The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-23 00:00:00

AMERICA.

SOUTHAMPTON, THURSDAY MORNING.

The North-German Lloyd screw steamer Bremen,
Captain H. Wessels, from New York on the 10th
inst., arrived at Cowes at three a.m., and has gone
on to Bremen.

On the 11th, lat. 40.19 N., long. 71.2 W., spoke
the Hansa, steamer, at 3.30 a.m., hence for New
York ; and on the 21st, 10 miles off Scilly, the
English ship Northern Light, steering west.
The following are the official reports of the cap.
ture of New Orleans :

" REPORT OF COMMODORE FARRAGUT.
" United States Flagship Hartford, at anchor off
the City of New Orleans, April 29.
" Sir,—l am happy to announce to you that our
flag waves over both Forts Jackson and St. Philip
and at New Orleans over the Custom-house. X am
taking every means to secure the occupation by
General Butler of all the forts along the coast.
B,crwick's Bay and Fort Pike have been abandoned ;
in fact, there is a general stampede. I shall en-
deavour to follow it up. I am bringing up the
troops as fast as possible. We have destroyed all
the forts above the city, four in number, which are
understood to be all the impediments between this
and Memphis.
" I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
"D. G. FARRAGUT,
Flag-officer, Gulf Blockading Squadron.
" Hon. Gideon 'Welles, Secretary of the Navy,
Washington, D.C."

" United States Flagship Hartford, off the City
of New Orleans, April 29.
"Dear Sir,—ln the excitement of the last few
days you must not be surprised if I leave undone
many things which I ought to do, and one of which
was to write you on the occasion of my taking this
city. But, thank God, it has been done, and in
what I conceive a handsome manner. I had two
bocii fumed Into the
Union men en board whn
Confederate service at Fort Jackson as labourers.
They informed me that there were two forts near
the city, and as we approached the locality I tried
to concentrate the vessels, but we soon saw that we
must take a raking fire for two miles. So we did
not mince the matter, but dashed directly ahead.
They 'permitted us to approach within a mile and a
quarter before they opened on us. Captain Bailey,
in the Cayuga, Lieutenant Commanding Harrison,
was in advance, and received the most of the first
fire ; but although the shooting was good, they did
not damage his little vessel. The Cayuga then fell
back, and the Hartford took her place. Then you
could not see anything but the flash of the cannon
and the fireships, or rafts, one of which was pushed
4:l°Wa upon us (the Hartford) by the ram Ma-
nassas, and in my effort to avoid it ran the ship on
shore; and then the fire-raft was pushed alongside,
and in a moment the ship was one blaze all along
the port side, halfway up the main and mizen tops,
but, thanks to the good organisation of the fire de-
partment by Lieut. Thornton, the flames were EX-
tinguished, and at the same time backed offend got
clear of the raft, but all this time were pouring the
shells into the forts and they into us, and every
now and then a rebel steamer would get under our
fire, and receive our salutation of a broadside. At
length the fire slackened, the smoke cleared off, and
we saw, to our surprise, we were above the forts,
and here and there a rebel gunboat on fire, as we
came up with them trying to make their escape.
They were fired into and riddled, so that they ran
them on shore, and all who could made their
escape to the shore.
" I am told, I do not know how truly, that Gene-
ral Lovell had gone down that evening to make an
attack, with 13 gunboats, a large ram of 18 guns,
and the Manassas. The Manassas and the Missis-
sippi made a set at each other at full speed, and
when they were within 30 or 40 yards the ram
dodged the Mississippi and ran on shore, when the
latter poured her broadside into her, knocked away
her smoke tack, and then sent on board her, but
she was deserted and riddled, and after awhile she
drifted down the stream full of water. She was the
last of the 11 we destroyed, but the larger ram was
still at Fort Jackson ; but they say here that she
was sent down before she was ready, and that she
will have to surrender with the forts, which I hope
will be to-day or to-morrow. I will give them my
attention as soon as I can settle the affairs of the
city.
" I demanded the surrender of the city yesterday
of the Mayor through Captain Bailey, as the second
in command. His reply was that the city was
under martial law, and he would consult General
Lovell. His lordship said he would surrender
nothing, but at the same time he would retire and
leave the Mayor unembarrassed. This morning the
Mayor sent his secretary and chief of police to see
me, and say that he would call the City Council
together at 10 o'clock, and give me an answer, that
the General had retired, and that he had resumed
the duties of his office as Mayor, and would endea-
vour to keep order in the city, and prevent the de-
struction of property. I sent him by his secretary
the letter No. 1 (copy enclosed). I also sent him a
letter demanding the surrender of the city, in con-
formity with the demand made by me yesterday
through Capt. Bailey (copy No. 2). This morning,
at 6 a.m., I sent to Capt. Morris, whose ship com-
manded the Mint, to take possession of it, and hoist
tee American flag thereon, which was done, and the
people cheered it.
" At 10 I went on shore again, and ordered Lieut.
Kostz of the navy, and Brown, of the marines, with
a marine guard, to hoist the flag on the Custom-
house, but the excitement of the crowd was so great
that the Mayor and councilmen thought it would
produce a conflict and great loss of life. At 11, a
signal was made to the fleet :for Divine service,
tinder a General Order (copy No. 3).
" April 26, in the afternoon, having been informed
that there were two forts eight miles above the city,
at a place called Carrolton, I determined to take a
look at them and demolish them. We accordingly
ran up, but to our surprise we found the gun-car-
riages all on fire, and upon examination found the
guns all spiked. It was a most formidable work for
Foote to encounter on his way down, a long line of
defences extending back from the river to Lake
Pontchartrain, both above and below the city, on
which were 29 and 30 guns each.
u Immediately on my getting above the forts I
sent Captain Boggs, who is now deprived of a
command by the sinking of his ship, which he
had 80 nobly defended, down to Captain Porter,
through the bayou at Quarantine, directing him to
demand the surrender of the forts. His demand was
at first refused, but the soldiers told their Officer,
that we were in their row and that they would
cut
be sacrificed: So this morning, the 29th, the gallant
I3ailey brought us the intelligence in the Cayuga,.
Captain Harrison, that the forts had surrendered,
the ram was blown up, and that the American flag
floats over both forts. I have sent down for
General Butler's troops to come up and occupy this
city, and will soon be off for Mobile. Depend upon
it we will keep the stampede up.
e I sent Captain Bailey home as bearer of de-
spatches. He has done his work nobly, and that
while suffering under an infirmity which required
attention and repose.---I am, very truly and respect-
fully, your obedient servant,
" 1). G. FARBAGUT, Flag Officer,
Western Gulf Blockading Squadron.
" To G. V. Fos, Esq., Assistant-Secretary
of Navy."
Here follows the letter from Flag-officer Farragut,
dated the 26th of April, to the Mayor of New
Orleans, which has already been published, demand
ing the surrender of the city of New Orleans.
The following is Commodore Porter's report to
Commodore Farragut :
" United States Ship Harriet Lane, April 29.
"Ste,—The morning after the ship p
spassed the
forts I sent a demand to Co!. Higgins for a surren•
der of the rorts, which was declined. On the 27th
I sent Lieut.-Col. .
es us a communication, here-
with enclosed, asking again for the surrender. His
answer is enclosed. On the 28th I received a com-
munication frora him stating that he would surren-
der the forts, and I came up and took possession,
drew up articles of capitulation, and hoisted the
American flag over the forts. These
?nee have
defended these forts with a bravery woway.af,

better cause. I treated them with all the considera-
tion that circumstances would admit.
" The three steamers remaining. Were under the
command of Commander J. X. Mitchell. The officer
of the fort acknowledged no connexion with them,
and wished in no way to be considered responsible
for their acts. While I had a flag of truce up they
were employed in towing the iron floating battery
of 16 guns, a most formidable affair, to a place above
the forts, and while drawing up the articles of capi-
tulation in the cabin of the Harriet Lane it was
reported to me they had set fire to the battery and
turned it adrift upon Us. I asked the General if it
had powder on board or guns loaded. He replied
that he would not undertake to say what the navy
officers would do. He seemed to have great con-
tempt for them. I told him we could stand the fire
and blow-up if he could,' and went on with the con-
ference, after directing the officers to look out for
their ships. While drifting-down on us, the guns
getting heated, exploded, throwing the shot above
the river. A few minutes after the floating battery
exploded with a terrific noise, throwing the frag-
ments all over the river, and wounding one of their
own men in Fort St. Philip, and immediately dis-
appeared under water. Had she blown up near the
vessels she would have destroyed the whole of them.
" When I had finished taking possession of the
forts, I got under way in the Harriet Lane, and
started for the steamers, one of which was still fly-
ing the Confederate flag. I fired a shot over her,
and they
surrendered. There was on board of them
a number of naval officers and two companies of
marine artillery. I made them surrender uncon-
ditionally, and for their infamous conduct in trying
to blow us up while under a flag of truce, I conveyed
them to close confinement as prisoners of war, and
think they should be sent to the North, and kept in
close confinement there until the war is over, or
they should be tried for their infamous conduct. I
have a great deal to do here, and will send you all
the papers when I am able to arrange them.
"I turned over the force to GAn. Pk.l,
Jackson rs perfect ruin. I am told that over
1,800 shells fell in and burst over the centre of the
fort. The practice was beautiful. The next fort
we go at we will settle sooner, as this has been hard
to get at. The naval officers sunk one gunboat
while the capitulation was going on, but I have one
of the others—a steamer—at work, and hope soon
to have the other. I find that we are to be the
hewers of wood and drawers of water,' but as the
soldiers have nothing here in the shape of motive
power, we will do all we can.

I should have demanded unconditional surren-
der, but with such a force in your rear, it was desir-
able to get possession of these forts as soon as pos-
sible. The officers turned over everything in good
order, except the walls and building, which were
terribly shattered by the mortars.
" Very respectfully,
"D. D. PORTER, Commanding Flotilla.
" To Flag Officer D. GI. Farragut."

" THE CAPITULATION OF THE FORTS.
" Uniled States Steamer Harriet Lane,
Mississippi River, April 30.
" Sir,--I enclose herewith the capitulation of
Forts Jackson and St. Philip, which surrendered to
the mortar flotilla on the 28th day of April. I also
enclose in a box, forwarded on this occasion, all the
flags taken in the two forts, with the original flag
hoisted on Fort St. Philip when the State of
Louisiana seceded. Fort Jackson is a perfect wreck.
Everything in the shape of a building in and out
it was burned up by the mortar-shells, and over
1,800 shells fell in the work proper, to Say nothing
of those which burst over and around it. I devoted
but little attention to Fort St. Philip, knowing that
when Jackson fell St. Philip would follow. The
mortar flotilla is still fresh. Truly the back-
bone of the rebellion is broken. On the
26th of the month I sent six of the mortar
schooners to the back of Fort Jackson, to block up
the bayous, and prevent supplies getting in. Three
of them drifed over to Fort Livingston, and when
they anchored the fort hung out a white flag and
surrendered, The Kittatinny, which had been
blockading there for some time, sent a boat in ad-
vance of the mortar vessels, and reaching the shore
first, deprived them of the pleasure of hoisting our
flag over what had surrendered to the mortar flo-
tilla. Still the fort is ours, and we are satisfied.
I am happy to state that offioors and crew are all
well and full of spirits.—l have the honour to re-
main your obedient servant,
"To the Hon. G. Welles." "D. D. PORTER.

" TERMS OF CAPITULATION.
" United States Ship Harriet Line, Fort
Jackson and St. Philip, Mississippi
River, April 23.
By articles of capitulation entered into this
28th day of April, 1862, between David D. Porter,
Commander United States Navy, commanding
United States mortar flotilla, of the one part, and
Brigadier-General J. R. Duncan, commanding the
coast defences, and Lieutenant• Colonel E. Higgins,
commanding Forts Jackson and St. Philip, of the
other part, it is mutually agreed :
" 1. That Brigadier-General Duncan and Lieut.-
Colonel Higgins shall surrender to the mortar flo-
tilla Forts Jackson and St. Philip, the arms, muni-
tions of war, and all the appurtenances thereto
belonging, together with all public property that
may be under their charge.
"2. That Brigadier• General Duncan and Lieut.-
Colonel Higgins, together with the officers under
their command, shall be permitted to retain their
side-arms, and that all private property shall be
respected. Furthermore, that they shall give their
parole of honour not to serve in arms against the
United States until they are regularly exchanged.
" 3. It is furthermore agreed by Commander 1).
D. Porter, commanding the mortar flotilla on the
part of the United States Government, the non-
commissioned officers, privates, and musicians shall
be permitted to retire on parole, their commanding
and other officers becoming responsible for them,
and that they shall deliver up their arms and ac-
coutrements in their present condition, provided
that the expenses of the transportation of the men
shall he defrayed by the Government of the United
States.

" On the signing of these articles by the contract-
ing parties, the forts shall be formally taken pos-
session of by the United States naval forces, com-
prising the mortar fleet, the Confederate flag shall
be lowered, and the flag of the United States hoisted
on the flagstaffs of Forts Jackson and St. Philip.
"In the agreement of the above, we, the under-
signed, do herewith set our hands and seals.
"DAVID D. PORTER, Commanding Mortar Flotilla.
"W. B. RENSHAW, Commander, United States Navy.
"J. M. WA TNlvrt-rap T. Lieutenant Cornynamiinz
Harriet Lane.
"J. B. DUNCAN, Brigadier-Genoa', Commanding
Coast Defences.
"EDWARD HIGGINS, Lieut.-Colonel C.S.A., Com-
manding Forts Jackson and St. Philip.

"Witnesses :
" EDvir. NtenoLs, Lieut. Commanding Winona.
" 11. RJSBELL, Lieut. Commanding Kanawha."

" REPORT OF TIIE COMMANDER OF THE CAYUGA.
" United States Gunboat Cayuga, off New
Orleans, April 25.
didly executed plan
"Flag Ofticer,--Your, boldly conceived and splen-
of battle having resulted in
perfcct success, leaves
port of my division, m
e time to mall© up the re-
it You will find in Lieutenant Commanding
rison's report an accurate outline of the n
m n part
obl Har-
e
taken by the Cayuga, under his
com
bearing my divisional flag, ad, and
"We led off at 2 a.m,, in accordance with your
signal, and steered directly up the stream, edging a
little to starboard, in order to give room for your
division.

"I was followed by the Pensacola in fine style,
the remainder of my division following in regular
and compact order.

" We were scarcely above the boom when we
were discovered, and Jackson and St. Philip opened
upon us. We could bring no gun to bear, but
steered directly on. We were struck from stem to
stern: At length we were more close up with St.
Philip, when we opened with grape and canister.
Scarcely were we above the line of fire when we
found ourselves attacked by the rebel fleet of gun-
boats. This was hot, but more congenial woik.
"" Two large steamer' now attempted- to board