The National tribune., 1898-03-17

who are being run" into Texas out o
Banks's way We must have met hun
dredS Of them, and many families OF plant
ers, who were much TO be pitied, especially
the ladies.
On approaching Monroe, we passed
through the camp of Walkers Division
tSa)3 Strong), which was on its march
from Arkansas To meet Banks. The di
vision had embarked in steamers, and ilaC
already started down the "Wachlta To
wards the Fed River when the news
arrived OF the fall OF Alexandria, ano OF the
presence Di Federal gunb0afS IN or neal
the Wachta itself. This caused the pre-
cipija;e return and Decentralization OF
Walkers Division. The men were wei
armed with rifles and bayonetS, but they
were dressed in ragged civilian CLONES.
The old Matagorja man recognized ms son
in one Of these reginlentS-a perfect boy.
Monroe - on the Nachita pronounced
Washtaw), which is a very pretty and VIDE
stream. After crossing il we arrived at the
hotel after dark.
Universal confusion reigned there: it
was fun OF officers and soldiers OF Walker 5
Division, and no person would take the
slightest notice of uS.
I'm desperation called on Gen. Herbert,
who commanded the post. told HIM
who was. and gave him a letter of intro
duc5ien, which ! had fortunately brought
from Kirby Smith | stated my hard case,
and besoughg an asylum for the nIght,
which he Immediately accorded me IN ms
own house.
The difficulty of crossing the Mississippi
appeared 20 increase the nearer got To 1T,
and Gen. Herbert told me that IT was very
doubtful whether | could cross at ali at
this p pint the Yankee gunboats, which
hid forced their way past kIckSburg ana
Port Hudson, were roaming about the
Mississippi and Fed River, and some OF
6 l..
Wachita itself, ii small fort at Harrison
burg being the only impeachment to their
appearance in front of Monroe.
On another side, the enemy forces were
close 10 Delhi only 80 miles distant.
There were 40 or 80 Yankee deserters
here from the army beSegng Nicksburg.
These Yankee deserterS, on being asked
their reasons for deserving, generally reply:
"Our Government has broken faith with
us. We enlisted to fight for the Union, and
mo- TO liberate the niggers." Nic<sburg is
distant from this place about eighty miles.
The news of Gen. Lees victory at
Charlottesville had Just arrived here.
Everyone received it very coolly, and
seemed to take il quite a matter OF
course; but the wound of Stonewall Jack
son was universally depl0red.
Nav 1l.-iien. Herbert is a goOd-lo looking
creole. THE descendants of The French
coonists in louisiana are called creolcS;
most of them talk French, and | have
often met LouiSianian regiments talking
that language He was West Pointer
and served in the Old Army, but afterwards
became a wealthy sugar planter. He used
81 hold sfdgEIdeI = position as ConlmaT der
i'm Chief IN. Texas, but he has nos been
shelved al Monroe, where he expects 10 ise
taken prisoner any day: and, from the
present gloomy aspect u affairs about here,
it seems extremely prOha bic that he viii
no. be disappointed in his exCec .atioEs.
lie is extremely down upon England for
not recognizing the South Gen Herbert
- the only man of education / met in the
whole Of my travels who spoke disagree
ably about England in this respect. Most
people say They think we are quite right TO
~keeprcciIt oi. II as long as we can: but
others think our Government is foolish to
miss such splendid chance of Smash
ing the Yankees with whom we must
have row sooner or later.
He gave me d passage down the river in
a steamer which was to try To take pro-
visions 10 HaHISonburg, but, at the same
time, he informed me that she might very
probably be captured by Yankee gun
boat
| embarked for Hauisonburg, which is
distant from Monroe by water $50 miles,
and by land - miles. Ii is fortified, and
offers what was considered a weak OBJ
structi0n 10 the passage of the gunboats up
the river to Monroe
The steamer was one of the curious
American river boats, which rise to a
tremendous hight out OF the water like
great wooden castles. She was steered
from a box at the very top of ali, and this
particular one was propelled by one wheel
at her stern.
The river is quite beautiful; it is from 300
to BOD yards broad, very deep and tortuous,
and the large trees grow right down to the
very edge Of the water
oar Captain at starting expressed in
very plain terms his extreme disgust at
the expedition, and said he fully expected
to run against gunboat at any turn of the
river.
som after leaving Monroe, we passed a
large plantation. The negro-quarters were
larger than a great many Texan towns,
aud they held 300 hands.
Aiter we had proceeded about half an
hpuf, we were stopped by "A mounted
orderly tcalled courier, who from the
bank roared out the pleasing information.
Ihey re fighting at Harrisonburg -
The Captain on hearing this turned quite
green IN the face, and remarked that he'd
he logged II he liked running into the
Jaw, OF q lion. and he proposed 20 turn
bacil; bgt ne was jeered at by nv fellow
travellers, who were all either officers 81
p'ivaie>. wishing 90 cross the MiSsissippi
10 rti5in their regiments IN the different
Confederate armies.
ole pleasant fellow, more Warlike than
the rest, suggested that as We had some
InGcids On board. We should make "a
llilc bf ri "a fight or al least make one
buit 40 q gunbDat.' was relieved to find
tha' these insane proposals were not re
cfNti ~lth any enthusiasm by the ma
iBIi,y.
The plantations, as we went farther
dpE1 thr river. looked very PROSPEROUS.
bui slgns # preparations for immediate
ske 1Htdhng were visible in most OF them
and fear they are all destined 10 be soon
dc,Jlatc and destroyed.
We came 10 a courier picket every II
m.ie,- IL one 81 them We got the inf rms.
ton, "GunbDats drove back" at which
there waS great rejoicing and the CAPTAIN
rec Jverirg has spirits, became quite iocose
and volunteered 20 give me letters of intro
duction 10 a particular friend Of his about
here, called Mr.. Farragut". but the reg
news, 'SHli a-hghtin'," caused Us To III
ourselves to a tree al s p. IA, of a Iittl,
village called Columbia, which is haIf-wa,
between Monroe and Harrisonburg.
We then lIi a large fire, round which al
the passengers Squdtted on their heels il
Texan fashion. each man whiting a piec,
OF WOOD, and discussing the merits Of tht
different Yankee prisons at New Orleans O
Chicago. One OF them, seeing me called
out Il reckon, Kernel, If the Yankee.
eaten you with Us, they'll say you're il
versal hilarity
May Shorty after DAYLIGHT tbre.
negroes arrived from HarriSonbIIrp an,
they described the fight as still going on
They said they were "dredhl skeeTed0
and one Of them told me he would "r;,the
be slave 10 his master all his life. than ;
white man and soldier"
IBErIru the fFlpraiDse e,,aa Of H., fl