Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 12.djvu/67

 Official Reports^ &c. 57

recovery by the enemy, after landing his crew applied the torch to her, and she blew up soon after.

The pilot who was detailed from Faries's battery for the " Diana " after she became a Confederate gunboat, and the pilot who escaped when she was captured from the Federals, both occupied the pilot- house of the steamer " W. S. Pike," a Bayou Sara packet, some thir- teen years after the events referred to.

The United States gunboat " Diana" was captured in Bayou Teche, La., March 28, 1863. F.

(Federal Army Correspondcnf s Account. ^

FIGHT NEAR BRASHEAR CITY.

The New Orleans Delta of November 6th, 1862, contains the fol- lowing relative to a naval expedition which started from New Orleans, and having made the trip by sea, arrived at the pier at Berwick's Bay too late to prevent the Confederate forces under Brigadier-General Alfred Mouton from crossing, a day or two after his engagement with General Weitzel, on Bayou Lafourche, at "Texana":

" The Confederates crossed the bay to the Berwick side at the ex- tremity of the Opelousas railroad, and marched up to a point four- teen miles above the bay, and there obstr^icted the bayou. They had destroyed the railroad bridge at Bayou Bceuf, some eight miles below Brashear City. Colonel Thomas, of the Eighth Vermont regiment, is now repairing it. From Thibodeaux to Brashear City it is twenty- nine miles. One portion of General Weitzel's corps d'armee is at Tigerville, half way between these two points, and as soon as the communications are established, he will be able to throw his forces in a few hours on any point he wishes. We know that the Bayou Teche falls into the Atchafalaya very near Berwick's Bay, and by this bayou you pentrate through all the parts of Attakapas. Opelousas, Vermil- lionville, St. Martinsville and Franklin are on its banks."

The correspondent of the Delta states that " the ' flotilla ' arrived on the ist of November, at night, in view of Brashear City. The steamer Kinsman drawing too much water, Lieutenant Buchanan tried to pass the steamer Estrella with his supplementary force, but the Estrella grounding, he came to the entrance of the bay and gave chase to the Confederate States steamer Hart (transport), but with- out catching her. The next day (2d) the Estrella got off, and arrived with the St. Mary. The day following came the steamers Calhoun and Diana. The night of our arrival we chased the gunboat Cotton;