The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-09-28
FROM NEW ORLEANS.


LOOl. ,gaibgi1ia5B s6isU
rs t FROM NEW ORLEANS. 7ee
TIE City D,.H and Gloomy Union FEEDING Belo'
< Jle Snrf rfaee-1He SUD. Marine Bover a Failures
ii Confederate Scrip High Priessssd u .aia7
| From the N. Y. Evening Post, 10th. -
! We have had an hours conversation With ,
4 gentleman Of character and intelligence, whom
4 affairs have detained several months in NewiOr
aeans, and who left that place one week ago TO
4 day. The Information he gives is exceedingly
interesting and specially valuable, coming iron
| m eyewitness. s '2
He describes the business Of that city as ut
terly dead. The mostn,elsncho.y sight was the
lcvce, scarcely . solitary steamer arriving from
or departing up the river. The huge monsters
lying at the dock, grouped together, presented
. most desolatea picture. OF course nothing
was doing with the shipping. I In the city, liter
ally, everything was stagnunt.
The Confederate States had issued five mil.
lions Of propisioaal notes from one dollar up,
which bear no interest, and are not redeemable
In specie, but are receivable for subscriptions
to the Confederate loan, and for all taxes and
for State and Government dues. These notes
pass current every where, quite in the Austrian
fnshion, no one having the courage to refuse
them. . ~ ,.1.e--,,.. ~
The following are the prices at retail for GER
tain necessary articles:
Butter, 60 cents per pound; ordinary coffee,
40 cts; potatoes, penny a piece; boots and
shoes, one hundred per cent dearer than in New
York; medicines very dear, and becoming daily
more expensive; clothing about fifty per cent
higher than in New York, large quantities hav-
ing till lately come through Kentucky. On the
other hand, sugar, rice, -four, and all vegetables
except potatoes, were cheap and abundant
Beef s doar, for the blockade of the Gulf pre-
vents shipping cattle from Texas, although they
are driven overland. a l,.af ~ pal
Our informant states that the city up to the
time Of the Hatteras expedition was entirely un
defended, reports to the the contrary notwith.
standing, and that five thousand regular troops
coming down the Mississippi could have taken
it But the capture of the harbors in North
Carolina produced a tremendous fright in New
Orleans The people at once, resumed their
home drill. and began to erect what Notifications
they could. They believe their own turn will
come soon. As to the situations, this gentle.
man declares that the South have not ghost of
a chance except through European Interference !;
interference, not simply recognition-and they
admit 1t, but they still cling to the belief that
the blockade will be forcibly raised in Novem-
Der. ~. s.tsfi z--
The crops throughout the entire South are
remarkably fine, with the exception of cotton
That crop will probably be twenty-five per cent
less than last year Much of it was injured by
the late heavy rains; some fields, indeed, quite
destroyed. y s,+
While the people maintain their persistence
in resisting what they have been taught by their
leaders is Northern tyranny" they begin evil
IDENTITY to lose heart. The next step will be to
lose faith in those at the head of affairs One
decisive victory for the North, and, it is the
opinion Of many in New Orleans that there will
be general "cavng il" of the Confederacy-
To come from that city to New York, remarks
our informant, is to emerge from darkness into
neon.day; 1t is to be restored once more to the
world and its occupations, after long and mel
ancholy incarceration. @ a
From the Cincinnati Gazette, Goth
We had long conversation yesterday with a
very intelligent man, who has resided in New
Orleans for q number of years. and left there
only ten days since. For obvious reasons we do
not publish his name, but his statements may be
relied upon.
He says that there are now about four thou.
sand troops in that city. The rumor of an at
tuck by the United States troops, sgitatss the
community as often al once a week, and delights
q full half of the population. Our informant
believes that nearly all the mechanics and labor
ing men are for the Union, and majority of
the merchants also. Many of the latter were
originally Secessionists, but the blockade and
consequent utter prostration of business has
made them painfully conscious of their error
Many stores have been closed for the want of
goods to sell, and other large houses will soon
close.
The city could easily be taken by force of
10000 men by way of the lower river or Lake
Ponchatrain, and the defences northward con-
sisting only of a few rude breastworks which
have not yet been mounted with guns. As be-
fore said, large proportion of the people are
d;sgusted with rebellion, and there is now no
boasting except from prominent few of JEFF.
Davis officeholders. The blockade has been
rigidy carried out For long time not
a single vessel has passed it, the reports of the
Southern papers to the contrary notwithstand
ing.
In spite of the general belief that the city
cannot be defended, few ardent rebels are con-
niving plans for the destruction of the blocka-
ding fleet. floating dock has been cut down,
which it is expected will be f ,ished in three or
four weeks, though our informant who is a good
Judge, says it will not be completed in as many
months. This is to be made into formidable
floating battery. s4
A sort of submarine affair has also been
constructed, shaped like cigar, drawing tbir-
teen feet of water, while only seven are above
the surface. 1t is one hundred and five feet
long, covered with thick iron plates, with spikes
at the bow and stern. 1t is claimed that this
can be run into the blockading vessels and sink
them. Mr.. Stevens, cotton merchant, who is
the protector, is confident of its success, but the
Governors Engineers, after trial the other
day. expressed their belief that it would prove
an entire failure. .s, 90,
As will be inferred from the statements in re-
gard to business given above, great distress pre-
walls. Thousands are out of employment, and a
free market has been put in operation. 1t is
open twice week, and about four thousand
people get their supplies from it.
Our informant had passport from General
Twiggs, and made his way up the river without
molestation. He says, however, that the noisy
boastng about whipping the Yankees has ceas.
ed. There was no talking on the boat on the
one side or the other. Every man seemed sus
picious of his neighbor. z5}astF
In conclusion, we are assured that one deci.
sive NortheIn victory will rouse tho now con-
cealed Union sentiment at the South. As proof
of this, it may be stated that Immediately after
the Hatteras victory the report was current in
New Orleans, that North Carolina would re join
the Union; and this report was generally be-
leved, though the fort itself was regarded as
unimportant. No one at the South is aware of
the true condition of things at the North, and
informant was happily disappointed in finding
no mobs, no discomfort, and no starvation in
Ohio. gag ts -a"'a
The BALTMoREANs AT Fort MoNRoE.-The
distinguished prisoners from Baltimore may be
considered as settled in their quarters. Though
the walls of their apartments are not marble,
nl- nE 1. r