, 1862-05-12
FROM NEW ORLEANS,
Interesting Details Of the
Capture.
TIE FORTS SURRENDER,


C4mo. Nay II.
VIC have no arrival rom tue G:.ct direct
since the Dc Soto. By inc Diligcnt ,ze learn
that yesterday there WIS 4 tremendous can
nonading In progress, In !7hach both gunboats
and mortars participated for four hours with
out inteEmission and then suddenly ceased,
The roar Of the cannon was distinctly heard
q! Tiptonvile aad RIde:='s Point, The Dill.
gent brought deserte< Who left Fort plllow
Last Sunday. He reporr5 That al the infautry
there were ordered to Corinth, leaving only
5000 artillery, barely enough TO work the
guns. OF small brass .aeces, there are fifty
but they rely for ezec1ztt4a solely upon half
dozen rit1ed sixty-four=.
Inc con1ederates ar: removing the guns
from their gunboats and arc fortifyiug Ran
do1ph. There are no force at this latter place
orat Fulton, except the SICK. JEFF THOMPSON
is in command Of the feet, and has the new
steamer Rebel, mounting two guns, for his
flag g-ebip.
The Casualties resulting from the bombs-d-
mcnt up to the time Of Lis departure were ten
killed and three wounded.
Since the recent reconnaissance OF the coun-
try on the Oblon By the Federal cavalry from
Hickman, tue Co1fcdefates have crossed the
river and inflicted the grossest outrascs upon
the parties who 6ympal:.lzsd with and greeted
us SO cordially. Davis; the proprietor OF the
mill where VIC halted, is taken prisoner and re-
ported hung. Squire Latham, 4 nHYer in
Dresden, obnoxious OF account Of nia }oya1
pfocliritfcs, is also reported hing. Benz.
Shafftr yr31r in aF
which recently left Fqt Henry in search Of
the Clay King guerillas, Eas killed by Con-
fede1ate captain named Fenable The circun-
stances are briefly these: Maj shatlar being
surrounded, vas ordered to surrender, but re-
fused, and darcd the captain to mortal COIN
bat. At it they went, and the Major Vas in 3
fair way to disable his antagonist, when d
private III the Confederate rslks drew his zc-
vo1yrr and shot him dead.
A gentleman who left New Orlsaus on The
agth nlt., on the last tssin which departed,
under Confederate auspices, arrived at Cairo
this evening on the niligent. The Feder,ls
took possession on Thursday at 2 r. N. On
that morning at halfHast 8 the frigatcs Here
ford, BROOKLYN, Richmond, and i've gunboats
passcd Forts st. Pts:ip aud Jackson, aRd
steamed to the city without being fired at,
except at :. point calIcd Chalmetto. At the
time Of the passage there we're eight or ten
Confederate steamers above tie fort without
steam up, and the crsws asleep. When tue
Federal boats hove in sight, the Confederltes
set f1c to these and blew up the splendid
gunboat Louisiana, Eithout firing a shot
During the bombardu:ent, several Of our yes
sells were badly dams4ed. When they passed
they passed the forts three we're 1ashed TO-
getlcr, SO that If one was disabled the others
could cut loose and proceed on their way, In
this manner they succeeded in passing.
As soon rs the rurnor Of the passage Of the
forta reached New Orleans, there Was a tre-
mendous consternation in the city. The au-
thorities Immediately set fire. to the trans
ports, and the two gunboats lying at the legee,
= fcW steamers belonging to the tributaries Of
1he hIissis5irpl, &1ls crowded with ritizen:,
up the Arkansas, Red, White, Ouachita, and
fazoo Rivers. Every dray and vehicle suita-
bic for the service, was impressed by the au-
thorities to carry cotton, sugar and molasses
to the lcgcc, where they Werc piled and burn
cd. All military stores were rcmorcd to the
depot Of the New Orleans and Jackson Rail-
road, except the powder, which was thrown
into the river. The conaaggration was trc-
1nendous, and the sky for several miles was
lurid With flame. The smoke was 60 thick as
to completely da1hen the atmosphere
Disorganized Confederate troops in compa-
MES aud parts Of companies fed in wild disor-
der to the depot to seek Il passagc to Poncha-
tulas, Gfty miles in the interior, where the
military rendezvous vas located. The negroes
stole molasees and sugar from tie 1eyee, aud
women and children cou1d be seen In great
numbers rolling barrels Of sweets over the
payements to their huts in the suburbs The
streets were SO slippery with the dsippinss
that the cab horses could hardly stand up.
right
Willie affairs were in this confusion, the
eight Federal frigates and gunboats in fight
ing trim, topnasts, guns shotted and run out
OF the port holes, and the stars aud stripes
flying from every masthead, anchored one at
the foot Of each principal street leading TO the
river the Hartford, with Com. Earragut's
blue pennant flying from her foretop, taking
her position at the foot Of Canal street. A.
ter the ships were in position, Capt Bayless>
second in command OF the gulf squadron, In q
pinancc unattended and alone, landed On the
leyec. Just before him man stood at the
1cfcc with loaded pistol, and thrcated to
aloot him If he stepped his foot upon the
shore without flag Of truce. Capt B. pulled
out white handkerchief and waving it, step
ped upon the 1cyce and proceed directly to
the City Hall through crowd of full twenty
five thousand men, women and children. This
act Of bravery elicltel q shout Of admi.
ration from the vast assemb1agc. He called
upon the Mayor, presented dispatch from
Commodore Far1agut, aud demanded the sur
render Of the city. He required the Louis
lana State flsg to be lowered, and the Stars
and Stripes to be hoistcd upon the Mint, Gus
tom House, and all public buildings The
Naler informed him that tho city was UNDER
martial law, that Major General Lowell WIS in
command, and that he, the Mayor, had no
authority to act in the premises. At this
juncturc, Gen. Lowell appeared, refused to
surrender the city, but offered to withdraw
his forces and surrender bis authority to the
civil authorities. The Mayor then told Capt.
Ba51ee that he would convene session Of
the Common Council that evening, ana send
an ans1cr to the Commodore's dispatch in
the morning. The answer, ~ promised was
returned the next day.
On Tuesday the 28th, 500 marines landed
with a few small brass pieces and marched TO
the City Hall. demanded to be shown to the
top OF the building, hauled down the State
flag, which marine rolled up and carried of
under his arm, aud then proceeded to the Gus
tom House, where the remains Of two hundred
gun carriages were EtlII burning, hoizted the
National Emblem. left guard to protect It.
and returned to the gunboat.
The day previous forts st. Phillip and jackson
had surrendered, their own men spikiug tho
guns and refusing to tight longer. In conse-
queuce Of this mutsny, Gen Duncan was com
pellcd to raise the white flag and surrender
the fort. Gen. Duncan aud all his officers
we're released upon their parole and allowed
| to retain their side asfns, The former came
up to tho City Hall and made speech In
which he counse1lcd the people not to despair,
| everything Eould como out right jet.
! The fort having surrendered, the way VIE
| clear for transports, which At the time our in
foz1pant left were hourly expected. onae,
t vas established In the city, shops wers bsine
opened, bat the St. Charles and principal no
tells rcmained closed, more in consequence q
! the currency and the scarcity Of sroyisions
than from any fear Of tho Federal soldiers,
Considerable apprehension was felt that th,
lower classes, spanish, French, Germans, aui
foreigners generally, taking advantage Of tn.
| aleoroonf1ad condition nf Ira