Up to Trinity, or rather Troy, which is but a short distance below, the people have nearly all moved out, those remaining having enough for their present personal needs.  Their cattle, though, are suffering and dying off quite fast, as the confinement on rafts and the food they get breeds disease.

After a short stop we started, and soon came to a section where there were many open fields and cabins thickly scattered about.  Here were seen more pictures of distress.  On the inside of the houses the inmates had built on boxes a scaffold on which they placed the furniture.  The bed-posts were sawed off on top, as the ceiling was not more than four feet from the improvised floor.  The buildings looked very insecure, and threatened every moment to float off.  Near the houses were cattle standing breast high in the water, perfectly impassive.  They did not move in their places, but stood patiently waiting for help to come.  The sight was a distressing one, and the poor creatures will be sure to die unless speedily rescued.  Cattle differ from horses in this peculiar quality.  A horse, after finding no relief comes, will swim off in search of food, whereas a beef will stand in its tracks until with exhaustion it drops in the water and drowns.

At half-past twelve o’clock a hail was given from a flat-boat inside the line of the bank.  Rounding to we ran alongside, and General York stepped aboard.  He was just then engaged in getting off stock, and welcomed the ‘Times-Democrat’ boat heartily, as he said there was much need for her.  He said that the distress was not exaggerated in the least.  People were in a condition it was difficult even for one to imagine.  The water was so high there was great danger of their houses being swept away.  It had already risen so high that it was approaching the eaves, and when it reaches this point there is always imminent risk of their being swept away.  If this occurs, there will be great loss of life.  The General spoke of the gallant work of many of the people in their attempts to save their stock, but thought that fully twenty-five per cent. had perished.  Already twenty-five hundred people had received rations from Troy, on Black River, and he had towed out a great many cattle, but a very great quantity remained and were in dire need.  The water was now eighteen inches higher than in 1874, and there was no land between Vidalia and the hills of Catahoula.

At two o’clock the ‘Susie’ reached Troy, sixty-five miles above the mouth of Black River.  Here on the left comes in Little River; just beyond that the Ouachita, and on the right the Tensas.  These three rivers form the Black River.  Troy, or a portion of it, is situated on and around three large Indian mounds, circular in shape, which rise above the present water about twelve feet.  They are about one hundred and fifty feet in diameter, and are about two hundred yards apart.  The houses are all built between these mounds, and hence are all flooded to a depth of eighteen inches on their floors.