...nters living in St. Landry and Rapids parishes; found them starving, and in great destitution; kept the men and left women and children. Heard that a Federal force was intrenched in strong works at Donaldsonville , and conceiving that if I took the place, it would be at a great sacrifice of life, and unable to hold it against the gunboats, and believing I could operate to better advantage on the river below in...