Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-05-17

son in this civ. the Legislature of the State o
Louisiana, of which | was = member OF the Sen.
att, passed unanimously vote of thanks to
| Major General Jackson; that joint committee
from both houses was appointed TO wait on the
General and deliver the resolution. OF which
Icommittee was one. We. according 10 our
Instructions, waited on the General, and dcly-
cred our message, and welcomed him to the
city. A few days aft rwsrds, we learned that
the enemy's feet were our coast, near Ship
and Cat Island, which excited much alarm a
mongst the citizens and the Legislature also.
The Legislature were advised by the Rxvcu
tive ofthe State, as well as the citizens IN zen
era', IL possible to adopt some efficient mea
sures in orde 20 aid the commanding officers
Of the land aud naval forces on this station. TO
bring all the forces of the country into action.
Committees wese appointed To report ways and
means There appeared some difference of
! opinion as To the best mode; but all agreed
that it wss ne essary 10 act energetical'y. Ma
nv were in favor of the suspension OF the writ
of Habeas Corpus 70 others for laying an I'm
bargo." in order TO procure sailors. On the
first of the sc measures, the Senate, / believe,
h d majority but in the House Of Repre-.
sentstiyes. there was majority opposed 10 the
suspension Of the "writ of Babeas Corpus :"
although very respec able number of the
members of both Houses were much in favor
of Narti,l Law believing it Absolutely necas-
inhabitants were composed OF 50 many differ
emf nations, and different political opinions, the
| ordinary course of the Laws would b. tpo tardy
and unsafe This cpinioa found pr vailed We
ry generally, among the most respectable ci,-
! zsas OF the pace whom hard converse on
! the subject a few days sftor, news arrived
that the enemy had attacked our Gun vessels,
asd taken them all The enemy now, having
nothing in their way, twas expected they
would make landing immediately. The CT.
tizcns' alarms increased, the l. gislature were
rather tardy, and the great hope was now in
the steady course which IL was hoped The com
manding G neral woud pursue, and i'll whom
the country had implicit confidence. On the
| Fife .nth Of December the commanding Gene
raj issued an order declaring Martial Law,
which was very generally, (ss far as could
| learn approved by the citizens, and believed
| 1t the only course for our security. heard it
! frequent Y approved Of nv offic RS o. the civil
authority, and by the Governor of the State,
and have never heard otherwise until very late
| w. Such WIS my opinion, and l believe the
opinion Of the citizens aud civil officers of The
State universally, psrticularly of those who
felt an interest for the State.
! DAVID B. MORGAN.
Sworn to aud subscribed before me. this 28th
March, 1915
JOSHUA LEWIS,
Judge of the 1st District.
No III
NEw-oRLEANs, March 90, 1915.
SIR,
have the honor. Agreeable TO your request,
To state to your Excellehcv in writing the sub
stance of a conversation that occurred between
Quarter Master Peddie, Of the British array,
and myself, on the lIth instant, on board II
b NJ. ship Herald. Quarter Master I'eddie
observed that, the commanding officers Of the
IL n, ofa We
ry uforlna'ion from the city OF New CrleanS,
which they might require in aid of their ope-
rations for the completion of the OBJ cts of the
expedition That thev were perfectly scqu&int
ed with the situation of every part of our for
ces, the manner in which the same was sltnated
the number of our Qualifications, their strength,
position &c As to the battery on the LETT
bank of the Mississippi, he described its situa-
ton from the main post, and promptly slieref
me plan of the works. He Furthermore sta
ted that the above information was received
from seven or eight persons in the city OF New
Orleans, from whom he could, at any hour, pro-
cure sny information secessary to promote his
m jssty's interest.
am very respectfully,
Your Excellency's ob't serv't,
CHAs. X BLANCHARD
Stafe Of Loaioiand,
/ Parish Of " Orleans.
Personally appeared before ne, Joseph p
Sanderson, one of the Justices of the peace for
the parish aforesaid, Charles X Blanchard, who
having been duly sworn, did depose and say
that the above IS his true signature, and thai
all the facts stated in the above letter were
strict Just and true, BEING the substance of
conversation between him, the said Charles X
Blanchard and Quarter Master Peddic of IL,
BIRTHS army on board H. b NJ. ship Herald
on the nigh, of the 1lth inst.
CHAS. * BLANCHARD
Sworn and subscribed before me, 29ti
: March, 1915.
JOSEPH p. SANDERSoN,
Justice of the Peace.
No. Nv.
Kxvdct efa General Order.
Head Quarters, 7th Military District