Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1840-04-30

/. ."1 ShiP "hu Sut islunuS, though thei
ls principal naval establishments was at Shin 4
/ land, where their transports aud vessels Of wa
e appear 70 have made their usual harbor
ms period, and SO long as the French retaine
n the colony, oil the CONNIE rec of Louisiana =, !,
r INTO this bay, and was from thence Distribute
;, 10 Ne W Orleans, iafler its settlement in I7l8
oy way OF the bayou St. John, and through IN
lakes and bayou Manshac to the Upper Hissi,
u slppl. The Mississippi neer its mouth was fo,
!, 'ihed in the first settlement ofthe COLONY
though but little use was ever made bv n,
: French ofthis parto # its nd vigation. Perceiv
! ing the bay Of Borgne TO be more accessible
: inlet, and the only harbor for the larger YES
: sells OF their navy, they yielded their conyic
: lions 10 the necessity and propre.y of protec
/ ing the colony and its commerce by a deci
ded command and defence ofthis bay. An,
: government will Reconstructed TO acknowl
ledge the same necessity when the immense in
lerests now at stake there shall be deemed ofsul
) hclent consequence 10 be protected at all. Be
SIDES the naval station Of the coonsts at Shin is
land, II became commercial depot for mer
chant vessels at which theproprietors ofthe nro
vince IN l72o established store-house for The
reception of imported goods and country pro
duce. RI
ouch were the uses and capacities ofthis bay
rln me estimation OF the French till the treaty
oil Farls IN 1853, when The entire province mas.
sed under the dominion OF Spain. Under the
latter power lis consideration somewhat dimin.
lshed, though 1t continued a principal thorough
lare OF commerce till after its ACQUISITION nv
The United States, in 1908 Surveys and charts
were successfully made Of these waters by the
French, Spanish and English. And it is worth
remarklng that, with The frequent storms that
sweep over this Southern region, the provincial
history, so lar as known TO me, has recorded but
TWO instances OF standing or shpwrcck on this
bay.
Inc farther evidence ofthe capacity and i'm
portance OF this bay as naval station. and
since u became part OF those United States,
IS ol much more interesting and definite char.
acter A par; Of It stands out in bold relief nl
our country's history. It's seen in the perilous
disasters Which threatened us in the late war
WIN Great Britrin, when this bay was in the
! hui sputed occupation of the enemy's fleet,
lIeiSh'ed win numerous soldiery invited to
me conquest OF the crescent city, and stimula.
leu 10 achieve success by the tempting reward
OIL "6eauty and body" 1t is probable now
matter beyond controversy, that had the is.
lands OF this bay been judiciously fortified and
suitably sustained by moderate naval anna
nent, The enemy would have been eycluded
rom their quiet anchorage and convenient ac.
'ess to our shores, and the perils of an invasion
ayed 10 our country.
In the war Of 1914, we had five gun-boots on
his bay, Ia stronger defence than is now therel
'lth small naval store-house on shore at the
ay OIL Oh LOUIS. On the 18th of November. !
ga, the British fleet Of sixty sail were distur
ed throughout the bay, near on to the east :
louth olPearl river. Our gum boats after all
le resistance they could oppose to such force. =
lrrendered the foe, the naval stores on shore 4
ere burned, and an historian of The time has i
aid, that the enemy, thus left complete mas. E
= OF the lakes to the east lthe island on which \
le city ol New Orleans stands, gave him the 81
clllty OF reaching by any of the waters f
INNING easterly to any of these lakes. The n
ISIS appeared really alarming" And with n
lch admonltlons OF experience, does it not i'm g,
'rt reprehensble delinquency somewhere, a,
al, Tor all this government has done 10 pre. Ia,
M II, an enemy might import the same alarm er
morrow by sailing into possession of this BAY, co
Uneven less resistance than The five gun.boats la
esented last war. -,
The last evidence shall notice on this mart 81,
the subject IS survey of these waters by ar
Q. wheeler, Esq, during the summer Of 1899 an
conformity with u resolution Of the Leeisa al
e OF the State Of Mississippi, to give assur. 90
&c 10 its citizens ofhe fitness Of This Inv for ~
seaport 70 our State. The enterprise ohes- Of
'lishlng such seaport had been previously al
nmenced, and prosecuted 10 some extent IN 81
immature pretensons Of the "MiSsiSsippi TT
" ms city is located on the shore oppo. m,
70 ship island, and near the place which The of
'nch named "New B,lori," and to which me
transferred their stores and barracks "
~ Inc Tort ~. Louis" on the east side ofIto
pay OF Biloxi, in the year 1920. This sur.Itbs
and report having been reprinted herel,be
both upon our tables, and to which hone mo
alors willgiye some attention Made with -,
or no preparation, by simple means and the
short space of time, it makes no preten. min
g TO be minute and general survey Of this n
no sea, but only 10 trace The soundnes orim,
W. channels and anchorage grounds 10 as nor
am the principal matter in which the State bei
Pecuilarinteres'. On this point the report Pa.
ear and satisfactory. And, besides supply. The
important evidence in behalf Of the sub Ithr
now commended to the consideration of lie
gress, It furnishes a becoming introduc. IAN
% the lurther execution Of the objects Boa
Jht.. $500 !, vo :
ay,l.ng SAID thus much, chiefly on tho local rem
cllles and characteristics Of this bay. nun
De permitted 70 note more particularly cha
lalIonal importance Of the objects conlem. susr