New-York daily tribune., 1862-05-10

| DAVID d. PORTER. Comd'f Mortar F!ohIa
i'm. wsiNwaiGhT. i Lieut. .Gs%S's g.ni.t Lam.
yR pUNCAN, Bri;; Gen. Comds Coast Oeiense''
Ccmds Fort. Jackson aud s.; Philip.
witass; EDw. NICHOLS, Lieut. .ooud'g Winons
| IA RUSSELL. Lieut. .Comd's KsnswhA
| UNITED SrArEs GuNBoAr CAIuoA,}
| orr NEv.ORLEASs, April 25 lSos )
| FrAG-OrFIcgR: Yonr boldly conceived and spien'
didy executed plan of battle having resulted in per-
feet success leaves me time to mako up the report
Of my Division.
Yon will find in Lieut.. Commanding Harrison's
report an accurate outline Of the noble part taken
by the Cayugs, under bis command, and bearing my
divi.ional 8,g. -,
We led Of at . a. M. in accordance with your
signal and steered directly up the stream edQiog
little to sarboard, in order to give room for your
Division
Iwas followed BY the Pensacola in fine style, the
remsinder Of my diyision following in regular and
compact order.
We were scarcely above the boom when we were
discovered and Jackson and st. Philip opened upon
us. We could bring no gun TO bear, but steered
directly on. We were struck from stem to stern.
AT length we were more close up with 81. Philip,
when we opened with grape and canister. Scarcely
were we above the liue OF fire wien we found our
selves stta ked BY the Rebel feet Of gunboats. This
was hot but more congenia' work.
| Two large steamers now attempted 70 board our
starboard bow, the other astern and third on our
starboard beam. The ninc-inch Dahlgren being
turned on this fellow we fired 1t range OF thirty
yards, and the effect was very destructive She I'M
niedlateiy seered in shore, rau aground, and sunk
| The Parrot gun the foIecast!e drove on the
| one on the row. while prepared to repel board
.rs 80 close was our remaining enemy. About this
{ me lBoggs and Lee csme dDsbipg IN, and made
finish Of the Rebel boats--eleven in ALL
In the gray Of the morning We discovered camp
with tue Rebel ag flying, We opened with canister
At p. m. We received the sword ana nag OF coi'
szynisnskiz and his command Of five companies,
srms, and carp eluipsge. While engaged at this
point we observed the Verona in conflict with
number Of gunbosts; abe had been butIed by one OF
them and sunk, but with his forward guns stlii
above The water, she was bravely maintaining the
tight, driving of bis enemies and saving his crew:
Inf rmng Capt. Lee Of the Oteda, who had also
been engaged with enemy, Of the NeroOss situa-
ton. he instantly steamed up and made hniah OF
tho Rebel boats. The remainder OF the fleet now
came up the Mississippi that had been detained be-
low with the Manassas and another ion-clad. Alter
this everything parsed under your observation.
| The pleasant duty low remains Of speaknR oftoe
| Cayuea and her brave officers and crew, irom irst
10 Last. Lieut.. Commanding II. Is. Hsfnson dis
payed masterly ability ~ steering bis vessel past
,he forts under . hurricane Of shot and shell and
lsiterwsrd in maaeuyering Md fighting her among
the guDbocts
cannot say too much for bin, be was gallantly
sustained by Lieut.. George II. Perkins and Acting
Master Thomas II. Martin; these officers nave my
unbouDded admiration. l must, in con :lascn, ex-
press the pleasure which experienced IN witness
ing the seameElike manner In which all the ships
were handled. The reports Of the Di,isionai Cap
tains will miorm you Of the particular part borne by
Respectfully yGur os,dl:n. servant,
Captain Cenmsndins Division Of the Red
To FissoHc.r b. O. FAsRAocS. Commander Ia hief
| te-, New. Orleans.
| UNITED State ovsso.r c.,GsA.}
| IRE Hen Grpsor WELLS, S,er,,a,v Jahs Nary
| SIR: Having found 1t inp0.sibe to get the Colo
/ IL na NJ Il n m q
large portion Of her guns and crew, filling up deli
cheney Of both in the different vessels, and with my
aid, Acting Midshipman Higgipson, steward and
boats crew, followed up myself, hoistng by author
iy Of the Flag Officer my red distneulsS,ns nag a.
second in commsnd, 6rst on the Oneida, Commander
Lee, and afterward on tho Cayuga.
l That brave, resolate. aud indefa.gable oficer,
| Com marder ID. ID. Porter, wss az work with bis
mortar feet throwing shel at and into Fort jack
son. wbilo Gen. Builer with division OF bis army
in transports was waiting q favorable moment TO
land Aft,r the mortar feet bad been playing upon
the fort for six days aud nights without perceptJly
diminishing their fire, aud one or two changee OF
programme, Flag.Oficer Fsrragut formed the ships
into two columns q" Line ahead, the column of the
Red under INV orders being formed on the right, and
consisted of tls Cayugs, Lient.-Com dg Harrison,
beaiing my fsg and leading the ns.coa, Capt.
aorri, tie Mississippi, Com. Smih Oneida, Com.
j. T.. Lee; Verona, Com. c. l.. Boggs; katahdin,
Lieut.. { Comdg Prebls; Kneodout, Comd'g Ransom,
and The WIsS.hlcnOu, l.lcul.-O A. A. Sul.tn.
The column of the blue formed the left,
and up the liver and consisted Of flag chip Norfolk.
| Com. a Wainwright, aud bearing the dag OF Com
mander-in.Cbiei tarngut; the Brooklyn, Cspt. L.
/ r. Craven; the Richmond, Com. Alden; the SeiotO,
baatipQ the divisional flag OF the fleet, Capt. ii. H.
Bell followed by the Iroquois, ltasca, Wiuona, aud
kennebse.
! At2o dock on morning Of the Ab the signal to ad-
vance was thrown out fiom the flagship. The Cayuga
Immediately weighed anchor and led on the column.
We were discovered at the BOOM ad little be- ond
both forts opened their fires. When close up with
the 81. Philip, opened with grape and canister,
stili steering After passing their liue OF fire
encountered the Montgomery fo;illa, consisting Of
~ gnuboats. including tue ram Manassas and iron
battery Louisiana, Of 20 guns.
/ This was moment OF anSiety, as no supporting
,hip was in sight. BY skiIlful steering, however
we avoided their attemps to butt and board, aud had
succeeded IN forng tie surrender OF threo when the
Verona, Capt. Boggs, and Oneida, Capt. Lee, were
discovered near at hand. The gallant exploits of
these shios, will be made known by their COM
manders. At early dawn discovered rebel camp
oh right bank Of the river; ordering Lieut.. COM
manding y. II. Harrison TO anchor close along,
hailed and ordered the Colonel 20 file up his on
the river bank aud come on board. This proved TO
be- the Cbalmette Regiment, commanded by Col. l.
Zeymauski. The regimentsl flag, tents, and camp
eouipnge were captured.
| Ga the InoruiUg OF the 18th, still leading and con.
sderaby ahead oi the line, the " Chaimette bat.
terios, situated three miles below the city. opened
a crcss lire on the Csyuga 10 this we responded
with our two guns. Al the end OF twenty minutes
the isg-ship ranged up ahead and silenced the
enemy guns. From this Point no other obstacles
were encountered except burning stores, cotton
| shipf, FIRE RATS, and tho like.
Immediately after snchoring in front Of the city,
was ordered on shore by the Flag Oticer to demand
the surrender oi the city, and that tue dag should be
hoised On tho Post tOlice, Custom-H Hoase, and NJ int,
What passed at this interview will be better stated
in the Flag Officers Report. On tho 26lb went
with tho Flag Oiiicer some seven miles above the