rapidly as possible to Louisville, and report to Generals Boyle or Wright. This I did, and the inclosed papers will explain the final result of the unfortunate affair. Thus hoping that in all this you will not condemn me, I remain your obe-ing; all as quiet as could be desired under such dient servant, M. P. GADDIS, circumstances. On my return to the front of the Chaplain Second Regiment O.V.I. boat, I was met by Col. Wade, who, with a horrible oath, ordered Dr. Waterman, surgeon in Mr. Spray, a hospital clerk at Nashville, gives charge of the wounded, to take his d-d woundthe following account of this affair: ed Yankees ashore, as he would burn the boat, and us, too, unless the order was obeyed. I instantly appealed to him in behalf of the wounded. During this time his followers had come on board, and took full possession of every thing.

ed and destroyed them. On reaching Simmsport, I learned that two rebel steamboats had just left, taking with them the troops and artillery stationed at that point. They had left on the bank several barrels of government beef, which I broke up and rolled into the river. I pursued another train of wagons for some distance, but they retheir wagons, loaded with ammunition and stores, fell into our hands, and was destroyed.

On her return at night, a party of overseers and other civilians, fired into the Queen from behind a levee, and immediately fled under cover of the darkness. First Master J. D. Thompson, a gallant and efficient officer, was shot through the knee.

pel us to go further than the terms called for. The penalty for failing to burn the cotton on our arrival at Louisville was the simple surrender of unworthy self to the confederate authorities; a small penalty, considering the amount at stake. These terms being agreed upon, and Surgeon Waterman having made up a list of the paroled men, the guerrillas left the boat, and the wound-treated into the swamps and escaped. One of ed of the Trio, and her crew and passengers were transferred to the Hastings. While the transfer was going on, another steamer hove in sight— the Parthenia, on her way to Clarksville. She was ordered ashore, and the same scene was en- | acted over in her cabin, save the fact that she had no sick or wounded of any account, but had several passengers. The rangers at once boarded her and for some time utter "madness ruled the hour." The Parthenia was a new steamer, costing thirty-three thousand dollars, finely finished and furnished. While engaged in rifling her, and piling up combustibles on different parts of the boat to make her burn rapidly, the gunboat Sidell, spoken of elsewhere, hove in sight. Her appearance was a signal of joy to our men and of alarm to the rebels, who immediately mounted their horses, ready to run. We hailed Van Dorn, and told him to anchor in the middle of the stream, and not come between our boat and the range of the guerrillas' cannon.

Anchoring at the mouth of the Atchafalaya, I waited until morning, and then returned to the spot from which we had been attacked. All the buildings, on three large adjoining plantations, were burned by my order. I started up the Red River, on the same day, and reached Black River by night. On the morning of the fourteenth, when about fifteen miles above the mouth of Black River, a steamboat came suddenly around a sharp bend in the river, and was captured before she could escape. She proved to be the Era No. Five, laden with four thousand five hundred bushels of corn.

She had on board two rebel lieutenants and fourteen privates. The latter I at once paroled and set ashore.

To our utter astonishment, instead of getting ready to cover himself with glory in the saving of so much property and several lives, he simply Hearing of three very large boats lying at Gorfired his revolver, and then ignominiously and don's Landing, thirty miles above, I decided on cowardly waved his white handkerchief in token making an effort to capture them, intending to reof surrender. The rebels had fired several vol- turn if I should find the battery at that point too leys at him and done no harm, save the wound-strong, and ascend the Washita. I left the Era and ing of one of Van Dorn's gunners. He then or- coal-barge in charge of a guard. We reached the dered one of his own men to strike the colors, bend just below Gordon's Landing, before dusk; which he obeyed. They then crossed over to the the dense smoke of several boats, rapidly firing up, rebel side, who, with tremendous yells, took pos- could be seen over the tops of the trees as we apsession of her. Having had no sleep for many proached. I ordered the pilot to proceed very slowdays, and sick at heart over the misery of this,ly, and merely show the bow of the Queen around the most unfortunate expedition of the war, I will close.

Doc. 105.

the point. From the sharp bend which the river makes at this place, there was no apparent difficulty in withdrawing out of range of the enemy's guns, whenever it might be desired. The rebels opened upon us with four twenty-three-pounders, the moment we came in sight. Their guns were

LOSS OF THE QUEEN OF THE WEST. in a fine position, and at the third shot I ordered

OFFICIAL REPORT OF COLONEL ELLET.

Mr. Garvey, the pilot, to back the Queen out. Instead of doing so, he ran her aground on the right-hand shore.

danger. As it was, the enemy's shot struck us nearly every time. The Chief-Engineer had hardly reported to me that the scape-pipe had been shot away, when an explosion below, and a rush of steam around the boat, told me that the steampipe had been cut in two.

UNITED STATES STEAMER ERA No. 5, BELOW VICKSBURGH, MISS., February 21. ADMIRAL: I have the honor to report to you The position at once became a very hot one. that I left the landing below Vicksburgh, in obe-Sixty yards below we would have been in no dience to your written instructions, on the night of the tenth instant, taking with me the De Soto and coal-barge, and proceeded down the River. We passed Warrenton without interruption, and reached Red River the following evening. I destroyed, as you directed, the skiffs and flatboats along either shore. I ascended Red River, on the Nothing further, of course, could be done. I morning of the twelfth, as far as the mouth of gave orders to lower the yawl at the stern of the the Atchafalaya. Leaving the De Soto and coal- Queen, to carry off Captain Thompson, who lay barge in a secure position, I proceeded down the wounded in my state-room. Some persons had stream six miles from its mouth. I met a train already taken the yawl, however, and it was of army wagons returning from Simsport. I land- | gone. The other yawl was on the De Soto, a VOL. VI.-Doc. 25

short distance below. Fortunately, the cotton- at once. Thinking we might be attacked on the bales with which the Queen was protected, afford- way up, I seized a hundred and seventy-five bales ed an avenue of escape, and a majority of the men of cotton, and protected the Era's machinery as and officers succeeded in reaching the De Soto. far as practicable. At St. Joseph I landed and I ordered this boat to be brought up as far as it seized the mails, and learned from them that Col. was practicable without being struck, and sent Adams was waiting for us at Grand Gulf with her yawl to the Queen. Lieut. Tuthill and Third two pieces of artillery. Thirty-six shots were Master Duncan, bravely volunteered for the pur-fired at the Era while passing the point, none of pose. I remained on the De Soto over an hour, which took effect. picking up men and cotton-bales. Lieut. Tuthill barely succeeded in escaping from the Queen, the rebels boarding her in skiffs as he escaped. The Queen could easily have been burned, but this could not be done while Capt. Thompson was on board, and it was impossible to remove him. All the passages had been blocked up with cotton; the interior of the boat was intensely dark, full of steam, and strewed with shattered furniture. The display of a light enabled the batteries to strike her with unerring certainty. To have brought the De Soto alongside would have insured her destruction, as the light of the latter's furnace would have rendered her a conspicuous mark.

A dense fog sprang up as we started down in the De Soto, and she lost her rudder by running into the bank. Drifting down fifteen miles, I took possession of the Era, and scuttled and burnt the De Soto and barge, knowing that the rebels would lose no time in pursuing. I pushed on down through the fog, throwing the corn off to lighten her.

We reached the Mississippi at dawn, opposite Ellis's Cliffs. Mr. Garvey ran the Era, a boat drawing less than two feet of water, hard aground, actually permitting her wheels to make several revolutions after she struck, and it was with the utmost difficulty she could be gotten off. The disloyal sentiments openly expressed by Mr. Garvey, a few hours previous to this occurrence, rendered it necessary for me to place him under arrest, and fix upon me the unwilling conviction that the loss of the Queen was due to the deliberate treachery of her pilot. It is to be regretted that the unfortunate illness of Mr. Scott Long, who piloted the Queen past Vicksburgh, rendered it necessary for me to intrust the Queen to the management of Mr. Garvey.

On reaching Island One Hundred and Seven, a body of riflemen opened a heavy fire upon the Era from the Mississippi shore. Suspecting it to be a ruse to draw us to the other side of the river, I decided on keeping the right of the Island. The furnaces of the Era became so clogged at this point, I found it necessary to stop and have them cleaned out a delay of twenty minutes being caused by this. The Era had barely passed the Island, when a battery of three guns opened upon us from the Louisiana shore. Forty-six shots were fired, but did no injury. At Warrenton the rebels opened fire upon the Era with two rifle twenty-pounder guns. They fired twenty-four shots, but did not succeed in striking her. Extraordinary as it may appear, there is every reason to believe that no one was killed on the Queen. It is probably attributable to the fact that those below got into the hold through the numerous hatches, and thus escaped the effects of the steam. Mr. Taylor, of the engineers, is reported by a deserter from the Webb, to be badly scalded. Twenty-four men were taken prisoners, ten of whom were civilians employed on the boat. Assistant Surgeon Booth was the only commissioned officer captured.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
CHARLES R. ELLET,

Commanding Ram Fleet.

Rear-Admiral DAVID D. PORTER,

Commanding Mississippi Squadron. CHICACO "TRIBUNE" ACCOUNT.

STEAMER ERA No. 5, IN RED RIVER, Feb. 15, 1863. The career of the gallant Queen of the West is ended. Her crew are dispersed; some are wounded, some are killed, and more are taken prisoners. A small remnant, so far escaped from death and capture, are now twenty miles from the mouth of Red River, moving as rapidly as Providence permits, from the scene of one of the most thrilling incidents of the rebellion, toward the farfamed city of Vicksburgh.

The next morning, a short distance below Natchez, I met the Indianola. Captain Brown thought that he might be able to ascend Red River, and destroy the battery at Gordon's Landing, and I accompanied him down in the Era, We had intended to leave on Monday, the leading the way. I had not gone three miles, ninth instant, but certain repairs were, at the when a break in the dense fog disclosed a steamer last moment, found necessary, and we were comrapidly moving up-stream, about a mile ahead. Ipelled to remain over the succeeding day. at once rounded to, and caused the whistle to be blown to warn Capt. Brown of her presence. As soon as the rebel steamer, which was undoubtedly the Webb, perceived the Indianola, she turned and fled. The latter fired two shots at her, but without effect. I learned afterward, that three other armed boats had been sent in pursuit of the Era, and had been turned back by the Webb on her retreat. They all went back up Red River. On reaching this stream, Captain Brown decided not to ascend it, and I thought it best to return

Col. Ellet decided to run the batteries by starlight, and just at dark the chimneys of the Queen of the West and the De Soto began to vomit forth huge columns of dense black smoke, and we knew that the time of our departure was approaching. Precisely at nine o'clock we swung into the stream, the De Soto, around whose boilers and machinery bales of cotton had been placed, and on whose bow was mounted a huge thirty-two pound rifle, toward the batteries, the Queen of the West next, and the coal-barge on

had not men enough, scarcely twenty all told, to send them after the fugitives, and were compelled to fire at them from the boat. This we did till the shades of evening began to gather, with what effect as regards wounding and killing we were unable to learn. One wagon laden with ammunition and officers' baggage fell into our hands. This was burned.

the outside, all lashed together. In this position we floated down the river. At the risk of being considered a coward, that regard for truth, which I am proud to say has always been a distinguishing feature of my correspondence, compels me to write that I sought the starboard side of the Queen of the West, where the thickness of four bales of cotton and four feet of wood might reasonably be supposed to insure comparative safety. Night was approaching, and we turned the Silently we floated by, every moment expecting steamer's prow again toward Old River, where to hear the scream and hiss of shot and shell, during the day the De Soto had waited for us. every moment looking for the explosion of the Just as we had reached the bend where the ugly missiles over our heads. We were abreast wagons were captured, and where we intended of the batteries, and began to wonder at their this evening to destroy them, while the most of reticence. We were at point-blank range, the us were at supper, all at once we heard the sharp night was fine, why did they not fire? The sus-report of musketry, and immediately First Maspense was terrible. Presently some one sang ter Thomas fell to the deck seriously wounded; out: "We are out of danger, we are below the a musket-ball had passed upward, breaking his batteries." It is wonderful how this announce-shin-bones, and making its exit through the ment affected us. Some who were crouching in knee. From one of the brass guns on deck we abject terror became valiant in an instant. They replied, and also fired several rifle-shots, but, mounted the hurricane-deck and snapped their protected by the levee, the rascals escaped injury. fingers for joy. What cared they for rebel bat- We abandoned our intention of landing, and kept teries? on up the river, the Colonel muttering threats of vengeance.

It was at the mouth of Old River that we tied up Wednesday night, sending the De Soto to do picket-duty a mile in advance. The night passed quietly, and at daybreak Thursday we started up Old River, moving cautiously and calling at the plantations on the way. At nine o'clock we entered the mouth of the Atchafalaya. Four miles down the river a long train of heavy army wagons, driven by negro teamsters and guarded by a squad of soldiers, was discovered moving along the river-bank. We halted them, landed, and took possession. The soldiers escaped to the forest skirting the plantations. A detachment of Federal soldiers commenced the work of destruction. Mules were unharnessed and turned adrift, harnesses were thrown into the river, and a few of the wagons cut down and rendered worthless. The rest were left until evening. The Queen then moved down the river to Simmsport, four miles below, where Col. Ellet had heard of a rebel transport.

On Friday morning a person came aboard the Queen and informed Col. Ellet that the firing the preceding night was done by the citizens living along the Atchafalaya, between its mouth and Simmsport. Col. Ellet accordingly determined to pay them a visit. He rounded to near Simmsport, and calling at the plantation of one Graves, who almost acknowledged that he fired at us, he allowed him time to remove his family and furniture, and then burned the house, sheds, and quarters to the ground.

The next plantation had, beside the dwellinghouse and negro quarters, a magnificent sugarmill upon it. These buildings were also burned.

The third belonged to an old gentleman, who, with his son and two daughters, carried on the farm and worked the niggers. One of the young ladies admitted that the brother had fired upon the Queen, and only wished the one had not been a dozen. She abused the Colonel, and berated the Yankees. When she discovered that her abuse failed to move Colonel Ellet, just as the flames began to curl around the house-top, like a brave and gallant girl, as she was, she sang, in a ringing, defiant tone, the "Bonnie Blue Flag," until forest and river echoed and reechoed with sweet melody.

We arrived too late to capture her, but not too late to seize seventy barrels of beef belonging to the Valverde battery, which the Minerva in her anxiety to escape had left behind. This was destroyed by cutting the hoops of the barrels and tumbling their contents into the river. Colonel Ellet also captured a rebel mail and important letters and despatches at Simmsport, from one Colonel Ellet, on leaving the Atchafalaya, anof which he learned of the occupation of Berwick nounced his intention to go down the Mississippi Bay by Commodore Farragut. A few confeder- and attempt to open communication with Comate cavalry were quietly watching our move-modore Farragut, below Port Hudson; but on ments from the bayou to the rear of the village, reaching the mouth this intention was abandoned, but a shell from our rifled Parrott bursting over and we turned our vessel into Red River. The their heads caused them to hunt their holes. air was as balmy as June in our northern climate, From Simmsport we moved down the river a the trees were decking themselves with green, few miles, and came in sight of another heavily men were walking about the hurricane-deck in laden train, which the negroes from the bank their shirt-sleeves as we entered the Red. We said also belonged to the Texas battery. Upon could not help commiserating poor Northerners, our approach the teamsters turned into the shivering before coal-fires and freezing" on ice." swamps just within reach of our shells. We When we returned we would willingly have ex