, 1862-05-12
THE CAPTURE Of NEW Or
LEANS.
FULL DETAILS FROM FED
ERAL SOURCES.
A SIX DAYS 1QMBARR-
MENTs
The Forts Finally Passed and
Surrendered.
Desperate Conflict Between the
Va1una and William E. Webb,

Especial Correspondence New York Times.1
C1rTED STATES BARKEsrIsE HORACE BEA1Es,t
M1Eg. hTER, Wednesday, april -, 1852
The siege Of Forts jackson. and st. Philip
during the past sk days and five nights, aud
still they arc not Eedneed. All this time have
been patiently waiting the end, convinced
that q succinct narrative Of operatlons after
success had been achieved would be far more
acceptable to you than diftused statement
Of events in the order Of their occurrence
But it is impossible to conjecture how long
tie rebels will 1e1nain Ut bay, and mean Thils
nv notebook is becoming fearfu1ly full
Therefore, if ! would send the news in detail,
must write it low at the risk of It's appear
ins Tissue OF shreds, patches and fragments.
! will premise with the statement inst TO-
daJ-thc Esd day OF ApE1-Wm hencefoTth be
remembered as the date OF one OF the most
desperate OF naval battles. At3 o'clock in
the morning thu greater part Of Comm odore
Farragut's squadron, consisting Of five sloops-
of-war and njne gnpboats, successfully passed
up the riFer, running through fearful fire,
ard arc nov above the forts. The mortar
1otilla and eight armed steamers are still be-
lox the enemy, who is thus placed bstween
two fires, with bis supplies from New Orleans
cut ot, and rendering his surrender merely
question OF time. OF tue damage that has
resulted to either side, I have at present little
knowledge From my position on the mortar
yCEscls can see the masts Of our feet, appar
emily three or four miles beyond the forts, and
the 1lag Of the Union is lying from tho top Of
cvery spar. The burning bulls Of three rebel
steamers have passed By Us down the river,
and that famous bug bear the ram Manassas,
is destroted- I saw, it sinking, Q burning
wreck, its two smoke-stacks fottcring, its
cylindrical sides pierced With yaaning holes
made BY riflcd shot; and in the cubin where I
deck just before she sank by Mr.. George ",
Sumner, the Executive Officer Of this YES
sci. The edges and frame Of the slate are
cha1rcd, but not SO badly IS to prevent our
reading on the outside these words: Mas
tcr's log, G. s. steamer 3lanassAs." On the
inside is written: "From to evening, kept
up fires. At 7:S0, Steamer Diana passed up.h
Signed " r. T. W. which are probably the
initials Of the Name Of the officer who had the
watch. Although the loss of the rebels could
not ha1e been otherwise than severe, they re-
fuse TO surrender Communication has been
had with them bg meaus Of a lay OF truce,
When Capt Porter demanded that they should
Yield themselves up Internationally, Their
reply was that tile terms were lDadnllsslble,
and until the last man fell they should tight.
1n another place ! shall write fully Of to
days proceedings, and will now enter upon a
description Of the bonlbardlnent by the NOR
tar schooneTs and the scenes and Incidents at
tendant thereupon. Fire vas opened on tue
morning Of Good Friday, April Is. At al
| carly hour tie twenty b0mb-resscls were tow
| cd by tie steamers Westde1d, Clifton ant
| Miami to tie positions which had been select
ed for them. Fourteen Of the sehooners were
| noored to the western side Of the river, clost
| to the bauk, where they were hidden by TIL
trees from tie enemy'5 observation, and til
| ryluuinjng six, instead Of three only as WIS q
first intended, were placed in i more exposed
/ posititn OIL The oppositc side Of the stream
| Tie first schooner in line on tile western sid
| IVES stationed little less than mile an
| T. rec quarters from Fort Jackson, and til
| thirteen 0t1a+ts lay ;.stern Of her, with Ia
bowsprit oi each overlapping the taffrail Q
the one immediately in advance, The vessel
across the river werc in full view Of Fort 81
Philip, whence they were distant nearly tw
miles and & half