ExrKDrIos.
barge Of coal had been hoated the batteries
vcksburg and caught below and the two steamers
coed preparatory for expedition down the river The
object OF the expedition primarily 10 capture rebel
steamers Colonel Elet's commission a rowing one.
He intended passed tho warrenton
in safety, steam up Big Black ryer, which emptes
into the Mississippi at Grand Gulf with tho Queen far
prudence would nsty and then push on with the De
Soto. lie also hoped to nnd some steamers between
Natchez and Old river. He expected TO visit the Atcha
falaya, and possibly the Red Under favoring carcum
he proposed to pass the batteries 1t Port Hud
and effect junction with Farragut below. How
much Of the work laid out was accomplished win bo
seen as the narrative progresses.
DxpARruRE
Three journalists accompanied the expcdition-Fnley
special correspondent OF the New YORK HERAD
Bo1man, OF the Chicago fttn,, and McCuogh, OF the
Cincinnati commercal II intended TO start Mon.
day evening, February but this was found impract
cabc Tuesday night, the 10th, fixed upon aud az
dark both BEATS fired ur, and preparations made FOR
soto arboard and the coal barge the starboad
OF the Queon and in this manner moved down tho stream
WEIGH.
At O'Clock precisely the swung out into the
stream and silently moved down the river. The
peoed 10 be fred upon by the batteries at Warren;on,
posed there were heavy batteries there When The
Queen IN her previous passage up and down the river,
passed warrea,on she tound sh. and twelve guns To
fired. The explanation Of the phenomenon s, doubt
less, that the enemy anticipating the movement up the
Big Black had removed the battery protect the rail
road bridge which would naturally be ''obect Of in
terest" to the ederas whether this explanation Is
rect Of course unknown One thing In certain, they
did not fire. Beyond tho delay ofsan hour two
stoned by running the Do Soto aground few miles be.
n int roA
night.
Grand Gulf q nourishing town. situated on tho
sippi river. IL is a ruined waste.
ua sas o - ns'Sry n.y. cnnnecea .sn M vrsno Sa IN
zeus were dsposed 20 pleasantly and red upon him. He
% EN- %paa s 70 IN nem that the Hence was repeated he
town was burned
railroad extended from Grand Gulf TO Port Gibson
twelve miles into the interior but this DESTROYED
Three miles below Grand Gull pout from whence
20 New Orleans In 1883 the steamers Eclipse and A. l.
Shortwel made their great twenty four hours run. The
only landings Of importance between Grand Guf
and Natchez are So. Joseph, Rodney and Waterproof
ZACH rArIDR's PLANTATION.
Az TsyIor's Point nearly opposite Waterproof, n the
pianatioa formerly owned BY General Taylor This ii
his hoirsof whom the President of the southern con-
feeracy Is Dr. New H. or was before the secession
of Iouisana Union man, and was the candidate q The
anti secession element for State senator He Is gentle.
of tasts and culture, and since the failure Of his
,ieh aspirations has maia'aned disniica resrscy
hundred hands, young and old The Doctor complained
Of tho cxacoua OF tho Confederate government and
rrcseed wish that the troubles would speedily end and
che Unon become restored. Colonel Ellct had been
ormcd that President Davis owned the plantation and
intended 20 sc1e for the the government tho
aud Tho negrues Inquiry In proper quarters established
he ownership IN other hands, and Dr. New was unds.
turbed.
s,rcuvg
Thlrty miles below Iayor's FONT, upon the submits Of
magnificent bulsa hce the beautiful city or Natehez
'Naichez IN the Hn has f,r many years besn tba sy
nonym or wealth. euliare and refinement a. aNaci,ez
Under the Hi wac tho synony for poverty nnJ cr,no
The Queen OF the wost and the Dc Soto s,canei Sou
Up and down tha river under the bluffs and tho nocr
ont IA crowds TO see them. There were no oonn
demonstrations either side, and Colonel et
allowed 10 land and get the papers Tie dcstroyel e,e
raj skim and fsboats and then visited ydaa dirNrtlv
opposite OF the Louisiana shore Eidalia a rebel co,
post from whencc messengers despatched North
snd South whenever any unusual demonstration is made
at Natche1 OF elsewhere
Wednesday evening Col. Ellet reached the mouth ol