ing. At that time Lieutenant Commander C. W. Read, with Lieutenant Wall and Past Midshipman Scott, took command of the Webb, none of the old officers remaining. On the arrival of the Webb at Alexandria she loaded with cotton and took on a large supply of fuel, about 200 cords of wood, mostly pine knots. While at Alexandria they first heard of the assassination of President Lincoln, but none of the crew being allowed to go ashore or communicate with the citizens they had no means of learning how that intelligence was received by the people, nor could they learn the strength of the Confederate forces and fortifications there. No passengers got on at Alexandria, nor were there any passengers on her at any time. Between Shreveport and Alexandria there are two Confederate gun-boats, the Missouri and Merite, the former of which is clad with T-iron rails, with an armament of six guns; the latter is a common steam-boat, walled up with thick timber. There are also about fifteen transports of Red River in the Confederate Government service, and one, the Twilight, on the Ouachita River.

On Sunday, 23rd instant, at 4. 30 a. m. the Webb left Alexandria and came down the Red River about fifteen miles, where she stopped and took on board the pilot, George Price, who says that he belonged to Captain White's steam-boat battalion, stationed at Marksville, La., and had received an order to join the Webb at Alexandria, and on his way to Alexandria he met the Webb coming down. He signaled to her and she landed and took him on board. That his services had been engaged with a view to take the Webb through Atchafalaya Bayou into Berwick's Bay and from thence into the Gulf, as he was acquainted with these waters, but when he came on board the Webb and ascertained that she drew over ten feet of water he informed the officers that the route was impracticable; and the Webb then kept on down the Red River, with her cargo of cotton arranged for defense against attack, here armament being two 12-pounder howitzers aft and one 4-inch rifle forward and a torpedo projecting from the bow supported by a long pole. In her magazine were three boxes of shells and three 100-pound kegs of powder. Sixty-eighth rations were issued to officers and men. Before entering the Mississippi, about three miles from the mouth of Red River, a flat-boat laden with cotton was captured by the Webb, and a small boat with officers and men from a U. S. gun-boat, being near by, made their escape up a bayou. The flat-boat and men on it were held by the Webb until dark, when they were turned adrift. This was done in order to prevent the men from crossing over by land and giving information to the U. S. gun-boats. At 8. 30 p. m. the Webb, carrying the usual signal lights used by Federal boats, entered the Mississippi, passing the U. S. gun-boats stationed at the mouth of the Red River, and when nearly out of range a shell was fired at the Webb, which exploded about 400 yards from her, and she thus passed all the U. S. gun-boats, not having been hailed or molested by any of them. About every ten or fifteen miles the Webb sent a party ashore to cut the telegraph wires, and at one time some men from a woodpile approached them, when the officer in command presented a musket and frightened them away. At another time, near the mouth of Red River, when an attempt was made to cut the wires, a party of colored soldiers who happened to be near prevented the design.

About ten miles above the fortifications of New Orleans the Webb hoisted the U. S. flag at half-mast and raised steam to the highest pressure, so that she was running twenty-five miles and hour while passing the city, which was about 12 m. (24th instant). The true character of the Webb having been made known to the U. S. gun-boats, several