Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-06-06
ruE DEFEscrs or \. ORLEANS.

In a letter from Captain d. D. Porter, q.
5 Navy, to Senator Grimes Of Iowa, dated
SaIp Island, May 6.5. be says
Four rams and floating batteries, such a. the
world never before .aE, have been destroyed in
the lafe attack. The Louisiana, an iuvi1cible
-l,an battery, was sea on h-o AMI sent down On
tAe sc sells whie was engaged IN drawing up the
caTitu alton JOY the surrender Cf the forts-4 dt
81 tiucC flying st the time. She exploded With
% three hundred yards ,f us and sunk in one
minute, her sTlcGIiI tatcrT uf lifed guns being
lest Z. rs. Her fragments fairly covered Fort St.
FuiiP Hul hilcd man Cf tbcir, iG t.o fort
There was southern honor l.r 5ou That vessel
was igur t-Uus.uI tons, tUH hundred and seventy
feet Bong, a-d had siNteen uHed -ul.. all made 10
Cd sec ss-.- She intended Co t1kc position that
CHI when size w1J'd have driven .d all our
fleet, ioI as proof q her IlguuoratiIty one oi
our heaviest ship laid within ten feet Of her AMI
delivered her Wiuic broAis.ic, making no more
iurrl-sian on her than II she was firing peas. The
Louisisna's shot, on the contrary, vent through
and through tho above mentioned sioup oi war, AS
n She was glass.
The iron ram Manassas hit three vessels before
her commander ran her ashore ard abandoned her
she has been troublesome customer all through.
In New Orleans our naval Cficcrs officers found
the most splendid specimen of floating battery
the world has ever seen, q sea going aIsir.) and
had sbe been finished and succceied IN cett NJ 90
sea, the whole American navy would nave been
destroyed she Wus -iy thousand tons two hun.
dreI and seventy feet long SIXTY feet beam, and
four engines, three prrpeh-rs iour inches Caui ia
some places m1re) Of II n. ami would steam eleven
knots an hour. she COS; NI. Mallory & Co., two
millions Of liars
The best one i saw 6-a.1r ty me was a dry
q os turned iu.l Coating battery, mounting six
Teen guns, ami the entire u-iuc, which was te
proPei il, hcrmeticaliy sealed by thick iron tur
ret ssaiust shot. She was sunk, but foatoI dagn
t9 south W est Pass HuI o. now aground p1 Tie
bar and can be easily raised.
Besides these monsters, tac naval part ol the
enemy's deienc,s al TIC i.I.s consisted uf Fix oF
seven iron-cisd guLt cats; almost imptruous
10 slot, AID certainly sl 5-aiEst vessels coming
bow on We had nothing tacre on cur side but
twenty frail mortar boats. ave slo0Ys-of-rar nine
ten poor gunt9lts ON all little over one hun
drod aad tony guu-), o. contend against two Of
the most imYTeELal. .e forts lL this or any other
country, mounting ono hundred and twenty-scven
heavy guns tmany oi them riicd), three iron
plated batteries mounting tHIrty-o guns SIX OF
seven iron-platcd suUholts, and nine or ten things
,ot up ior ll0 Cccssion, soon destroyed and their
power never Co be known.
Allow INC to send yoa perfectly correct tracing
e EoTl Jack -on, made by the coast survey PARTY
attached % the mortar feet. They acted In the
same capacity as the typographical f4.iy hold in
the srmy. without them cur work volli have
occupied hy the mortar vessels. aud 30 Is safe to
say taat we knew to yard the czt.t distance Of
tie mouth ut tho m0rta-s from the
c-ulre Of the fO.t Inc enemy never saw us ex-
czpt for one day, wien one Ui the divisions OF six
vessels placed IN sight, getting pretty rough
D. handled, / moved them under point Of woods,
where with their .nasts covered with green busn-
es and their rigging with mes, they we're iuvisi-
bic 70 the best glasses. Oar fixing WAS a matter
OF calculation, md you may judge Low accurate
il when 1 tell you that Isis bombs struck in
tie centre and solid parts OF the works. 1880
II the moat near the f0uniation, shaking the
whole fort 10 its basei nearly l,5u0 exploded in
and over she works. ami 1851 struck about the
lsvees ia the marsh close around and in the paths
and near the waters edge, where the steamers at
tempted TO come. ~ small boats ,scoEs and armed
barges were sunk; and If the garrisoa had desired
70 get away they could not have done easily
I never saw 80 perfect scene Of desOlation a-d
rdjn, nor do I believe there ever was ever such
peTfsc. mortar practice. We could clear tbe bat
tcrios whenever the soldiers appeared toe ram
parts. In fact no guna there could be worked.
Tits sketch may interest yoar friends IN the
far West. 1t viii remind them that the influence
of the navy is felt everywhere over this great
country, and when the vast riches Of the Western
states are floating securely and peacefully 20 tie
seaboari in the swift waters Of the Mississippi,
let them remember that it was the navy which
opened the doors 10 a commerce that might have
So ut up for a quarter Of century, and that they
can dictate free trade now where they might have
been obliged to Pay tribute.
With my best Sishos, remain. dear lir, yours
very truly,
Tsirnedl DAVID b. PoRrEH,
Commanding Elctiila.
lion. J. ". Grimes, U. .. Senator.