Litchfield enquirer., 1862-05-08
WHOLE NO. 1909.
NEW ORLEANS.

!HNo city in the world is So peculiar in it's to. Pography as New Orleans. It is situated on th6 leit bank of the Mississippi river one hundred and ten miles from itsprincipal mouth, the South Pass 1t stretches or struggles along the bank of the rlver, some six or seven miles, with an average depth of one mile, it only being possi. ble to build on the narrow strip of land lying ina mediately on the edge of the river, the highest point being in front, and then rapidly sinking in the rear, until lost in interminable swamps. In the rear of New Orleans, half mile, perhaps, beyond the suburbs, is the Metarie ridge, . mar. row strip of high land two or three feet above high water mark, of an average of 8 half mile in width then you come again to the swamp, which continues to the shores of the lake be- yond, almost as dense as any in the surrounding valley, gloomy and peculiar, and uninhabited, sx:: cept by alligators and bitterns The front of New Orleans is of course on the river, and from the pecuarity of the country, and the leyee which serves to protect the city from being over: flowed by the Spring rise, our fleet, when 1t reaches the city, will be above the ground on which the city is built and command it as from an eminence. This circumstance, with the fact that the breaking of the levee by'a cannon shot, or few minutes work with the spade, would submerge the whole place, makes New Orleans, with it's defenceless rear, the weakest and least protected place of any commercial importance in the world.
 There is no fertilization immediately below thS city. Seven or eight miles from the upper line of boundary there are built extensive earthworks on both sides of the river, and at the battle ground about an equal distance below the city, are similar low works without casemates, and on the 18th of January last without guns.
 The rear of New Orleans may be said to con- sist of chain of three lakes the northern one the Manshac the next, Pontchartrain, more im- mediately in the rear of the city; then Lake Borgne, which is really well protected bay on the shores of the Gulf. Now, ir approaching New Orleans from the rear, our ships come out of the Gulf starting, say, from Ship Island, pass without obstacle, into Lake Borgne, proceed on to the Rgolets, a narrow entrance, half mile wide, leading into Pontchartrain. Here, on an island, scarcely visible in the surrounding marsh. is situated Fort Pike; for it must be understood the Rigoets are not passages between high banks as usually suggested but more deeper passages in an almost unusual spread of water Fort Pike is an old fashioned United States work, mounting twelve casemated guns The bar at the Rigolets seldom affords more than seven and half feet of water, and this is really the defensive feature of the place; but each side of the bar the water is of great depth. Fort Wood another fortfcation near by, but moro inland, is not in the way of an advance to the rear of the city, and requires no description.
 Our mortar and gunboats once beyond Fort Pike, will find in Lake Pontchartrain, what is termed in New Orleans, six gunboats- ordinary lake boats-mounting from two to six guns each, and two building, but not completed on the 18th of January last These boats are not formida- ble, and would make but little resistance to our better built and more perfect war craft. The gunboats of the enemy taken, nothing interferes to interrupt the progress of our forces to the lake shore in the rear of the city. This shore ia hard, and so continues for a short distance in- land, when, as in the case of the hand on the river front, it gradually sinks until it is lost in the surrounding swamp. If any defence is at. tempted by the Confederates, it must be made on the causeways-the shell roads"-that lead from New Orleans out to the lakes, or by sold-' ers stationed along the ditches dug to drain the swamps; but our gunboats can easily and with precision shell out these named places, rendering every point untenable. '. :. 1C !a-
 But another important point can here be gain ed. Our gunboats can proceed up Pontchar- train 35 miles, when they will reach Pass Man shac narrow entrance that leads into the lake of that name. Here upon piles crossing the great Northern railway; that is the only land connection New-Orleans has with the country lying on the Mississippi River. This connection destroyed, all communication with the city is cut off except by the river-a catastrophe of it. self almost fatal to long successful defence.