April 9th. At six A. M., got up anchor and steamed up the river; at eleven A. M., two rebel steamers were discovered ahead of us near the mouth of Red River (one of which was of large proportions), and approaching same with the intention of entering it. They no doubt had in our absence come out of Red River and transported a mail and provisions to the Confederate army at Vicksburg, and were now returning, having accomplished their work; as soon as we were discovered by them, they everlastingly did get up and keep putting on a full head of steam to escape capture by the “infernal Yanks,” as they called us. The larger steamer of the two was successful in her effort to escape, but the other was bagged by us, a shot from our Sawyer rifle hitting her, or passing so near to the heads of those on board that they brought up with their craft among the bushes, and commenced blowing the steam whistle of same for assistance from the other, which was by this time well up Red River, her smoke only being visible to us from outside. Some of her crew made their escape, I believe, by taking to the bushes, when they saw that their cry for help was of no avail. Since we had come to an anchor off the mouth of Red River, in the Mississippi, and this steamer was just a few yards up first-mentioned stream, around a point of land. We sent the Albatross, our tender ( a light draught gunboat), after our prize; she was successful in her mission, and soon returned with a miniature paddle-wheel boat, by name the J. D. Clarke, and brought her alongside of us.
The Albatross brought also three prisoners on board of us from off the rebel steamer,—one a secesh major, another an engineer, and the third party a fireman of the boat. This afternoon the Admiral paroled two of the above-mentioned parties, the engineer and fireman, and retained the major.
We are at anchor off the mouth of Red River, with logs on the ship’s side, about where the boilers and machinery are situated, as a protection against injury from rebel rams, should they be so pugnacious as to come out of Red River some dark night and try their butting powers.