Washington telegraph., 1862-05-14
AFFAIRS AT New ORLEANS The tie

| AFFAIRS AT NEW ORLEANS. The te
legraphic reports contained in our last
issue. informed our readers that IL or IL
Of the enemy's gunboats had passed our
forts and were at New Orleans, that they
had demanded, the surrender of the city,
which was at their mercy That we sun
held the forts below, and that Gen. Lo-
veil with the Confederate forces had with
drawn from the city upon the jackson
Railroad.
How the runbolts could have eluded
the forts aud left them in the real WIS a
great mystery. We give the explanation
Of it as contained IN the Delta Of the lst,
cautioning our readers t) remember the
case Of Gen. 4. s Johnson and not 70 be
hasty in attributipg blame to any of the
commanders involved in this unfortunate
affair until calm investigation may elicit
the actual facts. Speaking of the COME
derafe feet the Delta says:
'.The frst of these causes of our defeat was
| the want of command. organization All ener-
y in our squadron. The commanders refused
| or failed to watch the chains and other Oostruc
tions .below the forts; they would not even
under the protection of the guns of the fort,
perform this duty and the enemy actually sue
ceeded ia cutting away these distractions,
which they could no. have done II the gun
| boats had taken tile places they We're direc-
| ted to take in order ID guard the Chains
| The Louisiana. with its powerful battery. was
| r ndercl VI no use by the refusal oi the com
mande; in chlrgc of her to place her in po-
! sitiDn where she ght have materially aided
| the forts. an'l In the opinion of experie.ced
officers in the forts, would haze prevented the
passage OF the u. 5. ships. The next delin-
quency Of the gunboats in failing 70 keep
the river lighted. As long as this duty was
confided to the forts, il was promptly and reg
| ularly done but when the ships undertook II, II
was grossly neglected.. Oa the night Thurs
day. when the enemy effected his passage, 4
was entirely omitted, though it was perceived
by the comma ndant at Fort Jackson that the
enemy were preparing to force passage, :,
| There was no lights by which the ships conlu
be seen until they were near the fort, and the
smoke from the FIRST discharge Of the guns q
the fort obscured the view 20 that little tune
was allowed to play upon them"
In consequence Of this mishap, the men
in the fost became dispiIited. The oihcer'
continued bravely to hold out and twice
rejected hoaurlhle terms Of surrender
proposed by tie enemy undcr such CIR
cumstances an extreme anxiety that the
contest should be brought to close. -
Tie officers were confident of holding out,
but 10 their extreme III rtiicltlOn their
hopes were defeated in the following man
ner as further related by the Delta:
..By some traitorous means i had been COM
municatei 10 the men that the city had surreh-
| dereI. that further resistance would be una
vailing, anu that If the conflict was continued
and the garrison captured, they would all he
/ put to the sword. Under these influences, ,the
men arose at midnight, spiked some q the
guns, dismOuntcd others, and openly ieheI
the authority Of the officers. There was hon
orablc exceptions tn this disgraceful an 4 shame
fui conduct The st. Marys Gaguonacer-, D
cJputr volunteer company, took no part III
| these mHtinous pa Ingeedings, aEl were faithful
tn tbs last. Every officer of the ghrris N
| stood ur.lvcly 10 his post. They were All ~
m wish mn, til "a tipn az tbs c0n.iuct vi tbs
men. who. during borIbIrluent of eight lays
I AMI II -lits had behaved q brayely and man
Y fnliy \ most Ecroir ietciEa thus suller
\ hy the most painful abandonment OF duty Or
thc part 81 tie me y.
Tne sure lder thus bscin, iueyitlb' G
\ number vf the men who remained faith
fu escaped aud reached tile city. b whar
means i unknown.
The Mobile Evening News Of the 81
comments with much severity upon the
conduct Vf the Confederate vessels cn
| Like Punchtrain. If accounts b. true Il
was iucxcusab!e We quite the follow ~
from the Memphis Argus ot the 81:
..Ar,,rlipr 10 The statement " the M1bilt
Evening News, published yesterday,it matters
| little. % FAR as the federal troops reaching
/ New Orleans is concerned whether Or not r or'
! jackson falls into their hnhi,. seized ny
,Ii.,,r,.,.f,I panic the commanders II tLe Con
\ ~, I.rnf. rn1hoats On Lake P0ntchartrain,
| l,L,,,,,b bye or six miles from the enemy
\ a.tiIy destroyed tn sm upon Com. FIrragut
| ,nna,r,nce before New Orleans. Fort Pike
/ .tlr.d the same fate; thus opening to the
| Yankeesia Ia Mississippi Sound free communica-
| ,;n,, Inv water to within five miles Of the city
| tn which their infantry anu artillery could have
| h.eu marched over one or the best roads ia
America.
Merchantmen easily found their way across
| TO MobiIa-nO blocka ling fleet being in the
way--anG that these gunboats, if deemed use
less on the Lake, could have initiated their
example, and thus been able To render efficient
service III another quarter. But nothing
seemed to be thought ot but getting out Of the
way of the Yankee"
After the surrender uf the forts Genl.
Duncan AID other officers were brought
to the city as prisoners of war and released
on parole.
The condition Of things On the lst is
thus given by the Delta
ssFor the inf yrmation of our country readers
and our absent citizens, II may be we TO state
that the telegraph Offices have been closed for
several days to all general business, and we
believe are now closed entirely The postoffice
remains open, but Is guarded by marines from
;he u. 5. fleet No mails, however, from the
North via the jackson railroads have arrived
since Friday. We understand they have been
stopped at some station the rIilro al by
competent authority We trust that some
| arrangement may be made by which our people