The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1862-05-15
Official Dispatches from New Or
leans The Capture of the Forts
and dCifY-Interesting Details.

anu OAbJ 4ASC4 s-AO@ScS4AOs
On Friday Captains Bailey and Boggs, of
Commodore Farraguts eol4mand, reached
the Navy Department. briuging full official
dispatches OF the opera lions of the feet in
the Mississippi, aud various trophies of their
victories, including the secession flags late
ly flying over Forts jackson and st. Phillip
and the New Orleans City Hall ..., -z
OFFICIAL REPORT OF COM. FARRAeUT.
z rs..-U. s. FLAG SHIP HARTEoRD,
At anchor of New Orleans, April 20.
SIR-I am happy to announce to you that
our flag waves over Forts jackson and St.
Phillip, and at New Orleans over the GUS
tom-hoase. / am taking every means TO
secure the occupation by Gen. Butler of all
fact there is a general stampede, and shall
endeaYor to follow it up :. 4-s--.-,c $50.
am bringing up the troops as5fast as
possible. We have destroyed all the forts
above the city, four in number, which we
understand to be all the impediments be-
tween this and Memphis.
am, very respectfully,
-s. ~. I. four obedent servant,
p 'ss e-s----aE D. @. FARRAGUT,
Flag -offcer Western Gulf Blockading
Squadron.
Hon. Gideon Welles, Sec'y of the Navy.
SEMI OFFICIAL LETTER OF COM FARRAGUT.
Com. Farragut, under date of April 25th,
writes along semi-official letter. Referring
to the approach of the feet to the two forts
near.the city, he says:
T6ey permitted US to approach to within
a mile and a qnarter before they opened on
us. Capt Bailey in the Cayaga, LIeuten-
ant Com. Harrison, was in adYance OF me,
and received most of the first hre, but, al
though the shooting was good, they dld
| not damage his little vessel mneh-ii he Ieil
back, and the Hartford took her place. we
had only tive guns, which had placed on
the top-g gallant forecastle, that could pear
on them, until we got within half mile !;
we then sheered off, and gave them such a
fire &c as they never dreamed of in their
nbiIosoohv." The Pensacola ran up after
a while, and took the star-board battery OH
onf hands,; and, in a few minutes the
| BROOKLYN ranged up and took chance at
INV friends. on the left bank, but they were
siieuced in, should say, twenty minutes
or half an hour. But | cannot keep note
of time on such occasions. i only know
that half of the vessels did not geta chance
at them. - :;
The river was too narrow for more thar
two or three vessels to act to advantage
but all were so anxious that my grea1es
| fear fldE we WOutQ uEO1ANS
and Cantsin Wainwright and myself wer
hallooine ourselves hoarse at the men no
fire into our ships. This last affair wa
what cali one of the little elegances Of tn
| nrofassion-a dash and a victory. hut III
|. passinp of Forts Jackson and st. Phillip wa
r one of the most awful sights and events
ever saw or eqpect to experience IN
lcnooke was so dense that 1t was only poS
: and then you could see anything but To
: 6asb of the cannon and the 6re-ships G
: RATS. one of which was pushed down upo
I / ns fthe Hartford) by the ram Manassas, an
nj in nv effort TO avoid it ran the ship on shor
: / and then the fire raft was pushed aiongsid
= and in a moment the ship was one olaze
}. I ai6np the port SIDE half way up to the NAL
4 and mizzen tops; but thanks to good organ
: Eizstioh of the FIRE department. ny Lleutet
!. ! anf Fhornton, the flames were extinguishe
: 4 - Of the same time we hacked off and g
scIaarsoF the raft; but all this time we we
ID r;oSurit,U the shells into the forts, and the
|. into rs. and every now and then reh
steamer would get under our fire and r
ceive our salutation of broadside.
Al length the FIRE slackened, the stnol
o,aored -off and we saw to our surprise To
Tve ver;e above the forts, aud here and the
H. q rehe4 runboat Gu Ere. As we came
- 4,ith. them. irving to make their escal
ne tbev were fred into and riddied SO that ID
ran tber1,on shore, and all who could ma
tba;r escape 10 the shore. l am told
z don't Know how truly-that Gen. bey
nit had gone down that evening to make
t. 4 attack with thirteen gunboats, a large T.
-. of eighteen guns, and the. Manassas.
}. Mississippi and the Manassas made aSet. +
= each. other at full speed, and when I'll
1D ust were-within thirty or forty yards, the r
dodeed the Mississippi and ran on sho