The National tribune., 1906-01-04

| ill-luck attended Emory's advance on
the Teche, where he was unable to pre-
vent the enemy from burning the
bridges, and we have another story of
mishaps on account of q courier with
important orders losing his way. Banks
brought everything over to the support
of Grover. Instead, however, of Tay-
Tor menacing him with an attack he
was putting all speed into his heels to
get away. April 19 the army finally
meeting any opposition continued it's
march the next day to Opelousas the
most important town in that section. 1t
is about 60 miles west of Baton Rouge
and $50 miles west-northwest Of New
Orleans
Work Of the GunbOats.
Early In the operations in Louisiana
1T was found absolutely necessary to
have light vessels armed with guns
heavier than field pieces. to cooperate
with the movements OF the troops and
Ccnfederates. The most available
boats at hand were taken and fitted
out hastily from the funds of the army.
and four of these boats, the EstrelIa,
Arizona, Clifton and Calhoun, under
Lieut.-Commander A. p. Cooke, ac-
the Teche. They helped ferry Emory
and WeitZel over Berwick Bay, and
then went to assist the army transports
In carrying Growers Division up Grand
Lake to Irish Bend. AS soon as the
troops were clear Of their decks the
| the enemy's batteries which were op-
posing the landing. The rebels found
after few rounds that their field guns
were no match for the nine-inch shells
sent at them from these little craft
After the destruction Of the enemy's
nd frnn nvfv Trfe
Taylor sent back with all haste to AL
exandria for the assistance Of more
gunboats from the Red River The
enemy had raised Col. Ellet's formida- :
BILE Queen Of the West. which they had
captured from him 10 weeks before.
and with little difficulty had fitted her
for further service. She was brought
down the Atchafalaya with two other
boats, the Grand Duke and the Mary
t.. and April 13 the lookouts on our
gunboats saw their smoke coming down
Lake Chicot. At daylight April IA
| the Queen of the West and Mary T.
came through Chicot Pass to attack
| the Union boats. and Cooke forming
| the Estrella, Calhoun and Arizona in
crescent opened fire and began clos
| ing In upon them. The Queen of the
| West was soon seen to be I'm flames
from the Union shells, and her two
consorts turned tail and sought safety
In flight the way they had come. Cooke
ceased firing and sent his crew out In
boats to save the men of the burning
vessei. He rescued go of them before
1t was seen that the flames were so
near the Queen Of the Vests maga-
zine that nothing more could be done.
The Union boats began retiring and
the Queen OF the West blew up with
loud noise and 80 OF her crew per-
ished with her. Her. five guns, how
ever, We're secured for the Union fleet.
This ended an unusually eventful ca
reer for one vessel and gave the mas
terry Of the Atchafalaya into Cookies
hands as far as Butte-a-la-Rose. Aprii
70 Cooke went on up the lake to Butte
a-la-Ros and opened fire upon the
works, which, after returning a few
shots, hoisted the white flag and sur
rendered the garrison of 60 men and
two 32-pounders, which cleared ont All
| opposition in that country, and Cooke
hastened on up the Atchafalaya to the
Red River.