The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-01-25
parently some. miles to the eastward is

parently some. miles to the eastward i
Proctor's Point. aa'sA ' p
| The Chandelier Islands just show
themselves out at sea on our left, and to the
| north'ard OF them there is long low island,
covered with forest growth and bordered
by q silver beach, which glitters in the sun.
| Is that Cat Islands Surely, yes. Then
| there is the place where an important fort
| is commenced? Yes. But why fortify
that 1t must be to prevent an enemy
| from occupying it as depot from which to
worry the defences Of this coast. But see,
the bow.oar stops and rests. Is be going to
drink from bis water jug2 Do notspeak to
him, for look7he makes cross upon bis
veteran breast, and his lips move, as if 10
silent prayer. He is 40 IrisbmaD. ard
remembers the sad morning on which bis
worn and dispirited countrymen stood, in
shattered battalions, upon yonder swampy
shore, upon our right, and loaded their
yawls, and cutters, and gigs, with their
pitiable freight OF stark and ghastly dead
and mangled living, and, with agonizing
exertion, bore along all that was lett Of the
gallant Packenham, the hero of many hard
fought, bloody field in the Peninsula and
the South of France, and pulled with mourn.
full stroke for Cat Island, where lay the
British feet, and where the hospitals were
established. 1t is difficult, in that flying
and disordered mass of unhappy men, to
recognize the choicest corps of Wellingtons
victorious divisions. But they had won
their laurels in land where old Kentuckys
sons where not upon the field, and there
was no OlD Hickory to meet them there.
The British, to attack New Orleans, had
collected their feet under Cat Island, and
established depot there, and, finding all
the main passes closed against them, had
bribed some Spanish fishermen to show them
the mouths Of two small bayous,. which,
rising nearly at the city of New Orleans,
wound their t0rtuous way through long
marshes and emptied into Lake Borgne, just
on our right; midway between Proctor's
Point and the Chef Menteur Pass.
These bayous were almost two miles apart
and could be assembled by launches and
small boats to within a short distance of the
city. '.'
Then there were their lines of attack and
retreat-the Bayou Du Pres and the
Bayou Bienvenue. The former is the more
southerly.
The battery Bienvenue is on the Bayou of
that name, about half mile from its
mouth, and at the confluence of its two
main branches; built Of brick and stock
ade work, in marsh so soft that the ground
on which Fort Pike is built is terra frma
to it. Its masonry lines, which once were
horizontal, are now running at all angles,
like the lines drunken man would make
or the snow. This shows us the consistency
of its foundation, and proves that every
few years, after being allowed to settle, the
parapet has to be levelled and raised again.
The quarters within the work have sunk
so much, and the parade ground has been
so often filled, that the floors are now six
feet below the surface, and the green and
Shiny pools which stand within the building
make one shudder and think OF the sinks
into which characters in books like slack
Sheppard" disappeared. 1t is certain death
to live there for any length. of time, and for
this reason the battery has never been gar
risoned, but has been left under the SUPER
vision of the Commander of Fort Ma
comb. ''''' -
You mount the parapet, and far as the
eye can reach is the same soft ground as
that before you and just beyond the Shiny
ditch you see hole in the grass, through
which it is said a schooner load of brick,
which had been landed in 1910 by Major
Beauregard, the Engineer Officer in charge,
had disappeared in the night; and if you
take cane-pole and sound in that hole
you will find emo bottom. Take post
and sharpen the point, and drive it with
maui into the firmer ground the first few
blows do very good work, but presently
you gather strength for a." good lick" and
when the post and maui both disappear
below, you may congratulate yourself that
you did not follow to see if they came out
on the other side. The whole formation here
appears to be mating of roots and grass
swimming upon sea of semi fluid mud.
a. The battery is calculated for fourteen or
sixteen guns, twelve of them for its water
battery, and the remainder for the stock
AIDES on the land fronts. It can only be
assailed by boats, and will only be used
when New Orleans is threatened by
heavy force. 1t has never yet received its
armament. io.-, ,,,,. so...,.,.,.. 80.
The Tower du Pres, at the mouth of the
Bayou of that name is two story circular
tower, calculated for two howitzers on each
floor, and having an earth work battery of
eight guns at its foot. This work has never
hoov,
r This completes the defences of the Lake ap-
proaches to New Orleans, and we will'notice
in our next, the three remaining forts Of
the State, viz: Fort Jackson, of $50 guns,
Fort St. Philip of 124 guns on the Missis~
sippi River, and Fort Livingston Of so guns
at Barstaria Bay, La. Elites old den.
1--WE left our, readers, ct the mouth of the
Bayou Rienyenue. We, pause moment at q
solitary bush near the point, which is dig
nifed by the Spanish fishermen, by the name
of tree. It affords q little shade, and is
allowed to remain, there undestroyed be-
cause it marks q sacred spot. Under its
refreshing shadow Sir Edward Packepham
reclined on a bundle of esaw4grass, spread
by his attendants, whilst he viewed the
passage of bis army and directed the dis
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