Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-05-22
GEN. BUTLER'S OFFICIAL RE-
PORT OF OPP RATIONS AT
NEW ORLEANS.
!Secere Labors Of tie Mass. Twenty- Si1th.

The National Intelligencer publishes
General Buffers report to the Secretary
of War OF his share in the expedition
against New Orleans. 1t is dated April
29th. The following are the material
facts -
In case the forts were not reduced and
a portion of the feet got by them, il had
been arranged between the Flag Officer
and myself, that should make landing
from the Gulf side, in rear of the forts at
the Quarantine, and from thence attack
Fort St. Philip by storm and assault,
while the bombardment was continued by
the feet. Immediately went to Sable
Island with my transports, twelve miles
in the rear OF Fort st. Philip, the nearest
point at which sufficient depth of water
could be found for them Capt Porter
put at my disposal the Miami, drawing y
feet, being the lightest draft vessel in the
fleet, to take the troops from the ship as
far as the water would allow. We were
delayed "a hours by her running ashore
at Pass a Route. The 26th Regiment
Massachusetts Volunteers, Col. Jones,
were then put on board her and carried
within miles OF the fort, when she again
grounded.
Capt. Everett of the 9th Massachusetts
battery having very fully reconnoitered
the waters and bayous in that vicinity,
and foreseeing the necessity, | had coilec-
ted and brought with me some 80 boats
into which the troops were again tram
shipped and conveyed by most fatiguing
and laborious row some miles further,
there being within one mile of the steam
er only two and half feet of water A
large portion OF this passage was against
a heavy current through the bayou. At
the entrance of MameePs canal, mile
and a half from the point of landing, row.
ing became impossible, as we'll from the
narrowness of the canal as the strength of
the current, which ran like mill-race.-
Through this the boats could only be i'm
PEELED by dragging them singly, with the
men up to their waists in water. 1t is
due to this fine regiment, and to portion
of the 4th Wisconsin volunteers and 21st
Indiana, who landed under this hardship
without murmur that their labors should
be made known to the Department, as
we'll as to account for the slowness of our
operations. The enemy evidently con-
sidered this mode Of attack impossible, as
they had taken no measures to oppose it.
which very easily might have been sue
: cessfully done. We occupied at once both
sides of the river, thus effectually cutting
them off from all supplies, information
: or succor, while we made our dispositions
for the assault ...-
> Meantime Captain Porter had SEN
y into the bayou, in the rear of Fort Jack
t son, two schooners of his mortar feet tt
! prevent the escape of the enemy from the
fort in that direction.
On the night of the 9th, learning tina
. the feet had got the city under its guns
J | left Brig. Gen. Williams in charge o.
n the landing of the troops, and went up the
n river to the Flag ship to procure light
y draft transportation. That night the lar
q ger portion, (about 250,) of the garrison
II of Fort jackson mentioned, spiked tn
:, guns bearing up the river, and came an
II surrendered themselves to my pickets
n declaring that, as we had got into thei
rear, resistance was useless, and the
would not be sacrificed. No bomb ha
l. been thrown at them for three days, no
l. had they fired shot at US from eithe
e fort. They averred that they had bee
). impressed and would fight no longer. 0
y the 18th the officers of Forts jackson an
!, St. Phillip surrendered to Capt. Porte
g he having means of water transportatio
At 10 them.
, l have taken possession of the forts an
- find them substantially as defensible {
r. before the bombardment-St. Philli
y, precisely SO, it being quite uninjured.-
D. They are fully provisioned, well supple
with ammunition, and the ravages Of Il
u shells have been defensibly repaired b
the labors of the rebels. will cause L
Wietzel, of the engineers, to make d
is tailed report of their condition to the D.
E. partment.
at / have left the 26th Regiment Mass
st chusetts volunteers in garrison, and a
" now going up the river to occupy the eli
ID with my troops, and make further demo
Mt strations in the rear of the enemy now
id Corinth.
lie The rebels have abandoned all the
III defensive works in and around New o
m leans. l propose to so far depart fro
~ the letter OF my instructions as to endea
I'd or to persuade the Flag officer to pase I
the river as far as the mouth of Red Ri
er if possible, so as TO cut off their su
We plies, and make there a landing and
r. demonstration in their rear, as dive
,r- sion in favor of Gen. Buell., il a decisi,
L. battle is not fought before such moveme
,e. is possible. Mobile is ours whenever v
of choose, and we can better wait.
d. l find the city under the dominion OF
l.