continued: May 20 - The Cal Pemberton Place is now, as far as the eye can see, covered with water. In a clump of trees, covering perhaps ten acres, were 150 to 200 head of cattle and stock on the opposite bank. The banks are caving badly, and houses that were 200 yards from the river have caved in. From this point one can look up Old River, and where a few weeks ago was the garden spot of the valley, today all that greets the eyes is a raging, surging flood without a living soul to sentinel its desolation. To the east on the Lake Place there is perhaps 150 acres out on which a large number of stock and cattle are taking care of themselves. The water is up to the second story of the gin house and as we turn a bend in the river, Maj. Adams', the Perkins Place, can be seen. Here the river forgets its course, and from there on down looking to the right or left before or behind is a writhing surging sea. On the Perkins' Place the houses are all under water. The river is washing over the banks at a high rate of speed, and hundreds of acres will be washed so badly as to ruin them. Surely this is the most distressing point seen so far. At Eagle Landing the first point where the rescuing began, skiffs were sent out and I went ashore. There has been much suffering at this point, as the water has been over its banks here for several days. In little homes these people, together with their chickens, geese and turkeys, have been cooped up expecting hourly for the caving banks to hurl them into eternity. Silas F. Field who has 400 acres in cultivation, was found here and with his family and others were taken aboard. Mr. Fields is a large loser and estimates his loss at between $5,000 and $6,000, as everything is ruined. The levees are broken, fences gone and the place badly washed, and twenty head of mules are out in the road. He is fearful he will lose them. At this place there was a good deal of suffering, and as the skiff I was in came in sight of a partly submerged home there was general rejoicing for the water was all around them, and they were fearful of being washed into the flood at any moment. Tears of joy came to the eyes of those thus saved, and prayers were offered up for their deliverance. Everything of value was left to the mercy of the flood, and the imprisoned women and children were quickly transferred to the Adams, where they were well taken care by the officers and crew of the boat. The names of those taken aboard here are: W.E. Griffin and wife and three children; Silas F. Field and daughter, Zeredah; Mrs. A.F. Field and two children, George McCreight and three children and 100 negroes and their families. This is a picnic for the negroes as they are aboard without provisions or anything to sleep on. Capt. S.W. Wiggins, a large planter, reports his entire place under water and his place badly washing, and fences gone. He has his stock and cattle in and around his barn, which he has leveed up two feet. He says he can stand two inches more rise. Mr. Manning, the manager on the Waring Place, states that the stock and cattle are now belly deep in the water, and he fears he will lose them. The tenants on the place are all on the roofs of the houses, and rescuers have been sent out to bring them on board. Much suffering is reported as the negroes have been exposed since last night. Three houses were lost at Eagles on account of the skiff sent out getting lost from the boat. One of the skiffs came to a cabin occupied by a white family, and asked if they wanted to come out. There were seven in the family, and all occupied one room and a kitchen. They had the skiff for one hour, and after getting on their Sunday clothes, it commenced raining. They were afraid of wetting their good clothes, and as the skiff could wait no longer, they were left. The Waring farm is entirely under water, and where we now are, we are seven miles from the river.. The skiffs sent out have taken fourteen negroes from the house tops. The Dan Rose Place is partly underwater but there is land enough to keep the people from suffering. J.H. Laster's place, at Standfield, is the only place so far that is not overflowed, only a small portion being covered. The river here is rising hourly, and unless there is ten inches more water he is all right. On the T.M. George Place, three persons were drowned yesterday evening. Their names are: Laura Johnson, Mandy Berry and her baby, all colored. The unfortunate women were coming from their cabin in a skiff with four others when passing through a crevasse the skiff became unmanageable and was capsized. The scene was frightful, as the husbands of both the drowned women were in the boat and saw them go down and rise no more, powerless to render them any aid whatever. Their bodies have not been recovered. At Sanders' Landing there were fifty negroes on a little piece of ground. We landed here and took aboard the entire party and their plunder. The entire place is under water. At George's Landing 180 negroes were taken out of their precarious homes, together with their plunder. At Fletcher's only five or six got aboard. This whole country is ruined, and Mr. T.M. George informs me his whole place is ruined. Every foot of his fine farm is under water from one to ten feet, and his store and gin house are floating away. Mr. George will lose $8,000 or $10,000 by the floods, besides the damage caused by washouts. The steamer Adams will moved his stock in the morning. On account of the strong and treacherous current, the Adams will tie up at Red Bluff for the night, from where I will go into Redfield, the nearest telegraph station, to get this sent. The high places around Red Bluff are covered with refugees and bright came fires make them look like so many fireflies tonight. There is much suffering among those camped out, as they have had to leave their homes without a moment's delay, and have none of the necessaries with which to pass the night comfortably. Many narrow escapes from drowning are reported. The negroes now on board will have to get off at Red Bluff and the suffering among them will be great tonight as it is very cold. They will be given rations enough to keep them alive for a few days. Z.T. Pennington, of Archard's , reports he saw a frame box house floating down the current yesterday, and on the house, holding on for dear life, were two women and when opposite Archard's the house struck a tree and was broken to pieces. It was impossible to render them any aid, for no skiff could live in such a whirlpool. As the house struck the tree the two women gave an unearthly yell and the flood swallowed them. They were seen by several other parties, but it was impossible to find out who they were. It is impossible to ascertain the full list of fatalities, but it has been great. Ferd Hamilton has been on this river since 1856, and he informs me he has never seen such a flood as is now raging. In the morning the work of rescue will recommence below here, where thousands of men, women and children are spending the night on the roofs of their once happy homes. Too much praise cannot be bestowed upon Capt. Wood and the officers of the boat and George Steinmeyer for the effective way in which they have handled the relief expedition. Capt. Wood has been ably seconded by Capt. L.P. Drake, who having been in this task for the past eleven years, knows everybody on the river, and where they live, and to their efforts the 400 souls now on board will offer up fervent prayers of thanksgiving. Mr. J.A. Wallis, of White Bluff, wires Capt. Drake, under this date, to bring a boat down at once, as the people are all afloat and are on the point of starvation. It must be critical, as he winds up his dispatch with these words: "Come at once, for God's sake." The Adams will leave at daylight for there, and it is hoped will be in time to prevent any more suffering. The End ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com