Tuesday, April 16, 2013

The Queen of the West-- Part 4: River Actions Below Vicksburg

The Queen of the West ran past the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg and destroyed the CSS City of Vicksburg in the process.  That put pressure on the Confederates at Port Hudson, south of Vicksburg and they destroyed three vessels to prevent their capture.

On February 12th, the Queen of the West steamed up the Atchafalaya River, a tributary of the Red River and destroyed wagons, supplies and burned houses in retaliation for the wounding of a Union officer.

On February 13th, the Union ironclad Indianola ran past Vicksburg to protect the Queen of the West.  The two ships then steamed fifteen miles upriver to the mouth of the Black River (a Red River tributary and on the 14th captured the steamer Era No. 5 with a cargo of corn.  Here, Ellet heard there were other Confederate ships farther upriver.

His pilot had fallen ill and he got a replacement who was probably a Southern sympathizer.

Bad Things In Store for the Queen.  --  Old B-R'er

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